Eye Single To The Glory Of God

[Avatar4321]

What does it mean to have your "eye single to the glory of God" as the scriptures suggest we all need to do?

Edited June 4, 2013 by Avatar4321

[Duncan]

What does it mean to have your "eye single to the glory of God" as the scriptures suggest we all need to do?

it's one of my favourite talks in Conference!!!! Elder Marlin K. Jensen's 1989 address

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/print/1989/10/an-eye-single-to-the-glory-of-god?lang=eng

[The Nehor]

Note it says "eye" not "eyes".

This presumably ties into the "plucking out whichever eye of yours is most offensive" instruction from the Savior.

Suppose my right hand offends me and I chop it off and then my left hand offends me. What do I chop it off with?

[Duncan]

Note it says "eye" not "eyes".

This presumably ties into the "plucking out whichever eye of yours is most offensive" instruction from the Savior.

Suppose my right hand offends me and I chop it off and then my left hand offends me. What do I chop it off with?

get that guy from the opening scene of Kevin Costner's Robin Hood, he seems to know what he's doing!

[theplains]

This presumably ties into the "plucking out whichever eye of yours is most offensive" instruction from the Savior.

In your line of thinking, how do you determine if the left or right eye is most offensive?

Let's pick for example looking at a person with lust on your mind.

Thanks,

Jim

[Kenngo1969]

Note it says "eye" not "eyes".

This presumably ties into the "plucking out whichever eye of yours is most offensive" instruction from the Savior.

Suppose my right hand offends me and I chop it off and then my left hand offends me. What do I chop it off with?

Would you like some help? (OK, that was twick and sisted ... I apologize!)

[TAO]

I guess it means something along the lines of dedicating yourself totally to God in all your thoughts, words, and deeds. Then again, I haven't done it yet, so I can't say for sure, but its definitley a holy state.

[Freedom]

D&C 88:67 &68 say the following

67 And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things.

68 Therefore, sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God, and the days will come that you shall see him; for he will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will.

There is either an inconsistancy in number agreement or perhaps 'your eye' is a collective eye of the church. So, we will not be filled with light unless we are united as a people.

[The Nehor]

In your line of thinking, how do you determine if the left or right eye is most offensive?

Let's pick for example looking at a person with lust on your mind.

Thanks,

Jim

I would base it on which eye is dominant.

[Tacenda]

(Wow, this thread died out early, what's up with that?)

I heard this discussed on a show and then found and read it here.....

http://en.fairmormon.org/Journal_of_Discourses/14/27

(It seems B.Y. is being blasphemous in the bold font below. Just as J.S. seemed to be in his statement that he had done more than Jesus in keeping a church together. What were they thinking? I don't believe their speeches spoke like they were always keeping an eye single to the Lord. This makes me think of something else I heard, when you think of salvation from the Lord how are your feelings? Now when you think of exaltation what do you feel? To me I thought of Jesus more when thinking of salvation, then when I thought of exaltation.)

J.O.D. Vol 14 pg. 203

they saw and handled these plates, and they witness to the world that the Book of Mormon is true. Here are twelve living men, who can be spoken to, against eight men who have been dead for about seventeen hundred years." Well, but these great miracles, these wonderful miracles!

I do not wish to speak the least derogatory to the character of him, or whoever performed these miracles in the name of the Lord; but I mention this to show how men's minds are wrought upon and how they look at things. In my conversation I asked those gentlemen if they believed the Bible? Yes, and they were very fervent in bringing forth the great miracles of Moses, who was called to lead the children of Israel. "Well, what did Moses do?" "Why, so and so." "And you say that Jesus raised the dead?" "Yes." "If you will turn to the Old Testament, you will find that a certain woman, called the witch of Endor, raised up Samuel the Prophet. Did Jesus ever raise up a prophet?" They had to acknowledge that he did not. What greater work did Jesus do than a witch, that our fathers in Massachusetts used to hang up by the neck and burn, or make them swim across the bay, and if they went across, that was proof they were witches or wizards; and if they could not get quite across, but sank, they might possibly be innocent, but they were at the bottom of the sea. What proof have you that Jesus wrought any greater miracle than the witch of Endor—a wicked woman, who, to please wicked Saul, brought the Prophet Samuel from his grave?"

Well, now, examine the character of the Savior, and examine the characters of those who have written the Old and New Testaments; and then compare them with the character of Joseph Smith, the founder of this work—the man whom God called and to whom he gave the keys of Priesthood, and through whom he has established his Church and kingdom for the last time, and you will find that his character stands as fair as that of any man's mentioned in the Bible. We can find no person who presents a better character to the world when the facts are known than Joseph Smith, jun., the prophet, and his brother, Hyrum Smith, who was murdered with him.

I will come now to my text again, and will ask the Latter-day Saints, Do you know that Joseph Smith was a prophet? Yes. How do you know it? Why, father and mother says it is so; Elder such-a-one says it is so, and I believe it. They prove their doctrine by the Bible, and I am forced to believe the Bible through the traditions of the fathers; and these Elders establish the truth of their doctrines beyond all controversy from Scripture, and I cannot deny it, hence I believe Mormonism, or the Gospel.

Now, the question is, how much good will it do me to believe the Gospel on the evidence of others, without possessing the spirit of the Gospel? This is a question that I can answer very readily. There is no man or woman on the earth that will live according to the laws of God, but will possess the Spirit of God. This answers the question. But suppose we believe and we do not quite live this law. We embrace the Gospel, we gather up with the Saints, and yet we live in the neglect of our duty and beneath our privileges; we do not call upon the Father in the name of Jesus with that sincerity and earnestness necessary to bring down the revelations of the Lord upon us, and we live in this manner for days and years together; by and by something or other comes along that we do not like, we cannot understand it, we

[Ahab]

D&C 88:67 &68 say the following

67 And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things.

68 Therefore, sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God, and the days will come that you shall see him; for he will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will.

There is either an inconsistancy in number agreement or perhaps 'your eye' is a collective eye of the church. So, we will not be filled with light unless we are united as a people.

I see our Lord starting out talking about how it applies to one person before expanding the thought to include others.

We can still see how it would apply to one person by applying it that way, though:

67 And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole body shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things.

68 Therefore, sanctify yourself that your mind becomes single to God, and the days will come that you shall see him; for he will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will.

Each of our eyes is what our body uses to see with, and even if had only one eye we could still use it to see enough light to comprehend all things.

[Kate]

When I think of this scripture, I see "your eye" meaning "your mind's eye". What we visualize, what we think and ponder about.

[Ahab]

When I think of this scripture, I see "your eye" meaning "your mind's eye". What we visualize, what we think and ponder about.

Short and sweet, and true. I like it.

[urroner]

When I was in the SLC Mission Home, many, many years ago, Bro. McConkie talked about having your eye single to the glory of God. He made a minor change to the saying, even though it sounded exactly the same, but it doesn't translate well into other languages. He said that instead of the word "eye," we should use the word "I." He said we should have an "I single to the glory of God." It's about truly dedicating ourselves to God.