Thursday, March 15, 2018

Fruit






When the harvest arrives and the angels of the Lord come to gather the wheat, or when the husbandman and his servants tend to the vineyard to find the natural and good fruit, they will not be searching for a perfect system, nor will they desire the wealth, property, and influence of an institution.  It is the immortality and eternal life of man that is God's glory, and so the angels will be looking for those individuals who have been perfected through the blood of Jesus Christ, who can see God face to face because they are like Him.  Or in other words, whose bodies are made celestial, (the same stuff God is made up of) who can, as a result, dwell in the presence of God and entertain angels because they won't spontaneously combust from simply being in their just and holy presence.  In short, the good and natural fruit is those who actually know Christ.  The programs, ordinances, and resources of a church are meant to help produce that good fruit, but more often than not, they distract from the what is important, drawing too much energy from the tree, and they become lofty branches which only produce deprived and bitter fruit.  We all know what the Lord of the Vineyard does with the lofty branches.   Individuals who can go can go about life engaged in religious duty proclaiming "Lord, Lord have we not given priesthood blessings in thy name, served missions wearing your name badge, and in thy name have performed many temple ordinances for ourselves and our ancestors?"  but do not know God as He is meant to be known are the bitter fruit- the tares that will burn in the presence of God and his angels.

Vineyard, harvest- Jacob 5, Doctrine and Covenants 86
work and glory- Moses 1:39
perfected through the blood of Jesus- Moroni 10:32-33
See God face to face because you are like Him- Moroni 7:48, 1 John 4:17, Philip 57,61,78
body made celestial- Doctrine and Covenants 76:70
dwell in God's presence- Doctrine and Covenants 76:51-67
spontaneous combustion- Moses 6:57, Mormon 9:3-5, TPJS 367, Thomas 70,82, Revelations 14:10
knowing God- John 17:3, JST John 6:44, Lectures on Faith 7:21
lofty branches- Jacob 5
engaged in religious duty- JST Matthew 7:21-23

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