Evolution of the Mind, the Heart, and the Soul | Marilyn S. Bateman | 1999 скачать в хорошем качестве

Evolution of the Mind, the Heart, and the Soul | Marilyn S. Bateman | 1999

In this life, we strive for perfection a little bit at a time. The plan of salvation teaches us that progress is eternal, the key to becoming like God. This speech was given on September 7, 1999. Read the speech here: https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/marily... Learn more about the author: https://speeches.byu.edu/speakers/mar... More BYU Speeches here: https://www.speeches.byu.edu/ Subscribe to BYU Speeches:    / byuspeeches   Follow BYU Speeches: Podcasts: https://www.speeches.byu.edu/podcasts/ Facebook:   / byuspeeches   Instagram:   / byuspeeches   Twitter:   / byuspeeches   Pinterest:   / byuspeeches   © Brigham Young University. All rights reserved. "Brothers and sisters, friends: welcome to the Brigham Young University 1999 fall semester. It is good to be here today. It is awe inspiring to look out over this vast congregation. We are all in the right place at the right time. How very blessed we are to be at this great university to increase our knowledge of truth, both secular and spiritual. The quest for learning is a ceaseless quest for truth. Ultimately, any person who seeks after truth will be led to the gospel of Jesus Christ, for it contains all truth. Gospel principles bless all who seek to understand God’s ways and His plan for the everlasting salvation of His children. The gospel teaches people who they are and of the potential that life promises not only on this earth but in the eternities. The teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ provide a clear understanding of mankind’s relationship to God. Seekers after truth learn that they are His spirit children, that He is a loving and kind Father in Heaven, and that each person’s destiny is to return to a heavenly home if they will be true and faithful. Eternal Progress In a survey of Americans performed for the Lutheran Brotherhood by Yankelovich Partners, most adults were concerned with and wanted answers to eternal questions. Those participating in the survey were asked the following question: “What [would you] ask a god or supreme being if [you] could get a direct and immediate answer?” The most frequently asked question was: “What’s my purpose here?” Thirty-four percent, or more than one of every three persons, wanted to know the purpose of life. The second most popular question was: “Will I have life after death?” Almost one out of five persons asked this question. Another 16 percent asked the question: “Why do bad things happen?” and another 7 percent wondered if there is intelligent life elsewhere. Seventy-six percent of the individuals surveyed asked questions pertaining to one’s ultimate purpose and destiny. (See “Going to a Higher Authority,” USA Snapshots, USA Today [28 May 1999]: 1A.) There is a thirst for spiritual knowledge. The answers to these questions are contained in the gospel of Jesus Christ. The plan of salvation as contained in the restored gospel provides clear and definitive answers to these queries. The plan of salvation teaches that mortality is but one stage of life and that life existed before one’s birth and stretches into the eternities after death. Life’s purpose is to “be added upon” (Abraham 3:26), to be tested, and to participate in a growth process that has eternal consequences. The knowledge gained and the decisions made in this life are critical and determine one’s ultimate destiny. Mortality is a time to acquire spiritual knowledge, to be tested with respect to one’s use of agency, to experience the bitter and the sweet, to learn from one’s mistakes, and to succeed with the Lord’s help. All of God’s children are endowed with a special light or conscience that allows them to differentiate between truth and error (see John 1:9, Moroni 7:15–16) and to learn from experience. The more obedient one is to light, the more truth one receives (see D&C 50:23–24). It follows that the more consistent one’s life is in living truth, the greater one’s capacity and strength. Some individuals live in a time or place where access to truth is limited. Since earth life is but one phase in eternity, they are given opportunities later consistent with their willingness to live whatever truths they enjoyed on earth (see D&C 137:5–10). There is life after death. There is intelligent life elsewhere (see Moses 1:33). There is purpose to life. One of the most glorious truths contained in the Lord’s plan is that of eternal progress—the opportunity to progress from mortality to immortality, to overcome death and receive a glorified resurrected body, to overcome weakness and progress until one receives a glory and station like that of our eternal parents (see 1 Corinthians 15:42–44, D&C 76:94–95). President Gordon B. Hinckley has commented on this subject as follows:..."