A Wonderful Flood of Light | Neal A. Maxwell

this Brigham Young University devotional by elder Neal a Maxwell was given March 26th 1989 thank you very much Alan brother Bergen has been one of those rare combinations of the very thing he mentioned himself one who has declared himself openly about the spiritual roots of psychology as with great determination and meekness traveled the globe to speak to his peers and I salute him both for the courage he is displayed in the insights in that great undertaking Coley and I feel privileged to be with you tonight brothers and sisters appreciate joining with you in that prayer

and as we shall sing again together o my father if I fail at my task tonight's the hymn will take care of the necessary theology my remarks are entitled a wonderful flood of light words taken from a 19-9 First Presidency statement on the doctrine of pre more tality I hope and pray this will be a fitting doctrinal focus on an Easter evening as we celebrate the central event in the triumph of God's plans and purposes describing poetically our coming to earth while trailing clouds of glory is evocative imagery another writer uninstructed by true doctrine mused

quote how everything is arranged in this life as though we had entered it carrying a burden of obligations contracted in a previous existence obligations which seemed to belong to a different world founded upon kindness which we leave in order to be born into this world end of quote CS Lewis declared disgraced man may be yet is not de throned and keeps the rags of lordship once he Oh however so much more important than the faint glow emanating from such expressions as these is the striking and illuminating brightness of the restorations revealed truths it could not

be otherwise brothers and sisters for as the Prophet Jacob declared no man knoweth of God's ways save it be revealed unto Him the same previous First Presidency further stated quote the doctrine of pre existence reveals so plainly particularly in the latter days pours a wonderful flood of light upon the otherwise mysterious problem of man's origin end of quote the doctrine of pre more tality declares brothers and sisters that before his mortal birth man was also in the beginning with God intelligence or the light of truth was not created or made neither indeed can be therefore

as identifiable individuals you have been you for a long long time furthermore with important details as yet unrevealed certain spirit elements of man are eternal and have no beginning since intelligence or the light of truth was not created or made neither indeed can be the spirit of man said Joseph Smith is not a created being it existed from eternity and will exist to eternity so whether is a spirit son or daughter of our Heavenly Father you were sent here from your first estate to undergo this joyful yet stressful mortal second estate being the literal pre

mortal spirit children of the Father you and I can by going from grace to grace eventually receive of the fullness of the Father as Jesus did in addition to being resurrected we can become perfect or in one set of meanings from the Greek finished completed and fully developed but only if we worship God and truly followed the example of our Redeemer Jesus Christ after all brothers and sisters the ultimate adoration is emulation small wonder the Prophet Joseph Smith taught that if men do not comprehend the character of God they do not comprehend themselves however said

comprehending clearly requires an understanding of the doctrine of pre more tality therefore we really are God's spirit children indeed and we do come trailing clouds of glory which contain dim flakes of fire still pulsating with borrowed light from our eternal home in one form and degree or another the vital concept of premortal existence is found in the Holy Bible in early Christian documents in Greek and Jewish literature and in other sources as well however once again only from the restoration with its confirming clarifying and elaborating revelations do we get the clear and definitive truths about

man's origins thus the plain and precious doctrine of pre-war tality in president Harold Bailey's words can provide an awakened realization of who we are brothers and sisters think of yourselves not only for what you now are but also for what you have the possibilities to become president Joseph F Smith said through obedience we often catch a spark from the awakened memories of the immortal soul which lights up our whole being as with the glory of our former home then president Smith further instructed us by saying notwithstanding the fact that our recollection of former things was

taken away the character of our lives in the spirit world has much to do with our disposition desires and mentality here in mortal life this spirit influences the body to a great extent just as the body in its desires and cravings has an influence on the spirit environment and many other causes said president Smith have great influence on the progress and destiny of man but we must not lose sight he said of the fact that the characteristics of the Spirit which were developed through many ages of a former existence play a very important part in

our progression through mortal life someday when the obscuring dust of history finally settles we shall see much more clearly that gospel fullness existed in adam's time including the doctrine of pre more tality this precious doctrine along with other doctrines suffered later diffusion and Distortion President Joseph F Smith again observed quote undoubtedly the knowledge of this law and of other rites and ceremonies was carried by the posterity of Adam into all lands and continued with them more or less pure to the flood through Noah to those who succeeded him spreading out in all nations and countries

Adam and Noah being the first of their dispensations to receive them from God what wonder then continues presence myth that we should find relics of Christianity so to speak among the heathens and nations who know not Christ and whose histories date back beyond the days of Moses had even beyond the flood independent of and apart from the records of the Bible end of quote in developing real faith the doctrine of pre more tality is a fundamental building block just as is the doctrine of post mortality this doctrine of pre more tality represents a profound response

to man's search for meaning without understanding pre mortality this life may seem puzzling some regarded as the inexplicable human predicament without knowledge concerning the proceeding there and then the injustice and the unevenness of the here-and-now caused some to call into question God's justice along with his cosmic competency without an understanding of pre mortality mortals often fail to make adequate allowance for the proving and tutoring dimensions of mortality life's trials are then used by some as an argument against God instead of accepting these trials as something common to man or as the needed tutorials which last

but for a small moment without the perspective of pre mortality instead of understanding that all these things shall give the experience we can become drenched in doubt and wrenched by irony and adversity lamenting why me why this why now without the perspective of a purposeful mortality and of long-standing covenants between God and certain peoples Israel's wanderings in Sinai would be a senseless sojourn instead however God really has plans for us mortals these words from Deuteronomy and thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness to

Humble thee to prove thee to know what was in thine heart and whether thou wouldest keep his Commandments or know God's divine designs for mortality include to prove us here with not so informed however then doctrinally deprive mortals in Nephi's words stumble exceedingly for instance a severe stumbling a major misreading of reality is evident in the attitudes of hopelessness on the part of those who say mankind is destined to extinction there is nothing we can do or as another road we have no personal life beyond the grave there is no God fates knows no wrath

nor compassion such mortal lamentations as these bring to mind in contrast the great and reassuring lines of Jacob concerning the precious perspective of divine truth quote the spirit speaketh of things as they really are and all things as they really will be truth also includes a knowledge of things as they were thus as we sing truth is the sum of existence jesus said gaining eternal life requires us to come to know God and His Son Jesus Christ then so knowing and so worshiping them we will genuinely strive to become more like them and to partake

of their fullness for now however brothers and sisters we mortals are merely errand embryos we possess certain underdeveloped possibilities and qualities qualities such as love and mercy and patience and meekness and spiritual submissiveness though enormous ly less spiritually developed in Jesus nevertheless we too were with the father in the beginning many of our Christian friends sincerely hold with the traditional views that each individual is created out of nothing either at conception or birth this is so different from knowing that as differentiated individuals we were with God in the beginning in the premortal world thus there

is contained and the simple hymn that we have sung I am a child of God more true doctrine on this matter than in the communication various sin odds of centuries past deliberation and discussion are not substitutes for revelation how and when did this precious doctrine of pre mortality become lost or distorted we do not know precisely some things the scriptures say were kept back and others taken away from that which much later became our treasured Holy Bible however as your own professor Stephen Robinson has written quote one needs to realize that by the time the

dispute arose over the origin of souls the scriptures that answered that question had already been excised therefore those who deliberated were left to sift through their conflicting traditions without benefit of Scripture on this point end of quote whatever the particulars this plain and precious doctrine was stilled for centuries then one false doctrine usually leads to another the more spiritually significant the doctrine the more quickly it is discarded when apostasy occurs by way of example pre mortality the reality of the physical resurrection which we celebrate today and the concept that man can become a god our

early casualties false doctrines by the way almost always seem to cause a lesson sense of personal identity a lesson sense of personal accountability and a lesson sense of personal joy furthermore mistaken beliefs often lead to a heightened sense of hopelessness about the human circumstance thus the doctrinal you deprived really do stumble exceedingly another severe example of stumbling because of a false doctrine is seen in the doctrine of predestination why worship the God who is capricious and unjust before predestination grip had faded it helped to set the stage for a succeeding falsity pervasive ear religion which

like a flood covers the world today ironically other mutant secular beliefs postulate their own forms of determinism economic determinism historical determinism whatever the form however false doctrines diminished human understanding of the reality that we mortals are free to choose historically to a general lack of understanding about God's plan of salvation added to the ebbing sea of Christian faith described by Matthew Arnold with quote it's melancholy long withdrawing roar retreating to the breath of the night wind down the vast edges drear and the naked shingles of the world remember one of the purposes of the restoration

the Lord declared was to increase faith in the earth when the restoration came the absence of these vital truths begin to be remedied appreciation and understanding of these doctrines was not always widespread in the church nor immediate among church members sequentially though not then fully recognized by all the precious truths concerning the doctrine of pre more tality in accordance with the line upon line pattern of Revelation were unfolded in the restoration in April or May 1829 Alma chapter 13 much more in 1830 while Joseph was translating Genesis and received the Book of Moses Moore came

and ate 32 18 33 and so on still war came in 1842 when the Book of Abraham was published most recently in 1918 we received what is now section 138 Joseph Smith began to preach a portion of the doctrine of pre more tality publicly in 1839 later just prior to his martyrdom there came the soaring King Follett's sermon whether this gap between early revelation and later recognition and articulation reflected imperfect Reppert keeping the Lord's timing Joseph Smith's degree of disclosure for he did not tell all he knew the people's readiness to receive for all of

the above we do not know in any case the revelations came incremental II and Joseph understanding and articulating apparently came likewise but back to us and this powerful stunning doctrine presently we may puzzle over those occasions when we sense that we belong to another place which is somehow imprinted upon us in pondering these emotions we can only speak the smallest part which we feel there is certainly no sustained surf of recall only the delicate mists of memory these evaporate quickly under the baking heat of the mortal day but only after evoking however briefly an unmistakable

longing in us though estranged we hunger for reunion meanwhile only a few come to this mortal experience with substantial Satanists already intact rather our individual best is but the bud possibility even so these buds of possible they are unmistakeably there while unfolding and enlarging over time these key qualities should also grow together to produce full felicity what you and I experienced these celestial qualities in others even though not fully developed we rejoice we rightly associate these traits with greatness whether in neighbors friends or those of high station the selflessness of Mother Teresa speaks for itself

so did the meekness of that remarkable George Washington since our individual identities and personalities did not begin here in mortality there emerges to a more glorious appreciation of the atonement as inwardly and reverently we conjoined the Scriptures pertaining to the atonement with the things of the Holy Temple the impending real reunion and real reconciliation have so much greater meaning in theological fact brothers and sisters the more complete our understanding of the great atonement the more it is linked to the premortal world justice professor Hugh Nibley has so thoughtfully expressed if as some sincerely but mistakenly

a verb we had been created here out of nothing whether at conception or birth how could we really be going home to a place we never knew as individuals how could there be real individual reconciliation with a father whom we did not know before our birth as individuals actually we were nurtured near God's side and then came here for a wise and glorious purpose this all points to a time when the faithful shall regain God's presence in resplendent reunion no wonder the Prophet Joseph Smith could speak the gospel of reconciliation we know almost nothing about

ourselves or about our conditions before our spirit birth but whatever existed or whatever we were before our spirit birth this was incorporated into father's merciful plans we became his literal spirit sons and daughters thereby being ushered into our first estate even in the premortal there and then Heavenly Father left his children free to choose hence the ideological war in heaven during this stressful sojourn on this earth we should make no mistake therefore about who we and others really are amid our budding possibilities in the words of CS Lewis we are quote in a society of

possible gods and goddesses in which there are no ordinary people we have never talked to a mere mortal nations cultures our civilizations these are mortal and their life is to ours as the life of a net but it is immortals whom we charge oak with work with Mary snug and exploited end of quote when you and I begin to know who we are brothers and sisters then we also know much more clearly what we might become and also how and when the gospel thereby emancipates us from uncertainty as to our identity but this precious perspective

also brings with it an intensification of our personal accountability while man is that he might have joy other scriptures repeatedly tell us for instance that the natural man clearly prefers perishable with this heightened accountability for instance how can an eternal entity on leave from the Royal Courts on high treat another individual as an object of sexual pleasure do child abusers realize whose childs they have abused since Jesus descended below all in order to lift us all up why are we so busy putting each other down with regard to poverty and to disease even if people

have actually brought upon themselves their misery how can we withhold since we know who they really are in as much as we were all with God in the beginning and can be with him throughout eternity how childish it is to take advantage of another human whether in dating in business or in politics since God lends us breath from moment to moment how wrong to use any of that precious breath to lie to bear false witness or to dig a pit for one's neighbor knowing we live in eternity how can we say we have no time

for children furthermore may not the many wounded strewn along life's way justifiably expect us Eternals not to be in too big of a hurry even after all the premortal tutorials including for the noble who were called and prepared from the foundation of the world we were placed in a mortal environment amid real challenges because it was the only way to tame the raw self further president Lorenzo Snow said quote I dare say that in the spirit world when it was proposed to us to come into this probation and pass through the experience that we are

now receiving it was not altogether pleasant and agreeable the prospects were not so delightful in all respects it might have been desire yet there is no doubt that we saw and understood clearly that in order to accomplish our exaltation and glory this was a necessary experience and however disagreeable it might have appeared to us we were willing to conform to the will of God and consequently we are here and a quote it's a nice quote to offset the scripture we use often and I think justifiably about people shouting for joy at the prospect of coming

here because there are days is all of us know when we might wonder what all that shouting was about free to choose between Liberty and life and captivity and death we now experience firsthand the bitter end this week it is a process of polishing even for those souls already significantly spiritual submissive there will be little spiritual achievement however by reluctant embryos who are unwilling to participate in the requisite learning in order that their performance can be consecrated for their own good yet even now brothers and sisters the power is in us to do much good

if we but will God's work will truly become our own only as we strive to become more like him by accessing the powers of heaven through increased personal righteousness besides it's no use craving more of God's power without first having more of his love this is what so much of our mortal training is all about coming to an understanding through experience of how vital the Cardinal Christian virtues coming here not an entire lien forgetfulness our present dries for status and power and recognition and ascendancy may ironically involve twisted muted memories of glories and dominions we

witnessed before we came here but how can one wisely exercise any extensive Dominion without first developing dominion over himself we may desire to have spiritual glory and power but we cannot without emulating God's qualities and attributes besides real glory requires real humility moreover a larger future glory finally involves larger future service to others isn't this obvious from the declared purpose of God's own work and glory it seems that regal repose and idle indifference are out of place in the celestial kingdom during all of our protracted developmental process we are very dependent on God's long-suffering which

provides us with the much-needed time and space in which to repent and to grow if we fail to learn who we are however much under information we acquire here we shall be ever learning but never coming to a knowledge of the truth without the key spiritual truths such as pre mortality learning even in the best of institutions will be a Sisyphus like process in which all ignorant toboggans into no and treasures back up to ignorance again with however the acceptance of knowledge about pre mortality there comes a greater realization of what it means to be

true to ourselves and to our possibilities we can even understand better the role of life's disappointments and of opposition the full shock of wish we will still feel at times but within the absorptive framework of faith with the true doctrines we are not only made aware of many more things in our lives which need to be put right but now there are real reasons to put them right with us other mortals are actually members of an eternal community our obligations and ethics in that community transcend that which is merely mutually agreed upon for the moment

the devastating weakness of situational ethics is their failure to take into account man's real and full situation only the gospel gives us that so illuminated by true doctrine no wonder life's process must be so relentless there is so much to be done in so little time thus a blessing is often quickly succeeded by a soul stretchy spiritual exhilaration is soon followed by frustration or temptation reveries are followed by adversities since left too long in extended spiritual reveries we would quickly forget others in need we must get on to the next challenge life is thus largely

what we choose to make of it and of our inborn talents the same musical scale was available to Beethoven for composing his fifth symphony as to the composer of chopsticks these compositions even share several opening notes but what an enormous emerging difference so brothers and sisters here we are in Eden and Eden become Babylon perhaps we have grown too accustomed to the place even if we leave Babylon some of us endeavor to keep a second residence there or we commute on weekends quoting president romney some go on trying to serve God without offending the devil

furthermore Babylon does not give exit permits gladly and ironic implementation of that ancient boast one soul shall not be lost Babylon is also a noisy distracting place no wonder therefore some who live therein are called many times and would not hear no wonder Jesus is marvelous invitation to leave Babylon slums and join him in the stunning spiritual Highlands goes largely unheeded there however redeeming Jesus waits with open arms to receive us meanwhile we do not as some say live in a nun sponsored universe or in an empire of chance rather we live amid the divine

design which characterizes the enveloping Empire of Elohim him about whom we shall see shortly with an understanding of the fullness of the gospel we can see our lives here as part of a continuum rather than being to see by the philosophy of eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die gospel fullness likewise replaces the algebra of agnosticism with its one known factor all others being unknown the gospel also refutes human isms quote no deity will save us we must save ourselves and quote Eliza snow Lehrer sized about your and my yearnings saying it was

not until the key of knowledge was restored she knew why that key of knowledge is the fullness of the Scriptures the religious establishment of Jesus is time not only arrested what scriptures they had but they lack the key of knowledge the plain and precious things many weeks ago when this talk was essentially prepared I pondered how the very preciousness of the restoration makes it unwise for us to tamper with its truths to attempt to dilute its doctrines or to misuse its authority I reflected further how I for one would not want to belong to a

church which I could remake in my image rather it is the Lord's image I should come to have in my countenance the doctrines are here's not mine the power is his to delegate not mine to manipulate those who want to shape and remake things to their own liking had ample and legitimate opportunities to do so in political parties and mortal organizations our spiritual task brothers and sisters is to make God's work our own not the other way around there are those in this second estate whether consciously or otherwise who try running away from God running

away from God mind you God who has created worlds without number and yet who notices the fall of every sparrow such runaways cannot even make it unnoticed off the front porch will let alone into the suburbs besides returning protocol's those who have been all over the world and some parts of Santa Quinn soberly but gladly confirmed that it is impossible to run away from God's love or beyond his redemptive reach God's love for us is of even greater duration than we now realize suppose brothers and sisters given any ancient or inherent individuality on our part

and given our opportunities to choose suppose as God is doing the best even he can do in those circumstances the marvel is that he persists and pursues his plan of happiness for us while preserving our freedom to choose seeing the great distance we had to travel seeing our flaws and nevertheless commencing his work with whatever was before our spirit birth yet God loved us enough to initiate this divine process over measureless periods God our Father is truely and organizing as well as a loving father back of the beyond he saw what was but he also

saw what could be there appears to have been no other way for him to increase our happiness and our joy what long-suffering love what true fatherhood and all of his works are designed so that you and I can be added upon and thereby enjoy greater happiness and pointing us to the day when if faithful we might partake of all that the father had the Prophet Joseph Smith taught us that God even comprehended our perspective errors long ago quote the great Jehovah contemplated the whole of the events connected with the earth pertaining to the plan of

salvation before it ever rolled in to existence or ever the morning stars sang together for joy the past the present and the future were and are with God one eternal now he knew the depth of iniquity that would be connected with the human family and he has made ample provision for their Redemption end of quote I stand all amazed not only at the love he offers me but at the ample provision he has made for the human family he was willing to allow the sacrifice of his first orange spirit son his only begotten in the

flesh in order to exemplify for us and to atone for us our fathers intelligence and his power are unfathomable but even more staggering brothers and sisters is the felicitous fact of his perfect love even as you and I come to love him as the Apostle reminded us God loved us first all while he endures our insensitivity our in gratitude and our relapses all the while - he honors our individuality things are to be done in God's own way someday probably at or near the resurrection we will get our pre mortal memories back these memories will

given give us even more abundant reasons to praise God forever little wonder when Judgment Day arrives at all mortals kneel and confess before him each will openly acknowledge that God's love is justice and His mercy are perfect in my opinion brothers and sisters this grateful collective acknowledged will pertain not only to this second estate but to all of our remarkable relationship with him he does nothing save it be for our benefit oh it is wonderful God the Father was redemptive Li at work long before mortal time was on this earth and he will still be

at work even after mortal time is no more my beloved brothers and sisters the doctrine of pre more tality is among what Paul called the deep things of God which God has revealed to us for that divinely dispatched wonderful flood of light which illuminates this deep doctrine o my father I give you my deep gratitude in the name of Jesus Christ amen for more information on this program please visit our website at BYU broadcasting org this Brigham Young University devotional by elder Neal a Maxwell was given March 26 1989 [Music] you