What Influenced You Most as You Figured Out How to be a Parent?

I had to smile quietly to myself when I saw this question from Shauna this morning. I’m old enough now to wonder if I really EVER have figured out how to be a parent (he said with a broad grin). But, nevertheless, I will attempt an answer only because there are now so many up and coming parents among us.

As I reflect upon my life, I am consistently being reminded of past memories. My future is much shorter than my lengthy history. I think it is safe to conclude the single greatest influence in my life has been my lifelong love affair with the scriptures, beginning with the Book of Mormon. When I told Dianne that I had offered a pdf copy of my compilation of all the ZION scriptures to Woodland Ward members as I taught recently in Sunday School, she smiled and observed, “Yeah, Dad, you were obsessed.” Yes, guilty as charged, Dianne.

She no doubt recalled all the late nights I spent at my desk pounding it out on the manual typewriter long before the Internet had been invented. And here I sit at my desk this morning, still pounding it out on my very intelligent and advanced computer keyboard. It was laborious back in the day, no doubt about it, but I had found a topic that propelled me through all the standard works and into the Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith. The scriptures became familiar to me, as revelation upon revelation poured out to me merely as a reward for making the attempt to learn. The prophets who wrote them came to life before me night after night.

I went page by page with a marker circling every reference I found. It was tedious and painstaking, but when I found the word ZION, I put it in context in my written compilation including surrounding verses, and kept going until I felt I had found each reference. The last time I touched it was 2002, when I printed the final copy. I found only a few takers in my latest invitation, but years ago I opened it up to the whole world in The Goates Notes, my blog page, and never looked back. An online search will quickly yield the results.

What did THAT have to do with parenting, you may ask? The quest for eternal life in my mind correlates directly with the establishment of Zion in these last days. Yes, there is a very broad and expansive definition at the global scale, but perhaps more meaningful is that individually we are the composite collective of ZION as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We trace our priesthood lineage back to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Through them we have the potential to become like them, and by extension like our Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ.

That reality has been my steadfast and lifelong quest as I have “figured out” parenting. I reviewed again the story of the willingness of Abraham to offer his only son Isaac on the altar of sacrifice, and his hand was only stopped by the intervention of an angel when his faithfulness had been tested to the utmost. In the case of the Father, I reflected just last week, there was no stopping the crucifixion of His Son on the cross outside Jerusalem so the full effect of the Atonement could be realized for all His children who had ever lived on Earth. Imagine what THAT self-restraint not to intervene must have looked like!

As parents, we do all we can do to teach our children the correct principles of the gospel. Often, it may feel like we’re going down a long, long checklist of commandments and requirements, but reduced to its essence we find a much simpler compilation I am reminded of each time I attend an endowment session in the the temple.

“We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

Faith is hope for things that we cannot see but are true. We believe that Jesus Christ is our Savior, and we trust Him to help and guide us.

Repentance is when we change our hearts to be more like Heavenly Father. When we do something wrong, we feel sorry and promise ourselves and Heavenly Father that we will not do that wrong thing again. When we repent, we can be forgiven because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Baptism is the first step in becoming a member of Jesus Christ’s Church. We can be baptized when we are eight years old. At age eight, we are old enough to know the difference between right and wrong.

The gift of the Holy Ghost is given to us by a priesthood holder after we are baptized. The Holy Ghost prompts us to choose the right, comforts us, and helps us understand eternal truths. The Holy Ghost is like a still, small voice that we feel in our minds and hearts.

It was standardized by the Prophet Joseph Smith, as with all the other Articles of Faith, so he could merely point to them as references for the repetitive questions he was constantly asked.

As I grew older and more children came into our home, my approach to embracing the scriptures as my guide to parenting became pivotal and defining in helping me to become a father. I reasoned that my Father in Heaven would have to become my role model. I know I must have failed many times in achieving that ideal, but I kept persisting, and still do, despite my weakness. I believe Patsy and I first found each other in the pre-existence. We chose each other there and then. When we came to Earth, we found each other here and now. The direct correlation is that then each of our children also appeared here on Earth in our family circle because we were all promised to each other in our pre-mortal existence too.

I often reflected on Grandfather Harold B. Lee’s obvious emotional reaction as he pronounced those precious sealing words upon us at the altar on the morning of December 19, 1969, in the Salt Lake Temple. I was his first grandson for whom he performed that ordinance, though he had performed it before for hundreds of others who had asked him to. It is my belief he may have had a glimpse into eternal realms beyond our physical sight as he perceived that magnificent posterity that would one day come to mortality through our loins, as their parents. I believe you might have surrounded that altar as our spirit children, waiting patiently to join us. The spirit whispers it is true as I write this morning.

So, what has influenced me as I have sought to be a parent? I hope I may have answered this question to your satisfaction. My counsel to all of you as you undertake and continue your parenting is this: Take the scriptures as your infallible guide first and foremost. I predict you will make mistakes as you raise your children, most assuredly, if my life is any indication. However, anchoring yourselves in the gospel of Jesus Christ, particularly with the promise found in D&C 58:42-43, is the assurance you seek:

Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.

By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins — behold, he will confess them and forsake them.

In your attempts at raising a righteous posterity, remember what I have come to call “Divine Amnesia.” It is the part and parcel of the mercy of our Father in Heaven. It is His eternal promise to all who invite those spirits to join you here, with whom you have made eternal covenants even before this world was created. You are never alone as parents in this mortal life.

He and His Son are at your elbow in ALL the days of your lives. Of that, I bear my humble and solemn witness.

If you could hold on to just one memory from your life forever, what would that be?

On a periodic basis I receive questions from my family they would like me to answer as I compile my memoirs. This one came to me the other day from eldest daughter Dianne. Here's my response:

You want me to single out a single favorite memory from my whole life? Well, I find that request nearly impossible to fulfill. Why? Because at this stage my memories are flooding my brain almost continually. I look back with great fondness on all the events of my life. I tend to remember all the good things that happened, and I have been blessed with a memory that auto-erases all the bad ones. Call it selective memory if you wish, but that’s reality.

Life is such a blessing to me and to all of us. Mortality is a gift from our loving Father in Heaven. We yearned for it in the pre-existence, and we were in that vast throng of eager spirits who couldn’t wait to be born. I suspect we all knew we would have to wait a little longer than most, since we were selected to come here in the last dispensation.

We were told we were among the “noble and great ones” (see Abraham 3:21-23) who would be tasked with being valiant in preparation for the Lord’s triumphant return in the glorious Second Coming. If you’ve been asleep lately, you may have missed President Russell M. Nelson speaking directly to you as he urges and invites us to prepare for that day. He has done that in EVERY talk he has given since becoming the President of the Church. And he has spearheaded the building of temples worldwide to hasten our preparations spiritually.

I often refer to the writings of Elder Neal A. Maxwell for his perspectives on gospel topics, who offers this in relation to our first and second estates:

“Premortality is not a relaxing doctrine. For each of us, there are choices to be made, incessant and difficult chores to be done, ironies and adversities to be experienced, time to be well spent, talents and gifts to be well employed. Just because we were chosen ‘there and then,’ surely does not mean we can be indifferent ‘here and now.’ …

“In fact, adequacy in the first estate may merely have ensured a stern, second estate with more duties and no immunities! Additional tutoring and suffering appears to be the pattern for the Lord’s most apt pupils. (See Mosiah 3:19; 1 Peter 4:19.) Our existence, therefore, is a continuum matched by God’s stretching curriculum. …

“Agreeing to enter this second estate, therefore, was like agreeing in advance to anesthetic — the anesthetic of forgetfulness. Doctors do not deanesthetize a patient, in the midst of what was previously authorized, to ask him, again, if it should be continued. We agreed to come here and to undergo certain experiences under certain conditions” (“Premortality, a Glorious Reality,” Ensign, Nov. 1985, 17).

William Wordsworth (1770-1850), famous poet, wrote:

Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting;
The Soul that rises with us, our life’s Star,
  Hath had elsewhere its setting
  And cometh from afar;
  Not in entire forgetfulness,
  And not in utter nakedness,
But trailing clouds of glory do we come
  From God, who is our home.

(Ode on Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood).

All those memories of our pre-existence were wiped from our memory at birth into this world. We can’t remember them for now, only so that we will learn in our tests of mortality to choose and to serve God. There must be an atmosphere of “entire forgetfulness” to prove our fidelity to God and to ourselves. Moral agency reigns supreme in this world, or the freedom to choose for ourselves without compulsion of any kind.

That said, however, reading and embracing the scriptures over the years has taught me there are brief glimpses through the veil into those pre-mortal realms. I have had persistent impressions, enough to convince me of my origins and the promises made and kept before I was born. I suspect it is the same of all of us if we will admit it to ourselves. So maybe we could say “partial forgetfulness” to open the door to understanding our divine nature.

Okay, good preamble, but you haven’t really answered the question posed to you. What’s that ONE memory you would hold with you forever? Put in those terms it’s really a simple choice for me.

It’s that very first date with Patsy Hewlett I would like to preserve in my mind forever. She was so pure, so radiant, and so filled with hope for the future. Her testimony of her Savior shone in her countenance, and that beauty radiated from her every moment of her life with me for as long as I can remember. Her whole soul, it seems to me, was reflected in her eyes. I felt as though I had always known her. I defined beauty in knowing who she was up close and personal. I reflect on that reality now every moment we are apart temporarily. I cling to that memory and that knowledge we will be together FOREVER.

On a social media platform the other day the question was posed to the community, “Are you happy being alone?” It was prescient, and hit me at one of those moments when I could accurately describe myself as ANYTHING but happy. So I answered with a declaration of my understanding of eternal marriage and my testimony of being together eternally with my companion of a lifetime. Many sent responses to me directly, thanking me for my candor. I will probably never change the world with my digital profile, but maybe I could reach one soul out there in cyberspace, and that would be worth my effort.

Only a few moments before I had noted an entry from a woman who purportedly had sexual intercourse with 1000 men in a 24-four period, and she was boasting of her achievement with her “after” picture. (I had to double-check for accuracy). She claimed to have had 24 abortions in her lifetime, and wasn’t the least bit concerned about her behavior. Instead, she claimed “happiness” had been achieved in her life. Another poster challenged, “Is she happy?” This is the world in which we find ourselves today. Do not be deceived, my dear ones.

Patsy and Melanie

This is the face of pure happiness, and it is a woman fully possessed in her knowledge of her divine purpose. You could substitute any of her children in that snapshot and it would have been the same. Oh, that face!!

This world today in its present state is where we reside physically, however it is NOT our spiritual destination eternally. That ultimate goal for each of us is where Patsy and all our progenitors are beckoning us to come. We live in their spiritual presence, and they are nearby to assist us in whatever extremity we may find ourselves. I feel routinely comforted by that knowledge and testify of their investment in our success.

Resurrection Morning

The Savior has prepared the way ahead for us, and we may trust Him in all we do. His plan is eternal in its nature, even though it appears sometimes to be unachievable. I give you my assurance as one who steps closer to eternity every day now, that it IS possible to live the plan of salvation fully and completely. We walk by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I can feel it reverberating in my aging bones.

Any memories beyond that very first and most endearing one of Patsy for me are merely more frosting on my many-layered chocolate cake of life. I love you all.

Stop Trying? Really?

 “You’re Number One today, so you can stop trying.” That was the greeting I received yesterday in the brothers dressing room at the Mount Timpanogos Temple from one of the ordinance workers who was assigning the lockers. (I got assigned to locker F-1). I went there for an endowment session with my daughter Emily, then later we went to her home so she could trim my silver locks.

That greeting has stayed trapped at the frontal lobe of my brain for the last twenty-four hours. I haven’t been able to shake its implications since I heard it.

Of course, he was simply using an analogy (if that’s what it was), but I can’t help wondering if we ever reach a point in our eternal progression where we “can stop trying.”

Since it’s timely, and the World Series starts tonight (it’s October 25, 2024), think about what’s going through the brains of the players on the field for the Dodgers and the Yankees. Each won their respective NLCS and ALCS championships as the Number One teams in their respective National and American Leagues, but don’t think for one minute that anyone on that field tonight is thinking their work is done. Each is still trying to win the World Series, because finishing second just isn’t an option.

And that’s true across the board in every sport. Being Number One is always the goal, and nothing less will satisfy. 

I can’t help reflecting on why we learn so little about the Telestial and the Terrestrial Kingdoms in the scriptures. Instead, our Father in Heaven reveals A LOT about Celestial Glory, particularly the highest degree of the Celestial Kingdom. Why? Because He’s interested in showering upon us ALL that He has upon conditions of repentance. Nothing less will satisfy His hopes for each of us.

It’s why President Russell M. Nelson seems so fixated upon the temples these days. He is preparing a kingdom of mortal people for the Celestial glory that awaits the faithful in these latter days. He teaches about the atonement of Jesus Christ as the key to obtaining those glorious blessings. The Savior died for us in a voluntary sacrifice for our sins, and when we repent of our sins He saves us and qualifies us for eternal life. President Nelson is ignoring EVERYTHING else. If he were a gambling man, we would say he is “ALL IN” on his bet on the Savior. 

He invites us to keep trying to obtain eternal life. I can’t imagine him ever saying to any of us, “You’re Number One now, so quit trying.” I envision him as Number One among us mortals, certainly, but do I think President Nelson is done trying? He’s 100 years old now, and he continues trying to expand our faith, our vision for the future and our eternal prospects. And I suspect he will continue doing so until he draws his last breath on this planet.

Yesterday I was drawn to the story of Amulek. I reflected on this prophet’s life as I read in the Book of Mormon in the chapel while I was waiting for the session to begin. He became Alma’s missionary companion (start reading about him in Alma 8). An angel stopped Amulek along the road one day, and instructed him to return to his home where he would meet a prophet of God who was hungry and needed Amulek’s sustenance. He was told Alma would bless him and his whole posterity if he would be obedient.

Amulek proved to be a blessing for Alma, and together they had much success among an extremely wicked population of the city of Ammonihah in those days, not unlike what we are witnessing in the world today. They kept trying, nevertheless, even though the record gives little doubt Alma was rejected - the scripture states they “reviled him, and spit upon him, and caused that he should be cast out of their city” - so he was abused and imprisoned for his efforts. Alma had given up the position of chief judge among the people so he could become a full-time missionary. Because he no longer held the “title” he was rejected by his tormentors, but still he kept trying to bring as many souls to Christ as he could.

And that’s just one example from scripture - there are scores more. 

I will be forever grateful to living prophets among whom I have lived. I have a testimony of the priesthood authority and the power that goes with it if we are true and faithful. 

Just this week I witnessed it in my brother, who was initially diagnosed with acute occlusions in two of his heart arteries and was scheduled for an installation of stents. He asked for a priesthood blessing from his two brothers and his son-in-law. He asked me to be voice, but I was merely a conduit to the heavenly throne of our Father in Heaven. 

An angiogram is a scan that uses X-rays, CT scans, or MRIs to examine blood vessels and blood flow in the body. A contrast dye is injected into a blood vessel to make the blood vessels visible on the scan. When my brother's angiogram was performed, the doctors were surprised by the finding. The occlusions, instead of being in the 90% category as originally diagnosed, were found to be in the 20-30% range and did not qualify for insertion of stents. The minimum threshold protocol calls for 50% occlusion. What’s the explanation for such a wide dichotomy on the findings?

My brother was blessed by priesthood power. He will be the first to tell you he received a miracle from his Heavenly Father. If he continues to be mindful of his ongoing genetic tendency toward heart disease and takes precautions, his life will be extended. His faith in God will also be a companion to his medical care taking.

These principles I have written about this morning are real, and they are as efficacious in our year of 2024 as they were in the year 62 B.C. when Amulek and Alma were trying to bless their people with the gifts of the gospel.

I love each of you, and I encourage you to never stop trying in all your righteous endeavors. Heavenly Father is the epitome of good in our lives, and is the True Number One in our universe. 

He will never stop trying to bless us with everything that is good for our blessing and the blessing of those we serve. It’s what He does, and He has always done it. So must we as His emissaries across the globe wherever we are called to go and minister.

Like Amulek, if we remain true and faithful our entire posterity will be blessed.

The 1st Anniversary of Patsy's Death

It's almost a year since my beloved Patsy's death. It will be a year tomorrow - July 25th, 2024. I have been pondering the lessons learned since her passing. It's Pioneer Day in Utah, the statewide holiday when we commemorate the arrival of those noble pioneers who traversed the American wilderness in 1847 to settle in these valleys of the mountains in what would later become the great state of Utah. 

In so many ways, Patsy's life embodied the finest qualities of her ancestry who carved out their homes here. In 1976, we laid the footings and the foundation of our mountain home in Woodland, Utah, in her ancestral summer home of Pine Valley. In every way she was a modern pioneer woman blazing a trail for those who would follow after her in this idyllic setting.

I suppose it is not surprising that someone near and dear to me in the ward asked me recently what I’ve learned in the last year since Patsy’s death. Today I will boldly and publicly answer that question. I can now offer some lessons that have quietly distilled upon me.

Most will tell you to wait at least a year after the death of a loved one before making any major decisions. I have seen the wisdom of that advice. Here are some obvious observations:

1. I can’t imagine re-marrying anyone else. Patsy is cemented in my heart and soul as my eternal companion, and I’m not sure I want to muddy those waters by seeking a new relationship anytime soon. I watched it happen to others and it’s always appeared to be a complex situation when blending two new families. I'm opting for simplicity.

2. Thoughts have taken shape over this past year about what to do with the house. I’ve asked my attorney son, Rich, to put together some legal paper work to effectively transfer title to an entity yet to be determined, and owned by those who are willing and desire to take ownership in the future. Some will opt in and others will opt out. I want to make certain that we entertain everyone’s wishes and accommodate as many as possible in whatever contingency may arise. Stay tuned for details to emerge. I continue to welcome and solicit your input.

3. That brings up the outstanding mortgage. I wish I were debt-free, but that is not the case. Son Steve recently estimated that if every family - 12 in number - contributed $100 per month that could be applied directly to principal, the mortgage would be retired completely in 9 years! Of course, that contribution would be strictly voluntary, but it illustrates the power of a large number of contributors. This is just to plant a seed for discussion for now.

4. I’ve learned to be more loving, more patient and more forgiving than ever before. It’s because I am closer to following in Patsy’s footsteps than I ever envisioned until now. My weaknesses are many, and I continue to seek improvement in these specific areas. I have always believed the best in others, and this has sometimes been a weakness that has hurt me and our family.

5. There have been some amazing happenings in which I have learned I was correct in my earlier decision making, even though the outcomes were unknown back then. At the top of that list was my recent lunch with an old co-worker who confirmed my choices. Who knew it would take this many years to reach closure? A lesson in patience and faith for sure.

6. I have been more grateful than ever for good health. My recent doctors’ appointments have been affirming to me. There has been improvement in my brain, my eyes and my overall health profile as confirmed by the doctors. Of course, I am not unaware my mortal overall outcome will be death, as it is for each of us, but for the moment I am happy to be alive and thriving to the extent I am.

7. I’ve learned to savor my memories, which explains why I never seem to run out of topics about which I can write. My personal physician told me yesterday he believes writing helps my brain to continue to function well. He encouraged me to keep doing it. I agree, and hope you do too.

8. My life with Patsy was joyful and fulfilling in every way imaginable. My testimony of the gospel was enhanced and buttressed in every way by my eternal companionship with her. I still savor that last road trip we took out to Minnesota and back, stopping as we did in six temples in six states in six days. It was the fitting culmination of our lives together in loving and worshipping in the temples.

9. My lessons in loneliness continue unabated. “Is it good for man to be alone? It is NOT good that the man should be alone.” (See Abraham 5:14). Those words from scripture resonate in my heart every night and every day. I have settled into routines that are not nearly as complete and joyful as they were when we were still together in the flesh.

10. I have been asked about whether or not I still “feel” her nearby. The answer is “Yes.” It’s so real sometimes I expect to see her walking into the room at any moment. I still imagine hearing her bath water running in the other room while I am laying in bed at night. I am still waiting for her to join me when I realize I am drifting off to sleep all alone.

11. How would you summarize the last year without her? It’s simple. I miss her every moment of every day. The emptiness I feel is very tangible, and it’s a physical phenomenon having little or nothing to do with my faith and the spiritual truths I hold inviolate. It’s root-bound in my physical world that has been altered. I know the gospel is true, I know my Redeemer lives and died to take away all my sins, and I know the plan of salvation includes the hope of a resurrection and eternal life. All that said, however, there is a physical dimension in which I live that demands my ongoing attention. That includes meals, laundry, cleaning, chores, repairs, managing resources, and embracing the changing seasons. It’s all different now without her.

12. I know she lives on in the spirit world. I am thankful for the spiritual manifestations I have received that give me that assurance. Sometimes it is just a quiet prompting to do something good for someone. I’ve have dreams about her now. I often find myself envisioning what it will be like to go through the veil to be greeted by her and all my family members who have preceded me in death. I dreamt about that last night.

* * *

There may be other lessons learned I have not written yet, and to that end I may amend this post in future days, but twelve is enough for now. By putting myself "out there" I only hope to inspire others who may be in similar circumstances, not to suggest I have all the answers. I've decided I'm just not that smart to qualify as a guru quite yet.

Please know how much I cherish each of you, my children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, who receive these updates. I hope they may be useful to you. That’s the only reason I write what I do so there may be a lasting testament that will outlive me.

I watched her funeral services again this morning. I was reminded how incredible each of you is as I shared that sacred hour with all of you a year ago. Her life was the embodiment of discipleship to her Savior Jesus Christ as a true and devoted pioneer. In you I see her. May each of us continue to follow the path she has set before us, the covenant path, with hearts brimming with faith and assurance that she will never be far from us. Of that fact I am a witness. 

What Have You Learned About The Plan of Salvation?

I preface what follows with my assertion that what we know about The Plan of Salvation has come to mortal men by the revelations of God the Father and His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to living prophets through all generations of time tracing their lineage back to Adam and Eve. Throughout the scriptures, and embodied in the teachings of modern prophets, we are invited to participate fully in all that has been revealed for our salvation. In it all, we are promised our agency and freedom to choose.

I’ll start with Moses 1:39:

“For behold, this is my work and my glory - to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”

God our Eternal Father’s eternal PURPOSE, His very reason for being is to exalt ALL His children. That means His intention is for all of us to return to live with Him, and He stated:

“I am the Beginning and the End, the Almighty God; by mine Only Begotten I created these things; yea, in the beginning I created the heaven, and the earth upon which thou standest.” (Moses 2:1). 

The Light of the World

That Plan of Salvation was authored by Him, implemented by His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost bears witness to each of us it is true. Alma teaches us in one chapter of his writings that “there was a time granted unto man to repent, yea, a probationary time, a time to repent and serve God.” (Alma 42:4). That time is our mortal estate, or the time in which we are living today. 

In the same chapter he refers to The Plan of Salvation as “the great plan of happiness” (verse 8); “the plan of redemption” (verse 11); “the plan of mercy” (verse 15); “the plan of happiness” (verse 16); and “the great plan of mercy” (verse 31). 

The temple endowment outlines the work of creation in detail. We learn there was a premortal council in heaven. We often hear people teach there were two plans presented in that council, but there was only ONE plan - the Father's plan. The contention arose over who the Father would send to implement the plan through the atonement.

“And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them.” (Abraham 3:25). 

In that council, Lucifer, one of God’s pre-eminent sons, rebelled because his offer to save all mankind was rejected:

“Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency  of man, which I the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down;

“And he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice.” (Moses 4:3-4).

Adam and Eve were chosen to be the first inhabitants of this earth, and were introduced into the Garden of Eden as spirits. They were not mortal yet. Satan beguiled Eve and she partook of the fruit of the forbidden tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and then she convinced Adam to also partake. 

“And after Adam and Eve had partaken of the forbidden fruit they were driven out of the garden of Eden, to till the earth.

“And they have brought forth children; yea, even the family of all the earth.” (2 Nephi 2:19-20).

Why did they partake of the forbidden fruit? Because Eve sensed they would never be able to make babies without mortal bodies, and they could not become mortal without that step being completed. 

So they repented of partaking of the forbidden fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil by exercising their agency, something Heavenly Father had promised them they would always have. 

“And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end.” (2 Nephi 2:22).

In other words, Adam and Eve had to fall. Death had to be introduced into the equation. The fall of Adam and Eve was a necessary next step in the plan. 

Death without a knowledge of the Plan of Salvation is often difficult for people to understand. Even for us in the Church with all the knowledge we possess, the separation from loved ones is painful and often excruciating, but it is also an integral part of the process we go through to inherit eternal life with our Father.

The period between birth and death is the period in which we now live. We are exercising our moral agency to choose between that which is good and that which is not so good, even evil. Those cumulative choices of a lifetime are what determine our joy or our misery. 

I was attending an endowment session last Thursday in the Provo City Center Temple. I was struck by how many people greeted me with a smile from the moment I got out of my car in the parking lot and walked through the doors. Everyone was smiling at me with a greeting - total strangers - and it persisted all through the endowment into the celestial room, the locker room and out the door back to my car. 

These were happy people who had exercised their agency their whole lives, and it had produced these results. There wasn’t a grumpy, angry or belligerent soul among them all. Their countenances told me everything about them. These ranged from young people to aged ones. Universally, they were happy souls. Their mortal probation was filled with the joy reflected in their faces. THAT was what God meant by “proving them herewith to see if they will do” all those good things He always hoped we would do.

Of course, none of us does everything perfectly, so provisions were made for a Savior when we yield to Satan’s enticing offerings, as we all do. We were offered the marvelous gift of repentance. 

“Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.

“And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they shall have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given.

“Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.

“And now, my sons, I would that ye should look to the great Mediator, and hearken unto his great commandments; and be faithful unto his words, and choose eternal life, according to the will of his Holy Spirit.” (2 Nephi 2:25-28).

When we choose eternal life, we finish life in mortality with a smile on our faces. "Men are that they might have joy." We are not anxious about what our eternal destiny might be, nor fearful of a harsh judgment from which there is no escape eternally. Rather, as we repent - daily as necessary - we may embrace joy and hope. We may live our lives in anticipation of a joyful reunion with our family members who have preceded us, died and gone into the spirit world ahead of us. 

If we are in the path of discipleship when death comes, we will not fall off the covenant path after death. We will inherit eternal life, because that is what our Father in Heaven promised to us.  I know that is true.

In mortality, and as we attend the temple endowment sessions, we are reminded of the five laws we covenant to live: 1) The law of obedience, truly the first law of heaven; 2) the law of sacrifice, which means we are willing to sacrifice our fallen desires and the temptations to do evil; 3) the law of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which means we accept the Savior as our Redeemer through repentance, and it can be summarized in the 4th Article of Faith; 4) the law of chastity, which means that we will have no sexual relations with anyone other than our legally and lawfully wedded spouse according to God’s law; and 5) the law of consecration, which means that we consecrate (give freely) all that we possess - our time, talents and all we possess or ever will possess - to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the building up of the kingdom of God on the earth and for the establishment of Zion. 

We voluntarily take upon ourselves those sacred covenants (or promises) to God based upon our agency in all things. We MUST choose for ourselves. Sometimes it seems hard to choose because Satan is very good at what he does. He’s been at this game of deception for a long time, and he is forever angry that he has been denied a physical body. He is rebellious, belligerent and unrepentant. He wasn’t doing God’s will in the pre-existence, and he certainly isn’t going to change his stripes now.

I read and see reports of all the upheaval in the world today, and I am reminded again and again that we live in this fallen world as part of the Plan of Salvation. Satan has many minions on earth today who are doing his bidding. They tend to garner all the headlines and the cable news interviews. 

But as I witness the smiling faces I see in the temples, I am confident there are many of God’s children in the Church who are choosing well because they have overcome Satan’s temptations. They are happy, productive, and filled with light. They are binding Satan by their righteousness. I am content the Church is on the right path. The prophets are inspired to show us the way to eternal life. They help us avoid spiritual death:

“Wherefore, I, the Lord God, caused that he [Adam] should be cast out from the Garden of Eden, from my presence, because of his transgression, wherein he became spiritually dead, which is the first death, even that same death, which is spiritual, which shall be pronounced upon the wicked when I shall say: Depart, ye cursed.

“But, behold, I say unto you that I, the Lord God, gave unto Adam and unto his seed, that they should not die as to the temporal death, until I, the Lord God, should send forth angels to declare unto them repentance and redemption, through faith on the name of mine Only Begotten Son.” (D&C 29:41-42).

Those angels have never ceased to minister to us since Adam and Eve were cast out. Consider this testimony from Mormon’s writings as captured by Moroni:

“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased because Christ hath ascended into heaven, and hath sat down on the right hand of God, to claim of the Father his rights of mercy which he hath upon the children of men?

“For he hath answered the ends of the law, and he claimeth all those who have faith in him; and they who have faith in him will cleave unto every good thing; wherefore he advocateth the cause of the children of men; and he dwelleth eternally in the heavens. 

“And because he hath done this, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased? Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither have angels ceased to minister unto the children of men…

“Or have angels ceased to appear unto the children of men? Or has he withheld the power of the Holy Ghost from them? Or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man upon the face of thereof to be saved?

“Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for it is by faith that miracles are wrought; and it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men; wherefore, if these things have ceased wo be unto the children of men, for it is because of unbelief and all is vain.” (Moroni 7:27-29; 36-37).

We, as children of the covenant in our family, are witnesses of miracles, and we KNOW angels minister among us. We cannot deny these things. We have all known of these truths. We all have personal experiences, and we have shared in our stories generously with each other. We are living our mortal probation seeking to do God’s will and to do His divine work among our brothers and sisters in and out of the Church without hesitation. I testify that you are truly among those of whom Mormon wrote, “…them of strong faith and a firm mind in every form of godliness.” (See Moroni 7:30).

And then we die the temporal death in mortality. Our mortal body goes into the grave, and our spirit goes into the spirit world. We become those very angels like our departed loved ones. Alma gives us the revelation he received from an angel on this topic:

“Now concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection - Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life.

“And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow.” (Alma 40:11-12).

Those who were wicked are cast into “outer darkness” - also known as a “spirit prison” or "hell" - in a state of misery, being led captive by the will of the devil. This is a temporary habitation in the spirit world for those who were disobedient in mortality. In this sense, hell has an end. The spirits there will be taught the gospel, and sometime following their repentance they will be resurrected to a degree of glory of which they are worthy. Both the righteous and the wicked, we are told, “remain in this state, as well as the righteous in paradise, until the time of their resurrection.” (See Alma 40:14). What is clear to me is that the spirits in paradise minister and teach those in spirit prison. There is missionary work going on there.

When the time of resurrection approaches for each of us, I always found this sermon from President Spencer W. Kimball to be very instructive (see April General Conference, 1977, p. 69):

“Any doctrine or ordinance as fundamental to man’s eternal salvation as the resurrection of the dead is of necessity regulated and performed by the keys of the Melchizedek Priesthood. It is also part of the resurrection of the family. So far as the celestial kingdom is concerned, the resurrection is a family event. We would at first naturally suppose that Jesus would resurrect himself, but perhaps he did not. Jesus did not baptize himself. The clear rendering of Acts 2:22-24, 32; 3:12; 5:30 (as cited above) represents Peter saying on three separate occasions that God raised up Jesus from the dead. If we read those passages literally and combine that concept with the teachings of President Young and Elder Snow, that only a resurrected being can perform a resurrection, we may gain an insight into the resurrection process as a patriarchal family order in which a righteous resurrected father would resurrect his son, and so forth.” 

He also offered this stunning insight in his sermon: “We are in possession of all the ordinances that can be administered in the flesh; but there are other ordinances and administrations that must be administered beyond this world. I know you would like to ask what they are. I will mention one. We have not, neither can we receive here, the ordinance and the keys of resurrection.”

It would seem there is sufficient time in the spirit world for progress, repentance and improvement prior to the final judgment. We learn there are three degrees of glory - telestial, terrestrial and celestial. (See D&C 76). Within the celestial glory there are three degrees. The Lord has chosen to reveal very little about the two lesser degrees, and focuses our attention almost exclusively on the celestial glory. He expects us to set our sights higher. I urge you to study that section of the Doctrine and Covenants for the details. Of the spirit world, we learn the following:

“There is a space between death and the resurrection of the body, and a state of the soul in happiness or in misery until the time which is appointed of God that the dead shall come forth, and be reunited, both soul and body, and be brought to stand before God, and be judged according to their works.” (Alma 40:21).    

I treasure this teaching from the Prophet Joseph:

“The great designs of God in relation to the salvation of the human family, are very little understood by the professedly wise and intelligent generation in which we live. Various and conflicting are the opinions of men concerning the plan of salvation, the [requirements] of the Almighty, the necessary preparations for heaven, the state and condition of departed spirits, and the happiness or misery that is consequent upon the practice of righteousness and iniquity according to their several notions of virtue and vice… .

“… While one portion of the human race is judging and condemning the other without mercy, the Great Parent of the universe looks upon the whole of the human family with a fatherly care and paternal regard; He views them as His offspring, and without any of those contracted feelings that influence the children of men, causes ‘His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.’ [Matthew 5:45.] He holds the reins of judgment in His hands; He is a wise Lawgiver, and will judge all men, not according to the narrow, contracted notions of men, but, ‘according to the deeds done in the body whether they be good or evil,’ or whether these deeds were done in England, America, Spain, Turkey, or India. He will judge them, ‘not according to what they have not, but according to what they have’; those who have lived without law, will be judged without law, and those who have a law, will be judged by that law. We need not doubt the wisdom and intelligence of the Great Jehovah; He will award judgment or mercy to all nations according to their several deserts, their means of obtaining intelligence, the laws by which they are governed, the facilities afforded them of obtaining correct information, and His inscrutable designs in relation to the human family; and when the designs of God shall be made manifest, and the curtain of futurity be withdrawn, we shall all of us eventually have to confess that the Judge of all the earth has done right [see Genesis 18:25].”  (TPJS, pp. 217-218). 

This is the reason we do baptisms for the dead. We are incapable of ascertaining the desires of the hearts of men. Only God can judge completely and accurately. We can assist them here by performing all the vicarious ordinances for them in the temples, while they progress, repent and improve upon their desires there. How merciful that God extends our time and offers salvation in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom for as long as possible! Consider further this statement:

“Our heavenly Father is more liberal in His views, and boundless in His mercies and blessings, than we are ready to believe or receive; and, at the same time, is more terrible to the workers of iniquity, more awful in the executions of His punishments, and more ready to detect every false way, than we are apt to suppose Him to be. He will be inquired of by His children. He says, ‘Ask and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall find;’ but, if you will take that which is not your own, or which I have not given you, you shall be rewarded according to your deeds; but no good thing will I withhold from them who walk uprightly before me, and do my will in all things - who will listen to my voice and to the voice of my servant whom I have sent; for I delight in those who seek diligently to know my precepts, and abide by the law of my kingdom; for all things shall be made known unto them in mine own due time, and in the end they shall have joy. (Aug. 27, 1842).” (TPJS, p. 257). 

All our hopes and dreams in righteousness will be realized if we stay on the covenant path. I promise each of you a fulfillment of all you desire. I assure you of my love and the love of our Heavenly Father. Our Savior is Jesus Christ, who eagerly encourages us to “Come Follow Me.” He promises the realization of all those blessings, withholding nothing.

I am always struck with the sheer magnitude of the promised blessings in the temple ordinances. We can indeed become kings and priests, queens and priestesses in the new and everlasting covenant of marriage, and we can perpetuate our posterity through all generations of time and throughout all eternity by embracing the glorious Plan of Salvation as I’ve briefly outlined it today. I feel it now as much as I have always known it before. 

“And again, verily, I say unto you, if a man marry a wife by my word, which is my law, and by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed upon them by the Holy Spirit of promise, by him who is anointed, unto whom I have appointed this power and the keys of this priesthood; and it shall be said unto them - Ye shall come forth in the first resurrection; and if it be after the first resurrection, in the next resurrection; and shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths - then shall it be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, that he shall commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, and if ye abide in my covenant, and commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, it shall be done unto them in all things whatsoever my servant hath put upon them, in time, and through all eternity; and shall be of full force when they are out of the world; and they shall pass by the angels, and the gods, which are set there, to their exaltation and glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon their heads, which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever.

“Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them.” (D&C 132:19-20).

I cannot conceive, nor can I even begin to write, such comprehensive and breathtaking language! This is the promise I am seeking to obtain through my faithfulness. It’s what I have learned in part about the Plan of Salvation, and what I wholeheartedly embrace as a son of God.

(On Sunday, I began teaching the temple preparation course to the graduating seniors in our ward - the bishop tells me there are sixteen whom he has invited to attend. The first of seven lessons involves the introduction to The Plan of Salvation, hence my brain dump in this post.)