I’m learning as I try to live the Lords teachings at the Sermon on the Mount and at Bountiful. I now include in my new paradigm, the new revelation “The Testimony of St John”. http://denversnuffer.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/The-Testimony-of-St-John.pdf

Repenting is where it starts, but what is repentance?

I have found that our greatest failing or sin is our terrible ignorance about Gods path!

The idea or process of repenting is changing for me; Now I see it as turning your face towards God, it’s when your whole life’s purpose, day and night is to God, so that He, and following His path, His teachings and example are what you think and ponder upon. And not in ignorance, chasing the things of this world, but those of heaven. Its accepting and then following Christ’s path back to the Father and leaving the cares of this world or what has been distracting you from God behind.

“Then they asked him, What do we need to do to enter God’s pathway of endless progress? Jesus answered and said, The pathway is before you in me, I teach and display what the Father wants you to witness and believe.” (Testimony of St John pg. 10)

Once there, it can begin. As we make the Lord our focus, and His teachings and path our life and way; His spirit, His Godliness flows like a river of righteousness into your soul, where the ways of this world, the sins and lusts of the flesh, that could, or have controlled your life, now seem very unimportant. The thought and experience of having that flow of Godliness cut off becomes too unattractive and painful to accept, or allow to continue.

But, along the way, we have, do and will, make poor and even terrible choices. We will find ourselves off that path. But by again repenting, turning our lives to face God, He will reach out to you where you are, and help you recalibrate the route back onto His path.! That’s repentance!!

With your face towards God and His path, the “sins”, and the traditional process of repentance that the “traditions of your fathers” taught you; that is, trying endlessly to repent of those does and don’ts are all but gone; they fade into your past, they are now, unattractive as you, the new creature in Christ moves further along His path gaining further light and knowledge by following Him, by living His teachings and seek understanding of His life’s example.

“In the name of Father Ahman I testify to you, He who hearkens to my testimony, and trusts him who sent me, there is no end to his potential progression. His progress will not cease, for I demonstrate the pathway of eternal lives.” (Testimony of St John pg. 8)

Living Christ’s teachings, following His path, requires faith, and the more earnestly you try to live them, the more faith it will require, but in doing so, the more faith you will obtain and progress on the path.

One thing I have personally found is that I like things planned, everything in control. And that it’s difficult letting go of my fears concerning being self-reliant or being prepared, the Babylonian version anyway. What’s coming next? What I can do to keep something difficult from happening? Or, what can I do to make sure I need to exercise faith as few times as possible in my life!!

The parable of a certain rich man told by Christ in Luke came to my mind as I grappled with this failing.

“And he spake a parable unto them, saying,

The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:16-21)

I find myself feeling foolish if NOT doing as this rich man did, because that is what Babylon teaches us, as do most religions, its burnt into our minds from our youth. But it’s not the attitude being taught in the sermon on the mount and at Bountiful; Being self-reliant by hoarding assets or goods is not how faith in God is built. The most vulnerable times in my life are when I was closest to the Lord. Broken heart, contrite spirit, real intent come easier when we feel vulnerable and in need of Gods help.

This path of Christ requires a whole new way of approaching each day.

 “For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.” (Mosiah 3:19)

Now to listen to those enticing’s and endure these inflictions and vulnerable times with joy, as a little child and love towards God for His work in “YOUR” life.

To trust the Lord as a father, that all things both joyful and difficult, are for our own good, and allow Him to work in our lives; this is part of His path, to become like Him, and to do it with joy in our hearts. Trusting in Him during difficulties can at times seem impossible, even unnatural, at least compared to how most of us were raised and taught. It requires great faith in the Lord, it requires trust.

Obviously, we are required to make choices. I’m not saying living the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount means just sitting back and letting life happen. It just means our priorities change from self, to God and His work. Giving our excess to the needy verses hoarding it, and trusting He will take care of you for example.

Its requiring me to “live in the today”, serve the Lord today! Today, is my mission!

We still must choose good over evil, light verses darkness, that’s why we are here in this fallen Telestial kingdom, to gain understanding, knowledge, to follow Christ or not. But if we choose to follow Him, we must trust the process He has laid out before us with His perfect example.

But, can we let go of our fears and our trust in Babylon, the arm of flesh? Will we allow God to work in our lives with faith? Can we allow ourselves to trust in Him? That no matter what He sends our way or inflicts upon us it is for our own good. Will we submit to it as a child to the will of the Father?

“O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm.” (II Nephi 4:34)

Can you let go of your trust in the arm of flesh and trust the Lords work in your life, both the joyous and the difficult?

The Lord said the following, during one of Josephs Smiths most difficult trials.

“…If thou art called to pass through tribulation; if thou art in perils among false brethren; if thou art in perils among robbers; if thou art in perils by land or by sea;

If thou art accused with all manner of false accusations; if thine enemies fall upon thee; if they tear thee from the society of thy father and mother and brethren and sisters; and if with a drawn sword thine enemies tear thee from the bosom of thy wife, and of thine offspring, and thine elder son, although but six years of age, shall cling to thy garments, and shall say, My father, my father, why can’t you stay with us? O, my father, what are the men going to do with you? and if then he shall be thrust from thee by the sword, and thou be dragged to prison, and thine enemies prowl around thee like wolves for the blood of the lamb;

And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.

The Son of Man hath descended below them all.

Art thou greater than he?

Therefore, hold on thy way, and the priesthood shall remain with thee; for their bounds are set, they cannot pass. Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less;

therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever.” (D&C 122)

Will we develop or obtain faith, trust in God? Will we let go of our fear, to let Him work in our lives and to enjoy His work with us, and not pass away our time in fear, flinching, waiting, anticipating what trials await, but just enjoy, rejoice in following His path, and allow God’s work and glory take root in our hearts, while following His perfect example on the path He has shown us. And that is, and we are, His work, and living His way and teachings are how we follow Him, and know Him, on this path to the Father.

“For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” (Moses 1:39)

These are some of my thoughts as I try to live a life like Christ taught us. Giving up my will to that of Christ, as He did to His father. My progress seems small even pathetic, but it’s now becoming a part of my paradigm.

 “Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect.” (III Nephi 12:48)

Wow, OK, so I have a long way to go! But He did say we should!

PS. I just found a blog post by Adrian Larsen at, To The Remnant, that lays out in more detail some of my “bottom-line” thinking called “Knowledge and Repentance”.  http://www.totheremnant.com/