171: Added Upon

In this episode, Denver addresses the questions, "What is the purpose of our coming to this earth? What are we supposed to learn, or do, while we are here?" There is nothing more fun, however, than gathering light and truth. We’re sent down here on a journey in which we are supposed to be getting “added upon.” Those are the words. That was the goal. We’re gonna send people down to the second estate, and what’s the goal? The goal is to be added upon. But what are we adding? What are you adding to yourself that you didn’t have before? You’re adding light and truth. You came with a certain amount of it. You’re supposed to leave with a greater quantity of it. The description given in section 93 of Christ: I, John, bear record that I beheld his glory [this is verse 11 of section 93—his glory], as the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father. (See also T&C 93:3) You know, you’re just gonna have to do your best with this. [Denver drawing on the board:] We’ve got this idea that God the Father and His unnamed Consort (Mrs. God the Father) had a Son (and we know Him as Jesus or Jehovah) and then had another son or sons and some others, and then we got a Lucifer. And then some others and what have you. And then this group, these are called “sons of morning.” And then there’s this birth order, and eventually, we get down to the rabble that we were among. And that picture is this linear development of the family of God. If you read very carefully what we find in section 93, there’s another picture. And that picture is that you have this group of… Imagine all of these being little stick figures because I don’t have the time to draw them. You have them all, and… Oh, I think I can read you something on this. Yeah: This is the manner after which they were ordained—being called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works; in the first place being left to choose good or evil; therefore they having chosen good, and exercis[ed exceeding] great faith, are called with a holy calling…Or in fine, in the first place they were on the same standing with their brethren. (Alma 13:3-5, emphasis added; see also Alma 9:10 RE) K? This is chapter 13 of Alma. So, let’s change that picture, and let’s say that instead of this [referencing the original picture Denver drew], everyone was on the same… “In the first place…” In the first place, everyone was just alike. Everyone had the same potential. Everyone had the same light and truth. Everyone was made of that. Everyone was just like one another. Where did the birth order come from? Where did Christ come from? 93, beginning at verse 11, this is John (and I’m starting at verse 11, but we’ll back up in a minute): And I, John, bear record that I beheld his glory, as the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, even the Spirit of truth, which came and dwelt in the flesh, and dwelt among us… K? This is Him; He came, and He dwelt here. “[But] I…” I’m talking about the pre-existence… ...I saw that he received not...the fulness at first [He received not the fulness at first], but continued from grace to grace, until he received a fulness; ...thus he was called the Son of God, because he received not...the fulness at the first. (D&C 93:11-14; see also T&C 93:3-4) What did He do? One of this group/one of this family/one of this assortment of people/one of them went from grace to grace until He received a fullness. He proved it could be done. He showed the way. He was called the Only Begotten of the Father. He was called that because He embodied the word of God. Would you like to know what God the Father’s word was? Look at Him. Look at the Only Begotten. Did you make it without Him? No, you didn’t. You didn’t make it here without Him. Christ proved the word of the Father by the things which He did. As a consequence of Christ doing it, some few others, in turn, were also able to rise up. And they became “sons of the morning.” You see, the picture that we get in D&C section 93 (coupled with Alma chapter 13) is different than the picture that you sometimes pick out or get described for you. Look at verse 30 of section 93: All truth is independent in that sphere in which God has placed it, to act for itself, as all intelligence also; otherwise there is no existence. (See also T&C 93:10) Did Christ exist? If Christ existed, He had to be free to choose for Himself. This had to be a voluntary act on His part. He had to be willing to receive the light and truth. Believe it or not, we’re all just talking about the same thing. This is just about personal revelation. All of it is. And it’s about how you receive light and truth. Because we’re acting out again here what we acted out once before, and the process is the same here as the process was there—although here it’s coupled with a lot of illusions that are guaranteed to make you progress whether you want to or not—it’s coming. So, when you look at the word of God, what you’re seeing in Christ is the embodiment or the fulfillment of what the Father said. When Christ defines Himself in 3rd Nephi chapter 11, and He tells you who He is, He can’t tell you who He is without referring to the Father three times in a very brief introduction: I...suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning (3 Nephi 11:11; see also 3 Nephi 5:4 RE), He tells us. He is the word of the Father. He is the embodiment of the things that the Father would like to have for us. So, why do we obey the commandments? Why do we follow the process? Why do we want to go from grace to grace, and how do we open the third eye to be able to resonate with and receive light and truth into ourselves from the Being who is defined as light and truth? He bore record, saying [this is verse 7 of 93]: I saw his glory, that he was in the beginning, before the world was; Therefore, in the beginning the Word was, for he was the Word, even the messenger of salvation—The light and the Redeemer of the world; the Spirit of truth, who came into the world, because the world was made by him, and in him was the life of men and the light of men. The worlds were made by him; men were made by him; all things were made by him, and through him, and of him. And I, John, bear record that I beheld his glory, as the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, even the Spirit of truth, which came and dwelt in the flesh, and dwelt among us. And I, John, saw that he received not of the fulness at first, but received grace for grace; And [that] he received not...the fulness at first, but continued from grace to grace, until he received a fulness; And thus he was called the Son of God, because he received not...the fulness at...first. (D&C 93:7-14, emphasis added) John bearing record of what he saw concerning our Lord before He entered into this world. This is what He did before He came into the flesh to dwell among us. This is who He was before the world was. He went from grace to grace until...He was called the Son of God. But I want you to remember that Christ went from grace to grace (before this world and before He entered into the flesh here) through a long enough period of development that He had sufficient grace to be called the Son of God. And this is the prototype of the saved man! This is what you must be or else not be saved. This is the first principles of the Gospel, about which we’re going to spend some time today so that you might understand who it is you worship and how it is you’re called upon to worship Him. Because as long as you’re down here in this veil, clothed in this flesh, with the capacity to make sacrifices and the ability to exercise faith in Him, you will be amazed at the grace you can acquire, if you will only do so while in this dark place. You’re here to accomplish a great deal. And I hope by the time we finish today, you’re more fortified against accomplishing it. Our Lord (and we’re talking about Him in the beginning, before the world was), received not the fulness at first but received grace for grace. And we think grace for grace consists of, “I’m going to now obey a principle, and as a result of obeying that principle, I will receive the benefit of the grace that flows from doing so.” And that is true enough. That is a true enough principle. But it is also truer and more accurate to say: in connection with the long preparation that preceded the call of Christ to be the Son of God, that grace to grace is also something that involves the upward scale of a ladder, as Joseph alludes to it. He was called the Son of God because He received not of the fulness at...first. He was called to be the Son of God because that wasn’t His status before. Therefore, He had to be called to be the Son of God. And that was true because He received not of the fulness at...first. And I, John, bear record, and lo, the heavens were [open], and the Holy Ghost descended upon him in the form of a dove, and sat upon him, and there came a voice out of heaven saying: This is my beloved Son. And I, John, bear record that he received a fulness of the glory of the Father; And he received all power, both in heaven and on earth, and the glory of the Father was with him, for he dwelt in him. And it shall come to pass, that if [you’re] faithful you shall receive the fulness of the record of John. I give unto you these sayings that [ye] may understand and know how to worship, and know what you worship, that you may come unto the Father in my name, and in due time receive of his fulness. For if you keep my commandments you shall receive of his fulness, and be glorified in me as I am in the Father; therefore, I say unto you, you shall receive grace for grace. (Ibid, vs. 15-20; see also T&C 93:2-7, emphasis added) Long before the Lord assumed the role and the responsibility of descending here and being