Chauncey C. Riddle
December 2017
Provo, Utah
1. We are the literal children of an all-knowing, all-powerful Heavenly King and Queen who love us with a pure love and want to share with us all they have and are.
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” (Genesis 1:27)
“And then shall the angels be crowned with the glory of his might, and the saints shall be filled with his glory, and receive their inheritance and be made equal with him.” D&C 88:107
2. We can inherit all our Heavenly Parents have and are only if we change our natures to become as they are. Otherwise that inheritance would crush us.
“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” (Eph. 4:11-13)
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a fur more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” (2 Corinthians 4:17)
3. The good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that if we put our full trust in Jesus Christ through baptism and actually receiving the Holy Ghost, our Savior will help us change to become like our Heavenly Parents so that we can inherit all things as he did (save us from ourselves). He also saves all of us from the grave in resurrection, and might save us from having to pay for our sins in hell, depending on our own actions.
“And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying alone upon the merits of him who is mighty to save. Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father, Ye shall have eternal life.” (2 Nephi 31:19–20)
4. Whatever we make of ourselves by our choices and actions in our mortal probation determines how we will spend the rest of eternity. We will live forever in a level of knowledge and power, happiness or misery, of our own choosing.
“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.” (2 Nephi 2:27–29)
5. Righteousness is blessing others, usually at a sacrifice of ourselves. Prayer, scripture reading, taking the sacrament, etc., are good preparations for being righteous but are not righteousness.
“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” (James 1:27)
6. Everything that happens to us is God’s hand helping us to receive all the blessing we can stand.
“And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments.” (D&C 59:21)
7. The family: husband, wife and children, is the most important social unit in time and eternity.
“The family is ordained of God, … is the fundamental unit of society.” (Proclamation, 1995)
8. Rejoicing and profound gratitude should be the daily stance of every human being. (Psalm 32:11)
“Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous, and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.”