I have been thinking a lot about being Worthy of Zion, the theme of this blog. What can I present that will better help myself and those who read his blog prepare?
I was listening to Elder Holland give his last General Conference talk as I drove into work today. At the very end of the talk, while I was parking my car at work, he said the following:
We need to believe in angels and miracles and the promises of the holy priesthood. We need to believe in the gift of the Holy Ghost, the influence of good families and friends, and the power of the pure love of Christ. We need to believe in revelation and prophets, seers, and revelators and President Russell M. Nelson. We need to believe that with prayer and pleading and personal righteousness, we really can ascend to “Mount Zion, … the city of the living God, the heavenly place, the holiest of all.”
Motions of a Hidden Fire (churchofjesuschrist.org)
I said, hold the front door! What did I just hear?
He was asking us to believe in the following:
- Angels
- Miracles
- The Holy Priesthood
- The Gift of the Holy Ghost
- The influence of good family and friends
- The power and pure love of Christ
- Revelation
- Prophets, Seers, and Revelators
- President Russell M. Nelson
If we believe in these things coupled with “prayer, pleading, and personal righteousness” we can ascend to Mount Zion, the holy temple in the New Jerusalem.
I see it. We must beleive. Our initial mustard seed of faith turns into belief. Our belieft turns into knowledge. But beleiving in these things is not enough. I think the stronger factor is the prayer, pleading, and personal righteiousness.
- Prayer
- Pleading
- Personal Righteousness
A desire to be worthy will bring that person to their knees in suplication pleading for redemption before God. A desire to be worthy will cause a person to take a personal inventory of their righteousness, or lack there of; and search the most inner reaches of their soul. Being aware of their sins they can then seek the redemptive power of the Jesus Christ.
12 But I was racked with eternal torment, for my soul was harrowed up to the greatest degree and racked with all my sins.
13 Yea, I did remember all my sins and iniquities, for which I was tormented with the pains of hell; yea, I saw that I had rebelled against my God, and that I had not kept his holy commandments.
14 Yea, and I had murdered many of his children, or rather led them away unto destruction; yea, and in fine so great had been my iniquities, that the very thought of coming into the presence of my God did rack my soul with inexpressible horror.
15 Oh, thought I, that I could be banished and become extinct both soul and body, that I might not be brought to stand in the presence of my God, to be judged of my deeds.
16 And now, for three days and for three nights was I racked, even with the pains of a damned soul.
Alma 36 (churchofjesuschrist.org)
A true change of heart causes a person to desire to be like our Savior Jesus Christ which will cause such a person to quake at the thought of sin. They will desire to give away all their sins to Jesus Christ. They come to a knowledge that they are completely reliant upon Jesus Chirst for redemption.
18 Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.
19 And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.
20 And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!
Alma 36 (churchofjesuschrist.org)
41 And he began to cry unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, have mercy; according to thy abundant mercy which thou hast had upon the people of Nephi, have upon me, and my people.
Alma 18 (churchofjesuschrist.org)
3 Behold, I went to hunt beasts in the forests; and the words which I had often heard my father speak concerning eternal life, and the joy of the saints, sunk deep into my heart.
4 And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens.
Enos 1 (churchofjesuschrist.org)
I think we have two choices. One, we become aware of our sins now, on earth, in the flesh. Or at our final judgement we become keenly aware of them while standing before Him. At which point there would be no time to right our wrongs.
My hope and prayer is that we will beleive.. I hope this beleive causes us to seek the Lord through prayer and supplication, that we may become righteous filled with the Light of Christ and worthy to enter Mount Zion in the New Jerusalem. We must become like our Savior, pure in heart, to enter.