Walk uprightly. Jan 20th

Explanation of this blog: Another iron in the fire
Tues, Jan 20th: DC 5; D&C 1:29 D&C 20:8–15 D&C 3:18–20 D&C 33:16

Everything will be revealed through Joseph Smith. "But this generation shall have my word thorugh you." If many people have a problem with Joseph Smith, I wonder how the world would prefer to know the word of God. I guess I know the answer to that.

These verses are very interesting to me, which really doesn't have much to do with the topic this week, the Book of Mormon, but worthy thought nonetheless (well worthy according to me):

5:21 And now I command you, my servant Joseph, to repent and walk more uprightly before me, and to yield to the persuasions of men no more; 22 And that you be firm in keeping the commandments wherewith I have commanded you; and if you do this, behold I grant unto you eternal life, even if you should be slain.

Joseph is commanded to repent and walk more uprightly and in the next verse is told that if he does this he is granted eternal life. I just had a conversation with some good friends about this. When I was in the MTC, one of my teachers asked our district if we were to die right now, how many of us believe we would be in the celestial kingdom. There were only a few of us who raised our hand. The friends that I discussed this with last night have asked this question to seminary classes and high priest groups and received the same response. Most people believed that if they were to die that moment they would go to the terrestrial kingdom. This is not truth and feelings not based on the doctrine of the atonement or plan of salvation. This promise Joseph was given is the same one we have. If we repent and walk more uprightly we are granted eternal life. Repentance is two things, I think. First, it is an event in time employed for a specific action, thought or non-action. Second, and perhaps more importantly, it is a frame of mind, a way of being, that keeps you on or at the very least within a few feet of the path of the plan of salvation. You have to want to do what's right. Sometimes, for whatever reason, you may not do what is right, but I don't believe that kicks you right into the great and spacious building immediately (Lisa's doctrine), without a pass for return. If you desire to do what is right because you just know that you will be happier, but just don't know exactly how to get there or haven't mustered the self-discipline to get there, hang on to that small desire to do what is right and start walking a little more uprightly everyday, even if you make the mistake again. Just don't give up trying to walk uprightly.

"If you be firm in keeping the commandments." What commandments? The Ten Commandments? Every single direction from the Lord? Consider that repentance is a commandment. Really. How many times in the scriptures are we commanded to repent? There are a lot, more than the Ten Commandments are listed. So, if you have broken one or many of the Big Ten, or any others, consider start keeping commandments again with this one: "Repent." I think this is a wonderful doctrine: that Heavenly Father gives us laws to abide by and consequences for breaking those laws so that we may have something to guide our lives by. What are the consequences for stealing or bearing false witness or not honoring father and mother? Jailtime and whatnot. What are the consequences for breaking the commandment to repent? We will not be granted eternal life. A little more serious than jailtime. It's funny though that keeping the commandment to repent is one of the hardest things to do. It requires us to come to ourselves, to admit that we've been stupid and self-serving and that we really didn't know what we were doing. These are hard things to admit because we so desperately want to own success and individuality and whatever else makes us feel good for the moment. But if we really want the kind of joy that The God in Heaven is offering, we've got to admit these things to ourselves, to Him and walk a little more uprightly.

I suppose it's more on topic than I thought, as one of the purposes of the Book of Mormon is to help people repent.

Also, 20:8-15 is quite the proclamation.