Jesef wrote: ↑June 15th, 2018, 4:27 pm
Investigator, apparently you don't know what you're talking about. Some of what I said was purposeful hyperbole. But I'm just going to call your bluff, say baloney, and keep on living, bro. God is good. Until you reach the point where you're conversing with God the same way the prophets you're quoting did, you're just commentating. Your opinion isn't going to change reality.
And you are peddling "motivational" fear - "We want to believe in some wholesale salvation where millions of people will be saved in the celestial kingdom, even thought He has told us that FEW will make it there. Those who deny these realities will be sorely disappointed because their unbelief will not allow them to develop the faith necessary unto life and salvation through the atonement and mediation of Jesus Christ." The truth is we all want to believe in an actual Benevolent Creator/God/Eternal-Parents who are and will succeed in saving and eventually exalting most of their children.
By the way, try this mystery on for size & see how it feels. D&C 19 gives us a picture that many words don't mean what they say on the surface, like "eternal" or "endless", etc. Many people, including God-fearing (I really don't like that term - I'm using it ironically) Church members, believe that God is going to inflict horrible punishments on unrepentant sinners (if you get too strict in your definition of "unrepentant" you can quickly get discouraged, too) - many of them believe (self-righteously) that God is going to favor them and give them grace but take the hard line of strict justice with everyone else (a form of spiritual superiority complex really) - but consider this: would a fair/just/equitable God inflict infinite punishment for a finite crime/sin? No. Even the most horrible crimes here on earth have finite limits, a finite amount of damage/pain/harm - it's built into the system. Also consider that story from the recent GC in which a Leader told about his favorite BYU professor who was so wise he allowed students to retake tests until they received the grade they wanted or were satisfied with. If life is a test, do you think God is any less wise or merciful than that BYU professor? If we only got one shot at this test, why didn't we wait around and prepare in the premortal realm so hard and so thoroughly that we wouldn't be willing to come down here and take the risk until we were 99% perfect, like Christ? Think about it.
This chapter was mentioned, and it always comes to mind when statements like the above are mentioned that depicts that God does not use the fear factor.
Therefore I command you to repent—repent, lest I smite you by the rod of my mouth, and by my wrath, and by my anger, and your sufferings be sore—how sore you know not, how exquisite you know not, yea, how hard to bear you know not.
16 For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;
17 But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I;
18 Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—
Now that should install fear into any of Gods children, and rightfully so.
And actually we are commanded to fear God, IMO, to fear to offend Him, to fear to sin against Him, to fear to insult Him, to fear to offend His little ones, to fear to kill, to fear to commit adultery, to fear to break the sabbath, to fear to blaspheme against Him. The fear to sin list goes on and on and on.
God most definitely uses "motivational fear" IMO, reading through the standard works. But some of today's preachers want to eliminate the fear factor and eliminate the punishment and judgement factor. And, just go along with the adversaries ideas that "its all good" and it mattereth not what you do, the loving arms of Jesus will cover all our sins, so lets eat drink and be merry.
13Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life,
and few there be that find it.
No specific numbers there, but a few to me is not the majority.
“Enter ye in at the strait gate, ( which the "narrow" path leads to)
: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat.
What that depicts to me is that the path to eternal life and exaltation is single file and few there be (compared to the masses) that find it. Or for that matter that even want it, or that are willing to pay the price. Look at most all of us today, are we willing to pay the price? IMO, no we are not, and I include myself. So we travel the broad and wide 50 lane interstate along with the masses right on into the "high building" so that we can point the finger at the poor and the meek that partake of the fruit of the tree of life.
God will save all that are willing to be saved, but there are just some that will not be saved, or that refuses to be saved.
But to think that a man that refuses to live the fullness of the everlasting gospel will be saved with the same salvation or exaltation that Abraham is saved with, IMO is incorrect.
All knees will bow and confess that Jesus is the Christ. But as mentioned here, the devil himself and all his imps confess the same, but where are they? All men are alike, privileged to come unto Christ. But some refuse the priviledge. Who they are and how many there are, only God knows, but He definitely says there are some.
So to recap according to my understanding of the little that has been written upon the subject: Celestial Kingdom, very " few " of the masses make it as very few are willing to sacrifice their all. Terrestrial Kingdom, many more make it there, but are those that are not as valiant. Telestial Kingdom, here it seems, is where the vast majority of us go, as all we like to do is play and party.
And then there is "the dark side" which is there, but we do not know nothing about. But enough is mentioned that we know some get condemned to there.
