What is it to praise the Lord with my whole heart? How do I show forth all His marvelous works? What does it mean to take on His name, and to be immersed in His love? How can I be glad and rejoice in Him? How should I sing praises to the name of the most High?
It would be well to look past the performances of these things--beyond the rituals, the traditions, the forms and the carnal commandments--which is the lesser priesthood.
But the greater priesthood administers the gospel and holds the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God. And in the ordinances thereof is the power of godliness manifest.
How are the ordinances manifested to men?
I would cite your minds forward to the time when the Lord God gave these commandments unto His children; and I would like you to remember that the Lord God ordained priests, after His holy order, which was after the order of his Son, to teach these things unto the people. And those priests were ordained after the order of His Son, in a manner that thereby the people might know how to look forward to His Son for redemption.
Now these ordinances were given after this manner, that thereby the people might look forward on the Son of God, it being a type of his order, or it being His order or His high priesthood, and this that they might look forward to Him for a remission of their sins, that they might enter into the rest of the Lord.
And the mysteries of God are given to many; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that the priests should not impart, only according to the portion of His word which they give heed and diligence; that their experience may bear testimony of Him.
And by so doing, the Lord God prepares the way that the residue of men may have exceeding faith in Christ, that the Holy Ghost may have place in their hearts, according to the power thereof; that they may believe in Christ unto repentance and unto the remission of their sins, that they may be free of guilt and work righteousness rather than to perish. And after this manner the Father brings to pass the covenants which He has made unto the children of men.
And the voice of the Lord, by the mouth of angels, declares it unto all nations; that they may have glad tidings of great joy. And He sounds these glad tidings among all His people through His vessels, even to the Gentiles and all who are scattered abroad upon the face of the earth. And the good tidings have come unto us. I pray:
Have mercy upon us, O Lord; consider our trouble which we suffer of them that hate you.
But I know that you lift me up from the gates of death: That I may show forth all your praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in your salvation.
The Gentiles of the Great and Abominable Church are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken. The wicked are snared in the work of their own hands.
And they are as a wild flock which flees from the shepherd, and scatters, and are driven, and are devoured by the beasts of the forest; or as a people who run from the molten fire, and are trampled upon by their own feet.
Bless them, O Lord, that they will not shake excessively when they wake from their slumber and they may yet produce fruit meet for your kingdom.
No comments:
Post a Comment