To Be Like Him

Know Him by Becoming like Him

The Savior tells us that the very best way to know God is to become likeHim. He taught: “Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am.”⁹

Worthiness is essential to becoming like Him. He commanded, “Sanctify yourselves; yea, purify your hearts, and cleanse your hands … that I may make you clean.”¹⁰ Starting on the road to becoming like Him, we repent and receive His forgiveness, and He cleanses our souls.

To help us as we progress toward the Father, the Lord gave us this promise: “Every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am.”¹¹

Through our faith in His atoning sacrifice, the Savior cleanses us, heals us, and enables us to know Him by helping us become like Him. Mormon taught, “Pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, … that ye may become the sons [and daughters] of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him.”¹² As we strive to become like God, 

He can make of us more than we could ever make of ourselves.

'And This Is Life Eternal'

By Elder C. Scott Grow

Of the Seventy

D&C 88:74

74 And I give unto you, who are the first laborers in this last kingdom, a commandment that you assemble yourselves together, and organize yourselves, and prepare yourselves, and sanctify yourselves; yea, purify your hearts, and cleanse your hands and your feet before me, that I may make you clean;

D&C 93:1

1 Verily, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am;

Moroni 7:48

48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.

The Great Plan of Happiness

Truly, I am as a grain of sand in the desert,
      Infinitesimal, so very small!
      And, yet, I serve a purpose in this wondrous world,
      As do the trees, so stately and so tall.
I'm just a tiny atom that God has placed down here—
      I do not even know the reason why!
      But I'm sure that He, with wisdom, has evolved a plan
      To fit me in His pattern ere I die.

~Gertrude Tooley Buckingham, "As a Grain of Sand" (1940s)

"Three Degrees of Glory" Art by Nancy Lubeck Kramer

“The Great Plan of Happiness”

Dallin H. Oaks

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

1993

Questions like, Where did we come from? Why are we here? and Where are we going? are answered in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Prophets have called it the plan of salvation and “the great plan of happiness” (Alma 42:8). Through inspiration we can understand this road map of eternity and use it to guide our path in mortality.

The gospel teaches us that we are the spirit children of heavenly parents. Before our mortal birth we had “a pre-existent, spiritual personality, as the sons and daughters of the Eternal Father” (statement of the First Presidency, Improvement Era, Mar. 1912, p. 417; also see Jer. 1:5). We were placed here on earth to progress toward our destiny of eternal life. These truths give us a unique perspective and different values to guide our decisions from those who doubt the existence of God and believe that life is the result of random processes.

It was Eve who first transgressed the limits of Eden in order to initiate the conditions of mortality. Her act, whatever its nature, was formally a transgression but eternally a glorious necessity to open the doorway toward eternal life. Adam showed his wisdom by doing the same. And thus Eve and “Adam fell that men might be” (2 Ne. 2:25).

"Eve" Art by Nancy Lubeck Kramer

The Lord has promised that in the eternities no blessing will be denied his sons and daughters who keep the commandments, are true to their covenants, and desire what is right.

Many of the most important deprivations of mortality will be set right in the Millennium, which is the time for fulfilling all that is incomplete in the great plan of happiness for all of our Father’s worthy children. 

2 Nephi 2:24-27

24 But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things.

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

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

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

2 Nephi 5:27

27 And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness.

Bearers of Light

Bearers of Heavenly Light

By President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

October 2017

Darkness reduces our ability to see clearly. It dims our vision of that which was at one time plain and clear. When we are in darkness, we are more likely to make poor choices because we cannot see dangers in our path. When we are in darkness, we are more likely to lose hope because we cannot see the peace and joy that await us if we just keep pressing forward.

Light, on the other hand, allows us to see things as they really are. It allows us to discern between truth and error, between the vital and the trivial. When we are in the light, we can make righteous choices based on true principles. When we are in the light, we have “a perfect brightness of hope”2 because we can see our mortal trials from an eternal perspective.

We will find spiritual healing as we step away from the shadows of the world and into the everlasting Light of Christ.

The more we understand and apply the doctrinal concept of light, the more we can guard against spiritual sicknesses that afflict or trouble us on every side and hand, and the better we can serve as energetic, courageous, caring, and humble bearers of the holy priesthood—true servants and disciples of our beloved and eternal King.

Jesus Christ said, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in [the] darkness, but shall have the light of life.”3

What does this mean?

Simply this: He who humbly follows Jesus Christ will experience and share in His light. And that light will grow until it eventually dispels even the most profound darkness.

It means that there is a power, a strong influence, that emanates from the Savior. It proceeds “forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space.”4 Because this power enlightens, uplifts, and illuminates our lives, the scriptures often call it light, but it is also referred to as spirit and truth.

In the Doctrine and Covenants we read, “The word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ.”5

This profound insight—that light is spirit, which is truth, and that this light shines upon every soul who comes into the world—is as important as it is hopeful. The Light of Christ enlightens and saturates the souls of all who hearken to the voice of the Spirit.6

The Light of Christ fills the universe.

It fills the earth.

And it can fill every heart.

Lord Be With Us

The Lord Be with Us

The Lord be with us as we walk

Along our homeward road.

In silent thought or friendly talk,

Our hearts be near to God.

In silent thought or friendly talk,

Our hearts be near to God.

The Lord be with us till the night

Enfold our day of rest,

And be in ev'ry heart the light,

In ev'ry home the guest.

And be in ev'ry heart the light,

In ev'ry home the guest.

The Lord be with us thru the hours

Of slumber calm and deep,

Protect our homes, renew our pow'rs,

And guard us as we sleep.

Protect our homes, renew our pow'rs,

And guard us as we sleep.

Text: John Ellerton, 1826-1893

Music: Tracy Y. Cannon, 1879-1961. © 1948 IRI

“If it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them.” 

(1 Ne. 17:3.)

Draw Near unto Me through Obedience

Barbara W. Winder

October 1985

Again, listen to the words of King Benjamin: “I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true.” (Mosiah 2:41.)

Obedience brings blessings here and now. Jesus said, “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” (John 13:17; italics added.) Happiness and peace are found when we are in harmony with ourselves, with God, and with our fellowmen.

Sisters, we are those instruments. He needs us, and we need Him. Instruments that are in tune play beautiful melodies. Be obedient. Be prayerful. Remember Him. Keep His commandments. Draw near to Him and feel the joy and peace that will come as He draws near unto you. (See D&C 88:63.)