Sunday, January 26, 2014

The Familiarity of God

Brigham Young:
If any of us could now see the God we are striving to serve if we could see our Father who dwells in the heavens, we should learn that we are as well acquainted with him as we are with our earthly father; and he would be as familiar to us in the expression of his countenance, and we should be ready to embrace him and fall upon his neck and kiss him, if we had the privilege. And still we, unless the vision of the Spirit is opened to us, know nothing about God. You know much about him, if you did but realize it. And there is no other one item that will so much astound you, when your eyes are opened in eternity, as to think that you were so stupid in the body.
(Journal of Discourses, 8:30)
Ezra Taft Benson:
A few years ago we knew our Elder Brother well, and we knew his, and our, Father in heaven. We rejoiced at the upcoming opportunity for earth life that would make it possible for us to have a fullness of joy like they had. We could hardly wait to demonstrate to our Father and our Brother, the Lord, how much we loved them and how we would be obedient to them in spite of the earthly opposition of the evil one. And now we’re here—our memories are veiled—and we’re showing God and ourselves what we can do. And nothing is going to startle us more when we pass through the veil to the other side than to realize how well we know our Father and how familiar his face is to us. And then, President Young said, we’re going to wonder why we were so stupid in the flesh.
(Jesus Christ-Gifts and Expectations, New Era May 1975)

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