by Ryan Steed Parks
Matter, Energy, Light, and Spirit
To better understand the process of resurrection, progression, and perfection, we need to better understand what matter, energy, light, and Spirit are:
Matter is material, and energy is the motion of matter. (The particles that make up matter are in constant, agitated, back and forth motion.) Matter cannot be created nor destroyed. Energy (the motion and stored motion of matter in bonds or other forms) also cannot be created nor destroyed. Matter and energy are both eternal. They can only be changed in form or moved to other locations.
A household kitchen freezer is “cold” inside (a word describing lower heat energy) because the freezer is designed to move heat energy from inside, where the food is placed, to the coils underneath or on the back. The coils are designed to transfer that heat energy into the outside ambient air. That is why the coils are usually “warm” or “hot” (words describing higher heat energy).
The energy that was previously inside the food, which was placed inside the freezer, was not destroyed, nor transformed; it was only moved from inside the food to the ambient air outside the freezer. The food “freezes” because energy (particle motion) is removed from it, and its particles slow down. The food’s slowed particles make the food less fluid (more solid) or, in other words, “frozen.”
Because energy is eternal, it can only be moved to another place or changed into another form. When the inside of an electric oven is being “heated,” that heat energy is not being created; it is just being transferred from another location to the oven. In this situation, heat/light energy was converted into an electrical form, moved to the oven using metal wires, and then converted into a heat form.
Relocating Energy
Electrical power plants convert heat/light energy into electrical energy. Heat/light energy comes from the sun. Resources produced by suns include oil, coal, wind, water flow, wood, and “radioactive” materials used for “nuclear power.” The electrical energy from power plants is moved to an oven using metal wires. The oven converts the energy from an electrical form back into heat/light. The heat in the oven was not created, but only moved from the sun to inside the oven.
An oven heated with gas, oil, or wood (organic compounds) is also using heat/light energy that came from the sun. That energy was used in the growth of plants and animals. The bodies of living organisms are made with that energy, and a portion of it is stored in their chemical bonds. Organic compounds can be separated to release some of the sun’s energy that was captured. One way to do this is with a process we know as “fire.”
Fire is the result of an exchange of higher energy chemical bonds (like carbon bound together) with lower energy chemical bonds (like carbon bound with oxygen). The heat and light vibrations released by burning organic compounds are the unused difference between the energy requirements of each type of bond. Sufficient energy (heat) and suitable materials are needed to start and keep the exchange going.
In summary, matter is material, and energy is the motion of matter. All matter, including Spirit, and energy can only be changed in form or moved to other places. They cannot be destroyed, for they are eternal. They have always existed and will always exist in some form.
What is Spirit?
Spirit is the most fine or pure form of matter. It is not “immaterial,” as some have supposed. Spirit is also the lightest form of matter and, indeed, fills the entire universe. There is no place that is not infused with it. It is the medium for the transfer of light energy throughout the universe. Light is energy in the form of waves in this ethereal substance. The spirit that animates our “physical” body is also made from the same material from which Spirit is composed.
Spirit is one of the forms of matter that is not well understood by the scientists of our time. One reason for this is that, because Spirit is so fine, it passes through their scientific instruments without detection. Although generally unrecognized, the presence of Spirit and other invisible materials can be observed by other means.
What is Light?
As stated, Spirit fills the entire universe and is the medium through which light waves travel. Although Spirit is invisible to our mortal eyes and earthly instruments, we have still learned to transmit energy through it, including radio waves, mobile phone signals, wifi signals, radar waves, microwaves, infrared rays, visible light, ultraviolet light, x-rays, and gamma rays. To the scientists of our time, light appears to exhibit the characteristics of both moving particles and waves, but the substance through which light energy travels (Spirit) has not been detected.
Many theories have attempted to make sense of how light works. Scientists have tried to devise models that allow for light energy to act like waves in a substance, but without any substance. These models have changed over the years. However, the modern assumption, that there is no ethereal substance (Spirit) that fills the universe, is simply wrong.
It was once a common belief among many in the scientific community that there was a substance that filled the universe in which light waves traveled. That reality was abandoned after various findings seemed to contradict it. One such finding was that planets are not slowing in their orbits. Scientists assumed that if space was filled with a substance, planets would experience resistance as they passed through that substance and slow down. But planets are not slowing down. Their orbits are relatively constant. Over time, it was incorrectly concluded that there must not be anything out there but “space,” hence its modern name.
Scientists did not recognize the fact that “physical” planet bodies might pass easily through Spirit (as spirits pass easily through “physical” bodies), or that there may be “gravitational” forces that propel planets forward in their orbits, achieving equilibrium against any resistance that may exist. They also did not understand that Spirit is the medium that allows us to perceive the vibrations (light) from distant stars.
Light is Vibration Energy
Waves caused by vibrations in Spirit are “light.” These waves travel from their vibrating source outward, through Spirit, to distant locations. The rate of the vibration (the “frequency” of the rhythmic pulse) determines the length of each wave that emanates outward. A wave’s length or “wavelength” is the distance between the crests of two waves.
A faster vibration rate is a higher “frequency” of waves. With more frequent waves, the space between each wave (its “wavelength”) becomes shorter. A slower vibration rate is a lower “frequency” of waves. With less frequent waves, the space between each wave’s crest (its “wavelength”) becomes longer. Each vibration rate is a “frequency” and has a “wavelength.” “Frequency” and “wavelength” are two different ways to describe one rate of vibration. A faster vibration has higher frequency and a shorter wavelength. A slower vibration has lower frequency and a longer wavelength.
With light, the various vibration rates are received and interpreted as different colors or bands of light energy. The strength or intensity of a vibration is the light’s “brightness.” In the case of radio waves, mobile phone signals, wifi signals, and radar waves, the intensity is the “signal strength.” That “brightness” or “signal strength” diminishes with the distance the receiver is from its source. This occurs, not because the light energy is disappearing, but because it is dissipated over a greater and greater volume of space. As the energy emanates outward, it is spread into larger and larger spheres. No light energy is ever lost; it is just spread out until it is too weak for earthly instruments to detect and/or is converted into other forms of energy.
Visible or Invisible
A light wave’s size (length) reacts differently with different forms of matter, including whether it will “collide” with the matter or just pass through it. If a form of matter has enough distance between its elemental particles for a certain light wavelength to pass through it, the light wave will typically do so.
If a form of matter does not have enough distance between its elemental particles for a certain light wavelength to pass through it, the light wave will “collide” with those particles. “Collide” is an imperfect description of what happens because the actual particles of the light waves and matter forms do not generally touch each other. But they get close enough to “repel” each other.
When light waves “collide” with a form of matter, the inherent energy is partially reflected and partially absorbed. This energetic interaction (reflection and absorption) allows matter to become visible to instruments that detect the light wave that “collided.” Mortal eyes detect light vibration rates of about 395 to 795 terahertz. This tiny portion of the entire light spectrum is called “visible light.”
When “visible light” from the sun reaches a parked car, that light energy is partially reflected off the car and partially absorbed into the car. The interaction of the “visible light” wavelengths with the car, allows mortals to perceive it. They see it because the size of light waves their eyes detect is also the size of light waves that interact with the matter from which the car is made.
Mortal eyes do not see the air surrounding the car, which is also matter. Why is that? It is because the particular light wavelengths, that mortal eyes detect, do not interact (significantly) with the forms of matter from which the earth’s atmosphere is made. The “visible wavelengths” mostly pass through the earth’s atmospheric matter. Therefore, mortal eyes do not see that matter even though it is just as real as the car’s matter. A form of matter becomes visible when the wavelengths that interact with that form are detected.
Light Energy
The variations in the light wavelengths perceivable to mortal eyes are interpreted as different colors. Each of the materials that make up a car interacts with slightly different light wavelengths. Those differences account for each material’s colors.
As previously mentioned, a portion of the sun’s light energy travels as waves through space until it reaches the car. The absorbed waves excite the car materials’ particles, increasing their energy. The back and forth motion of those particles speeds up. We perceive the added energy as additional heat.
The car feels hot when we touch it with our hand because the car’s more rapid vibrations (higher energy) speed up the particle motion in our hand’s tissues. By direct contact (touch), the car transfers energy to the materials of our hand. If there is too much heat energy (the particle motion is too fast), touching the car will “burn” our hand. This is because the energy level of the car’s surface exceeded the energy capacity of our skin.
When skin (or any carefully designed material structure) receives too much energy, the overly rapid particle movement (like an earthquake) damages the delicate structures. High energy wrecks carefully built body tissues. Our mind registers pain so that we will remove our hand from contact with a hot car’s high energy surface to preserve our body’s tissues.
Light Works Like Sound
Light
Waves caused by vibrations in Spirit are what we call “light energy.” Different light wavelengths produce different “colors.” Higher frequency vibration rates ascend in colors and go beyond the range that mortal eyes can detect (above about 795 terahertz). Lower frequency vibration rates descend in colors and go beyond the range that mortal eyes can detect (below about 395 terahertz). The strength of a light vibration is measured in “brightness.” That “brightness” diminishes with the distance the receiver is from its source. This occurs, not because the light energy is disappearing, but because it is dissipated over a greater and greater volume of space. As the energy emanates outward, it is spread into larger and larger spheres. No light energy is ever lost; it is just spread out until it is too weak for earthly instruments to detect and/or is converted into other forms of energy.
Sound
Waves caused by vibrations in elemental matter are what we call “sound energy.” Different sound wavelengths produce different “pitches.” Higher frequency vibration rates ascend in pitches and go beyond the range that mortal ears can detect (above about 22 kilohertz). Lower frequency vibration rates descend in pitches and go beyond the range that mortal ears can detect (below about 20 hertz). The strength of a sound vibration is measured in “volume.” That “volume” diminishes with the distance the receiver is from its source. This occurs, not because the sound energy is disappearing, but because it is dissipated over a greater and greater volume of space. As the energy emanates outward, it is spread into larger and larger spheres. No sound energy is ever lost; it is just spread out until it is too weak for earthly instruments to detect and/or is converted into other forms of energy.
Mortal eyes and ears only detect a minute part of all light and sound. In deep space there is no sound because space is not an environment of sufficient elemental matter. There is no medium for the transmission of sound. But there is light in deep space because Spirit is the medium for the transmission of light, and it fills space. For this reason, there is at least some energy everywhere, including deep space. Such energy is in Spirit, and Spirit fills all of space and all forms of matter. It is in everything.
Full-spectrum Light
Full-spectrum light encompasses all possible vibration rates in Spirit. Some of the scientifically named bands of the light spectrum are (listed generally from slower to faster vibration rates): ELF waves, AM radio waves, FM radio waves, amateur radio waves, television waves, mobile phone signals, wifi signals, radar waves, microwaves, infrared rays, visible light, ultraviolet light, x-rays, and gamma rays. All of these are different names for the same light energy. The only difference between all of them is the rate of the vibration (frequency). And each frequency reacts differently with different forms of matter and the configuration of that matter.
The “visible light” frequencies (of about 1015 hertz) pass freely through much of the earth’s atmospheric gases, but “collide” with the more dense surface materials. Some of that light energy is reflected, making those materials visible to mortal eyes. As has been explained, mortal eyes don’t see air because the light frequencies they detect pass through air. It is the reflected and absorbed frequencies that make an object visible.
If mortal eyes were designed to only perceive light vibration rates of about 1018 (hertz), those eyes would only be able to see the type of materials that show up on x-ray imaging. And if mortal eyes only perceived very high (or very low) light vibration rates, those eyes would not be able to see the “physical” earth or anything on it (because those wavelengths pass through the earth’s “physical” materials).
On the other hand, if mortal eyes perceived the light vibration rates that interact with the earth’s atmosphere, those eyes would see the earth’s atmosphere. And on the earth’s surface, those eyes would be engulfed in darkness. Each light vibration rate “collides” with a different subset of matter, but not with all matter. Therefore, full-spectrum light, which includes all possible vibration rates (frequencies), “collides” with AND penetrates all forms of matter.
Eyes that can perceive full-spectrum light have the ability to see all forms of matter and any object’s complete composition, down to the smallest particle. This is possible because every material and structure, inside and outside of an object, is on full display by the reflection of varying frequencies. Full-spectrum light openly and perfectly displays, to eyes that perceive the full spectrum, everything that exists externally, internally, locally, and at a great distance.
There is no recess of an object or place that is not penetrated and fully comprehended by full-spectrum light energy. Eyes that perceive full-spectrum light see everything that exists perfectly. And that capacity is available to those eyes for any object at a great distance! Those eyes can discern and comprehend all things. Those eyes are God’s eyes. He wields this power.
High Energy Disorganizes Organized Forms
All elements have varying energy requirements to change their “state.” At the energy level known as “room temperature,” iron is solid (frozen), water is liquid (melted), oxygen is gas (evaporated), and Spirit is plasma (a highly dispersed, energy conductive substance). Remove enough energy from water or oxygen and they will become solid (frozen). “Dry ice” is frozen carbon dioxide. Add enough energy to water or iron and they will become a gas, then a plasma. An element’s particle structures, and the amount of energy these structures have, determine the fluid state of an element.
Whenever enough energy is added to an organized solid object for it to undergo a “fluid state change” (becoming a liquid, gas, or plasma), its previous organization is erased. If the energy is later removed from that object, it will become solid again, but as unorganized materials.
For example, if you place a working car in a sufficiently hot furnace (a place of high energy), the primary materials, like metals, will undergo a “fluid state change.” They will change from solids to liquids. When those liquid materials are removed from that high-energy environment, they will become solid again. But they will be unorganized materials, no longer a car. Their previous organized form will have been erased. In short, enough energy disorganizes organized solid forms.
The Blazing Presence of God
These laws of our universe also exist in Heaven, because Heaven is an actual place in our universe. High energy can disorganize carefully designed objects in Heaven, as it does on earth. The bodies of resurrected beings are subject to these laws. And, according to scripture, these bodies are composed of “flesh and bones.”[1] Then why are they not destroyed?
Heaven is a glorious place of very high energy. In Heaven there are “Everlasting Burnings,” and gates “like unto circling flames of fire,” where God, who is a “consuming fire,” sits on a “blazing throne.”[2] The resurrected Jesus Christ was described in the Bible this way:
“And… I saw… the Son of man… His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace… and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength… And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen…”[3]
Isaiah, a prophet of God, wrote that only the righteous “shall dwell with [God,] the Devouring Fire:”
“The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the Devouring Fire? Who among us shall dwell with Everlasting Burnings? He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions,…”[4]
[1] The Holy Bible, King James Version, Luke 24:39.
[2] The Holy Bible, King James Version, Isaiah 33:14, Deuteronomy 4:24, etc.
[3] The Holy Bible, King James Version, Revelation 1:12-18; underlining added.
[4] The Holy Bible, King James Version, Isaiah 33:14-15 (Capitalization modernized).
Christ’s Body of “Flesh and Bones”
Jesus Christ is resurrected and dwells in Heaven. The scriptures teach us that His resurrected body is like it was on earth. When He showed Himself to His disciples, they handled Him, and He ate with them. Jesus was His “physical” self. His body was still made of “flesh and bones:”
“…Jesus himself stood [resurrected] in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? … Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And…he shewed them his hands and his feet. And while they…wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any [food]? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And [Jesus] took it, and did eat before them.”[1]
Jesus Christ clearly proved that He had taken up His body of “flesh and bones” again. His resurrected body did not just look and feel like His earthly body; it was His earthly body. For this reason, His body was no longer in the tomb. He was using it again. Hence, the angels said to those looking for his body, “Why seek ye the living among the dead?”[2] Jesus Christ was and still is alive! He did not receive a different body in the resurrection, He received His same body, but with significant improvements.
This renewal is what resurrection is. It is the restoration of our earthly body to life again. You will have for all eternity the same body you now have. Although temporarily disorganized in death, it will be reorganized to life. And every imperfection of your body will eventually be corrected.
[1] The Holy Bible, King James Version, Luke 24:36-43; underlining added.
[2] The Holy Bible, King James Version, Luke 24:5.
Resurrected As It Was Laid Down
Perfection, physical or otherwise, is not instantaneous. It is a process. You will rise in the resurrection with a working version of the body you laid down in death. You will, at first, be the same age you died. Then, you will either grow older if you died young or grow younger if you died old. Your transformation will continue until you reach a perfect condition.
Age is, more or less, a gauge of “wholeness.” After conception, a “physical” body begins its development toward wholeness. Under proper conditions, it takes more than thirty years for a body to reach its peak. In mortality, neither physical nor mental wholeness is ever fully achieved.
After the “physical” body reaches its peak, the body begins to lose wholeness. This loss continues until the systems of the body stop working all together. Then the body’s sustaining spirit leaves it and goes into the World of the Spirits. Thereafter, the body loses its wholeness very quickly and returns to dust.
In the resurrection the opposite happens. Because the body already existed in a developed form, that same developed form can be very quickly reconstituted. Then, the spirit assigned to that body is able to reunite with it once more to give it life.
Upon this restitution, the “physical” transformation toward bodily wholeness recommences in an expedited fashion. This transformation includes the creation and growth of missing body parts and functions. Reaching “physical” perfection, as with other forms of perfection, is an extended process. Like climbing a ladder, there are steps that must be completed in order.
Die AND Live Forever
Jesus Christ initiated the resurrection, with His own resurrection, for all who have ever lived and will live. He was able to accomplish that seemingly impossible feat because of His unique parentage. He had an immortal Father and a mortal mother.
Therefore, Jesus was half immortal and half mortal. Immutable physical laws required that His body die; AND immutable physical laws required that His body live forever. He did exactly that: He died AND is living forever.
Through Jesus Christ, we also acquire the physical heritage of dying AND living forever. By direct affiliation with Him, “assimilation,” we inherit immortality. Jesus Christ’s redemptive powers become our redemptive powers when we join with Him. A union with Jesus Christ REQUIRES our own restoration by the same laws that gave Jesus Christ His resurrection. Our resurrection cannot be denied any more than Jesus Christ’s own resurrection. It is only through our assimilation with Christ that our resurrection becomes possible. Otherwise, we would remain dead.
The Dead Will Rise
Many righteous people were resurrected after Jesus Christ initiated the resurrection:
“…the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after [Jesus Christ’s] resurrection, and went into [Jerusalem], and appeared unto many.”[1]
The “first resurrection” began at that time. It has continued thereafter on a limited basis. There will be another major resurrection when Jesus Christ returns to earth to reign:
“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits, afterward they that are Christ’s at his [second] coming.”[2]
[1] The Holy Bible, King James Version, Mathew 27:52, 53.
[2] The Holy Bible, King James Version, 1 Corinthians 15:22, 23 (grammar modernized).
The Second Advent of Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ’s return to this earth and His initiation of a thousand years of peace are quickly approaching. He will be seen “coming in the clouds of heaven:”
“Again the high priest asked [Jesus] … Art thou the Christ…? And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see [me,] the Son of [God,] sitting on the right hand of [God’s] power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.”[1]
Disciples of Jesus were taught, about two thousand years ago, the manner in which He would return:
“And when [Jesus] had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”[2]
When Jesus Christ returns to this earth to usher in His millennial reign, He will “come in like manner as” His disciples saw“him go into heaven.” In other words, He will come “in the clouds of heaven.” In preparation for that “great and dreadful day,”[3] Jesus has, and will continue to, appear to His prophets and righteous followers on earth. Such appearances are for a variety of purposes, including setting in motion preparatory works.
[1] The Holy Bible, King James Version, Mark 14:61, 62; underlining added.
[2] The Holy Bible, King James Version, Acts 1:9-11; underlining added.
[3] The Holy Bible, King James Version, Malachi 4:5.
Death and the World of the Spirits
In the day that Jesus Christ comes “in the clouds of heaven,” all the righteous inhabitants of the earth will be lifted up to meet Him. This includes the righteous dead who are inhabiting the World of the Spirits. Upon death, your spirit separates from your unorganized body and remains here on earth. But it resides on the spirit of the earth, which is the World of the Spirits. The earth, itself, has its own spirit, just like humans, animals, and plants do. “Physical” bodies reside upon the earth’s “physical” body. The spirits of the dead reside upon the earth’s spirit.
God made a “veil” between the “physical” and spiritual parts of the earth. This veil separates the spirits in the “physical” realm from those in the World of the Spirits. This veil also makes coexistence possible in the same space for spirits in both realms. Spirits cannot pass through that veil without proper authorization from God. The righteous do so occasionally for special reasons.
Upon death, a portal through that veil is opened. One or more persons who have already died, often loved ones, return through the veil into the “physical” realm to escort the spirit of the recently deceased into the World of the Spirits. The crossover is like passing from one room to another.
The World of the Spirits is the same as it was when it was created: perfect. Spirits are eternal and do not become disorganized like “physical” bodies do. In the World of the Spirits, the dead await their resurrection, which is also their judgment day.
Based on earthly behavior, the experience of individuals in the World of the Spirits can range from being a place of peace and rest to a place of dread and terror. God’s existence and His plan are much more obvious to the spirits of the dead than to the spirits of the living. The actions of mortal life consume the minds of the dead.
The Great and Dreadful Day of the Lord
To both the living and the dead, the second advent of Jesus Christ will be a “great and dreadful day.”[1] It will be “great” for the righteous and “dreadful” for the wicked. The righteous living and dead will be “caught up together… in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air…”
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven… and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then… which are alive… shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air…”[2] In other words, the righteous will be assembled as a vast multitude in the sky with their Lord Jesus Christ.
[1] The Holy Bible, King James Version, Malachi 4:5.
[2] The Holy Bible, King James Version, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.
The Resurrection of the Just
When the righteous dead are resurrected, the veil between the World of the Spirits and the “physical” realm will be opened. All the inhabitants of the World of the Spirits will have entrance into the “physical” realm again. They will be keenly aware of Christ’s return. They will also travel to the general area where their body was disorganized, in the hope of being resurrected. There they will wait in anticipation.
Under the direction of Jesus Christ, the resurrection will continue through some of His disciples, to whom He has given the keys of resurrection. They will command the righteous dead, to whom they are related or connected, to awake and arise. Some of those persons that arise to life will also have authority to resurrect, because they hold the holy priesthood of God. They will do the same for those to whom they are related or connected. The number of persons with authority to resurrect will expand exponentially.
The resurrection will continue through familial lines, skipping persons and generations as necessary, until every sufficiently righteous person has been called forth. Whenever a resurrection is attempted for an unrighteous person, nothing will happen. The spirits of those that remain dead will become painfully aware of their exclusion. Their regret and fear will consume them.
When The First Resurrection is complete, the righteous living, the recently resurrected, the important living elements of the creation, and many other special things will be “caught up together” with Jesus Christ “in the clouds of heaven.” Those individuals remaining on the earth’s surface, both living and dead, will be the unjust.
Trumpets will sound, and angels of God will be sent to compel all of the remaining spirits of the dead to return to the World of the Spirits. These angels will also cast Satan, and all of the evil spirits which were never born, into this same realm. They will all be confined there together for a thousand years.
The Earth Cleansed with Fire
At the appropriate time, the whole face of the earth will be burned with the fire of God. The living which were not sufficiently righteous to be lifted up, as well as the “physical” remains of the unresurrected dead, will be consumed in that terrible fire. Everything on the earth’s surface will be thoroughly destroyed. This dreadful burning will be the fulfillment of the parable Jesus gave of the wheat and the tares:
“The field is the world; the [wheat] are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; …the harvest is the end of the world; …therefore the tares are… burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.”[1]
This “physical” earth will be cleansed of “all things that offend, and them which do iniquity.”[2] There will be no evil thing left, living or inanimate. Upon this newly cleansed earth, all of the righteous and good that was lifted up will be returned. And “the wicked… shall be ashes under the soles of your feet:”
“For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts… But unto you that fear my name… ye shall go forth… And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet…”[3]
When will the second advent of Jesus Christ, and the cleansing of the earth by fire, occur? Jesus promised to send Elijah before that “great and dreadful day.” The ancient prophet Malachi prophesied:
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:”[4]
There are many religious groups of people in this world who are consciously anticipating the return of Elijah. Some religions have traditions associated with that promised visit. Relatively few people know that Elijah has already come and fulfilled that prophecy. He came, and planted in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children have turned to their fathers.
[1] The Holy Bible, King James Version, Mathew 13:38-40.
[2] The Holy Bible, King James Version, Mathew 13:41.
[3] The Holy Bible, King James Version, Malachi 4:1-3; underlining added.
[4] The Holy Bible, King James Version, Malachi 4:5.
The Resurrection of the Unjust
The spirits of the unjust will remain in the World of the Spirits with Satan and the other evil spirits during Christ’s millennial reign. They will be unable to influence mortals who will be living on the earth during that time:
“And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit… And he laid hold on… Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up … that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.”[1]
The Second Resurrection is the resurrection of the unjust. It will take place after the spirits of the dead have been buffeted and tormented by Satan and his evil spirits during the thousand year reign of Jesus Christ.
“But the rest of the dead [who were unjust] lived not again until the thousand years were finished…”[2]
The veil between the World of the Spirits and the “physical” realm will be opened again. The inhabitants of the World of the Spirits will, again, enter the “physical” realm. At this time, the remaining dead will be resurrected. And Satan and his evil spirits will be “loosed out of [their] prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations.” They will convince some mortals to follow Satan and turn against the saints (followers) of God.
“And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations… to gather them together to battle … and [they surrounded] the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”[3]
In the end, those who allow themselves to be deceived by Satan will reap misery. And those who knowingly join him will reap endless misery.
[1] The Holy Bible, King James Version, Revelation 20:1-3; underlining added.
[2] The Holy Bible, King James Version, Revelation 20:5.
[3] The Holy Bible, King James Version, Revelation 20:7-10; underlining added.
Those who “Die” during the Reign of Jesus Christ
What will happen to mortals who “die” during the thousand year personal reign of Jesus Christ? And, what will happen to mortals who “die” after His reign? During both of these time periods, the “physical” body of the earth and the “physical” bodies of its inhabitants will be superior in nature.
These bodies will not be subject to disorganization. They will not be damaged by any mortal processes. “Physical” deformity, illness, pain, and death will not exist. The earth will be as it was immediately after its creation. Its inhabitants will be like, and live like, Adam and Eve when they were in the Garden of Eden, with some key differences.
Men and women will marry and have families. They will create homes and gardens of their own. They will live in harmony with nature and their neighbors. Their children will grow up and have families of their own. The redeeming work of God will move forward, unrestricted, among His children, including the necessary ordinances required to enter His Celestial Kingdom. Peace and goodwill will prevail.
When each of God’s children reaches a hundred years of age, they will be immediately resurrected. They will not die as mortals did in the past. Isaiah wrote about this future time:
“For, behold, I [God will] create new heavens and a new earth: …and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. There shall be no more [be] an infant… nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall [live to] an hundred years old; And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. …and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them. …The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord.”[1]
[1] The Holy Bible, King James Version, Isaiah 65:17-25; underlining added.
Mortal to Immortal
There is no “magic” to obtaining immortality. It can be acquired by fully empowering the body’s inherent systems. “Physical” bodies become disorganized (die) when they:
- Wear out
- Fail because of design imperfections
- Are subjected to destructive outside energy
If we overcome these three issues, “physical” bodies will last forever, or in other words, be immortal:
- A healthy mortal body is already somewhat self-healing (self-reorganizing). Why couldn’t that capability be perfected? And, when it is perfected, that body will never wear out.
- A mortal body already has an inherently perfect design, but in an imperfect condition. Why couldn’t that condition be perfected? And, when it is perfected, that body will never fail because of design imperfections.
- A healthy mortal body can already resist many destructive outside forces. Why couldn’t that capability be perfected? And, when it is perfected, that body will never be disorganized by outside forces.
Because of the changes that will take place at the second advent of Jesus Christ, and at each person’s resurrection, the individual-specific design imperfections of each “physical” body will be corrected. This will result from adding and correcting particle arrangement. Thereafter, all of the body’s systems will work together perfectly as designed.
When perfect particle arrangement is achieved in a “physical” body,” it will no longer wear out. Its already existing self-reorganizing abilities will work perfectly. It will also not fail from a design flaw. There will no longer be any design imperfections. The third issue of destructive outside energies is solved in another way as explained in the following paragraph.
Destructive outside forces come in many forms, but, in essence, they are the same. They are different manifestations of energy utilized to undo perfect particle arrangement. The destructive energy may take the form of a knife or bullet in motion, fire, heat, an explosion, a collision, a virus penetrating a biological cell, poison entering the body, or other manifestations of energy. But all destructive forces are powered by energy.
Destructive energy need not affect a body. While it cannot be destroyed, it can be redirected. When such is accomplished, the body will preserve its perfect particle arrangement and the harmony of its individual parts.
Perfect Harmony
All the parts and subparts of a physical body will be perfected in their design and functions after the resurrection. A perfected body is composed of perfect parts working together in perfect harmony. Complete perfection is the perfect design, arrangement, function, and harmony of ALL of the many parts of which we are composed and ALSO the perfection of the many larger systems of which we are a part:
The proper arrangement and function of matter’s most fundamental particles create an elemental particle.
The proper arrangement and function of elemental particles create a material.
The proper arrangement and function of various materials create a cell component.
The proper arrangement and function of various cell components create a biological cell.
The proper arrangement and function of various biological cells create a tissue.
The proper arrangement and function of various tissues create an organ or system component.
The proper arrangement and function of various organs or system components create a system.
The proper arrangement and function of various systems create an organism.
The proper arrangement and function of various organisms create a family.
The proper arrangement and function of various families create a community.
The proper arrangement and function of various communities create an ecosystem.
The proper arrangement and function of various ecosystems create a world.
The proper arrangement and function of various worlds create a solar system.
The proper arrangement and function of various solar system create an order.
The proper arrangement and function of various orders create a galaxy.
And so on…
In reality, you are a very small part of a very large whole of life. Every single part of that whole has a proper function to play. The better each part performs its function, the better everything works together. When all parts play their roles perfectly, perfect harmony is achieved with synergistic, shared benefits for the entire whole.
As a perfected body is composed of perfect parts working together in perfect harmony, a perfected society is composed of perfect parts working together in perfect harmony. Heaven is the place where complete perfection with its perfect harmony is realized. And only the parts that properly play their roles can be a part of Heaven. Otherwise, the synergistic, shared benefits would be disrupted for the whole.
Agency Allows Consciousness
When God creates a spirit personage, He gives that being eternal independence of thought. This is often termed “agency.” Individual consciousness can only exist where there is individual agency. There is no consciousness without individual freedom of thought.
For beings to have full freedom of thought, their mental functions must be completely independent from the rest of the universe. Those beings must be able to think in any way they choose, regardless of any facts or laws of the universe. Those beings must have the ability to choose what they believe and what they do not, regardless of whether those things are true or not.
An attempt to compel beings to believe or accept something mentally is an attack on their independence, or in other words, their agency. An independent mind cannot be compelled. Beings may, indeed, accept the ideas that others try to force upon them. But that acceptance will be because they choose to do so, or they pretend to do so, never because they are compelled to do so.
Because the truths of the universe cannot be forced upon beings without violating their consciousness, each being must individually choose to accept those truths in order to progress. Each being progresses “line upon line, precept upon precept; here a little, and there a little.” Learning and accepting all truth this way is a very lengthy process that requires eons of time.
Connecting It All Together
The resurrection is a momentous step in a being’s progression. And, naturally, mortal life and death must transpire before that step can be taken. After resurrection, many capacities become possible for a being which were not possible before. And after exaltation is complete, even more capacities are unlocked.
One of these capacities is the ability to manage adverse energy on bodies of “flesh and bones.” Most environments in the universe are too hostile for such carefully constructed creations. God solves the problem eternally by making TWO PERMANENT CONNECTIONS:
- He connects a “physical” body to its spirit personage.
- He connects the spirit personage to Spirit.
THIS FIRST PERMANENT CONNECTION, of connecting a “physical” body to its spirit personage, can only take place after the resurrection when a “physical” body’s design is perfected like that of the spirit personage. Only then can the two e permanently joined together, because they perfectly match. There is no remaining imperfection (incompatibility) barring their connection. An imperfect mortal body cannot be joined permanently with a perfectly designed spirit personage.
THE SECOND PERMANENT CONNECTION, of connecting the spirit personage to Spirit, can only take place when a spirit has achieved perfect harmony with Spirit. This occurs when a resurrected being has gathered and accepted all truth, so that their individual understanding is identical to the reality of the universe.
When all truth is gathered within a being, that being’s mind (spirit) perfectly matches the motions of the Spirit of the universe (which motions display all truth). Only then can a spirit personage and the universe’s Spirit be connected together permanently, because there is no remaining incompatibility (imperfection) barring their connection. The being’s spirit literally becomes one with the universe.
BOTH CONNECTIONS make an individual spirit one with its “physical” body and one with the Spirit of the universe. This means that the Spirit of the universe becomes an extension of that resurrected being. When a “physical” body is permanently connected to its spirit personage, they become one body. That one body is both “physical” and “spiritual.” And when that one body is permanently connected to Spirit, that Being and the universe’s Spirit become one body. Consequently, all perfected, Exalted Beings, which are permanently connected to Spirit, are literally One.
Endless Energy
As previously explained, Spirit is a chief medium of energy in the universe. BOTH CONNECTIONS allow Exalted Beings to have control over the infinite energy that flows in Spirit. They can use that energy and transfer it in or out of Their bodies at will for many purposes. For instance, They can use it to project energy outward from Their body to make it shine brighter than the sun.
They can also alter that energy’s vibration rates (frequencies) and its material mediums and forms. This allows for the projection of any type or intensity of every form of energy, including sounds, electricity, fires, explosions, collisions, and light waves (such as ELF waves, AM radio waves, FM radio waves, amateur radio waves, television waves, mobile phone signals, wifi signals, radar waves, microwaves, infrared rays, visible light, ultraviolet light, x-rays, and gamma rays).
By emitting and receiving full-spectrum light, Exalted Beings can perceive all forms of matter and any object’s complete composition down to the smallest particle. This includes everything that exists externally, internally, locally, and at a great distance. BOTH CONNECTIONS give Exalted Beings the capacity to “see” in and through everything, penetrate all things, be in and through all things, and comprehend and know all things.
BOTH CONNECTIONS give Exalted Beings a source of endless energy to combine sub particles in order to create any form of matter in infinite amounts. And that same energy source can be used to construct or move an object of any size. There are no limits to these capacities because there is no limit to the amount of energy available in Spirit.
A Two-way Connection
BOTH CONNECTIONS also allow energy to flow in the opposite direction. Instead of withdrawing energy from Spirit, Exalted Beings can also deposit energy into Spirit at will. This capacity gives those Beings an instant outlet for any form of energy that Their body receives. They are able to absorb and transfer any type or amount of energy without being impacted by it. Such energy passes right through Their “physical” body into Spirit. Their body is Spirit. Their “physical” body is only an outward manifestation of Their entire body, which fills the universe.
The bodies of Exalted Beings can absorb and transfer any form or intensity of energy, including “adverse” sound, electricity, light, fire, explosion, radiation, collision, and every other form of energy. The same capacity also prevents any type of destructive intrusion into such a body. A virus will not enter a cell if the energy which is its motion is removed. Poison cannot affect a system of a body if the energy required for its introduction is removed. There is no energy that can have an “adverse” effect on the body of an Exalted Being.
The connection of a body of “flesh and bones” to its spirit, and of its spirit to Spirit, removes the ability of excessive energy to disorganize that body. Anytime an Exalted Being’s body receives too much energy, that energy is, at once, transferred into Spirit.
If a bullet is fired at such a body, that body’s perfect organization can be preserved a number of ways. One way is that, when the bullet reaches the body, the bullet’s energy is immediately absorbed and transferred into Spirit, whereby the bullet simply stops. Another way is that, when the bullet reaches the body, an equal amount of energy is immediately drawn from Spirit and exerted upon the bullet, whereby the bullet ricochets off the body. A third way is that, when the bullet reaches the body, it goes right through the body without adversely affecting it. The associated dynamics of this last way will be described in the section Traversing Physical Objects.
The two-way flow of infinite energy allows Exalted Beings to not only manage specific energy influences, but also general energy influences, such as environmental conditions. Such Beings have the capacity to maintain a perfect level of energy in Their body in any environment. They can reside in deep space or at the center of a star without getting “cold” or “hot.” And, They can immediately adjust to any and all environmental changes.
BOTH CONNECTIONS also allow Exalted Beings the ability to alter Their appearance in any way They choose. They can manage how “visible light” energy reflects, or doesn’t reflect off, Their bodies, thereby rendering Themselves visible or invisible. They can also alter the “visual” light’s intensity and vibration rates to make Them look any way they choose to mortals.
Traversing Physical Objects
Although resurrected beings have bodies made of “flesh and bones,” they can still pass through other physical objects with ease. Elemental materials are composed of widely spaced particles that are moving back and forth. If the movement of those particles is controlled, one group of widely spaced particles (a “physical” object) can pass through another group of widely spaced particles, using the space in between the particles. Resurrected beings do this by controlling the directional energy of their bodies’ particles.
Energy is the movement (or stored movement) of particles. When the particles of a solid material are moving back and forth in a variety of directions (as is typical), and are in a “low” energy state, that material is “solid” and poses a barrier to other “solid” materials. These materials generally cannot pass through each other.
The reason for this is because of the repelling forces of each object’s individual particles. The repulsion separating two objects is the same repulsion that separates the individual particles of each object. And because those particles are moving back and forth in a variety of directions, they inevitably come into close proximity to the particles of the other solid object and repel them. This keeps the two objects separated.
However, if sufficient energy is added to the two objects, the spacing between each object’s individual particles will increase substantially. This increase will allow the two objects to merge together as a liquid, gas, or plasma. But the organized form of the “solid” objects will be lost. Therefore, increasing the spacing between the individual particles of solid objects is not a viable solution if a “state change” is detrimental.
But, if two solid objects are on a collision course, and the particle motion of one of those solids is aligned to avoid the particle motion of the other, the individual particles of the two solids can pass easily by each other without coming into close proximity. This is possible because of the wide spaces separating the particles of solid materials.
Only one of the objects needs to align the directional movement of its particles to enable the two objects to pass through each other. This is because, if the particle movement of one is aligned, it creates wide “tunnels” for the passage of the other particles. And the repelling forces of the particles moving parallel to the collision will influence the particles of the other solid to align directionally with those “tunnels.” Such alignment becomes the easiest direction for the opposing object’s particles to move through. Then, when the two objects meet, they will not “collide” with each other. Their individual particles just pass by each other without close contact.
In summary, aligning the directional movement of the particles of a solid on a collision course with another solid will allow both solids to pass through each other with ease. Resurrected beings can learn to control the directional movement of their bodies’ particles, thereby making touch and “physical” barriers optional.
Spirit Progeny
Exalted Beings can obtain even greater capacities. BOTH CONNECTIONS previously mentioned allow the ability to create spirit personages. This is the exalted power to create new, conscious life! Such life is “new” in the sense that it is a newly organized intelligence (conscious spirit). It is not “new” in the sense that spirit personages are organized out of what composes Spirit, which has always existed. Such is true of all creations.
New “spirit bodies” are created like “physical bodies” are created. But spirits, not permanently joined to perfected “physical” bodies through the resurrection, cannot procreate. They cannot touch each other like “physical” bodies can. Multiple spirit personages can even dwell in the same place. Jesus Christ cast about two thousand spirits out of a single man:
“And when [Jesus] was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit… [Jesus] said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. And [Jesus] asked [the unclean spirit], What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many… Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. And all the devils besought [Jesus], saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out [of the man], and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;)…”[1]
Without touch there is no procreation. Only after spirits are clothed with “physical” bodies, are they able to touch other beings via those bodies. Spirits housed in mortal, healthy, mature, male and female “physical” bodies can jointly create new “physical” bodies. But they cannot create new spirits. This is for two reasons:
- Spirits dwelling within their assigned mortal bodies are not fully connected to them because they are not fully compatible with each other. Because there isn’t a tight connection between the two, other spirits, including the Holy Ghost and evil spirits, can also affect those bodies. In the resurrection, “physical” bodies are perfected, made fully compatible with, and permanently joined to their spirits. The “spirit body” and the “physical body” become one body. Until then, they are not fully connected.
- The other reason that spirits housed in “physical” bodies cannot create new spirits is because the source material needed to create spirit beings is Spirit. A resurrected being must be perfected and connected to Spirit to use Spirit to create new spirits.
[1] The Holy Bible, King James Version, Mark 5:2-13; underlining added.
Two Realms
Everything eternal is first created spiritually before it is created “physically.” “Physical” is often in quotation marks in this work because, in reality, everything is physical. Or in other words, everything is made of “physical” matter including spirits. Spirit is the most pure form of matter.
All eternal things must first be created spiritually before they are clothed with heavier elemental matter. It must be this way because spirits are the life of all “physical” creations. The two parts bridge the two realms and make a complete whole. Each part is incomplete without the other.
Spirits are created in Heaven and “physical” bodies are created on earth. Upon conception, a new developing “physical” body is assigned by God to a specific, already existing, spirit personage in Heaven. The body is that specific spirit’s venue in the “physical” realm. Through the operation of that “physical” body, the spirit personage is able to experience the “physical” realm and the two realms are bridged. The spirit personage is able to have new, important “physical” experiences, such as feeling, touching, eating, and procreating.
A Fallen World
Heaven is the dwelling place of our Father God. It is a real, tangible location. The earth that we currently dwell on was previously located near Heaven. It fell from its higher order to a lower order in this solar system when Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the tree of “knowledge of good and evil.”
It was God’s intent from the beginning that Adam and Eve eat of that fruit. He created that tree, and put it in the garden with them, so they would. It was a vital part of His plan of joy, and He knew exactly what would happen. He commanded Adam not to eat of the fruit because: “in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”[1]
God is only the author of good and would not force upon Adam and Eve the mortality and death that eating the fruit would bring. Those consequences rested solely on Adam and Eve because they had been duly warned by Him. The resultant condition of the world from their “fall” was and is vital for the growth and development of all humankind.
This earth and all of its life are awaiting redemption and resurrection through Jesus Christ. Through His atonement, all of the “negative” effects of the “fall,” brought on the world by Adam and Eve, are reversed. Even the earth will be returned to its previous, higher order.
[1] The Holy Bible, King James Version, Genesis 2:16-17.
Redeemed Worlds
Celestial realms are not like the earth on which we dwell. They are globes “like a sea of glass and fire” and include celestial cities of stunning buildings constructed out of the most breathtaking variety of jewels and precious materials. There are wondrous gardens and landscapes of every kind, teaming with beauty and life of every form. There is no end to the splendors.
In Heaven, there is perfect order and harmony. Every dweller therein has a place and role to fulfill. By fulfilling those roles, all are able to achieve the most joy possible, individually and, as a larger whole, synergistically. In Heaven, the greatest attainments possible are realized. The best things in the entire universe are enjoyed there.
After the resurrection, those that dwell in the presence of God will enjoy the same sociality they enjoyed on earth, but coupled with eternal glory. They will enjoy the company of loved ones, have new experiences, and grow in knowledge and wisdom. And because of their resurrected physical bodies, they will be able to enjoy the most exquisite foods and have the most wonderful experiences. Everything there is designed to enliven the senses and gladden the heart. In Heaven, there is everlasting peace and fullness of joy.
Celestial Harmony
Not everyone will be able to live with our Father in Heaven. To be able to do so requires one to live as all in Heaven do — in perfect harmony. Persons not willing to live in perfect harmony with everyone else will not have a place there. If people who are not willing to live in harmony were allowed to occupy Heaven, they would disrupt the peace and joy of those who are worthy to be there.
To live in Heaven, we must recognize the King of Heaven. We must respect His authority and the laws of Heaven (which are designed for our collective peace and joy). We must be completely honest with and respectful to everyone. We must live in love and kindness. We must do unto others as we would have them do unto us. In reality, the requirement of Heaven is perfection. Jesus Christ taught:
“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”[1]
But how can we be perfect? None of us is perfect. There is not a single day that we reach that standard. What can we do?
We must partner with Jesus Christ who is perfect. That is the only solution. He can make us become “just men [and women] made perfect”[2] in Him. This means that we try to be the best we can and He bridges the remaining gap between us and perfection. He is the only being that can do that for us.
To partner with Jesus Christ and be forgiven of our sins, we must believe in Him. We must believe that if we follow Him, He will take us into Heaven, despite our weaknesses. This is called “faith in Jesus Christ.” We must also repent, be baptized, and receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost as Jesus taught:
“the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”[3]
“Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”[4]
Being “born of water” is being baptized by immersion, and being “born of the Spirit” is receiving “the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Both of these required ordinances must be performed by persons Jesus Christ Himself has authorized. That authority cannot be assumed. Baptism by immersion signifies rebirth to a new life. Receiving “the gift of the Holy Ghost” is accomplished by a special rite involving the “laying on of hands.” Only persons truly commissioned by Jesus have authority to perform these ordinances.
If we do these things, we have partnered with Jesus Christ and have taken upon us His name. That means we have promised to strive to do the types of things Jesus would do from that time forward. We try to use our time and resources to lift and help others.
We will not be perfect at this, but if we strive to be faithful to that commitment and continue to repent, Jesus Christ will grant us an Eternal inheritance in the Celestial City of God. This is not figurative. Eternal inheritances are real places given to us along with many gifts and capacities beyond our mortal power to comprehend. These things are REAL and worth every effort we can put forth to obtain them!
[1] The Holy Bible, King James Version, Mathew 5:48.
[2] The Holy Bible, King James Version, Hebrews 12:23.
[3] The Holy Bible, King James Version, Mark 1:15; underlining added.
[4] The Holy Bible, King James Version, John 3:5; underlining added.
The Pursuit of Happiness
To follow Jesus Christ, we are going to have to be different. Many people spend the majority of their lives chasing material wealth and influence. Many people want to be “rich and famous.”
Why do so many people want to be rich and famous? It is likely because they believe that being so will make them happy. Why do so many of those who are already rich and famous appear glamorous, but often unhappy? It is because many are unhappy. Why doesn’t being rich and famous make them happy? It is because being rich and famous can never make anyone happy. It is not relevant to happiness.
Think about the happiest people you know. How do they live? If they are truly happy, it is because they are living after the manner of happiness. Happiness is a result of living (intentionally or unintentionally) the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. True joy is available to everyone.
Good Works
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Have you noticed that all of God’s works involve helping people? And God is the most joyful being of all. This must also be our focus if we want true joy.
We must not be afraid of work. “Good works” are work and take time. Greater works take more work and more time. This is true on earth and in Heaven. The Celestial Cities have been and will be constructed. They do not magically appear.
Complex works are built step by step over a significant period of time. The first stage of the construction of our “physical” bodies takes about nine months. The next stages of the construction require decades before we achieve our full physical potential. After death and the resurrection, the development of our bodies will continue as we master additional capacities.
The development of our spirit (mind) is a pursuit in which we have already been engaged for a very long time. Ever since our spirit creation in Heaven, we have been gathering truth a few principles at a time. Although those Heavenly memories (along with the truths we gathered) have been temporarily suspended by God during our sojourn on earth, they will be returned to us in the future. They are not lost.
Nothing great has ever been made without significant effort. Our earthly material possessions are only temporary and must not be our life’s focus. We can’t take any of them with us. We can only take with us the covenants we make with Jesus Christ and what we have made of ourselves.
Our goal ought to be to do as much good in this world as we can while we are still here. We must partner with Jesus Christ to do so! If we do, we will achieve true joy in this life and the life to come.
Have you partnered with Jesus Christ yet? What good are you going to do today? What good are you going to do this month, this year, and for the rest of the time you have?