TO BE WILLING

 

 

“When Mary told Joseph that she was with child by the power of the Holy Ghost, his reaction was one not only of shock, of sorrow, and of dismay, but also of disbelief…..That he wanted to believe Mary, but did not, is shown by his determination ‘to put her away privily’ with as little embarrassment as possible.

He planned to give her a letter of divorce in the presence of two witnesses only, as the law permitted, rather than to make the dissolution of their contract to marry a matter of public knowledge and possible gossip. It must have been at this point that Mary sped hastily to Hebron to find comfort in the arms of Elisabeth.” 

(Bruce R. McConkie, The Mortal Messiah Book 1, p 331-2)

Mary stayed with Elisabeth in Hebron for three months. We may well suppose that Joseph struggled with his problem during that time until he received the revelation from angel Gabriel who appeared to him in a dream testifying of the divine paternity of Mary’s expected child.

In Elder McConkie’s words: “As with all men, his [Joseph’s) faith and his willingness to submit to the divine will in all things [had to] be tested.” (ibid)

This submission to God’s will would have to have been Joseph’s greatest trial of faith. That he passed the test with flying colours is evidenced by his guardianship and care of the Christ child and His mother.

What relief and elation Joseph must have felt when he was assured of Mary’s condition. It meant she was still his but he must have envisaged that fathering such an important child that was not his own would mean he would tread a difficult road.

Receiving confirmation of the path we should follow in life is one thing but following that path is another. Receiving is sometimes the easy part and following, the hardest because it means you are conforming to God’s will instead of your own.

On a lesser scale than Joseph’s, but also of eternal significance,  is our commitment to follow the revelations we receive:

“After you have gotten the message, after you have paid the price to feel his love and hear the word of the Lord, ‘go forward’. Don’t fear, don’t vacillate, don’t quibble, don’t whine….with the spirit of revelation, dismiss your fears and wade in with both feet…..

“Therefore, let not your hearts faint….Mine angel shall go up before you…and also my presence, and in time ye shall possess the goodly land (D&C 103:17-20)……What goodly land? Your goodly land. Your promised land. Your New Jerusalem. Your own little acre flowing with milk and honey. Your future. Your dreams. Your destiny.”

-        Jeffrey R. Holland, Cast Not Away Therefore Your Confidence, BYU Speeches ,  March 2, 1999

Next time you hear the voice of revelation, do not retreat, because you might just discover how very important you are…..to yourself….and to someone else.

 

When God called,

So willing was your spiritually tender heart

No forces of hell could sever you

from your appointed path.

 

The guardian of my youth,

The obedient servant of the Lord,

Thou art Joseph

The valiant son of God. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Mary and Joseph by Rose Datoc Dall) 

THE OBEDIENT SON

 

“Jesus achieved perfect unity with the Father by submitting Himself, both flesh and spirit, to the will of the Father. The Saviour’s ministry was always clearly focused because there was no debilitating or distracting double-mindedness in Him. Referring to His Father, Jesus said, “I do always those things that please Him” (John 8:29)

-        Elder D. Todd Christofferson, in Conference Report, Oct 2022, 76-77

Indeed, the Saviour did always those things that pleased His Father. And He still does.

When the resurrected Christ visited the Americas, He made 163 references to the Father and 15 of those were references to His obedience to His Father. Over and over He reiterated He was following His Father’s commands in all His teachings to the Nephites (3 Nephi 15:14-16,18,19; 16:3,10,16; 17:2; 18;14,27; 20:10,14,46).

There are two notable examples of Christ’s obedience to the Father whilst in mortality:

-        HIS BAPTISM:  Nephi tells us that Christ was baptised to enter into the covenant of obedience (2 Nephi 31:7). We read of the most glorious confirmation of Christ’s Sonship at the time of His baptism. Matthew records the Father’s voice saying: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). Is there a greater example of obedience than from Him who knew no sin and needed no baptism?

-        HIS ATONEMENT: In the hour of His crucible, in the midst of His worst agony, the Saviour did not shrink from drinking the bitter cup that was given to Him and that He agreed to drink before the world was (3 Nephi 11:11; D&C 19:18; Abraham 3:27). No matter how deep the suffering, the commitment and obedience was unfailing as He submitted himself to the Father’s will (Mark 14:36; Matt 26:42). Is there a greater example of submission to the eternal plan of one’s life?

Such a level of submission and obedience is unfathomable to most of us. It can only come from the deepest love and respect and one other thing, lack of pride. Let me explain.

Generally speaking, the older generation in our society is no longer respected. Our advice is seldom solicited or heeded once our children are adults. And we would not dare tell them what to do. We feel we no longer have that right once they are living their own lives. Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule.

I grew up in Croatia in the 60s. I would not dare address my parents with a familiar pronoun of ‘you’. To the date of their death, I addressed them with ‘thou’. No, it was not forced wokeness but a sign of respect and all of us children were doing it. It was reflective of ‘thou shalt honour thy father and they mother’.  I don’t know if this is still the custom but it used to be.

My point is this. The Saviour continues to be obedient to the Father despite having obtained godhood himself. Only total lack of pride would enable Him to recognize and honour a higher deity than himself. He has lived up to His commitment to preserve the Father’s glory and I see Him honouring the Father forever. Could we possibly have a greater example than the beloved Christ?

 

My obedience, Father

I lay at Thy feet,

For He who has brought

Honour and glory to Thy name

Shall forever my guide remain.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Not My Will by Yongsung Kim)

DIVINE SUBMISSION

 

As Christians our primary focus should be the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and rightly so because it relates to our salvation. As much as I believe in it, revere it and constantly express gratitude for it, my ultimate admiration for the Saviour lies in His condescension. This, more than anything tells me about the man and His life. It represents in my mind divine submission at every turn of His earthly years, in small and great ways. It suggests renewed commitment every time He was reminded what His purpose was and where His life would end. Imagine the determination, the commitment, and the integrity that defeated retreat.

I imagine that his upbringing from the very beginning, in heavenly realms, was fostered with acute sense of responsibility for His younger siblings.  He would have been tutored and molded by Father’s perfect character to be like Him. A God yet a man, no doubt with His own desires, His own vision, His own destiny, submitted to the responsibility of the Firstborn in His care for those less than Him, His primary focus doing the will of the Father rather than His own.

This is what Christ’s condescension tells me of the man we call our King.  You would have to be devoid of the least degree of pride to lay aside a godship that you had so diligently earned through impeccable obedience and lower yourself to a corruptible, mortal body and painstaking mortal life. This selflessness is the kind that seeks only the wellbeing of others even if they do not want it or deserve it.  For this He exchanged ‘the dominion of a god for the dependence of a babe. He gave up wealth, power, dominion, and fulness of His glory – for what? – for taunting, mocking, humiliation, and subjection. It was a trade of unparalleled dimension, a condescension of incredible proportions, a descent of incalculable depth. And so, the great Jehovah, creator of worlds without number, infinite in virtue and power, made his entry into this world in swaddling clothes and a manger’. (Tad. R. Callister, The Infinite Atonement, p 69)

And what of the Father He so valiantly defended when the Son of the Morning sought to usurp His power and glory? The depth, the width, the entirety of His devotion to the Father in whose shadow He walked and into whose image He grew cannot be overlooked or overstated. Ultimately the price of His willingness to descend to a mortal life unworthy of Him, was to preserve and add to the glory of the Father. It was the ultimate expression of perfect love only a god could bestow upon another. The selflessness is beyond compare.

This is Christ the King, the Saviour of the weak, the Babe of Bethlehem. Glory be His forever and ever.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Born This Day by Liz Lemon Swindle) 

A MOTHER'S PATH

 

There were among the host of heaven many noble and great ones without whom Father’s Plan of Salvation would have come to naught (Abraham 3:22-23). The noblest of them all was Jehovah, the Firstborn (v 24). Along the many noble sons of God were female counterparts without whom also the Plan would have come to naught. The first that comes to mind is Mother Eve but my greatest admiration goes to Mary, the chosen vessel to bear the Son of God. The purity of her character could never be disputed but the devotion to God the Father that Jesus would have learnt at her knee is unsurpassable.

Jesus would have fulfilled His role as the Saviour no matter what mother He had because that’s who He is, but Mary’s pious devotion to God that He was raised with would have made His journey to the Garden easier. It tells you a lot about parenting skills. I am convinced that Mary’s compliant submission when a young girl in the presence of angel Gabriel paved the way for Christ’s supernal ‘Thy will be done’ in Gethsemane (Luke 1:26-38; 22:42). Like mother, like son.

I wonder if Mary recognized her part in Christ’s acceptance of the cross when her heart was breaking. I hope against hope that her pain was lessened knowing she brought up a dutiful son. I hope she reflected on the holiness of His birth and on the purpose for which He was born. I hope she knew the boy she mothered was the God she pledged long ago to accompany to the cross. I hope she saw on that cross the God of her salvation and gave thanks for her boy. I hope she wept good tears also.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Jesus and Mother Mary by Liz Lemon Swindle)

THE EXAMPLE OF ABRAHAM

How would you feel if you were told that through you all the nations of the earth will be blessed?  Would it make a difference in how you view yourself, how you live your life and how you parent your children?  How much would such a promise strengthen your commitment to God and to living righteously?  This promise was given to Father Abraham after he had passed the ultimate test of being asked to sacrifice his son Isaac. Abraham's whole life was a life of righteousness and perfect example to us, his posterity. In his First Presidency Message in 1975,  President Kimball claimed that Abraham was such a model of righteousness that following his example will lead us to eternal life:

"As we follow Abraham's example, we will grow from grace to grace, we will find greater happiness and peace and rest, we will find favour with God and with man.  As we follow his example, we will confirm upon ourselves and our families joy and fulfillment in this life and for all eternity." (President Spencer W. Kimball, Ensign, June 1975, p 7)

From the very beginning of his life, Abraham had an acute spiritual sensitivity to the reality of the one true and living God.  Consider these insights from his early life:

"At just three years of age, as one source has it, the boy already 'began to understand the nature of God', so that the next year he resisted when his grandfather tried to teach him to worship idols.  Nor could Abraham's father, despite long and persistent effort, persuade his son to revere the statues.  Young Abraham 'was all alone with God', says Hugh Nibley, 'dependent on no man and no tradition, beginning as it were from scratch .... Having no human teachers, he must think things out for himself, until he receives light from above'."
(E. Douglas Clark, The Blessings of Abraham, Becoming A Zion People, p. 40)

"An ancient and widespread legend tells of bold action taken by the young Abraham.  The story is not found in the Bible, but it is the most oft-repeated Abrahamic narrative in the Qur'an, is found in numerous ancient Jewish sources, and was repeated by Brigham Young, John Taylor and Wilford Woodruff.  As recounted by Jewish sources, it began when the young Abraham found himself alone in a room full of idols.  But one important source, the Maaseh Avraham Avinu, specifies that this was not just any occasion and not just any room full of idols.  The event was a major religious festival called by King Nimrod himself and was centered at Nimrod's pagan temple.  Abraham had been urged to attend by his father but declined to go and was instructed to stay behind to guard the idols.

When Abraham was all alone, he acted boldly and decisively.  Some sources report that 'the Spirit of God came upon him'.  As recounted by the Maaseh Avraham Avinu, 'He took an axe in his hand, and as he saw the idols of the king sitting, he said, 'The Eternal, He is God', and he 'pushed them off their thrones to the ground, and he smote them mightily.  With the large ones he began, and with the small ones he finished.  He lopped off this one's hands, he cut off this one's head and blinded this one's eyes, and he broke that one's legs' until 'all of them were broken'.  Then, placing 'the axe in the hand of the largest idol', Abraham left.

When his father and the king returned and discovered the wreckage, they were wroth.  'The king commanded that Abraham be brought before him.  And they brought him.  The king and his ministers said to him, 'Why did you shatter our gods?'  He said to them, 'I didn't break them, no.  Rather, the large one of them smashed them.  Don't you see that the axe is in his hand? And if you won't believe it, ask him and he will tell'.  And as the king heard his words, he became angry to the point of killing him."  (E. Douglas Clark, The Blessings of Abraham, Becoming A Zion People, p. 47)

How appropriate then that the Lord would hear Abraham's cries for help whilst under the knife of the priest of Elkenah and honour Abraham's fortitude in destroying Nimrod's dumb idols.  Abraham had two admirable desires which God honoured by rescuing him from human sacrifice:  he desired to change his world by removing himself from a family and society that sought 'to do evil' (Abraham 1:6); and he sought for the blessings of the priesthood.  There would have been no more righteous desire than this that was in the heart of Abraham:

"......I sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer the same; having been myself a follower of righteousness, desiring also to be one who possessed great knowledge, and to be a greater follower of righteousness, and to possess a greater knowledge, and to be a father of many nations, a prince of peace, and desiring to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of God...." (Abraham 1:2)

Not only did Abraham desire to be a father of many nations but he ensured he was a father that could be followed in righteousness and example in all things.  One Jewish tradition records that Abraham's deliverance from human sacrifice was so marvelous that many onlookers who witnessed it came to believe in God and bore witness to others of God's power and that Abraham was his servant (Gorion, Mimekor Yisrael, 1:45-46).  In addition, 'many followed Abraham home, and brought their children to him, and said, 'Now we see that the God in whom thou trustest, is the only true God: teach our children the truth, that they may serve Him in righteousness (Baring-Gould, Legends of the Patriarchs, 160). (E. Douglas Clark, The Blessings of Abraham, p. 58

Abraham was all a good father should be.  The available Jewish writings portray him as a man full of loving-kindness, humility, submission and gentleness.  A man who loved righteousness, was clean of heart and pure from sin and who sought to establish Zion wherever he went.  He is remembered among his Jewish descendants as 'the embodiment of hesed (loving-kindness), 'for the decisive factor in Abraham's personality was the unceasing urge to help others'.  It is remarkable to note that the three messengers who came to announce the promise of a long awaited son, were 'found' by Abraham whilst he was searching for someone who might be in need of help.

"....Abraham 'was sitting at the entrance of the tent as the day grew hot' (JPST Gen 18:2).  It was the hottest part of a very hot day, say the rabbis, with the sun beating down mercilessly.  As one writer recounts, 'Abraham sits in his tent door enjoying its grateful shade, and looking out on the plain of Mamre, from which the sun's fiery beams have driven men, birds and panting beasts to such shelter as rocks and trees and tents can afford'.

Abraham, however, was not focused on himself and his discomfort, compounded by his recent circumcision, but was worrying for travelers who might need assistance on a day like that.  'Notwithstanding the intense heat and his own sickness he still sat there to invite any stray passer-by'.  When no one came, he sent his servant to go in search of anyone needing help, even though Abraham had planted trees for the benefit of travelers - rest stops along the way.  When the servant returned without success, Abraham determined to go himself.  It was then, says rabbinic tradition, that Abraham discovered the three travelers.

Abraham might easily have remained seated, and simply directed a servant or subordinate to attend to these travelers. Or, says one writers, 'he may wait their approach, leaving them to solicit his hospitality.  Not he - Abraham arose and despite the scorching heat, and 'although he was in great pain from his wound, ran forward to meet them'.  Genesis tells that upon reaching them he 'bowed himself towards the ground' (Gen. 18:2)." (E. Douglas Clark, The Blessings of Abraham, p. 172)

It is then that he received the promise of Isaac.

The sacrifice the Lord asked of him which followed some years later is just unimaginable in my mind. Through his willingness to offer this sacrifice Abraham proved that he loved God above all else.  Is it any wonder then that the Lord was willing to make a covenant with him that would grant him the blessings he most desired?  This covenant is known to us as the Abrahamic Covenant, a covenant with which we should make ourselves very familiar because by virtue of being of Abraham's seed, we are entitled to every blessing that comes under its' promise.  Not only are direct descendants of Abraham counted as his seed but all who accept Christ's gospel and are baptised into his Church become his 'adopted' children.  Looking at the diversity of the members of the Church, we can easily see how Abraham becomes 'a father of many nations'.

"The covenant that the Lord first made with Abraham and reaffirmed with Isaac and Jacob is of transcendent significance.  It contained several promises:

• Abraham's posterity would be numerous,
• and will bear the priesthood;
• He would become a father of many nations;
• Christ and kings would come through Abraham's lineage;
• Certain lands would be inherited;
• All nations of the earth would be blessed by his seed.

That covenant would be everlasting - even through 'a thousand generations."

(Elder Russell M Nelson, Ensign, May 1995, p 33)

These promises came to Abraham only after he married Sarah for without her he could not obtain them.  The blessings promised could not be obtained unless Abraham entered into the 'Order of the Priesthood' and this order could not be entered into without a legal wife. But not just any wife.  Sarah was in every way Abraham's equal.  She was devoted, righteous and submissive.  Together they were a perfect example of what a marriage union should be; he lead in righteousness and she followed in righteousness. "Together Abraham and Sarah were, in the words of Erastus Snow, 'models of noble character, purity of purpose' and 'superior integrity to God', whom they 'hesitated not to obey....at all hazards even to the sacrifice of that which was nearest and dearest unto them". (E. Douglas Clark, The Blessings of Abraham, Becoming a Zion People, p. 107)

We cannot have ancestral parents of more noble character than Sarah and Abraham.  Because of their exceedingly righteous example, God commands us to look to them for understanding of our origin and our destiny.  In Isaiah chapter 51, we read:

"Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord: look unto the rock from whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit from whence ye are digged.  Look unto Abraham, your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.  For the Lord shall comfort Zion. (Isaiah 51:1-3)

TO WORSHIP GOD

In Lectures on Faith, Lecture Third, Joseph Smith points out that three things are necessary 'in order that any rational being may exercise faith in God unto life and salvation'.  They are:

1.  The idea that he actually exists;
2.  A correct idea of his character, perfections and attributes;
3.  An actual knowledge that the course of life which he is pursuing is according to his will. 

He continues to say that "without an acquaintance with these three important facts, the faith of every rational being must be imperfect and unproductive; but with this understanding it can become perfect and fruitful, abounding in righteousness, unto the praise and glory of God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ". (Lectures On Faith, Lecture Third)

Learning that I cannot have perfect faith in God if I do not know God, I resolved that I would endeavour to learn his true character through the scriptures and thereby increase my faith in Him experientially through yielding my heart to him in all matters of my life.  I started to look for his characteristics and attributes through the pages of the Book of Mormon and wrote my findings in the margins.  As I flip through my scriptures now I find in its' margins two attributes that are more prominent than all the others.  They are: 1. that He always fulfils His promises and 2. that He is merciful.  It seems that there is evidence of the second attribute on just about every page of the Book of Mormon. 

Whilst reading about Alma's mission to the Zoromites I found an amazing pattern of prayer that Alma gave to the Zoromites who had been cast out of the synagogues, by quoting Zenos.  He says in Alma 33:3: "Do ye remember to have read what Zenos, the prophet of old, has said concerning prayer or worship?"  Clearly prayer and worship to Alma is one and the same.  He then quotes Zenos' pattern of prayer and in 5 of the 8 verses this prayer covers, Zenos calls the Lord merciful.  During the whole prayer Zenos never asks for anything but acknowledges God's mercy to him in all his doings.  Not only does he worship God by acknowledging his most prominent characteristic, that of mercy, he also acknowledges that God is merciful towards us because of His Son Jesus Christ.  Two things stand out to me in this pattern of prayer:

1. The verses are so poignant that it leaves no doubt that Zenos knew God and that he knew Him experientially.  He had seen God's hand in his life and he acknowledged it with great zeal. 

2. I am rather convinced that there was nothing that Zenos needed that he didn't receive from God  because he acknowledged His Son in all things.  Praying in the name of Jesus Christ takes on a new meaning here.  By acknowledging the Saviour, we have more of a right to receive what we pray for in His name.  "......Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you". (John 16:23)   There is tremendous power in this.  It means God can through our asking empower us to overcome anything, to become anything, to survive anything. Becoming being always greater than having. Nevertheless, He can and will honour our righteous desires a hundred fold (D&C 78:17-19).

I wondered as I read Zenos' prayer, if the Father feels worshiped through my prayers.  I can tell you right now, probably not.  I am sure if we worshipped God through prayer by acknowledging His perfect attributes and His mercy towards us, our faith in Him would grow at an accelerated rate and our prayers would become a more meaningful experience.  Expressing such words of praise would make the Father more real to us and the foot of our bed would become the foot of His throne as we kneel there in the attitude of prayer.

Christ's humility in praying to the Father has always amazed me.  He who proclaimed himself to be the life of the world, Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end (3 Nephi 9:18), a god in his own right, knelt upon the ground with the Nephites and prayed, but not just any prayer, for the scriptures record "....The eye hath never seen, neither hath the ear heard, before, so great and marvellous things as we saw and heard Jesus speak unto the Father" (3 Nephi 17:16)  What did He say? What words could He have possibly used to express such high regard and affection toward the Father He so loved?  I cannot imagine but I suspect they were words of utmost respect and devotion, of love and adoration, of submission and gratitude.  We too can hear such sublime words of worship.  We can hear them each time we bend our knees and come before Him who yearns to gather us into his bosom and bring us home. How?  "Do ye not remember that I said unto you that after ye had received the Holy Ghost ye could speak with the tongue of angels?" (2 Nephi 32:2)  You have been blessed with the gift of the Holy Ghost.  A prayer given by the power of the Holy Ghost is the true order of prayer.  Open with an appeal to have the Holy Ghost give you the words you should speak and then speak.  Speak with the tongue of angels.

ALL THAT MATTERS

Some years ago I read an article by Dallin H. Oaks in the Ensign where he said something like 'it doesn't matter if you are single or married or what your circumstances are, as hard as they may be, all that matters is that you are on the path to eternal life'.  I was outraged by this comment.  At the time I was a single mother struggling terribly and it mattered to me very much whether I had a husband or not to lighten the burdens I was carrying.  I thought Elder Oaks was not in sync with reality and the people who were living with hardship on daily basis.  However, the more spiritually refined I became over the years, the more I realised the truth of this statement.  

Sometimes we become very blinded by this telestial world and find it difficult to focus on the overall picture.  I think this is where Elder Oaks' statement came from.  He had risen above the telestial and had the celestial kingdom in his horizon.  I also think that he had made peace with the hardships of this life and had submitted his will fully to God.  Acceptance is the ultimate panacea for coping in this fallen world.  It eliminates unrealistic expectations and the frustration which comes from expecting a perfect life. 

God's main concern is our spiritual welfare.  When our mortal experience is providing spiritual growth, we are on the path He would have us be on.  When the choices we make complicate our lives and place us in bondage to sin, we are obviously not living according to His will.  When our worldly pursuits take us away from Him and endanger the spiritual welfare of our families, we can be assured we are not on the same page. Anything that takes us away from God would not include His will.

Submitting our will to God is crucial if we want to accomplish His plan for us, the individualised plan for us to become as He is.  We do not remember this plan which we were so familiar with before we came here, but He does.  He knows what we wanted to become and how we wanted our earthly experience to contribute to that goal.  To stay on the path that we had chosen so long ago, we need to have trust that His will for us will get us there.  And what did we want back then?  Eternal life and godhood. Eternal life meaning life with God.  We cannot have either without the experience of this mortal life.  It is a perfect schooling ground where we can develop God like characteristics.  Without those traits we cannot live as gods.  The Saviour can forgive us our sins and rescue us from the sting of death but it is up to us to develop god like natures through yielding our hearts to God. 

Neal A. Maxwell said "it is only by yielding to God that we can begin to realise His will for us".  He went on to say:  "we need to break free of our old selves - the provincial, constraining, and complaining selves - and become susceptible to the shaping of the Lord.  But the old self goes neither gladly nor quickly.  Even so, this subjection to God is really emancipation". (Neal A. Maxwell, "Willing to Submit", Ensign May 1985)

Consider King Benjamin's advice:

"For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, for ever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the Atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father".  (Mosiah 3:19)

Even if we stood at the judgment bar, ready for our eternal reward, and had the Lord forgive us totally of all our sins, we would not qualify for Celestial Kingdom if we had not developed the God like nature spoken of in this scripture.  Can you image to yourself an impatient god, or an intolerant god, or a complaining god, or a god lacking in love?  Only yielding our hearts to God and making His Atonement active in our lives can create a god within us.

When Christ visited the Americas he spoke a lot about the Father and that He was sent to do His will.  In fact, he made 147 references to the Father during His visit with them. I counted them all a few years ago when I suddenly noticed how frequent the references were even though I had read the Book of Mormon countless times before.   The Saviour perfectly exemplified total obedience to the Father's will, no matter how hard the task that was asked of Him, and He had the hardest task to accomplish out of all of us.  The whole act of Atonement pivots on Christ's submission to the Father's will. "...Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine be done". (Luke 22:42) There is something very important about this.  If the Atonement was performed out of submission, it goes to say that the Atonement can empower us, his disciples, to submit our will to the Father too.  This means using the Atonement in our daily efforts to overcome the natural man and to accept the hardships and adversity we are required to go through which will in the end refine and polish us.  Once again, verbal invocation of the Atonement comes into play.  As already suggested in my post on How to Use The Power of the Atonement, the wording should reflect our faith in Jesus Christ and should invoke the power we need to overcome the natural man or to endure the trials we are experiencing. If you are having a difficult time being submissive to God's will in general, your supplication should be: "Through my faith in Jesus Christ and the power of the Atonement, I ask for the ability to submit my will to thine, to know thy will and to be empowered to live it" or even better, "Through my faith in Jesus Christ who so perfectly submitted His will to thine, I ask to be empowered through His Atonement to submit my will to thine in all things".  The wording can be more specific relative to the situation you are in. 

If you are blinded by the gloss of this telestial world and care too much about what you have in this life and find it difficult to let go, you are not on the path to eternal life.  The Father has so so much more to give you than this dismal telestial glory. This is not your true home.  You are here for a one off experience.  When that experience is ended and the earth is 'rolled together as a scroll' (Mormon 9:2) you will want to be walked through the pearly gates to receive the splendour of eternal life. So let go and do it now.