Blog #77, January 16, 2024
Proverbs 5:1-2
5:1 My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding;
5:2 That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.
As always, God approaches us with a loving request. Think to yourself how endearing this greeting is. It is not a demand of obedience or even loyalty. It is an announcement of our chance to grow and His intent to nourish that growth. It is like our earthly Father rolling out a brand new bicycle filled with joy at the chance of teaching us to ride. It is God’s humble offering to children He loves.
Psalms 24:3-5
24:3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?
24:4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
24:5 He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
Here we have described for us those who will live and labor with God. These are the citizens of His Kingdom, His children. Look to the attributes they possess and seek to understand their very nature. They are pure of heart and humble. They lack all vanity and are unwilling to be deceitful. Deep within their heart is the desire to serve God and to live in God’s ways.
1 Chronicles 16:29 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; bring an offering, and come before him; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
The question I ask myself is how do we come to be that people. How do we change our life completely? How do we follow a whole new set of ideals, change the goals of a lifetime, and recognize a purpose that was unknown to us before we met God. I firmly believe that we as mere humans are incapable of compelling, convincing, or persuading ourselves to live like Jesus Christ. If a fear of Hell is our only motivation we will fall short of our goal. To open ourselves fully to the labor we seek, we must understand it enough to want it more than anything else this life has to offer. How do we become the laborers God seeks?
Jacob 3:125 Wherefore, go to, and call servants, that we may labor diligently with our mights in the vineyard, that we may prepare the way, that I may bring forth again the natural fruit, which natural fruit is good, and the most precious above all other fruit.
I am called as a Priest after the order of Aaron. The one we call John the Baptist is the archetype of the Aaronic Priest. His father Zacharias was a Priest of the Temple was told of John’s birth and his mission for God.
Luke 1: 17 And he shall go before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
My ministry as an Aaronic Priest is simply to prepare the people to meet the King. It requires me to answer this question of how we leave behind us the heart of the natural man and accept the labor as a child of God. I have pondered this question for many years and I am ready to share all that I have learned so far.
1John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.
This declaration brought to us by the Apostle John is one that the churches of the world tend to either downplay or eliminate completely from their ministry. They bring us a God of laws, rituals, and judgment, which we recognize as our only way to keep out of Hell. In truth this is an aspect of God’s authority that I am convinced He would just as soon not use. His true nature is that of a loving Father.
John 3:16-17
3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish; but have everlasting life.
3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Verse 16 declares the purity of His love for us. As a proof, which one of us would send their child to be born into a society so corrupt that just because he tries continually to be an example of all God created man to be; they hate Him. Which set of parents will request of their child that they minister to these people and in the end die for a people that would betray Him, deny Him, and hide from Him while He was nailed to a tree dying. Yes, I realize God knew that in the end death would be defeated and Christ would return to this world fully alive in both body and spirit. After charging His disciples to take His story and the gospel of the Kingdom to the world, Christ would ascend to the Father in glory as the first fruits of the Kingdom. But, don’t forget in the process Christ suffered dreadful pain, horrible emotional turmoil, and devastating loneliness that we might once again have the ability to freely choose our own fate in the face of God. God loves us, a lot.
Verse 17 identifies Christ as our savior not our judge. In the face of the Gospel we have no need of a judge. In the light of truth everyone can see that sin has nowhere to hide. Our individual reaction to the Gospel exposes either our willingness to serve God or our choice to stand in rebellion before the Lord.
John 3:19-22
3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil.
3:20 For every one who doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
3:21 But he who loveth truth, cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest.
3:22 And he who obeyeth the truth, the works which he doeth they are of God.
By God’s design this process brings clarity to each person’s attitude on God and sin. By this same design humanity’s rebellious nature is exposed and each of us can recognize our own need for repentance. The light of truth eliminates any excuse we might have for turning away from the Gospel of truth. The decision we make to refuse God’s offering can never be termed a sin of ignorance. Such is the wisdom of God.
Once we are aware of our own defiant nature, we realize that we must repent and change so completely that it will be as if we died and were reborn a brand new person.
Alma 5:24 Now I say unto you, that ye must repent, and be born again: for the Spirit saith, If ye are not born again, ye can not inherit the kingdom of heaven;
In my time of choice I asked the question, “If I am to no longer be me, who am I to be”?
It wasn’t until I came to the fullness of the Gospel that learned the true question I needed to ask myself. I also received a definitive answer to that question.
Mosiah 9:40-42
9:40 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times, and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life:
9:41 Now I say unto you, If this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?
9:42 And now when the people had heard these words, they clapped their hands for joy, and exclaimed, This is the desire of our hearts.
Note: I realize that clapping one’s hands is not answer with clarity, but it was my answer, too when I was asked the question. I think I now understand the precious nature of applause to an entertainer.
The ritual of baptism by water fulfills everything Alma taught the people of Mormon, but to an Aaronic Priest the work is only half done. The covenant becomes complete when those seeking God receive the Baptism of Fire and the Holy Spirit.
Acts 19:3-6
19:3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism.
19:4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying to the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
19:5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
19:6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
Like John (the Baptist) as an Aaronic Priest l lack the authority to bestow the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands. That authority lays with those called to the Priesthood after the Order of Jesus Christ or the Melchizedek Priesthood. Paul as an Apostle had this authority and completed the job John started. We now have a sinner cleansed of sin and in the possession of the Holy Spirit, with absolutely no idea of how to go forward.
DC 17:10a The priest’s duty is to preach, teach, expound, exhort, and baptize, and administer the sacrament.
My own research led me to believe that I was to be given instruction on how to school the membership in the ways of the Kingdom. I had the verse above and a verse out of DC 104 and that was the sum total of all I receive. My challenges were little different than those of a new member. In other words, I was lost.
Luke 11:10-11
11:10 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
11:11 For every one who asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.
By the virtue of asking the question thru the Spirit, God answered and opened my heart to a fuller definition of my duties as an Aaronic Priest. I found that I was not alone in my effort to prepare the people to meet the King.
2 Nephi 14:6 For behold, again I say unto you, that if ye will enter in by the way and receive the Holy Ghost, it will shew unto you all things what ye should do.
Matthew 5:8 And blessed are all they that do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost.
As is always true by God’s design, His Holy Spirit is with us to guide us and help us fulfill God’s purpose. In truth that which I am expected to do is to lead God’s children to the Hoy Spirit, teach them how to hear all that the Spirit has to say, and give them an example of one who faithfully reaches of to the Spirit and humbles himself to all that the Spirit offers.
Mosiah 3:3 And also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.
This was a facet of my Priesthood I had never considered. I was not alone in my effort. I found I am to work in concert with God’s Holy Spirit. Joy filled me with diligence, as I looked over the Comforters many authorities.
Genesis 6:64 Therefore it is given to abide in you, the record of heaven, the Comforter, the peaceable things of immortal glory, the truth of all things, that which quickeneth all things which maketh alive all things, that which knoweth all things, and hath all power according to wisdom, mercy, truth, justice and judgment.
The scenario I worked with before was the typical teacher student situation. What I faced now was my need to be able to understand all the Spirit was bringing and helping the new believer learn how to absorb all that was being offered. As the Priest in this gathering the obligation of righteous effort is mine. I must live a life of truth, and integrity filled with the righteousness of God or I will miss the fullness of the Spirits message.
John 1:6-8
1:6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
1:7 The same came into the world for a witness, to bear witness of the light, to bear record of the gospel through the Son, unto all, that through him men might believe.
1:8 He was not that light, but came to bear witness of that light,
Seems as if we have come full circle and once again the full duties of the Aaronic Priest are brought to light.
DC 17:10a-10b
17:10a The priest’s duty is to preach, teach, expound, exhort, and baptize, and administer the sacrament.
17:10b and visit the house of each member, and exhort them to pray vocally and in secret, and attend to all family duties:
Look to each one of these duties and you will recognize that they all exercise and develop our abilities to reach out to the Father through the Spirit and listen closely that we might receive all we can of what the Spirit offers. My labor is to open the hearts of the member to the essence of these exercises, teach them the importance of practicing them daily, and underline both of these lessons by living my life as a proof that yes, they do work.
As I told you at the first, this is a fullness of my current understanding. My hope is that it will grow. Probably the most important duty I preform as an Aaronic Priest is that of visiting the member in their homes. I “gotta” warn you though, when you invite me I don’t come alone. I got people. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are my running mates, but again be forewarned; they don’t want to come just to visit they want to abide in your hearts and your homes always and forever.
Fred