Unit 02
Lesson 04
I had been out on my mission about 4 months when we started teaching a woman in Philomath, Oregon. She was a bright women who knew the scriptures well, I remember teaching her the Plan of Salvation lesson and as we taught her about the Celestial kingdom I asked her what she thought heaven would be like and she replied, "we sit and glorify God for the rest of eternity!" I looked over at my trainer expecting her to answer... but she didn't, not yet... she was a poised, seasoned missionary, she would really think before she said something... I on the other hand seemed to blurt everything out that came to my mind! Before I knew it, I had said back, "Jenny, you can't even go to three hours of church without getting antsy and bored... how on earth do you expect to praise God for all eternity??"
...Yep, neither Jenny nor my trainer knew what to say back. In my defense though, my comment wasn't meant to be a direct attack against Jenny's "spirituality" because she can't sit through church, that wasn't the point. It was really a question for all of us... do we really expect God to make us praise him for hours and hours on end when we finally make it to heaven? Is that the ultimate goal? Is that what it means to enter into the rest of the Lord...or is there more than that?
In Hebrews 12:9 we learn that God is our Heavenly Father, "Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?" For a moment, think about your own parents. What were some of the hopes and dreams that your parents had for you as you grew up? Or if you have kids, what do you hope for your own children? I know that my parents wanted me to become like them, in the sense that they wanted me to be happy, have a family, and be successful. Ultimately, they wanted the best for me.
Now think about this, if someone were to ask your parents 10-20 years ago "when your children are grown, would you want them to follow you around everywhere and praise you for eternity?" what do you think your parents would've said? I can tell you this much, that would be my mom's worst nightmare, haha! We know that our Heavenly Father has desired the same things for us (his children) as our earthly parents, I would even to go as far as to say that I believe the root of why our parents desire the best for us is because it's ingrained in them from a Heavenly Parent. We learn this in D&C 132:14, "and shall (speaking of the righteous) inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths" God wants to give us everything that he has because he loves us.
But just like any good parent knows, there are certain consequences, good and bad, that come as we strive to become like them. God has given us the gift of agency and so we choose who we become and what we do, or parents can't choose for us. When I child chooses to drink alcohol, use drugs, get pregnant out of wedlock... etc. the parent never stops loving them, not ever. But they know that these things have made it hard for their child to ever become like them. It's the same with God, there is a warning (well, actually, there are many but I just want to mention one) that God has given us concerning whether or not we can enter into his rest (or in other words, become like him) and this warning is found in Hebrews 3:12-15 "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you in evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end; while it is said, today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation."
In order to become like our Heavenly Father, we must give heed to his words, keep his commandments, exhort one another daily, be partakers of Christ's sacrifice, be steadfast to the end, and not give into sin.
I have a testimony that Heavenly Father loves us, we are his children, he wants us to become like him, but in order to do this we must obey him.
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