Thank you for letting me know what you believe. Jesus did do His Father's will, and so should we. It is made clear in the last two verses of Ecclesiastes:
(Old Testament | Ecclesiastes 12:13 - 14)
13 ¶ Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
This is pretty much the gospel condensed into two verses. Therefore we should do good works. However we need to do those works to glorify God.
(New Testament | Matthew 5:16)
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
(Doctrine and Covenants | Section 58:26 - 33)
26 For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.
27 Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;
28 For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.
29 But he that doeth not anything until he is commanded, and receiveth a commandment with doubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness, the same is damned.
30 Who am I that made man, saith the Lord, that will hold him guiltless that obeys not my commandments?
31 Who am I, saith the Lord, that have promised and have not fulfilled?
32 I command and men obey not; I revoke and they receive not the blessing.
33 Then they say in their hearts: This is not the work of the Lord, for his promises are not fulfilled. But wo unto such, for their reward lurketh beneath, and not from above.
The temple is a place where we can be anxiously engaged in a good cause.
If the gospel, the psalms , proverbs , prophets and the lessons we have both through the obedience and disobedience of the patriarchs from the old covenant affirm that which was written in the doctrines and covenants , what need was there for the same things being written a different way ? If they contradict the teachings of Jesus Christ , what then ?
But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field , "Go and sit down to meat ? And will not rather say to him , Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself and serve me, til I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shall eat and drink ? Doth he thank that servant because he hath done the things which were commanded him ? I trow not. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you , say , we are unprofitable servants : We have done that which was our duty to do . Luke 17:7 . A new commandment I give you , Love one another .
This would contradict 26.
Luke 14:23 where the Lord tells his servants to compel them to come in . Actually , love ( Jesus Christ ) the living Word of God , does constrain us ..He does compel us.
And obviously number 27 contradicts the new birth and the cross of Christ through whom we are crucified . We are destitute of any ability apart from Jesus Christ though we will what we may . " But I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I , but the grace of God . " 1st Corinthians 15:10 . What have you received which was not a gift ? And if a gift , wherein is boasting ?
Number 30 contradicts Jesus Christ and makes null His death and atonement . We ARE guilty before God ...How wise is our God so that in His wisdom, He could demonstrate mercy and grace to those appointed unto death . There is none righteous ..no not one . The gospel works real humility and thankfulness and worship . I tell you , the publicans and the harlots will enter the kingdom of heaven ahead of you . To whom much is forgiven , loveth much .
Brother ...anyone who knows Isiah, the history of the Jewish people , and the gospels should be able to see that these writings are scriptures with some truth mixed with some error .
Unless the Lord build the house , they who labor, labor in vain .
I am but a worm . My glory is Christ and Him crucified . The gospel of Jesus Christ . Not the gospel of any man or denomination . We have become a virtual Babylon of religious ideas by pouring new wine into old wine skins. Mixing old covenant ( fleshly, physical , outward and temporal ) with new covenant promises . We have seem any number of prophets ( as you are very well aware ) of making false claims of a new eden in America ...certain towns being a new jerusalem ....temple building a so forth .
For this cause , God shall send a strong delusion , they should believe a lie. That they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness .
Lets look at the last word unrighteousness ..all glorying of man is unrighteousness . He is a jew who is one inwardly , who's praise is of God and not of man . What is the point of competitive sports ? We tell ourselves " teamwork " ...but that of course is a delusion . College teams MUST win . Does winning work humility or pride ? And we know that God gives grace to the humble and we are saved by grace through faith . Jesus made himself of no reputation . How many colleges have the distinction of making theirselves of no reputation ? Wake Forest ? , Brigham Young, Liberty University, Notre Dame ? No of course not . So , rather than truth ...I will escape to doctrines of man so I can keep my religion while pursuing the same things that those who are ungodly pursue . ( And I will be accepted by society , aka man . )
We should be well aware that all of the early believers looked for a new jerusalem which came down from heaven . Nothing man made will survive for it was never meant to . That is why we are told to store our treasures in heaven . Either God's word is in error or we are .
