The Holy Ghost (GP 7)

Gospel Principles Lesson 7

Adam and Eve had to begin working after they left the Garden of Eden. They had to till the earth and perform other labors necessary for their survival. Adam and Eve had many children. (Some people think that they only had Cain and Abel because we read about them in the old Testament; but, Adam and Even lived nearly 1000 years, and they had many children.) Their sons and daughters became of age, were married, and they also had children. (See Moses 5:1-3) So Heavenly Father's Plan was underway. We, His spirit children, began to leave His presence to come to live on earth. (See Abraham 3:24-25) A veil of forgetfulness accompanies us when we are born, but Heavenly Father still wanted us to feel His influence and to learn about Him. "He sent the Holy Ghost to comfort and help and guide all of his spirit children." (See Gospel Principles Lesson 7) 

Adam and Even continued to pray to Heavenly Father. "He spoke to them and gave them commandments." They were obedient to Heavenly Father. The Lord sent an angel to teach Adam and Eve about the Plan of Salvation. He also sent the Holy Ghost to testify of the Father and the Son and to help Adam and Even learn how to live the gospel.

Because Adam had the Holy Ghost with him, he was able to prophesy concerning all the families of the earth. In Moses 5:10 Adam said, "Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God." Because Eve had the Holy Ghost with her, she testified in Moses 5:11, "Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient." Their transgression is what brought about the Fall, and it was a necessary part of Heavenly Father's Plan.

Heavenly Father, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost are called the Godhead. They are one in purpose. They seek to bring about our salvation and exaltation. Though they are one in purpose, they each play a particular role in the Plan. "Our Heavenly Father is our Father and Ruler. Jesus Christ is our Savior. The Holy Ghost is the revealer and testifier of truth. The Holy Ghost is our Heavenly Father's messenger and is a special gift to us." (See Gospel Principles Lesson 7) 

Although both Heavenly Father and Jesus (since His resurrection) both have physical, resurrected bodies, we know that the Holy Ghost is a personage of Spirit. (See Doctrine and Covenants 130:22) His influence can be felt everywhere.

The Holy Ghost's number one mission is to bear witness of our Heavenly Father and of Jesus Christ. He also can help us to know the truth of all things. Through the Holy Ghost, we can learn that Jesus is our Savior and Redeemer. (See 3 Nephi 28:11; Doctrine and Covenants 20:27) We can learn that our Heavenl yFather truly is the father of our spirits. We can learn that we can become like our Heavenly Father. (See Romans 8:16-17) The Holy Ghost can witness to us that all these things are true. "And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things." (Moroni 10:5) 

It is only through the Holy Ghost that we can know that Jesus is the Christ. (See 1 Corinthians 12:3) Jesus said, "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." (John 17:3) Through the power of the Holy Ghost, we can understand and live the gospel of Jesus Christ. The witness of the Holy Ghost is strong and powerful, leaving no room for doubt. 

President Joseph Fielding Smith said the following:

“When a man has the manifestation from the Holy Ghost, it leaves an indelible impression on his soul, one that is not easily erased. It is Spirit speaking to spirit, and it comes with convincing force. A manifestation of an angel, or even of the Son of God himself, would impress the eye and mind, and eventually become dimmed, but the impressions of the Holy Ghost sink deeper into the soul and are more difficult to erase” (Answers to Gospel Questions, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., 5 vols. [1957–66], 2:151).

President Smith also said, “Through the Holy Ghost the truth is woven into the very fibre and sinews of the body so that it cannot be forgotten” (Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols. [1954–56], 1:48).

We need to live worthily to have the Holy Ghost present in our lives. The testifying power of the Holy Ghost is available to all of God's children. That is how we come to know the truth about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ for ourselves. As we make and keep sacred covenants, we can have the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and we can feel his comforting guidance always. 

The Fall of Adam and Eve (GP 6)

Gospel Principles Lesson 6

I am thankful for this beautiful world Heavenly Father created for you and for me. This world is the home God prepared for his children to experience mortality. Adam and Eve are our first parents. (See Moses 1:34; Moses 4:26) They brought mortality  into the world, thus furthering Heavenly Father's Plan. (See Doctrine and Covenants 107:54-56)

We need not think that Adam and Eve were evil. They were righteous, and they made righteous covenants with Heavenly Father and remained faithful to Him. Adam and Eve were two of Heavenly Father's noblest children. Adam had been Michael, the Archangel, in his premortal life. (See Doctrine 27:11; Jude 1:9) Heavenly Father chose Michael to lead his faithful sons and daughters in the battle against Satan and his followers. (See Revelation 12:7-9) Adam and Eve were foreordained to be the first parents to all the families on earth. They were promised great blessings. (See Doctrine and Covenants 107:55) Eve likewise would be blessed alongside Adam. 

When Adam and Eve were first created to live in the Garden of Eden, they weren't yet mortal. Neither was the earth in a mortal state. There was no sickness or death here; but, there also was no growth or real joy. During this period, they also could not have children. (See 2 Nephi 2:23)

Adam and Eve's spirits were housed in physical bodies made from the dust of the earth. (See Moses 6:59; Abraham 5:7) But before the Fall, these bodies would not age or die. Their physical life would continue in the same state indefinitely without the conditions of the Fall. They also had spiritual life in the Garden of Eden. They were in God's presence while in the garden. So far they had not yet made a chose between good and evil. 

God gave Adam and Eve a commandment to have children and to take care of the earth. (See Moses 2:28) They were told that they could freely eat of all the fruits from every tree in the garden, except one. God told them that they could choose whether or not to eat of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, with a strict charge that they would die at some point if they did. (See Moses 3:17) Because mortality would be challenging, God did not force it on Adam or Eve, but let them decide for themselves.

Satan did not like seeing Adam and Eve so content and restful in the Garden of Eden. Wanting to destroy God's Plan for their Happiness, he tempted them to eat of the fruit of that tree. He told Eve that she and Adam would not die, but that they would be like the gods, by eating the fruit, knowing good and evil. (See Moses 4:11) Satan has always been a master of telling half-truths. Eve listened to Satan and ate of the fruit. When Adam realized that in order to stay with Eve, he had to eat the fruit, he also chose to eat it. Eating of that fruit brought changes to Adam and Eve's physical bodies; they became mortal. This is known as the Fall. 

The Fall was a necessary step in the Plan of Salvation. We would need a Savior. The Fall also allowed Adam and Even to become our first parents. It gave us all the freedom to make choices during our mortal existence. 

Adam and Eve were no longer permitted to live in the Garden of Eden. The Lord sent them away to live in the world. As mortals, they and their children would have to experience sickness, pain, and physical death. When Adam and Eve were driven from the garden, they were no longer permitted to live in God's presence. Adam and Eve and their children wold not be able to walk and talk with God face to face. This constituted a spiritual death, being cut off from the presence of the Lord. But remember, this was part of our Father's Plan to allow us to learn to live by faith; and He would not leave us completely alone. 

We should feel thankful for the Fall. It was a necessary part in God's Plan for our Happiness, and we have all been blessed because of it. We are blessed to have physical bodies; we are blessed to have agency, the right to choose between good and evil; we are blessed to be able to choose good and progress towards eternal life in Heavenly Father's Plan. These blessings are a direct result of Adam and Eve's choice to partake of the fruit. None of these blessings could have been realized if they had remained in the garden. 

This is what Eve said concerning the Fall, "Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient. (Moses 5:11) The prophet Lehi explained it more thoroughly in 2 Nephi 2:22-25:

22 And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end.

23 And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin.

24 But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things.

25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.

Indeed the purpose of our existence is that we might have joy. This goes along with God's mission statement for us, in Moses 1:39:

39 For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.

The Fall played an important part in allowing Adam and Eve and all of their descendants the privilege of practicing agency, the freedom to choose. As we choose to follow the Lord's Plan, we will feel His Spirit, be happy, and be on the path to eternal life. 

The Creation (GP 5)

Gospel Principles Lesson 5

We lived in heaven as the spirit children of heavenly parents (with both a Heavenly Father and a Heavenly Mother). We grew in God's presence for a long time. We realized that God had a perfected, resurrected body of flesh and bone and that we had only spirit bodies at that time. (See Doctrine and Covenants 130:22; This scripture was written after the resurrection of Jesus as well.) So when our Heavenly Father presented His Plan for us to leave heaven for a while so that we could continue our journey to become more like Him through gaining a physical body and through being faithful to His commandments, we shouted for joy. (See Job 38:7) We loved our heavenly parents very much, and we were eager to be given the opportunity to become like them. Leaving their presence for a time (so that we could walk by faith), gaining a physical body, and being tested (so that we could show our obedience) were necessary steps in the Plan. God prepared a new home where we would live as mortals for a time, so that we could have the necessary experiences and prepare to become like Him. We call our new home Earth.

Heavenly Father gave Jesus directions in creating or organizing this new world. Jesus created many other worlds besides this one as well. Jesus followed Heavenly Father's directions and created the world through the power of the Priesthood. (See Moses 1:33) Both Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery also added their witness that Jesus created the worlds and that we are God's children, because they beheld it in vision. (See Doctrine and Covenants 76:24)

All things were created spiritually before they were created physically, including the earth on which we now live. Plants, animals, and people were all created spiritually before they were created physically. (See Moses 3:5) When Jesus was ready to physically create the earth, he said to those who accompanied Him, "We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell; And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them." (See Abraham 3:24-25)

Since Jesus created the earth under Heavenly Father's direction, both Heavenly Father and Jesus are called the Creator, in much the same way as a master craftsman and a foreman can take credit for the construction of a building. 

So Jesus formed and organized the earth. "He divided light from darkness to make day and night. He formed the sun, moon, and stars. He divided the waters from the dry land to make seas, rivers, and lakes. He made the earth beautiful and productive. He made grass, trees, flowers, and other plants of all kinds. These plants contained seeds from which new plants could grow. Then He created the animals—fish, cattle, insects, and birds of all kinds. These animals had the ability to reproduce their own kind." (See Gospel Principles Lesson 5) 

The final and greatest creation of all was mankind. Now our spirits would receive bodies of flesh and blood so that we could live on the earth that was created for us. (See Moses 2:26) Adam and Eve were the first people created on this earth, and they were given bodies that looked like our heavenly parents. (See Genesis 1:27) God knew that all of his creations were good, and He rested for a season.

We live in a beautiful and glorious world. Think about the wonders that you see every day. The sun gives us both warmth and light. The rain cleanses the earth and causes the plants to grow. Think about being outside, enjoying a walk, seeing the colors, and listening to the birds singing. Think about spending time with family and friends, talking, laughing, and living. Think about what a great gift it is to have your body, and focus on all the wonderful things that it can do. What a blessing it is to be able to work, play, and rest. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have shown great love for us in providing us with this beautiful world. What wisdom and order they have shown in their perfect planning for a suitable home for us.

All things were created for us--for our progression and enjoyment. Both plants and animals were also created to bring us joy. (See Doctrine and Covenants 59:18-19) Heavenly Father is aware of us; he knows and loves all of His creations. (See Moses 1:35) Since we are His sons and daughters, His love for us is great; it is powerful and real. 

Freedom to Choose (GP 4)

Gospel Principles Lesson 4

In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were given agency concerning whether to eat of the tree of life or not.

(See Moses 3:17)

Heavenly Father has given us the right to choose between good and evil for ourselves. (See 2 Nephi 2:25-27) This right is called agency, meaning that we become agents of our own lives. The scriptures and the prophets have taught us about this agency and that we are all born with the Light of Christ that helps us discern between right and wrong. (See John 1:1-9) If we choose to follow the commandments of Jesus Christ, our freedom increases, as well as our opportunities to become better. 

Heavenly Father has always allowed us this gift of agency, even in our pre-mortal life. Remember Stan wanted to destroy this agency; this gift caused a major conflict between the followers of Jesus and the followers of Satan. Because Satan wanted to steal Heavenly Father's identity and receive all glory and honor for himself, and because he openly rebelled against Heavenly Father and against Jesus Christ, whom Heavenly Father had chosen to be our Savior, Satan and his followers were cast out of heaven. (See Moses 4:1-14; Doctrine and Covenants 29:36-37)

Now that we are on earth, we are subject to testing. We are at school so to speak. Agency gives us the ability to choose. So how well we don on our individual tests really is an indication of our choices and our actions. Heavenly Father wanted to see if we would be obedient to Him even though we were no longer in His presence. (See Abraham 3:25) Following Heavenly Father now will require faith and an honest desire to choose the right. Although we have the freedom to choose what we do now, we also carry the responsibility for our choices. (See Helaman 14:30-31)

Following Heavenly Father's Plan will bring us peace and happiness and eventually a fullness of joy. Each time we make a good choice, our ability to choose the right is strengthened. Wrong choices weaken our ability to choose the right, and they narrow the choices available to us.

Faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus should always be followed by living the principles of the gospel and keeping the commandments. As our obedience increases, so will our faith. It will become part of our nature to want to do what is right. it is our Heavenly Father's desire for us to be happy. He wants us to learn and grow and progress. Through keeping His commandments, we can do so, and we will be on the path to becoming like Him. (See Moses 1:39)

Without a choice between good and evil, agency does not exist. Agency is the right and power to choose between two conflicting things. Lehi taught his son Jacob that opposition is necessary to our growth. (See 2 Nephi 2:11)

God allows Satan to oppose good. Satan was cast out of God's presence, and he seeks to turn all of us from following God. (See Moses 4:3-4) Satan has never wanted our happiness. It is his purpose to destoy us and to destroy God's work. He does all that he can to get us to deviate from the path of righteousness so that he can enslave us and take away our agency. He does not love us or want us to be happy. His design is to lead us to misery, because he himself is miserable. (See 2 Nephi 2:18, 27; Moroni 7:17)

Following Satan limits our future choices. When we succumb to temptation, we are weakened and prey to further temptation. We can become trapped in situations of insecurity and danger, addiction and wickedness; and we may find ourselves unable to pull ourselves out of the trap. We may need help.

We can choose whatever we want to do, but we cannot choose the consequences that follow our actions. 

Faith in Jesus Christ and repentance can free us from Satan's grasp and put us back on the right course. We must be prayerful and ask Heavenly Father in Jesus's name to help free us from our sins and help us to resist temptation. We need to give up our wayward course and our wrong decisions and keep the commandments if we want to regain peace and freedom in our lives. If we are watchful and prayerful and keep the commandments, the Lord will bless us and deliver us from temptations. (See 1 Corinthians 10;13; Alma 13:28)

God's commandments lead us to peace, joy, and happiness. They lead us away from danger, imprisonment, misery, and woe. If we continue to use our agency to follow Heavenly Father's Plan by keeping the commandments of Jesus Christ, we will progress on the pathway to our heavenly home, where we will have a fullness of joy in God's presence, and where we will be exalted with Him. 

Jesus Christ, Our Chosen Leader and Savior (GP 3)

Gospel Principles Lesson 3

When our Heavenly Father presented to us His plan for our salvation, we shouted for joy. (See Job 38:7)

There were essential Steps in the Plan:

1. We'd have to leave God's presence and come to earth so that we could learn to walk by faith, and so that we could be tried and tested and learn to be obedient.

2. We would receive a mortal body, of flesh and blood, which would make us more like our Heavenly Parents. But our bodies would be subject to infirmities and ultimately to death. We would also be subject to temptations that would test our faith and obedience.

3. Our Father would give us the gift of agency, or the right to choose to follow His commandments or not. Either way, we would then be subject to the consequences of our choices.

4. Because our Father knew that none of us, except One, could follow Him perfectly; He knew that we'd all sin and make mistakes; He agreed to supply a Savior for us, who could make us clean and free from sin and who would overcome the effects of both sin and death on our behalf, and He'd be able to lead us back into our Heavenly Father's presence.

So because we needed a Savior to pay for our sins and teach us the way to return to our Heavenly Father, Our Father asked us, "Whom shall I send." Jesus answered, "Here am I, send me." (See Abraham 3:27) 

Jesus loved us so much that He was willing to submit to all that Heavenly Father asked of Him. He was willing to be born in humble circumstances and to give His life for all mankind. He was willing to follow the Father's plan which would allow all of us freedom to choose our own paths or to follow Him. He would do all this because He loved His Father and wanted to please Him and bring honor to His name. (See Moses 4:2) "Father thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever," is what Jesus said. 

Another son named Lucifer, or Satan, wanted all the glory for himself. He wanted to destroy the agency that God had given to men. He wanted to force all of us to live in harmony with God's laws. And he wanted all the glory for restoring God's children to Him. (See Moses 4:1-4) 

His plan would not work. No one can be forced to become perfect. To progress we needed to have agency, or the freedom to choose. God chose Jesus to be our Savior because Jesus wanted to follow God's perfect Plan; and when God rejected Satan's plan, Satan rebelled against God and against Jesus, who was God's Chosen One.

We know that Jesus was chosen by God and foreordained by Him to be our Savior. Jesus told the brother of Jared about his mission as our Savior in Ether 3:14. He also taught the Jewish people, during his mortal ministry, that He was the Son of God. (See John 6:38-40)

Satan did not rebel alone. Because of his anger and jealousy, Satan waged war against Jesus and his followers. A third part of the host of heaven was cast out of God's presence along with Satan. (See Isaiah 14:12-15; Revelation 12:4, 7-9) They will never have the opportunity to receive mortal bodies and to progress. This was their choice. Now they try to thwart our progression as well.

How do we know that we followed Jesus and accepted our Heavenly Father's Plan? We know this because we are here on earth with mortal bodies. Knowing that we chose this Plan while in God's presence can help to increase our faith in following His Plan while we are here in mortality. Only through following Jesus can we return to our Heavenly Father.

Heavenly Father has not left us alone. He has provided a Savior, Jesus Christ, for us. Jesus also was tried and tested in a mortal body, but he gave no heed to temptation. He taught us the Plan of Salvation and Exaltation. He established His Church while He was here in mortality; He gave the Priesthood authority to His disciples. He took upon Himself the weight of all of our sins and burdens; and He died for us. Because he was resurrected, everybody every born into mortality will one day be resurrected. 

The Church and Priesthood have been restored again to the earth. If we follow the teachings of Jesus and keep His commandments, we will inherit the Celestial Kingdom, the place where our Father lives. Jesus has paid the price. It is now up to us to do our part, to become and to remain worthy to live with God again, and to ultimately receive exaltation in our Heavenly Father's Kingdom.

Our Heavenly Family, (GP 2)

Gospel Principles Lesson 2

God is our Heavenly Father. We are all His spirit children; and, therefore, we are all brothers and sisters. God is our Ruler and Creator. We are born in His image, and we can develop His divine qualities. Because of Jesus's sacrifice and atonement for us, we can all become like our Heavenly Father. We will be able to live in His presence again and have eternal joy. 

We developed gifts and talents before this life. Many were foreordained to perform specific missions here on earth. They qualified to do so because of their previous preparation before our earth life. (See Abraham 3:22-24) A few of these people who were foreordained were Jesus, Adam, and Abraham. Joseph Smith said, "Every man who has a calling to minister to the inhabitants of the world was [fore]ordained to that very purpose." 

We have a veil of forgetfulness in this life, so that we can walk by faith, but God knows who we are and what gifts and talents we had developed before this earth life. God places us on earth at specific times and in specific places so that we can use these gifts to serve Him and so that we can learn from the experiences that await us. 

To become like our Heavenly Father, we needed to receive a body and be tested. 

Heavenly Father presented His plan in the Grand Council in heaven. He would give us agency, the power to choose right or wrong, and we would have to live by faith, because we would no longer be in His presence. Our experiences would teach us patience and charity as we learned to endure them well. 

Because all of us would sin and fall short of the glory of God, a Savior would be provided to atone for us. Through faith, repentance, and obedience, we could progress and return to Heavenly Father and become like Him. 

Our Heavenly Father (GP1)

Lesson found here: Gospel Principles Lesson 1

                                                              Image: en.wikipedia.org 060221_andromeda_02

All the creations that we see prove that there is a God. (See Alma 30:44) God created all things through His Son Jesus Christ. (See John 1:3) We are created in the image of God. (See Genesis 1:27) He is our Parent; He loves us as our Father.

Being created in the image of God does not just mean that we have the power to reason; it means that we look like Him.  God has a resurrected, glorified, perfected physical body. (See Doctrine and Covenants 130:22) We are His spirit children. (See 1 John 3:2; Acts 17:28-29) God is good. He has all power, and He knows all things. Everything good comes from God. (See Moroni 7:12-13) He desires for us to become like Him and inherit everything that He has and is. (See Revelation 21:7)

We can come to know God. (See John 17:3) We must believe that He exists and that He loves us. (See Mosiah 4:9-10) We should study the scriptures; we must pray to our Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ; and we must be obedient to His commandments.

1st Article of Faith:

"We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost."

(Further reading, to help us understand our relationship to Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost: Knowing the Godhead, by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland.)