I've Finished My Course

Blogger's Note:

This piece is different for everyone.  I will be finished with my 18 month mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints next Tuesday, and so, this is my final post as a missionary.  It's a more personal piece, and it uses my favorite primary song.  I will be continuing this blog, but after this post, I will no longer be posting as a missionary, I will only be posting as a follower of Jesus Christ.  I can't promise any regularity with future posts, but I do know I will be taking a break from posting for a few weeks.  I still would love to hear from you, and I will love to do any scripture stories that you would like to have me do, Bible, Book of Mormon, something else. I'm willing to take any requests.  Feel free to comment. I do want to continue this blog, and if there is anybody that you would like to read any of the posts, feel free to recommend them.

   

"We'll Bring the World His Truth: The Army of Helaman"

I've been in this church my whole life.  I don't remember liking church at all, except for the Primary songs, the songs for the children.  I loved to sing those.  I don't remember liking any other part of church, except for the songs.

My favorite song was "The Army of Helaman."  I don't know why, but it was my absolute favorite. 

We have been born, as Nephi of old,

To goodly parents who love the Lord.

I was. My parents loved God, and they taught me to love Him, too.

We have been taught, and we understand,

That we must do as the Lord commands.

I have been taught my entire life the will of the Lord and His commandments. I have seen the blessings. I know why He has given us commandments.

We are as the army of Helaman.

I am a part of that great army.

We have been taught in our youth.

Even before I could talk.

And we will be the Lord's missionaries

To bring the world his truth.

Yeah whatever. I'm not going to be a missionary. That's silly. Only boys go on missions. That's not for me.

We have been saved for these latter days
To build the kingdom in righteous ways.

Heck yah I have! I'm special!

We hear the words our prophet declares:

Then, just about two years ago, in the October 2012 General Conference, the prophet got up and spoke to us.

"Let each who's worthy go forth and share."

"Today I am pleased to announce that able, worthy young women who have the desire to serve may be recommended for missionary service beginning at age 19, instead of age 21."

The Age Change!  The Flood! 

We are as the army of Helaman.

We have been taught in our youth.

And we will be the Lord's missionaries

To bring the world his truth.

I'm going on a mission!

We know his plan, and we will prepare, 

Increase our knowledge through study and prayer.

Daily we'll learn until we are called

To take the gospel to all the world.

I had six months between the announcement and when I left on my mission.  I could have decided not to go, but I knew that this was God's plan for me. 

We are as the army of Helaman.

We have been taught in our youth.

And we are now the Lord's missionaries

To bring the world his truth.

I was in the army of Helaman.
I had been taught in my youth.
And I was one of the Lord's missionaries
To bring the world his truth.

These past 18 months have been the experience of a lifetime.  I've met so many different people that I've come to love so much.  I've come closer to God than I've ever been before.  I've learned more than I thought I'd learn.  It was way harder than I thought it would be. I am so grateful for all of the amazing things that I've been able to do and see.  I am so grateful to befriend those who have followed Christ's example, and I'm so grateful to meet so many people in real life and online.  I am so grateful that I was sent to one of the thirty test missions for mobile devices and social media.  I am so grateful that I was able to start this blog.  I am so grateful for all of you.  Thank you so much. 

I want to share my testimony with you.  I know that God is our Heavenly Father and that He loves each and every one of us.  I know that Jesus Christ is His Only Begotten Son and that He died for all of us and our sins and that He lived again.  I know that there are prophets of God and that there is a living one on earth today.  I know that God answers prayers.  I know that the Holy Ghost will guide you.  I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and that it works with the Bible to testify of Jesus Christ and His divinity.  I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is Christ's church on the Earth today.  I know that we are loved.  I leave this testimony with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.




Welcome to Conference

By President Thomas S. Monson

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/welcome-to-conference?lang=eng

 

We'll Bring the World His Truth: Army of Helaman
http://www.lds.org/manual/childrens-songbook-of-the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints/well-bring-the-world-his-truth-army-of-helaman?lang=eng

Words and music: Janice Kapp Perry, b. 1938© 1983 by Janice Kapp Perry. This song may be copied for incidental, noncommercial church or home use.

Look! A prophet- oh now he's dead.

The Book of Mosiah

Chapters 11-17

 

So Zeniff died and gave the kingdom to his son Noah. Well Noah was downright wicked. He put really high taxes on the people. He had wives and lesser wives called concubines. He released the judges that his father had called and called new ones that would let him do what he wanted. They all had wives and concubines, and none of them worked at all, relying on the high taxes that had been put on the people.  Pretty much, everything had turned to crap, but they couldn't see it, and they thought everything was fine.


The Lamanites that they lived by went to attack  them, and they were able to drive them back, and their pride grew and grew.

So, there was all this wickedness going on, and one of their people named Abinadi (pronounced ah-bin-ah-die) started to prophecy to them, and he started to tell them that God was angry with them and wanted them to repent.  Well, long story short, nobody is happy that Abinadi is calling them out, and he gets arrested, and King Noah talks to him, Abinadi teaches the Ten Commandments, and Evil King Noah's angry as all get out, and Abinadi dies by fire.

But something very special happens.  One man, one of Wicked King Noah's judges listens as Abinadi taught and called them to repentance, and he believes his words.  This man was named Alma, and he will be a very important person over the next long while. 

So What?



ldsengine.com/heroposters

So there's now a wicked king that killed a prophet. Big whoop.  You hear this sort of stuff on the news all the time. 

Hey, guess what?  This happened around 150 BC, one hundred and fifty years before Christ came.  This happened amongst an ancient civilization.  Guess what else?  This has happened innumerable times before and after this.  The prophets and servants of God have been persecuted and killed since the beginning of recorded history. 

Basically, history repeats itself.
Also, what you say and do matters, and other people see that, as shown in that one person who listened, named Alma.

From Scout to King

The Book of Mosiah

Chapter 9
 

"The Record of Zeniff—An account of his people, from the time they left the land of Zarahemla until the time that they were delivered out of the hands of the Lamanites.
Zeniff leads a group from Zarahemla to possess the land of Lehi-Nephi—The Lamanite king permits them to inherit the land—There is war between the Lamanites and Zeniff’s people. About 200–187 B.C."-Introduction to Mosiah Chapter 9

Chapter 10
 

"King Laman dies—His people are wild and ferocious and believe in false traditions—Zeniff and his people prevail against them. About 187–160 B.C."-Introduction to Mosiah Chapter 10



The people that Ammon had found had a record of how they had come to be in this situation, where they were generally slaves to the Lamanites, and they were able to translate the record so it could be read.

The Record of Zeniff

I, Zeniff, being taught in the knowledge of ours fathers, was sent out to spy on the Lamanites and their forces so that we could fight them and destroy them. I had my mission, and as I spied on them, I saw so many good things, them as people, their material possessions, their knowledge. How could we destroy that?

I talked to my commander, hoping that we could make a treaty with them, but he was austere and blood-thirsty, and he commanded that I would be killed for rebellion. I was saved though as some in my company fought against the others, brother against brother. There was so much blood lost, but I was saved.

Zeniff is the guy in the red.

I took a few of the men, and we went to the king to barter for the land of our fathers, Lehi-Nephi. He gave us a portion of land called Shilom, and we set to work building buildings and repairing the walls, but we were naïve. King Laman freely gave us this land to take us into bondage and make us their slaves.

For thirteen years, we lived in false security, and I reigned over this people until the Lamanites came and started to steal our flocks and kill our men. We rose up to battle against them, and we slew three thousand of their men, and buried them. But we suffered a sore loss of two hundred and seventy-nine of our own.

After that, I had many weapons made, and guards put up around our borders, and we were able to keep peace, and we prospered.

King Laman, the king who had wished to bring us into slavery, died, and his son reigned in his stead. This new king started to cause his people to be angry against us, and they started to battle with us again. I had to protect my people, and I sent out spies.

"I shall lead you into battle!
The Lamanites Shall Not Pass!"

The Lamanites were wicked and terrifying. They had shaved their heads and painted their bodies, and they only wore a cloth around their loins.

This was going to be a dangerous and bloody battle, and so I commanded all of the women and children to go hide in the wilderness, and I commanded that all of the men that were able to pick up weapons and to go into battle. There were old men, and there were young men who had never picked up a sword before, and there was even me, who was very old at this point.

We went to battle against the Lamanites. They were strong and mighty, even though they didn't know anything about God or His gospel. They had been lied to all their lives. They believed that they had been repeatedly wronged by their brethren, in the land of their inheritance, in crossing the sea, in the land here. The hate was taught from generation to generation, from father to child, and there was so much hate from the Lamanites towards us.

We prayed before we went into battle against them, and with the Lord on our side, we were able to drive them out of our land, and we were able to maintain peace. We were safe from the Lamanites.

I then conferred the kingdom onto one of my sons because I was just plain out too old. I was too old to be going into battle. I am too old to be running a country. Amen.

To read the actual scriptural account, go to Mosiah 9 and Mosiah 10.

So What?

So, we've got this guy who seems to be kind of a greedy idiot in the beginning causing all sorts of trouble that gets his own kingdom, and then fights a lot.  What in the world are we supposed to learn from all this?  Why in the world did this get saved for thousands of years for us to read today?

Well, I don't particularly like Zeniff.  Seriously though, he's in this military scouting group whose mission is to kill off all the Lamanites, and he's a scout and goes and spies on the Lamanites, and then he goes "I like all this stuff the Lamanites have, we shouldn't kill them like we were commanded to do, but we should try to make friends with them and have a treaty with them."  So he tells the leader, and there's this civil war in this little army where they wipe out everyone who was against Zeniff, and then he becomes king over this band of people, and he walks right into a trap by the Lamanites, and I just think he's an idiot, but I've got to give him props. 

He was an idiot in the beginning.
He got better.

Why I give him props is that he didn't stay this idiot forever.  He started out getting everyone in trouble, but the thing that I really admire is that he changed and took responsibility for his actions.  There were times where he didn't remember God, and those were times where the Lamanites came and attacked.  He could have very easily just gone and had the land and then when the Lamanites came to try to enslave them, he was responsible and was the good leader that this people needed.  He had them prepare an army for protection.  He had them grow crops and make clothes, and they had and industrious community that were independent of the Lamanites, and they were a threat to the Lamanites.  Every time the Lamanites tried to fight them, they lost.  They lost thousands of men, they lost more than the Nephites could number, and this little city only lost a few hundred and lost no land and no women and no children, and they were able to have peace. 

So this greedy little idiot that we first met in Mosiah 9 became a leader, a king who cared about his people and was able to protect them. 

That is the best!  This is change!  This is what the gospel is all about!  We aren't meant to stay the same forever.  We're not meant to suffer for our wrong choices forever.  There are ways to repent and move on and progress and become better!  Though I don't like Zeniff very much, he became somebody that others could rely on and somebody that was truly dedicated to God and knew what power that held.  I know that this is true, and I know that Christ's Atonement is there for each and every one of us to help us become the great person that we were meant to be.

We're Going on an Adventure!!!

The Book of Mosiah

Chapters 7
 

"Ammon finds the land of Lehi-Nephi, where Limhi is king—Limhi’s people are in bondage to the Lamanites—Limhi recounts their history—A prophet (Abinadi) had testified that Christ is the God and Father of all things—Those who sow filthiness reap the whirlwind, and those who put their trust in the Lord will be delivered. About 121 B.C."-Introduction to Mosiah Chapter 7


As Mosiah reigned as king, there was peace, and he started to wonder about a group of people that had left years ago to try to claim the lands where Lehi and Nephi first dwelt. He called 16 strong men to go search for the people in Lehi-Nephi, and Ammon was their leader.

They started on their journey into the wilderness, but they didn't know exactly where Lehi-Nephi was, so they wandered in a general 'this is probably the way to Lehi-Nephi' direction.

They did this for forty days, and they were at a hill north of an area named Shilom, and they were tired of all of them not being able to find Lehi-Nephi, so they set up their tents on this hill, and Ammon took three of his men, Amaleki, Helem, and Hem, and they took off to scout if they could find some trace of the city.

They come upon a man, and as they approach him, they recognize him as a king, but before they could take another step, they were surrounded by soldiers!  They were bound and dragged into the city and thrown into prison. 

They were terrified for their lives.  They were only a few men, tied up, in prison, and the rest of the men they had traveled with were not far away, camped peacefully on a hill. 

They were left, waiting, dreading, worrying for a day, and then another day.

Then, the guards came and brought them before the king, bound tightly.  The four of them were tense, waiting for what the king was going to do.  When they entered the throne room, the king commanded the guards to loosen the bounds, and then he commanded them to answer all of his questions.

He came and stood in front of them, and then he introduced himself, "Behold, I am Limhi, the son of Noah, who was the son of Zeniff, who came up out of the land of Zarahemla to inherit this land, which was the land of their fathers, who was made a king by the voice of the people."  He stared them down for a moment, and then continued, "Why did you come here where I was outside the city walls with my guards?  If I wasn't so curious, you'd have been put to death already.  You are now permitted to speak."

Ammon then bowed with as much respect as he could show, "O king, I am very thankful before God this day that I am yet alive, and am permitted to speak; and I will endeavor to speak with boldness; For I am assured that if ye had known me ye would not have suffered that I should have worn these bands. For I am Ammon, and am a descendant of Zarahemla, and have come up out of the land of Zarahemla to inquire concerning our brethren, whom Zeniff brought up out of that land."

At that, King Limhi laughed and told them about he was glad that they had come and how he would have all his people rejoice too.

He then told the four of how they traveled into the land, and how they had difficulties with the Lamanites and then they fell into bondage and paid high taxes to the Lamanites, and how their arrival had given them hope that they will be freed from their slavery to their enemies.(All of this will be gone into more drama in later chapters, yay!)

King Limhi called his people together and introduced the four men to them and told them about how if they kept the commandments of God, they would be freed from slavery and from the oppression of the Lamanites.

The next several chapters are going to be really exciting!!!  To read this chapter go to Mosiah 7

What Does the Prophet Say?

The Book of Mosiah

Chapters 1-6
 

"King Benjamin teaches his sons the language and prophecies of their fathers—Their religion and civilization have been preserved because of the records kept on the various plates—Mosiah is chosen as king and is given custody of the records and other things. About 130–124 B.C."-Introduction to Mosiah Chapter 1

"King Benjamin addresses his people—He recounts the equity, fairness, and spirituality of his reign—He counsels them to serve their Heavenly King—Those who rebel against God will suffer anguish like unquenchable fire. About 124 B.C."-Introduction to Mosiah Chapter 2

"King Benjamin continues his address—The Lord Omnipotent will minister among men in a tabernacle of clay—Blood will come from every pore as He atones for the sins of the world—His is the only name whereby salvation comes—Men can put off the natural man and become Saints through the Atonement—The torment of the wicked will be as a lake of fire and brimstone. About 124 B.C."-Introduction to Mosiah Chapter 3

"King Benjamin continues his address—Salvation comes because of the Atonement—Believe in God to be saved—Retain a remission of your sins through faithfulness—Impart of your substance to the poor—Do all things in wisdom and order. About 124 B.C."-Introduction to Mosiah Chapter 4

"The Saints become the sons and daughters of Christ through faith—They are then called by the name of Christ—King Benjamin exhorts them to be steadfast and immovable in good works. About 124 B.C."-Introduction to Mosiah Chapter 5

"King Benjamin records the names of the people and appoints priests to teach them—Mosiah reigns as a righteous king. About 124–121 B.C."-Introduction to Mosiah Chapter 6

Come Listen to a Prophet's Voice

The plates were passed down from father to son to brother over several decades, until the small plates of Nephi were filled.

This record was then given to King Benjamin, a righteous man. He was starting to grow old, and he was going to pass down his crown to one of his sons, Mosiah. He also has a desire to speak to his people, and Mosiah calls together all the people.

So many people came to the city that there were tents set up all around. The plan was to speak to the people inside the temple, but Benjamin knew that he needed a better way to speak to his people, and so he had a tower built.

King Benjamin speaking from his tower

Benjamin climbed his tower, and looked out over the sea of tents, with the doors open and facing him.  He was pleased with how many of his people had come to hear him speak, and he started into the words that the Lord had commanded him to share.  He went on for a while before his son Mosiah climbed the tower to speak with him.

"Not everyone can hear you, Father," he let him know. "The ones on the very edge did not even know you were speaking."

"Ah, well that is very easily remedied," King Benjamin replied with a smile, and he then commanded his words to be written down as he spoke so that everyone, not just those very near to him, or the ones that had come, but all of his people, would be able to read it.

He spoke to the people about serving others, about keeping the commandments. He testified of Jesus Christ and His mission. He told his people that they must cast off the natural man. The people felt the Spirit of God as he spoke, and they knew that what he was saying was true. They knew that they were saved by Christ's atonement. They desired to make covenants with God to become born again, and many people were baptized that day.

As he finished his words, he consecrated Mosiah to be the king over the people.  Mosiah reigned as king, and he strived to be a king as his father had been.

So What?

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Kay, we have this story of this old king who wanted to talk to his people before he died.  Big whoop.  We don't have kings anymore.  Even so, we're not going to go camp out on the White House lawn in tents, waiting for the president to speak to us.  We have TV and internet and radio, and we don't even have to get out of our PJs to hear our leaders speak.

 

What in the world does this have to do with me?  We live in 2014.  So outdated, right?

 

Well, yeah, we're not going to be put in this position unless there's an apocalyptic disaster, and we decide to go back to a monarch style of government, but this scenario actually does apply to us in technologically advanced 2014.

 

So, not every country has a king, but there is one thing that we all do have.  We have a prophet.  And guess what's happening this weekend?  General Conference!  For those who don't know, General Conference is when the leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints cancel church for a weekend, and for 4 two-hour sessions over Saturday and Sunday, they speak to the world about topics that they have been inspired to talk on.  Among these speakers are those leaders over the women, the children, the youth, the men, and the apostles and prophets. 

 

There is a prophet of God speaking this weekend! 

 

President Thomas S. Monson
The Prophet

 

Now would you camp out in a tent in the prophet's back yard to hear him speak?  Please don't.  That's creepy, and he'll probably call the police. 

 

But he will love for you to come to General Conference in Salt Lake City Utah!  It is an incredible experience!  Except, there's only seating for 21,000 people in the Conference Center.  And I don't know how close you are to Utah.  And airplane tickets are pretty pricey. 

 

So, there's the same situation we've got with King Benjamin.  We've got a ton of people to come hear him talk, and there's just not enough room.

 

We're in the technological age, though!  So, the prophet doesn't climb up on a tower.  The conference is video taped and recorded and then broadcast to TVs, radios, church buildings all over the world, and the internet!  And you don't even have to watch it live, you can watch it after the fact online, and you can watch conferences from years and years ago! 

 

Well, what about everyone else that doesn't have a TV or a radio or a computer?  The conference is written down, and it is distributed in the November and May issues of the church magazines, the Ensign and the Liahona.

 

There is no reason for you to miss getting to know what the prophet and apostles have said. 

 

The Conference Center in Salt Lake City

So, if God came down and wanted to talk to you, just to you, what would He say?  I don't know, but I do know that if you wanted to know, you would listen to the modern day prophet, because God answers prayers, and you will receive an answer through your prayers by listening to General Conference. 

 

 

 

 

 

To read the actual scriptural account, you can find them here: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6.

 

To watch/read/listen to conference, you can go to LDS.org

(extra laugh from quotes from last general conference ;) )

 

Stop it ask the missionaries meme

Enos of the Lineage of Prophets

The Book of Enos

 

"Enos prays mightily and gains a remission of his sins—The voice of the Lord comes into his mind, promising salvation for the Lamanites in a future day—The Nephites sought to reclaim the Lamanites—Enos rejoices in his Redeemer. About 420 B.C.."-Introduction to Enos

As is prone to time, things change.
Nephi and his family reached the promised land, but it was not suddenly happy and content within the family. Lehi, the father, died and was buried. Laman and Lemuel and those who agreed with them separated themselves from Nephi and his family. They became Lamanites, and those who followed Nephi and had him as their leader were called Nephites. The Lamanites became wild and ferocious and feral, continuously seeking to destroy the Nephites. Time passed, and Nephi died, and the plates were passed to his brother Jacob, who was also a prophet. He wrote a bit about what became of the people after Nephi died, and after he had written all that the Lord saw fit, he passed the records to his son, Enos.

Now, Enos was a hunter, and he was in the wilderness often. As he was hunting one day, all the words that he had heard his father speak sank deep into his heart, and he stopped where he was in the secluded woods, and he fell to his knees, and he prayed. He spoke to God, crying mightily as he says. All was pushed from his mind, and all he wanted was to have a remission of his sins, to have that guilt and weight from everything he had done to be washed away. He prayed to God for hours. He knelt in the woods, undisturbed by the sun traveling through the sky, and when the sun set, he didn't stop praying. He wrote how his soul hungered, how there was an emptiness in his soul that he had to fill. He couldn't just stop praying now. He needed to be whole, and he desired it more than anything. He prayed aloud, and his voice echoed through the forest, and rose through the trees.

A voice sounded and said "Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed."

Enos knew that it was God who had spoken, and he knew that He couldn't lie. He felt all of the guilt and shame lifted from him, and he felt himself be filled with the Spirit. He then continued in his prayers, and he asked, " Lord, how is it done?"

His Heavenly Father answered, "Because of thy faith in Christ, whom thou hast never before heard nor seen. And many years pass away before he shall manifest himself in the
flesh; wherefore, go to, thy faith hath made thee whole."

As Enos was comforted and made whole, he had a desire to share this blessing with all those that were close to him, the Nephites, and his family and friends. He even wanted these blessings for the Lamanites. The Nephites and the Lamanites were at constant war with each other, and these two groups came from a close knit family. Enos knew that these people were his kindred, and he wanted their salvation as well. He told the Lord about what was going on, and again, he received an answer.

"I will visit thy brethren according to their diligence in keeping my commandments. I have given unto them this land, and it is a holy land; and I curse it not save it be for the cause of iniquity; wherefore, I will visit thy brethren according as I have said; and their transgressions will I bring down with sorrow upon their own heads. I will grant unto thee according to thy desires, because of thy faith."



http://ldsengine.com/heroposters/

Enos felt his Heavenly Father's love, and He knew that what He was saying was true, and that he would receive blessings according to his faith. He knew he had faith enough, and he asked for another blessing. "Will you preserve our records? Will you preserve them so that the Lamanites will be converted through them? They want to destroy the records, and there is so much in our records that testifies of Christ and that will bless us."

He was answered again. "Thy fathers have also required of me this thing; and it shall be done unto them according to their faith; for their faith was like unto thine."

Enos knew that God would uphold His promises, and he was comforted.

After this experience, which he had called his "wrestle with God," he changed. He went throughout his people, and he taught them about Christ and the gospel. He did all that he could to bring to people to God, but though he knew that God would keep His promises and would bless the people, he did not see that blessing in his lifetime.

To read the actual scriptural account, go to Enos.

So What?

So, we have this kid who's the child of a prophet who feels like he needs to be forgiven for so many things, and so he has this really cool experience where he knew that his prayers were answered, and why do we care?

Well, besides the promise that the record which would become the Book of Mormon would be preserved, there's a lot of things that we can see in our own lives.

Prayer is the biggest one.  Sometimes, it just seems like our prayers go completely unanswered, and then we look at these prophets in the scriptures, and they get these miraculous answers that we know we will probably never experience.  It's just a little depressing!  So we are having this really hard time because we're not seeing answers to our prayers.  What are we supposed to do?  Are we supposed to stop praying?  Are we supposed to continue and hope that a beam of light appears in our bedroom or a thunderous voice from Heaven speaks to us?  How do we know that it's an answer to a prayer or if it's just coincidence?  How do we even know if God's even listening to us?

Enos didn't have it easy.  He was the son of a prophet, and his uncle was a prophet, and his grandfather was a prophet, and his uncles saw angels, and I'm sure that he just never felt good enough.  He knew that prayers could be answered, but after hearing these stories from others in his family, he probably just didn't feel good enough to be anything like them.  So he prayed.  Not just a few minutes of pleading, but all day and all night of exhausting prayers and pouring his soul out to God.  He had to really come to God before his prayers were answered. 

Then, after his faith had been tried and strengthened, his faith was enough that all his prayers were answered. 

Each of our experiences are different about prayer, but there are always answers.  We just have to work for them, by praying, wait for them, and look for them.

What experiences have you had with prayer?

Where Were You? Part 5

Blogger's Note:
This is a speculative perspective on doctrine, and it should not be taken as official doctrine, whether of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or of any other church.  It is based on doctrine of the LDS church, but it is the musings of a single person put into a fictional situation, and so, we can not be sure how accurate this will be as to how these situations will actually happen. 
For more information, read the scriptures, such as The Holy Bible, The Book of Mormon, and refer to published books from the LDS church, such as Gospel Principles, Preach My Gospel, and the Ensigns, and you can find more information at Mormon.org
Pretty much, this is my personal fictionalized take on it, and I am not an official representative of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and use some common sense as to this being a fictionalized piece of literature.



And We Come to the End of Our Knowledge...

You have lived your life, died, and then lived again. You have your body, and you will never be separated from it again. It is so much nicer than when you first had it, no more scrapes, bruises, scars, aches, pains, or illnesses, and you are in your prime.

Christ has come, and you have seen the fulfillments of scripture. The Millennium comes, and for a thousand years, it is the most amazing time of peace.

Yet, it passes in the blink of an eye, and it is now time for judgement day. It is done with incredible order that you recognize as your Heavenly Father's work. His house is a house of order. When it comes to be your turn, you are surprised when the person you come before is Jesus Christ, your brother. You were sure it would have been Heavenly Father, and you ask Him why that is.

His voice is kind and endearing as he tells you, "I have paid for you already. I have fulfilled the demands of justice, so I and my Father may give you mercy. You are mine."

You feel His love emanating around you, and you discuss your life with Him. He knows all about you--he already went through everything you went through--but He listens to you sincerely. As the interview comes to a close, He tells you about the many mansions of His father's kingdom, and He talks about who will be in each one.

"The Telestial," He starts, "is a place of glory and there will be some of your siblings there. They are just like the people you knew on Earth, and it will be more glorious than Earth, with a brightness of the stars in the night sky. Those who will go there will feel comfortable with each other. They lived the same sort of lives, though they were not as valiant nor as righteous as they should have been," he gives a smile. "Do you feel worthy to go to that kingdom? To have a mansion there?"

Your eyes widen. "A place of glory?" You think for a moment. "I wasn't as good as I should have been. Yes, I feel like I should be there."

"What about the Terrestrial?" He asks. "It is even more glorious than the Telestial, as bright as a full moon in the sky.  You can even see it in the light of day. Many good people will be there, and they will enjoy their lives with those they knew from Earth and their dear friends they knew from before. They are good people, but they were not valiant in their testimonies or in following My example. Do you feel worthy to go to the Terrestrial kingdom?"

"I think I'm a good person," you say, "and I tried to have a testimony."

He chuckles. "There is the Highest kingdom, where our Father lives. Did you love me and keep my commandments?"

"I tried, but I fell short a lot. I'm not perfect."

"You did enough," He says, pulling you into an embrace. "I make up the difference. You are worthy of the Celestial Kingdom. You will be with your family forever. You will be with our Father and I. Your children, your parents, your dear spouse, they are worthy as well. Your family is eternal. Well done, my faithful servant."

He shows you to a glorious place, brighter, whiter, more peaceful, and more joyful than you could have even imagined.  You see your family there, people you didn't think you would see ever again after your life on Earth.  You and your family rejoice at fulfilling Heavenly Father's plan, and you go with them to meet with your Heavenly Father, to honor and worship and hug your Father that you hadn't even known you had missed, but now, you couldn't imagine your life without. 

You notice that there are people missing, and you search for them, and then you learned that they chose lower mansions.  You go and visit, and as you speak with them, you learn of how they were so sad in Heavenly Father's presence, and how they just felt as if they did not belong there with the way they lived their lives, how they felt awful and dirty, but Heavenly Father knew that, and after they had come to Him, He directed them to their own glorious homes, their amazing rewards. 

You visited the Terrestrial kingdom on occasion, and even though it took a moment to adjust from the brightness of being in Heavenly Father's presence, you were so in awe of its beauty.  You were so happy for your friends having a place where they would be content.

You only visited the Telestial Kingdom once, and you didn't like it.  It was like going from a bright afternoon to inside a house with all the shades pulled.  It wasn't bad at all, but you noticed that Heavenly Father wasn't there.  It was a magnificent place.  You tried to compare it back to what your favorite places on Earth were, but your times on Earth was so much less fulfilling than what this level of Heaven offered.  This place was beyond the words you knew when you were on Earth.  You wouldn't have been able to describe it to yourself when you were a mortal human being. 

As you surveyed what occurred throughout your journey, back home in the Celestial with your family, you were filled with the love of Heavenly Father, reassuring you that you are His child, and that all of the plan was for you.  You were amazed at how big the problems of life were to you then as you rejoiced in glory now.  You now know why so many things had to happen, why others had to go through such awful things. 

Echoes of words you heard in mortality come back to you.  "Salvation is not a cheap experience."  Christ paid the price for you.  You went through those difficult challenges to rub off the rough spots and to strengthen the weak things. 

You smile at the thought of yourself back in mortality, and you whisper, "You just wait.  You just wait."

Where Were You? Part 4

Blogger's Note:
From this point on, this is a speculative perspective on doctrine, and it should not be taken as official doctrine, whether of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or of any other church.  It is based on doctrine of the LDS church, but it is the musings of a single person put into a fictional situation, and so, we can not be sure how accurate this will be as to how these situations will actually happen. For more information, read the scriptures and refer to published books from the LDS church, such as Gospel Principles, Preach My Gospel, and the Ensigns, and you can find more information at Mormon.org
Pretty much, this is my personal fictionalized take on it, and I am not an official representative of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and use some common sense.



But Wait! There's More!

You are now dead. D-E-D dead. Your spirit and your body are separated. It is so weird without your body. You're still you, but you don't have the same feelings or abilities as you had when you were in your body.

When you first came into the spirit world, you were greeted by family and friends and people you knew on Earth. They explained things to you, how life was now that you're dead, things you'd have to know. They show you around the Spirit World.

The place you're in is beautiful and wonderful, and you ask if it's Heaven.

"Yes," a dear friend answers. "This is paradise, Heaven, limbo, whatever you would like to call it. But this isn't it, this isn't all there is. This is just a waiting place and a resting place."

As the tour continues, you and your guides come to bridges that go from the wonderful lit world into a dark sad place.

"Hell?" You ask.

"Yes and no." The cryptic answer comes.

"These are the bridges Jesus Christ made when He died and came here," a grandparent told you. "These lead to Spirit Prison, where those who don't know about Christ and the gospel, or those who were disobedient in life go. It is a sad place, but our job is to go to those in spirit prison and teach them."

A friend who died many years before you gave a toothy grin. "I've been back and forth teaching a lot. I've helped many people come across the bridges. You must see the light in their eyes when they recognize that what we're teaching is true and start to act on it."

You remember in life when you were first taught the gospel and when you first realized it was true. You ask if you can help teach. There were laughs around, and they said of course.

You enjoy your life after death, teaching and resting and enjoying paradise.

You continue this life as the events on Earth hasten to Christ's Second Coming. You check in once in a while, surveying life on Earth, and you recognize things you had read in the scriptures that had never made sense before.

Christ's coming is glorious, and you are there in a chorus of angels.

You are resurrected with those that were righteous, and you wonder at your now perfected immortal body. You are so grateful to have it back, especially without its creaks and groans and pains.

It's not all over yet. The Millennium has just begun.

Where Were You? Part 3

Blogger's Note:
This piece is different for everyone, but I tried to make it as generic as possible.  I've been pondering a lot on how our lives end up, and our lives are so different from each others.  I've been having a few experiences recently that really played a big part in this piece, and I've found a video that has pulled at my heartstrings that has deeply colored this part. You should definitely check it out: It's called 'The Hope of God's Light.'  I know that God has a plan for our lives here on Earth.  I know that He knows what He is doing.  Everything in our lives has been put here to help us to learn and to grow and to become the best versions of ourselves that we can be.  To read the earlier parts, Part 1 and Part 2.


My Life Isn't Quite What I Thought It Would Be

It came your turn to receive a body. Just as you had seen happen to your brothers and sisters, a veil of forgetfulness was drawn over your memory. You had no memory of your family, no memory of your Heavenly Father, no memory of the plan.

You were sent to a good family, a mother and a father, and you learned and grew. You would sometimes feel as if there was something greater, but you didn't know what and so you would continue on in your life, school, work, friends, and then you are married, starting a family of your own.

Religion was not a big part of your life, but you knew there was something out there.

A friend invited your family to a church party, a holiday BBQ, and you agree. There, two young men in white shirts, ties, and name badges introduce themselves as Elder and Elder and you wonder if the name tags were a joke because they had the same first name. Your friend invites you over to his home to talk with Elder and Elder, and you don't see the harm in it.

You chuckle when you learn that they weren't really named Elder, and that this was just a title for the church's missionaries, you listen politely to their message, and then they share the story of a young boy named Joseph Smith. Something changes in the room, and you feel something different. You continue to learn from the missionaries, and they help you realize what this feeling is.

You learn that you can live with your family forever, and you share that with your spouse, and the next time the elders come over, you both are there asking questions and listening to what they have to say.  They ask you to read a book and pray, and you do that, and you learn for yourself that there is a God and that He loves you and your family.  The strangest thing is that this feeling is familiar.  You make the decision to follow Christ.

Throughout the next several years, your family makes leaps and bounds working to follow Christ, feeling happier day by day.  The hardships aren't gone, but you feel as if they are more manageable.  You feel as if you have more hope and the tools to succeed in your life.  You and your family are sealed together for time and all eternity, and as you look at your family that day, you know that this is what was meant for your family, and you will have your family with you forever. 

As everyone does, you die, but you're not afraid.  You know what is coming next.  You know your Heavenly Father is excited to see you.

Where Were You? Part 2

Blogger's Note:
This part is about what happened in God's plan between the creation of the world and the present day.  This is how God put His plan into action and a few important events that occurred, specifically, the creation of the world, the Fall of Adam and Eve, and the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
This is a summary of the stories of Adam and Eve, an overview of the pattern of prophets in the Bible, and then an overview of the story of Jesus Christ.


God Has a Plan
You watched as the earth and all that inhabit it were created.
You watched as Adam and Eve were put on the earth, and you marveled at them in their bodies. They were put in charge of a garden, and they were taken care of, plenty of food, no worries. Time passed, and Satan found his way into the garden, as stealthy and sly as a snake. You and your siblings stared in horror as he went first to Adam and told him to eat of a certain tree. You had watched as Father had commanded them not to, and you were scared as the devil worked to try to get Adam to eat, but he would not. Satan would not give up. He went to Eve, talking with her, tempting her, and then she did eat the fruit.

Your siblings who were watching were in an uproar.
"Isn't this what Father promised us?" You ask. "That we could choose?"
Some quieted and others became louder.

Adam and Eve were then cast out into the lonely world, and they began to fend for themselves and to learn, and they began to have children. You were happy to see your siblings start to gain their own bodies.

You watched patiently as more of Gods children obtained bodies. You were amazed at them. They had all forgotten how they lived with God before. They made all sorts of choices, some changing all mankind, others so wicked it broke your heart.

God sent his messengers, though, to preach the gospel and His plan. You rejoiced as your siblings followed the council and direction of these prophets, but all had their choice, and many prophets were killed, many were not listened to. God, the all loving parent, wouldn't keep a prophet on the earth when no one would listen, and so there were times where there was no prophet, and though some could remember what the prophets taught, they couldn't remember all of it, and they didn't always understand, and they would worship God as they saw fit, not always the way they were supposed to.

This pattern happened over and over and over.  God sent a prophet. And another.  And another. 

This is when Father really put His plan into action.  He sent His Son, Jehovah, down to Earth.  He was called Jesus.  You rejoiced with the angels as He was born.  You watched over Him as He grew, and you laughed with Him as a little child, and you were in awe as He taught in the temple. 

He was perfect.  He was kind and loving, and He taught so that any willing listener could understand.  His miracles were amazing things.

He was the chosen one, the anointed one, the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior, and as this was His end, His purpose, He obeyed. 

You were there, watching, as He went to the Garden of Gethsemane and took on all of the pains and weaknesses and sins and afflictions of the world.  You knew that He was taking on yours as well, though you hadn't been born yet.  You were so grateful, but you hated to see Him hurt so much.
You could hardly watch as He was taken and accused.  You turned your eyes away as He was beaten and scourged.  You saw Him be put up on the cross, and you couldn't stand the sight.  You left long before He gave up His life.  You knew that Father couldn't even watch.  This was His Beloved Son, and He could not save Him and save the rest of His children as well. 

You stayed away from Earth for a while, knowing that there would be so much destruction after the death of your beloved brother.  You knew that He would overcome death, and you made sure that you were there for that.
You knew that death had been overcome, that sin had been overcome, and that if you followed Christ while you were on Earth, then you would receive so many blessings.  You knew that Christ was your Savior, and you wanted to follow Him.

Of course, He had to leave, and you went about your way, waiting for it to be your turn for a body.  You learned what you could.  You watched the human race, and you felt sorrow that there were no more prophets, and that the apostles were killed.  You were so sad that pieces of the gospel were lost, some on mistake through mistranslation or misinterpretation, some through those who wished to manipulate others, but all you could hope for was that you would be able to find the truth when it was your turn.

And you did.

Where Were You? Part 1

Blogger's Note:
The next few posts are of a different nature.  While I have usually done a summary or a fictionalized rendition of the scriptural chapters, this is more of an original story take on what is known as the Plan of Salvation.  This is a predicted three part series, but as many planned trilogies go, it often turns into four or more, and it will cover the three main stages of the Plan of Salvation, or in other words, it answers the three questions that everyone seems to ask in their lives, namely "Where did I come from?" "Why am I here?" and "Where am I going?"  As you read, put yourself in the story, and ponder on what it would have felt like and on how you would have felt.  This story takes from several points of inspiration, Moses 4, Abraham 3, Revelations 12, Genesis, and I Lived in Heaven.
I hope you enjoy it.


I Lived in Heaven a Long Time Ago

You are a child of God. You are but a spirit. Your Heavenly Father has watched over you and taught you and cherished and loved you. Your heavenly home is a beautiful place, and you are surrounded by your loving brothers and sisters. You feel their love, and they feel yours. You and your siblings adore your dear Father, and you have such a desire to become like Him, just as a little toddling child puts on Daddy's oversized dress shoes and Mommy's flamboyant straw sunhat. You have learned, and you have grown, and now, there is not much more to do with just your spirit being. Your father isn't just a spirit. You want to be like Him. He has what is called a body. You want a body. All of His children want bodies.

You and all your family are in a large council. You are sitting between your very best friends, and you wonder what this is about. You are sure that this will be exciting. It is. All of your siblings are chatting among themselves. There's a roar of chatter from your family around you. Your father enters, and there is a reverent quiet throughout the spirits. You feel yourself get even more excited. Your father starts to talk, and He tells of a plan that will provide a way for His children to become like him, to obtain a body, to learn how to use it, to succeed with it.

At that, cheers start, and then they spread, and there are great yells and shouts of joy from your siblings, and you join, and you cheer as loud as you can for joy.

He elaborates in great detail. There are questions, and he answers and discusses them. He talks about how there must be someone to die for all of our siblings, and overcome sin and death. Someone asks about what death is. You don't understand. You have always been with your Heavenly Father. What sort of thing is death? Why does it need to be overcome? What is sin? Why does sin make you unclean? You ask those questions, and a few around you answer them.

Father calls for a volunteer to be an example and a sacrifice for all who choose to follow the plan.

Your brother, Jehovah, steps forward and answers, "Here am I. Send me." You know he is a good choice. He is strong and obedient, and you love your brother very much.

 

Another steps forward, and you recognize this brother as well. He announces, "Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor."

You recognize this brother as Satan. He has achieved much, and his ideas sound pleasing. Wouldn't it be wonderful that not any of your family would be lost? You look to Father, and His face is drawn out in concern.

Jehovah again speaks up, "Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever."

You realize what Satan was asking for. In exchange for bringing every soul back to Father, he wanted all of God's glory and honor, to be greater and above and to be praised for not even losing one being.

"I will send the first," Father announces.

Satan steps back in alarm, and you recognize his anger at not being given what he wants. Afterwards, he begins to go throughout all of his siblings, and he talks with them, explaining his position, telling others why they should not follow Father's plan. He comes to you.

"You will surely not return to Father," he tells you. "You won't see any of us again. There will only be pain and suffering because of this plan. I should be the savior. I won't lose anyone. Father only wants to keep His glory to Himself. He doesn't really care about us."

"I don't know everything," you say in return. "But I do know Father loves me, and He loves all of us, and I know Jehovah loves us, as well. I will obey Father and go through His plan. Get thee hence."

He leaves, but his attempts escalate, and he succeeds in gaining followers, a third of your brethren and sisters. It goes from simple words to full battles. Michael, another brother, the archangel, leads
the fight against Satan. In the end, Satan is cast out of Heaven, with all of his followers. There were many tears shed. You are so heartbroken. You know you have chosen wisely though, and you are excited to follow God's plan.


You are there as the plan is set into motion, and the creation of your new home, Earth, is begun.

The End of First Nephi

The First Book of Nephi

Chapter 19

"Nephi makes plates of ore and records the history of his people—The God of Israel will come six hundred years from the time Lehi left Jerusalem—Nephi tells of His sufferings and crucifixion—The Jews will be despised and scattered until the latter days, when they will return unto the Lord. About 588–570 B.C."-Introduction to 1 Nephi Chapter 19

No action here.
Nephi just tells about why he's making the record, how it is to be passed down a few prophecies about Christ from the words of prophets that have been lost, and he likens the scriptures to himself and his brothers.

Chapters 20-21

"The Lord reveals His purposes to Israel—Israel has been chosen in the furnace of affliction and is to go forth from Babylon—Compare Isaiah 48. About 588–570 B.C."-Introduction to 1 Nephi Chapter 20
"The Messiah will be a light to the Gentiles and will free the prisoners—Israel will be gathered with power in the last days—Kings will be their nursing fathers—Compare Isaiah 49. About 588–570 B.C."-Introduction to 1 Nephi Chapter 21

He quotes Isaiah. Good luck with that. Isaiah is not the easiest book to read or understand.

Chapter 22

"Israel will be scattered upon all the face of the earth—The Gentiles will nurse and nourish Israel with the gospel in the last days—Israel will be gathered and saved, and the wicked will burn as stubble—The kingdom of the devil will be destroyed, and Satan will be bound. About 588–570 B.C."-Introduction to 1 Nephi Chapter 22

Nephi explains some of what he quoted in Isaiah, concerning the scattering and gathering of Israel. If you read the previous quoting Isaiah chapters, Nephi will explain some of it.
Nephi then commands his offspring and future prophets to keep the records and continue to write on them.

So What?

So, we've just gone through the entire first book of the Book of Mormon. We've heard the story of how Nephi and his family left Jerusalem and traveled through the wilderness to a promised land and
all of the family drama and trials and challenges that they faced. Children have been born. People have died. They've seen angels and miracles. Some people's faith has been strengthened, others have forgotten and turned away. 

And this is all important why?  Why did anyone even bother writing all of these things down?  Why would anybody care?  Why is this so important that a man made sheets of metal and took the time to engrave these things on them?  Why were they so important that this man commanded his children and others to pass them down and continue to write on them? 

Well, God commanded him to, but there's a reason that God did. 

These stories, these experiences, these thoughts, impressions, theories, doctrines are all so important, that they were preserved for our day and age.  They were brought forth so that we could learn and grow and gain a stronger faith in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

We can and are supposed to relate these things to our lives. 

I've seen people in my life that are just like Laman and Lemuel. They have seen miracles.  They know that there is a God.  Then, they turn away, and they forget, and they are faced with humbling experiences, and they just won't listen.  Sometimes, I act like Laman and Lemuel.
Then, I know people like Nephi who will go and do anything for God. Sometimes I act like Nephi.
I've had experiences like these.  I've seen God in my life, and I know that He is there waiting to help us and guide us, but we have to be willing to listen and to do the things He commands.

There are so many things you can learn from the scriptures, and there's more as we reach the promised land with Nephi and his family.

To read the actual scriptures, go to1 Nephi 22, and then you can navigate to other scriptures.

Pirates!

The First Book of Nephi

Chapter 18

"The ship is finished—The births of Jacob and Joseph are mentioned—The company embarks for the promised land—The sons of Ishmael and their wives join in revelry and rebellion—Nephi is bound, and the ship is driven back by a terrible tempest—Nephi is freed, and by his prayer the storm ceases—The people arrive in the promised land. About 591–589 B.C."
-Introduction to 1 Nephi Chapter 18




For those who have just joined us:
So, there's this guy named Lehi, and he's a prophet, and God tells him that Jerusalem is going to get destroyed, so he better get his family OUT!  So he takes his family into the wilderness, and then there's all sorts of drama.  His sons are constantly rebelling.  One of his other sons becomes a prophet, too.  His sons are commanded to go back to Jerusalem and almost die trying to obtain a set of scriptures.  They pick up a few other people from Jerusalem, all the sons get married, Lehi starts to have grandchildren, they reach a body of water, and now, his prophet son Nephi is commanded to build a ship, but guess what? His other sons rebel again!  And that's what you missed last time in the Book of Mormon!


Now where were we?
Nephi, Lehi's righteous prophet son, finished building the ship, finally, with no thanks to his wicked brothers, Laman and Lemuel.  The caravan of the family made the preparations to leave, collecting food and supplies and seeds and other such things.

During all of the commotion that had been going on, Lehi's company had grown.  There were of course Lehi, the prophet, and his wife, Sariah, then his four sons that our story has centered around so far: Laman and Lemuel--the rebellious older sons, Sam--the good kid who stayed under the radar, and Nephi--the 'I will go and do' prophet.  Lehi also had daughters, though nothing much is ever said about them.  When they went back to Jerusalem, Nephi had become friends with a servant named Zoram, and he had joined the group, and then on a second trip back to Jerusalem, they picked up the entire family of a man named Ishmael, who's sons and daughters married Zoram and Lehi's sons and daughters.  Then, with all of the time spent wandering in the wilderness and building a ship, Lehi and Sariah were blessed with two more sons, Jacob and Joseph.  So it must have been a fairly large ship for all of these people.

As they sailed through the sea, Nephi's brethren and Ishmael's children found ways to entertain themselves, dancing, drinking, rudeness. Nephi was quickly alarmed, and he was worried that God's judgment would come upon them, and he rushed to speak with his brethren to tell them to stop, but as always, they would not listen. They mocked their younger brother for telling them what to do, and in their anger, they bound him so he couldn't move and they tied him to the mast of the ship.

They commandeered the ship, mutiny against their captain Nephi, their father Lehi, and against their Lord. God will not bless us for disobedience. Their compass, that ball of curious workmanship, ceased to direct them. It would no longer show them the way they needed to go. On top of that, a storm came and waves crashed and their ship was driven back in the wind. There was the constant fear of drowning. And Nephi was stuck to the mast of the ship.

For 3 days, the ship was shoved around by the storm as it continually got worse, and Laman and Lemuel and their disobedient families' fear grew and grew. Lehi, who was getting rather old by now, begged his children to loose their brother and tried to tell Ishmael's children too, but nothing. On the fourth day of the storm, it grew worse, or as Nephi said exceedingly sore, and they realized that the storm and lack of direction was because of their rebellion against God, and once they knew that, they loosed Nephi and begged for mercy from God. Nephi fell to the deck of the ship, his ankles and his wrists swollen and sore, but he got to his knees and prayed, praising God.

The storm calmed, the compass began to work and direct them again, and they were quickly brought to their promised land.

To read the actual scriptural account, go to 1 Nephi 18.

So What?

So this family is thrown into a dangerous storm and lose divine guidance because a couple of the angry sons tie up the other one?  What are supposed to learn from that?

Well, don't go commandeering ships unless you've got God on your side.

No, don't do that.

We can learn how God's guidance, or the Holy Ghost, works in our lives.  When we pay attention to God and the tools He gives us, like prophets and the Holy Spirit, we are guided to where we need to be.  We are able to do amazing things! We can build huge ships!  We can traverse dangerous terrain and surf the oceans!  But when we are disobedient, when we don't pay any head to God or to His prophets or to the scriptures, we get lost.  We wander into those dangerous life threatening storms.

You have to remember that God is our loving Heavenly Father, and He's not doing this to torture us.  It's like a parent with their children.  The children are tired of listening to what their parents say, and they ignore their cell phone, and they go to a dangerous party where there's things that sound like so much more fun.  And then what happens?  Storms!  What happens when they get home much much later than their curfew?  Their parents of course are going to be frustrated and angry and worried, but are they still going to love their child?  Yes.  Yes they are. They might take away their cell phone until they're ready to behave and listen, but the parents still love the child. 

And God is our Heavenly Father, and He loves you!