From: Paul Gage
LIVING IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD OCTOBER 6, 2022
Greetings: As Peter says in 2 Peter 1-4 “To them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ; Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and Jesus our Lord, According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue; Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust, and besides this, …“ You can finish the chapter on your own, but do it soon.
Peter goes on to list a number of things that might be described as “qualities for living in the Kingdom of God.” You can find these qualities in several other scriptures such as Doctrine and Covenants 4. A young man was told, at age 18, when receiving his Patriarchal Blessing, to study D&C 4. I’m sure he was told much more than that, but even if not, what more could God have said to him that would have greater meaning, not only in this life, but eternally. Verse 1b “therefore,..that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day;” and verse 1d, “but bringeth salvation to his soul.”
We have everything we need, right now, to be living a life that is fit for the Kingdom. If we are honest with ourselves, we know that we cannot live a worldly life up to the point of our death and expect to be ushered into Paradise. The time to prepare is NOW, because we do not know if there will be a tomorrow for us.
A message given at Kirtland, Ohio, in the Temple on September 24, 2022 reminded us of the Parable of the Ten Virgins. I’m sure most every Latter Day Saint and maybe even every Christian has heard sermons, classes, discussions, etc. about that parable, BUT do we understand that it is very applicable to us today? Maybe more so for us than any dispensation gone before us.
Doctrine and Covenants 32 was given in October of 1830 to two men, but God says quite often that what He says to one, He says to all. Read DC 32 and put your name in place of the two men. You will notice that we are told “It is the eleventh hour, and for, the last time…” This section ends with a direct reference to the Parable of the Ten Virgins.
We should not spend much, if any time debating the message, the one who it came through, or say, “We have heard this many, many, many times.” If we believe God is reaching out to us again, let us prove it by our obedience, for if not we will prove it through our disobedience. As Adam was told in Genesis 2:21, “Nevertheless, thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto thee; …”
God be with you
Paul Gage
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