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Home » Calling and Election Made Sure » How You Received Your Calling and Election Made Sure » See the Christ (Pres Uchtdorf's challenge to see the Savior)
See the Christ [message #224] Tue, 22 February 2011 11:21 Go to next message
bishop is currently offline  bishop
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I was so amazed at President Uchtdorf's brazen Christmas message in the December 2010 Ensign: "Can We See the Christ?"

Quote: "Like the shepherds of old, we need to say in our hearts, "Let us see this thing which is come to pass." We need to desire it in our hearts. Let us see the Holy One of Israel in the manger, in the temple, on the mount, and on the cross. Like the shepherds, let us glorify and praise God for these tidings of great joy!

Sometimes the most difficult things to see are those that have been right in front of us all along. Like the grandfather who failed to see the stars on the ceiling, we sometimes cannot see that which is in plain sight.

We who have heard the glorious message of the coming of the Son of God, we who have taken upon us His name and have covenanted to walk in His path as His disciples--we must not fail to open our hearts and minds and truly see Him.

...the glitter of the season should never dim our sight and prevent us from truly seeing the Prince of Peace in His majesty"
End Quote

This is an amazing challenge to the Church: to see the Christ and not just believe in him. My experience in seeing the Savior was exactly like what Pres. Uchtdorf said, He was there all along, I just didn't realize it. I already had a relationship with him, I didn't understand the concept of seeing with my spiritual eyes instead of my natural eyes [as stated in Moses 1:11].

This is another great example of the Church leadership speaking plainly while knowing that only those who are touched by the Spirit will actually understand the challenge and sincerely make it a personal goal to receive the Second Comforter. It doesn't get much plainer than this!


Bishop
Re: See the Christ [message #391 is a reply to message #224] Sat, 26 May 2012 18:10 Go to previous messageGo to next message
zephyr is currently offline  zephyr
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Bishop,

A similar statement from President Hinckley in the January 2000 Ensign, also went unnoticed by many:

"Let us establish in our lives the habit of reading those things which will strengthen our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. He is the pivotal figure of our theology and our faith. Every Latter-day Saint has the responsibility to know for himself or herself with a certainty beyond doubt that Jesus is the resurrected, living Son of the living God."

How can we do this without touching?
Re: See the Christ [message #638 is a reply to message #391] Wed, 11 July 2012 01:21 Go to previous messageGo to next message
JulesGP
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Wow Gideon, that's a great find! I haven't seen that one before! I am not used to seeing quotes that bold from modern church leaders!!

~Jules
Re: See the Christ [message #639 is a reply to message #638] Wed, 11 July 2012 07:47 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Dragon is currently offline  Dragon
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It is well known in the church that Moses spoke to God face to face. We know from other scriptures Moses was on an equal footing with God, as they counseled together. Is a better modern interpretation eye to eye (meaning as equals)?
Ex 33:11
And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.
People do not speak to their friends as subordinates, but must treat them as equals, else they are not friends.
Ether 12:39
And then shall ye know that I have seen Jesus, and that he hath talked with me face to face, and that he told me in plain humility, even as a man telleth another in mine own language, concerning these things;
Jesus used humility to explain it, rather than power and great glory. He spoke as a man talking to a man, not as a God talking to a man.
1Cor 13:12
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
These two phrases both denote the same thing, meaning being equals.
Moses 1:2
And he saw God face to face, and he talked with him, and the glory of God was upon Moses; therefore Moses could endure his presence.
For Moses to talk to God as an equal while God was in His glory, this same glory had to be in Moses, else they would not be face to face or eye to eye.
Alma 2:29
And it came to pass that Alma fought with Amlici with the sword, face to face; and they did contend mightily, one with another.
These two were fairly evenly matched in swordsmanship.
Mosiah 10:19
And now I, Zeniff, after having told all these things unto my people concerning the Lamanites, I did stimulate them to go to battle with their might, putting their trust in the Lord; therefore, we did contend with them, face to face.
It required the strength of the Lord to make the few Nephites equal to the might of the Lamanite army.
Abr 3:11
Thus I, Abraham, talked with the Lord, face to face, as one man talketh with another; and he told me of the works which his hands had made;
Once again, a man does not speak with another man the way he speaks with a baby.
2Ne 33:11
And if they are not the words of Christ, judge ye--for Christ will show unto you, with power and great glory, that they are his words, at the last day; and you and I shall stand face to face before his bar; and ye shall know that I have been commanded of him to write these things, notwithstanding my weakness.
Nephi here shows he had weakness just as we do, but he will stand as our equal at the last day to testify against us. He is not so aloof or mighty as to ignore us at the last day.
Acts 25:16
To whom I answered, It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die, before that he which is accused have the accusers face to face, and have licence to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him.
In a court of law, all men are equal. Thus, while in public the word of a wealthy man may mean more than that of a beggar, in the court room, all are equal before the law.
D&C 50:10-12
And now come, saith the Lord, by the Spirit, unto the elders of his church, and let us reason together, that ye may understand; Let us reason even as a man reasoneth one with another face to face. Now, when a man reasoneth he is understood of man, because he reasoneth as a man; even so will I, the Lord, reason with you that you may understand.
As we see here, an invitation to the elders to meet with God as an equal. This message was to the church body as a whole, and not merely to the Quorum of the 12.

To me, this minor change in how I see the term face to face indicates how often or easily we can see the Face of God. Every elder of the church is invited to seek it out.


- Dragon
Re: See the Christ [message #640 is a reply to message #639] Wed, 11 July 2012 12:35 Go to previous messageGo to next message
kenh is currently offline  kenh
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Gideon wrote on Sat, 26 May 2012 18:10
Bishop,

A similar statement from President Hinckley in the January 2000 Ensign, also went unnoticed by many:

"Let us establish in our lives the habit of reading those things which will strengthen our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. He is the pivotal figure of our theology and our faith. Every Latter-day Saint has the responsibility to know for himself or herself with a certainty beyond doubt that Jesus is the resurrected, living Son of the living God."

How can we do this without touching?


I like that every soul has the open invitation to come to know the Lord in this life. Women can receive their C&E before their husbands do. God is no respecter of persons. All are equally loved and all invited to accept Christ into their lives. This is truly the crowning blessings of the Atonement that we have available in this life when we apply it fully.

[Updated on: Wed, 11 July 2012 23:30] by Moderator

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Re: See the Christ [message #1053 is a reply to message #640] Fri, 31 August 2012 06:22 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Eric is currently offline  Eric
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Here is another from Elder Bednar in 2007:

"You and I are admonished to turn toward and learn from Christ and to come unto Him through the covenants and ordinances of His restored gospel. As we do so, we will eventually and ultimately come to know Him (John 17:3), "In his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will" (D&C 88:68), as did the people in the land of Bountiful." (Conference Report, October 2007 "Clean Hands and a Pure Heart")
Re: See the Christ [message #3636 is a reply to message #1053] Sun, 11 November 2018 19:45 Go to previous message
Beardog is currently offline  Beardog
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This is what makes me see this scripture in Isaiah little different: "Then shall you call, and the LORD shall answer; you shall cry, and he shall say, Here I am."
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