Converse with God ... Yourself!

“It is a veil and not a wall that you must pass through. You elect whether or not you pass through. There is no one, other than you, who can make the decision to go forward. It is far more frightening to persist through the veil than to remain without a view of Heaven." (The Second Comforter - Conversing with The Lord Through the Veil, Page 417)

Here is a scriptural example of this very issue:

“And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was. And the Lord said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.” (Exodus 20:18-22)

I believe the people of Moses were each instructed, invited and expected to individually enter God's presence, to know Him one by one, and to witness for themselves, like is recorded in (3 Nephi 11:13-17) concerning the Nephites. They literally had the opportunity to talk with God face to face and be redeemed, but instead, they were too fearful and basically said to Moses, “You be the middle man; You be our messenger; You talk to God; You get the answers; And you, Moses, speak to us His answers and we will hear, but we are NOT willing to approach God personally, converse with Him, and see eye to eye … even though He is proving us right here and now!

How are you taking that same challenge today? Do you desire precisely the same thing as the people of Moses did and rely on a prophet/teacher, who indeed speaks with God, to act as a middle man between you and God? Are you removed from God or stand afar off? Are you too fearful to draw near unto the thick darkness to find God and speak with Him, as a man speaketh to another. Do you lack sufficient faith to boldly come before God yourself? Are you missing the fullness of the gospel, the testimony of Jesus, what true messengers are declaring, and the everlasting covenant? (D&C 76:98-106) Are you satisfied with merely the telestial world and the associated glory … again, worlds without end?!

Ultimately, each individual must choose between the "glory" of this world and the other world with Glory, which God has offered us. 

Each chooses between fear and faith, between good and evil, and between man and God Himself. You can't have both at the same time.

"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." (Matthew 6:24)

Parables Veiling the Obvious

Using parables, Jesus can teach us so much with so few words. He puts the mysteries of God on display for everyone with eyes to see. Christ has many things to teach us.  How fast are we ready to learn? 

“All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.” Matt 13:34-35  

Why did Christ only speak to the multitudes in parables?   How does he speak to you?

“And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it. But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.” Mark 4:33-34 

Why did Jesus expound things unto his disciples but not unto the multitudes?

“This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.” John 10:6 

Why didn’t they understand the parable?  Why did Jesus need to explain it to them?  Will he explain the parables to us?  Have we asked him to?

 “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.”

How do we open our ears? Why do some have ears to hear and some don’t? Would it be wise to listen and understand?

“And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.”

Who are His disciples? How do we qualify as one of Jesus’ disciples? Would a disciple be converted to the doctrine of Christ? Why are the mysteries veiled to non-disciples?

“For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.”

Does this have reference to the parable of the talents?  Matt 25:14-30 Why is more understanding given to those who act upon the teachings they’ve already received? How do we obtain an abundance of knowledge? If we choose not to listen, how can the Lord give us further light and knowledge? D&C 50:24

“Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.”

Why do many look but not really see? Hear but not really listen? What would happen if the unconverted opened their eyes and ears?

“And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:”

What is required to perceive God’s message?  John 7:17, Luke 12:47 What does diligence and obedience have to do with perceiving the word of God? D&C 130:18-21   Many Jews missed Christ’s first coming, how are we doing? Do we recognize Him today?

“For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.”

Why do many harden their hearts and close their eyes? What would happen if we softened our hearts and opened our eyes?  What gets in our way? Are we preoccupied with the things of Babylon?

 "But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.”

What is the significance of the Lord calling his disciples blessed?

“For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.” Matt 13:9-17 

Do we want to see? Do we want to understand the mysteries of God? Are they hiding in plain sight? So much can be revealed in a simple story. 

Heaven speaks in symbols. God has created parables for us. There are parables that happen right before our very eyes every day. You might even call them living parables.  They are designed to teach, inform, edify, warn, instruct, expound, and comfort. God treats each one of us like an only child.  He isn’t about mass production. He doesn't send us through an assembly line.  Each experience is custom-made for me, perfectly made for you.