I recently heard a Gospel Doctrine class instructor comment about how she felt bad for the five foolish virgins and the slothful servant spoken of in Matthew 25. I sympathize. Granted, these story characters are fictional, but the reason that the parables are so poignant is that the characters have real-life applicability is that people around us make the choices that these characters make.
So I feel bad for them, too. I don't think what happens to them is unfair or unjust; it's completely fair for an authority to decree terms and reward only those who abide by those terms. I feel bad that they make the wrong choices and earn their just but unpleasant rewards.
(Granted, I fully acknowledge that sometimes I make bad choices and deprive myself of blessings, but I certainly hope to be faithful and fulfill God's plan in my life.)
I would think that the average person would agree that God's judgments are just (and certainly in our own judgment day, faced with full knowledge, it would be pointless to argue), but what some people might say is unfair is that while all ten virgins had an equal chance of succeeding, the three servants clearly had different circumstances to begin with, having been given different amounts of "talents".
Is it unfair?
Prophets have made a comparison stating that this mortal life is merely the second act in a three-act play. What appears to be the beginning is, in fact, not the beginning at all. Similarly, in the parable of the talents, the beginning of the servants' story is really not their beginning. We might ask, "Why would the lord give his servants unequal portions?" The answer is simple: he knew them. These were not servants he had just hired off the street, but probably servants he'd had in his household for years, and "he gave...talents...to every man according to his several ability" (verse 15). He gave five talents to one because, after observing him and coming to know him, the lord knew that he would make good use of those five talents.
Of course, we still are free to choose what we do with the "talents" that the Lord gives us, and sometimes even a five-talent child of God ruins his or her opportunity, but He still gives us an opportunity. How did the lord of the parable treat the slothful servant? He surely didn't expect as much of that one, but still gave him a great opportunity. One talent is no small amount of money. If it is likely that the servant will waste his opportunity, wouldn't squandering five talents be even worse than squandering one?
Another point of fairness is the reward for the faithful. Regardless of the size of the stewardship, the reward is the same. The lord's words to his faithful servants were identical, and they surely would have been the same for the third servant if he'd been faithful also. The end goal of the Plan of Salvation is the greatest possible: "all that [our] Father hath shall be given unto him." (Doctrine and Covenants 84:38) If a five-talent servant and a two-talent servant both end up with everything, neither has anything to complain about.
Last thoughts for now:
I keep going to church, praying with my family, and doing a lot of other things while maintaining a religious focus in all aspects of my life because I know the Plan of Salvation is true and good, and I hope to receive what God wants to give me. I hope he'll say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant". If, however, I failed, I would always admit that His gifts to me and His judgments were fair.
Showing posts with label Plan of Salvation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Plan of Salvation. Show all posts
Monday, June 29, 2015
Sunday, February 26, 2012
The Few That Are Chosen
There are several ways of making a particular distinction; that is, several different appellations: an elect people, a chosen people, a peculiar people.
Doesn't it seem strange to consider some people as "special"? In principle, God loves us all, right? And he's no respecter of persons? Of course. (Acts 10:34, Doctrine and Covenants 1:35, 38:16) Then why and more importantly how are certain peoples distinguished in the eyes of the Lord?
I was reading to my children just now before they went to bed. Because it's Sunday, we were reading from the scripture story picture books produced by the Church. We read the story of the Jaredites. Something struck me as interesting, especially in the abbreviated form. While the Jaredites started out as a righteous people (or at least they were following a very righteous man--the brother of Jared), after they reach the promised land the next thing that happens is this: they become wicked. Very wicked. Wicked to the point of being destroyed (by themselves, in this case, but destroyed all the same).
This isn't really surprising, because there is already precedent. Those of us with extended hindsight can see the same occurrence happening throughout scripture. The first instance was with Adam and Eve, two of the most trusted of Heavenly Father's spirit children: a bulk of their children became so wicked that they merited destruction by flood. Another easily remembered example comes from the people of Isreal after the Exodus. They looked to a prophet for deliverance, trusted him enough to follow him out of Egypt, and received help from God in the form of many wonders, but then committed such abhorrent sins that they had to wander in the wilderness until that generation had died (40 years).
Another example is that of Lehi's family, though in their case it's more clear that the actions of a few people early on had a significant bad influence on their progeny. In general, however, we see simply that civilizations often have a trend of becoming wicked even if they have the best starting conditions. I know of only one exception; the city of Enoch was so righteous (a true Zion) that it was taken into heaven (see Moses 7:23). Even the Nephites, after having had the wicked sifted out from among them through disaster and having received a visit from the resurrected Christ Himself, only maintained their righteousness for a couple of centuries.
Why does this happen? Because we are granted the ability to exercise our own moral agency, and to maintain the standards of Zion requires full dedication, which most are not willing to give. God knows that, given our agency, we will use it in different ways, and we're all going to use it poorly at times. Individuals, families, and nations will often turn to wickedness. I suppose that God could at a given moment get a report showing what percent of His children, after their final judgment, merited each kingdom; either way, He knows that some will inherit celestial glory, some will inherit terrestrial glory, some will inherit telestial glory, and some will inherit no glory at all.
While God knows we will sin, He has planned for us to succeed. The key is that we have been provided with a Savior who has atoned for us all:
"O how great the holiness of our God! For he knoweth all things, and there is not anything save he knows it.
And he cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam.
And he suffereth this that the resurrection might pass upon all men, that all might stand before him at the great and judgment day.
And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God.
And if they will not repent and believe in his name, and be baptized in his name, and endure to the end, they must be damned; for the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has spoken it." (2 Nephi 9:20-24)
How do we receive the grace of our Savior? By making and keeping covenants. Without them, human nature will lead us to error (or, put differently, "the natural man is an enemy to God"--Mosiah 3:19). That's the distinguishing factor, and therein lies the "why" of the distinction as not just the "chosen people" or the "elect" but also as the "covenant people" of the Lord. We are distinguished in that we are supposed to make a demonstrated willful act to show that we will follow the will of God through His plan. Sure, we are still imperfect after making covenants; some of us will make mistakes and repent, and others will even fail to repent and lose their reward. Thus, among the covenant people of God there can still be and sometimes are great problems, and we are ever in need of prophets and other leaders to guide, inspire, and encourage us. But in each case of an "elect" people they have made covenants. Even in the passage above we see a necessary covenant: baptism. It is through baptism that we become the covenant people of the Lord, or, in other words, latter-day saints.
Last thoughts for now:
Making and keeping covenants is how we become the chosen people of God as members of His Church, and He has given us these covenants in order to allow us to be sanctified and justified and thus to fulfill His plan. That's the "why"; that's why some are "chosen" despite the fact that we all invariably misuse our agency to some degree. The beauty of it (and this is real beauty) is that "he cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice". We all can receive the greatest blessings of God if we are willing, and if we take care to keep our hearts set on the kingdom of God. It is my goal to have such willingness in my heart. It is my goal to encourage others to do the same.
Doesn't it seem strange to consider some people as "special"? In principle, God loves us all, right? And he's no respecter of persons? Of course. (Acts 10:34, Doctrine and Covenants 1:35, 38:16) Then why and more importantly how are certain peoples distinguished in the eyes of the Lord?
I was reading to my children just now before they went to bed. Because it's Sunday, we were reading from the scripture story picture books produced by the Church. We read the story of the Jaredites. Something struck me as interesting, especially in the abbreviated form. While the Jaredites started out as a righteous people (or at least they were following a very righteous man--the brother of Jared), after they reach the promised land the next thing that happens is this: they become wicked. Very wicked. Wicked to the point of being destroyed (by themselves, in this case, but destroyed all the same).
This isn't really surprising, because there is already precedent. Those of us with extended hindsight can see the same occurrence happening throughout scripture. The first instance was with Adam and Eve, two of the most trusted of Heavenly Father's spirit children: a bulk of their children became so wicked that they merited destruction by flood. Another easily remembered example comes from the people of Isreal after the Exodus. They looked to a prophet for deliverance, trusted him enough to follow him out of Egypt, and received help from God in the form of many wonders, but then committed such abhorrent sins that they had to wander in the wilderness until that generation had died (40 years).
Another example is that of Lehi's family, though in their case it's more clear that the actions of a few people early on had a significant bad influence on their progeny. In general, however, we see simply that civilizations often have a trend of becoming wicked even if they have the best starting conditions. I know of only one exception; the city of Enoch was so righteous (a true Zion) that it was taken into heaven (see Moses 7:23). Even the Nephites, after having had the wicked sifted out from among them through disaster and having received a visit from the resurrected Christ Himself, only maintained their righteousness for a couple of centuries.
Why does this happen? Because we are granted the ability to exercise our own moral agency, and to maintain the standards of Zion requires full dedication, which most are not willing to give. God knows that, given our agency, we will use it in different ways, and we're all going to use it poorly at times. Individuals, families, and nations will often turn to wickedness. I suppose that God could at a given moment get a report showing what percent of His children, after their final judgment, merited each kingdom; either way, He knows that some will inherit celestial glory, some will inherit terrestrial glory, some will inherit telestial glory, and some will inherit no glory at all.
While God knows we will sin, He has planned for us to succeed. The key is that we have been provided with a Savior who has atoned for us all:
"O how great the holiness of our God! For he knoweth all things, and there is not anything save he knows it.
And he cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam.
And he suffereth this that the resurrection might pass upon all men, that all might stand before him at the great and judgment day.
And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God.
And if they will not repent and believe in his name, and be baptized in his name, and endure to the end, they must be damned; for the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has spoken it." (2 Nephi 9:20-24)
How do we receive the grace of our Savior? By making and keeping covenants. Without them, human nature will lead us to error (or, put differently, "the natural man is an enemy to God"--Mosiah 3:19). That's the distinguishing factor, and therein lies the "why" of the distinction as not just the "chosen people" or the "elect" but also as the "covenant people" of the Lord. We are distinguished in that we are supposed to make a demonstrated willful act to show that we will follow the will of God through His plan. Sure, we are still imperfect after making covenants; some of us will make mistakes and repent, and others will even fail to repent and lose their reward. Thus, among the covenant people of God there can still be and sometimes are great problems, and we are ever in need of prophets and other leaders to guide, inspire, and encourage us. But in each case of an "elect" people they have made covenants. Even in the passage above we see a necessary covenant: baptism. It is through baptism that we become the covenant people of the Lord, or, in other words, latter-day saints.
Last thoughts for now:
Making and keeping covenants is how we become the chosen people of God as members of His Church, and He has given us these covenants in order to allow us to be sanctified and justified and thus to fulfill His plan. That's the "why"; that's why some are "chosen" despite the fact that we all invariably misuse our agency to some degree. The beauty of it (and this is real beauty) is that "he cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice". We all can receive the greatest blessings of God if we are willing, and if we take care to keep our hearts set on the kingdom of God. It is my goal to have such willingness in my heart. It is my goal to encourage others to do the same.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
To Be Mourned After Death
(written 21 Aug 11)
People value some strange things, and often people care way too much about others whom they’ve never even met, but sometimes what is important to a certain person is indicative of real worth.
We read that a certain disciple, Tabitha, was known in her life for being “full of good works and almsdeeds” (Acts 9:36). To have such a reputation shows that she really did something useful in her life. As we read further we learn at least one thing specifically that Tabitha did. After she died, “all the widows stood by…weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which [she] had made, while she was with them.”
They cared. Those widows really cared. She had made clothing for them, and they wept while showing an apostle of the Lord how she had shown them charity. I'm confident that the widows loved her for more than the material gifts, also; they surely felt her love in other ways as well.
Would I have anyone weep for my loss? Would others care like that? Would my death be meaningful, and thus indicate that my life had been meaningful?
I think of my wife, who has sewed blessing dresses for so many newborn girls. Sometimes the mothers cry when they see the dresses. That shows that she, much like Tabitha, has done something meaningful.
Last thoughts for now:
My gifts to others probably won’t often be in the form of clothing, so they won't mourn my loss for that reason. Frankly, I don’t want to be mourned when I die. I want people to rejoice in the Plan of Salvation. I’d like it, though, to know that my life had meaning to others. I hope to serve others until they know I love them, and I hope that in return they love me.
People value some strange things, and often people care way too much about others whom they’ve never even met, but sometimes what is important to a certain person is indicative of real worth.
We read that a certain disciple, Tabitha, was known in her life for being “full of good works and almsdeeds” (Acts 9:36). To have such a reputation shows that she really did something useful in her life. As we read further we learn at least one thing specifically that Tabitha did. After she died, “all the widows stood by…weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which [she] had made, while she was with them.”
They cared. Those widows really cared. She had made clothing for them, and they wept while showing an apostle of the Lord how she had shown them charity. I'm confident that the widows loved her for more than the material gifts, also; they surely felt her love in other ways as well.
Would I have anyone weep for my loss? Would others care like that? Would my death be meaningful, and thus indicate that my life had been meaningful?
I think of my wife, who has sewed blessing dresses for so many newborn girls. Sometimes the mothers cry when they see the dresses. That shows that she, much like Tabitha, has done something meaningful.
Last thoughts for now:
My gifts to others probably won’t often be in the form of clothing, so they won't mourn my loss for that reason. Frankly, I don’t want to be mourned when I die. I want people to rejoice in the Plan of Salvation. I’d like it, though, to know that my life had meaning to others. I hope to serve others until they know I love them, and I hope that in return they love me.
The Joy of the Challenges of Families
(written 21 Aug 11)
I was able to attend an Elder’s Quorum meeting today because I’m out of town. Out of the continental U.S. to be more specific, but anyway, I received a lesson from the teacher about eternal families. I really liked a line from the Gospel Principles manual that stated something about husbands and wives making each other happy. I thought particularly about my daughter’s reaction before I left; I’m confident that she means it when she says she loves me and that she really wants me around, so I must be doing some things right.
It occurred to me also that it’s pretty easy for us to be pleasant with people we don’t have to spend much time with, particularly if we’re just meeting them, but it’s different with our spouses (and children), with whom we spend so much time. We have ups and downs, but even when we’re not feeling well we can generally muster some charm and manners so as to give others a positive impression. With our spouses, though, it’s a continual effort, and it’s hard to be nice all the time; it takes endurance. That’s why it’s so beneficial to us; in being continually nice to our family members, we get a real opportunity to exercise our charity “muscles”, or in other words, to become more Christlike.
The idea of the our role in the family structure being a key part of our struggle to perfect ourselves isn’t new, but it’s recassuring to see the wisdom of God’s plan for us.
Very likely, it’s the fact that we must put effort into our family relationships that makes them so fulfilling and joyous.
Last thoughts for now:
I love my family. I’m glad they miss me when I’m away. I’m glad that I have to make a real effort at times in order to show them that I love them. I’m glad that my wife makes such efforts for me. I’m grateful for my covenants.
I was able to attend an Elder’s Quorum meeting today because I’m out of town. Out of the continental U.S. to be more specific, but anyway, I received a lesson from the teacher about eternal families. I really liked a line from the Gospel Principles manual that stated something about husbands and wives making each other happy. I thought particularly about my daughter’s reaction before I left; I’m confident that she means it when she says she loves me and that she really wants me around, so I must be doing some things right.
It occurred to me also that it’s pretty easy for us to be pleasant with people we don’t have to spend much time with, particularly if we’re just meeting them, but it’s different with our spouses (and children), with whom we spend so much time. We have ups and downs, but even when we’re not feeling well we can generally muster some charm and manners so as to give others a positive impression. With our spouses, though, it’s a continual effort, and it’s hard to be nice all the time; it takes endurance. That’s why it’s so beneficial to us; in being continually nice to our family members, we get a real opportunity to exercise our charity “muscles”, or in other words, to become more Christlike.
The idea of the our role in the family structure being a key part of our struggle to perfect ourselves isn’t new, but it’s recassuring to see the wisdom of God’s plan for us.
Very likely, it’s the fact that we must put effort into our family relationships that makes them so fulfilling and joyous.
Last thoughts for now:
I love my family. I’m glad they miss me when I’m away. I’m glad that I have to make a real effort at times in order to show them that I love them. I’m glad that my wife makes such efforts for me. I’m grateful for my covenants.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
The Strategy
I don't know if this strategy actually works, and the strategy for it's own sake would miss the point. However, I'm willing to keep going on the assumption that it does work to an extent.
Bear with me as I preface the strategy. I'll start with an age-old philosopher's question: Why do bad things happen to good people? Or, why do bad things happen to anybody? Why does God allow it?
Firstly, because ultimately bad things happening to people don't interfere with God's plan. That is, bad circumstances or events don't really harm them eternally.
In the classic passage of Moses 1:39, we read, "For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." The immortality part has been taken care of via the resurrection. We're covered there. Eternal life is the part that remains. Eternal life is more than endless living; it's life like that of the Eternal One, with all the glory of God. It's exaltation. We can receive it only through faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, continual reliance on the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and being true to our covenants.
No outside force can stop us from receiving eternal life. Nothing short of our own choices can harm us eternally. No illness, injury, or loss, or even death, can take away our exaltation. Take Job for an example. He lost his wealth, his home, his family, his credibility with his friends, and maybe even more though I don't remember the whole story, but he stayed strong in his faith.
Hard times are painful for us, and our loving Heavenly Father surely doesn't enjoy seeing us experience that pain, but they don't impede His plan. (And frankly, no matter how rough the rough times are, they amount to little when viewed from an eternal perspective.)
Secondly, trials give us the opportunity to grow if we bear them well. We can very effectively gain patience, humility, sympathy, wisdom, purification, and strength through faithfully enduring trials. So, in addition to tribulations and trials not being really, eternally bad for us, they can be very good for us eternally if we handle them well.
So, to the strategy. Consider humility. That's a big one. I have certainly been humbled more than once by my trials and difficulties, particularly when I recognized that my own mistakes or immaturity brought those trials to me. Trials also bring purification, at least in the sense that they help us to filter out unimportant things from our life. However, I have also found that service brings humility, and it also helps us to let go of our selfish pursuits.
Consider, for example, that we go to care for someone who is suffering from a disablingly painful disease. As we do so, we realize that our own problems are relatively small, and that we have an easy life compared to the poor soul in the hospital bed. Instant and refreshing humility. Also, by dedicating our time to serving others, we drop less necessary things from our life. While attending to the sick person, we don't have time for watching sports, or playing online games, or even good and productive activities that are simply less important.
If I'm going to learn to be like God, as I've been commanded (Matthew 5:48), I need to learn humility and be willing to let go of selfish or unimportant pursuits. My strategy then is to gain that humility and purification through service, rather than having God feel it necessary to give me these things through trials.
Of course, that's not really my reason for dedicating myself to serving others. The real reason is charity, the pure love of Christ, and a desire to obey my God. At the same time, though, if I can reduce my personal need for trials, well, I'm all for it.
Last thoughts for now:
I don't know if our dedication to service really causes God to give us fewer trials in life, and I'm sure it won't prevent all of them. Perhaps, though, it's really a matter of changing the nature of some of our trials. Service, after all, is still a challenge, and there is plenty of room for sorrow and exhaustion in service, but how much better to experience the difficulties because we're helping others rather than because we're being unwise? Service to God and His children (Mosiah 2:17) brings us joy and helps us to forget our own problems, but it also helps us to become like Him. I hope to learn this lesson more and more.
Bear with me as I preface the strategy. I'll start with an age-old philosopher's question: Why do bad things happen to good people? Or, why do bad things happen to anybody? Why does God allow it?
Firstly, because ultimately bad things happening to people don't interfere with God's plan. That is, bad circumstances or events don't really harm them eternally.
In the classic passage of Moses 1:39, we read, "For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." The immortality part has been taken care of via the resurrection. We're covered there. Eternal life is the part that remains. Eternal life is more than endless living; it's life like that of the Eternal One, with all the glory of God. It's exaltation. We can receive it only through faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, continual reliance on the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and being true to our covenants.
No outside force can stop us from receiving eternal life. Nothing short of our own choices can harm us eternally. No illness, injury, or loss, or even death, can take away our exaltation. Take Job for an example. He lost his wealth, his home, his family, his credibility with his friends, and maybe even more though I don't remember the whole story, but he stayed strong in his faith.
Hard times are painful for us, and our loving Heavenly Father surely doesn't enjoy seeing us experience that pain, but they don't impede His plan. (And frankly, no matter how rough the rough times are, they amount to little when viewed from an eternal perspective.)
Secondly, trials give us the opportunity to grow if we bear them well. We can very effectively gain patience, humility, sympathy, wisdom, purification, and strength through faithfully enduring trials. So, in addition to tribulations and trials not being really, eternally bad for us, they can be very good for us eternally if we handle them well.
So, to the strategy. Consider humility. That's a big one. I have certainly been humbled more than once by my trials and difficulties, particularly when I recognized that my own mistakes or immaturity brought those trials to me. Trials also bring purification, at least in the sense that they help us to filter out unimportant things from our life. However, I have also found that service brings humility, and it also helps us to let go of our selfish pursuits.
Consider, for example, that we go to care for someone who is suffering from a disablingly painful disease. As we do so, we realize that our own problems are relatively small, and that we have an easy life compared to the poor soul in the hospital bed. Instant and refreshing humility. Also, by dedicating our time to serving others, we drop less necessary things from our life. While attending to the sick person, we don't have time for watching sports, or playing online games, or even good and productive activities that are simply less important.
If I'm going to learn to be like God, as I've been commanded (Matthew 5:48), I need to learn humility and be willing to let go of selfish or unimportant pursuits. My strategy then is to gain that humility and purification through service, rather than having God feel it necessary to give me these things through trials.
Of course, that's not really my reason for dedicating myself to serving others. The real reason is charity, the pure love of Christ, and a desire to obey my God. At the same time, though, if I can reduce my personal need for trials, well, I'm all for it.
Last thoughts for now:
I don't know if our dedication to service really causes God to give us fewer trials in life, and I'm sure it won't prevent all of them. Perhaps, though, it's really a matter of changing the nature of some of our trials. Service, after all, is still a challenge, and there is plenty of room for sorrow and exhaustion in service, but how much better to experience the difficulties because we're helping others rather than because we're being unwise? Service to God and His children (Mosiah 2:17) brings us joy and helps us to forget our own problems, but it also helps us to become like Him. I hope to learn this lesson more and more.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Only One Destination in the Plan
Most people within the Church are familiar with diagrams of the Plan of Salvation. As I've prepared my next lesson for the teachers in my ward (I'm the Teacher's Quorum Advisor), I've noticed that the diagram in the lesson manual is slightly different from the diagrams I've often seen in the past. It looks something like this:
Pre-earth life ---Birth---> Earth life ---Death---> Spirit World ---Resurrection and Judgement---> Celestial Kingdom
Usually I've seen this diagram with three kingdoms at the end. It strikes me, however, that these young men need to understand that there is only one kingdom for them. That goes for all of us. Yes, other kingdoms have been prepared, because in a practical sense, there will be plenty of people who will need such kingdoms in which to spend eternity, but that's not what we're here for.
If we have been sealed to our spouse in the temple, there is only one goal in sight: exaltation. Even if we have been endowed in the temple, there is only one goal in sight, which we will achieve after being sealed: exaltation. For the men, if we have received the priesthood, there is only one goal in sight. Even just having been baptized in the true Church, we have only one goal. Beyond that, I would think that even just having taken an early step by coming to earth, there's only one reason we should have done it and only one destination that is good enough for us, though the making of covenants is the key action I want to emphasize. The reason we make all of these covenants is so that we may progress toward and arrive in the Celestial Kingdom.
Back to the teachers to whom I'll give the lesson: if they're not planning on going to the Celestial Kingdom, there's no reason for them to be at church in the first place. It's the reason why we go to church.
Sometimes young folks are unsure of themselves, though. They feel that "I'm not good enough for the Celestial Kingdom." To be honest, older folks also aren't exempt from that uncertainty. However, no one should sell themselves short in envisioning their potential. Frankly, when they say th're not good enough, they're right; none of us are. That's why Christ atoned for our sins, and he did so for all of us, so that all of us have the ability to be exalted.
Last thoughts for now:
There's only one destination with which I'm concerned. The knowledge of the Plan of Happiness, including the Atonement of Jesus Christ, should guide me in everything I do, so that I may reach that destination. I'm going to the Celestial Kingdom.
Pre-earth life ---Birth---> Earth life ---Death---> Spirit World ---Resurrection and Judgement---> Celestial Kingdom
Usually I've seen this diagram with three kingdoms at the end. It strikes me, however, that these young men need to understand that there is only one kingdom for them. That goes for all of us. Yes, other kingdoms have been prepared, because in a practical sense, there will be plenty of people who will need such kingdoms in which to spend eternity, but that's not what we're here for.
If we have been sealed to our spouse in the temple, there is only one goal in sight: exaltation. Even if we have been endowed in the temple, there is only one goal in sight, which we will achieve after being sealed: exaltation. For the men, if we have received the priesthood, there is only one goal in sight. Even just having been baptized in the true Church, we have only one goal. Beyond that, I would think that even just having taken an early step by coming to earth, there's only one reason we should have done it and only one destination that is good enough for us, though the making of covenants is the key action I want to emphasize. The reason we make all of these covenants is so that we may progress toward and arrive in the Celestial Kingdom.
Back to the teachers to whom I'll give the lesson: if they're not planning on going to the Celestial Kingdom, there's no reason for them to be at church in the first place. It's the reason why we go to church.
Sometimes young folks are unsure of themselves, though. They feel that "I'm not good enough for the Celestial Kingdom." To be honest, older folks also aren't exempt from that uncertainty. However, no one should sell themselves short in envisioning their potential. Frankly, when they say th're not good enough, they're right; none of us are. That's why Christ atoned for our sins, and he did so for all of us, so that all of us have the ability to be exalted.
Last thoughts for now:
There's only one destination with which I'm concerned. The knowledge of the Plan of Happiness, including the Atonement of Jesus Christ, should guide me in everything I do, so that I may reach that destination. I'm going to the Celestial Kingdom.
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