Day: February 20, 2010

Reincarnation and the Bible, Part 5

Joseph Dewey
This entry is part 5 of 5 in the series Reincarnation & the Bible

INTERESTING SCRIPTURAL EVIDENCE

The great Solomon wrote:  “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing.”  Pro. 25:2  Imagine.  God actually conceals things from us so when his secrets are revealed it will add to his glory.  Jesus said:  “For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.”  Luke 12:2  Isaiah prophesied:  “The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”  Isaiah 11:9  Daniel said that at the time of the end “knowledge shall be increased.”  Dan. 12:4.

What are some of the things that God has concealed from us? What are the things “which have been kept secret from the foundations of the world”?  Matt 13:35

Obviously one of the doctrines kept secret is the law of re birth.   Many of the prophets did not openly teach it because they felt the people would misuse the knowledge.  Many people will not try hard in the present if they think they will get a second chance in the future.  The emotionally polarized person  will tend to feel that it is no big deal to waste a lifetime if he has another one coming down the road.  However, the mentally polarized person will use common sense and will not want to waste a month let alone a lifetime.  Thus the Spirit of God has waited until the race of man is more mental, as it is approaching now, before it caused the doctrine to permeate our consciousness.  Most of the prophets, initiates, and wise men of the past, however, have been aware of it, but have used constraint in speaking of it.

There were many things that even Jesus could not speak to his most trusted followers:  “I have many things to say unto you, but ye CANNOT bear them now.” John 16:12

In other words, Jesus knew many things that would be hard for them to accept.  If he would have told them some of the secrets he knew they probably would have thought their master was mad and turned against him.

As it was he revealed more than the Jews could accept and they fought against him.  Even so this treatise will be difficult for many people to accept and they will refuse to believe it even though the truth stares them in the face.  We must mentally force ourselves to remain open and “rejoiceth in the truth; Heareth all things, believeth ALL things, hopeth all things…” I Cor 13:6-7

If we become as a little child and are open to believing all things then we will avoid becoming modern day Pharisees and scribes who fight against truth.  Isaiah declared:  “Wo unto them that call evil good and good evil; that put darkness for light and light for darkness: that put bitter for sweet. and sweet for bitter!” Isa 5:20  Many Christians have formed the non scriptural opinion that reincarnation is evil, but why is this when the doctrine is interspersed  throughout the Bible?  And why do they call it evil when it is such a good and holy doctrine?

Why do they call it “good” if their child fails the first grade and he gets a chance to repeat it so he can honorably go on to the second, yet call it “evil” to consider the thought that if someone fails in one of his lifetimes then God will give him a chance to correct his errors in the “resurrection of correction”? Let us be more consistent than the Jews in the days of Jesus.

Jesus certainly attracted a lot of attention when he began his work and many people were speculating as to who he was.  There were many who actually considered that he may have been one of the prophets born again.  Jesus asked his disciples: “Whom do men say that I the  Son of man am?  And they said, some say that thou art John the Baptist:  some Elias, others Jeremias, or one of the prophets.”  Matt 16:13-14

Notice here that Jesus did not refute this belief in rein carnation, but merely accepted Peter’s answer that he was the Christ.

The apostles evidently believed in reincarnation at the time that they were current disciples of Jesus:   “And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.  And his disciples asked him, saying,  Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?”  John 9:1-2

We see here that the disciples thought that the man who was born blind may have had to suffer so because of a previous sin.  In other words, they thought he may have committed sins in a previous lifetime that led to his present condition. Jesus pointed out that the man was a special case.  He was not born blind because of sin, but so that the works of God  should be manifest.  In other words, the man came with a mission to glorify the works of Christ by the great miracle to his eyes.  Jesus did not, however, say anything to indicate that the disciples belief in a sin before birth was not a possibility.

Many people attribute unusual questions such as these to the ignorance of the apostles.  They believed that Jesus just picked up a handful of uneducated  derelicts and his teachings were all the education they received.  This is not correct. John the Baptist was their first teacher and Jesus called John the greatest prophet in history, partly because he did such a good job in preparing and teaching the disciples.  If the disciples believed in reincarnation (which they undoubtedly did) then they had to first learn it from John.

In the Apocrypha we are warned that the way we live in one life can affect our bodies in a future life:  “Woe to you, ungodly men, who have forsaken the law of the Most High Lord. AND IF YOU BE BORN, (indicating born in a future life) you shall be born in malediction, and if ye die, in malediction shall be your portion.”   Ecclesiasticus 4:11-12  Another example: “And I was a witty child and had received a good soul, and where as  I was more good  (in a previous life), I came to a body undefiled.”  Wisdom 8:19-20

No wonder David wrote:  “Guilt was with me already when my mother conceived me.”  Psalms 51:7 Knox Version  In other words, we have original sin because of previous lives.  “All these things God may do to a man, again and yet again, bringing him BACK FROM THE PIT (death) to enjoy the full light of life.”  Job 33:29-30 New English

No wonder Jesus told a man who had been sick for thirty eight years to “sin no more lest a worse thing come upon thee.” (See John 5:1-9)  If it was any worse than suffering for thirty eight years he would have to pay the  debt in a future life. This also illustrates that sin can result in the punishment of a physical affliction as the apostles believed.

The doctrine of reincarnation teaches us that when we commit any act either good or evil then we must receive a payment for that deed either later in the present life or in a future one. This reward is called Karma.  If we are said to have “good karma” it is indicated that we have paid off most of our bad debts and can now collect on our good ones.  If we have “bad karma” then we have debts coming due that we have to pay for.  Jesus confirmed this doctrine when he said “he shall reward every man according to his works.”  Matt 16:27

John also wrote the words of an angel:  “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord…their  works do FOLLOW them.”  Rev  14:13

Again he said:  “They  (the dead) were judged every man ac cording to their works.”  Rev 20:13

If the dead are judged according to their works and their works follow them then the doctrine of karma coincides perfectly with the Bible.  There are some works that could only follow us if there were future lives on the earth awaiting.  Either killing or saving physical lives would fit in this category.

One may naturally wonder about the fate of those who crucified our Lord.  What is their destiny?  How could they possibly pay for their sin?  What punishment could be fitting enough to recompense such an evil deed?

This is one of the most interesting thoughts of the entire range of the scriptures and amazingly the question is answered with startling  clarity.

First, we know they will be forgiven because Jesus requested it.  On the cross he said:  “Father forgive them; for they know not what they do.”  Luke 23:34

Later Peter was preaching to these Jews and said:  “Ye denied the Holy One and the Just…and killed the Prince of life… Repent ye therefore, and be converted,  that your sins may be blotted out, WHEN THE TIMES OF REFRESHING SHALL COME FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD.   And he shall send Jesus Christ (speaking of the second coming), which before was preached unto you.  whom the heaven must receive (hold – Greek) until the times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.”  Acts 3:14-15,19-21

We are told that the heavens must hold Jesus until all things are restored that was spoken of by the prophets.  Reincarnation is one of those things for many of the teachings about the doctrine of rebirth were taken out of the church in the days of Constantine.

Peter told those who crucified the Lord to repent but told them that they would not receive forgiveness in this life, but in the times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord or at the time of the second coming.  Why do they have to wait  until then?  Because no one can repent unless they realize they are wrong and the Bible goes on to tell us that these murderers will not realize they are wrong until they see their Lord again.

They certainly did not believe the first time he told them who he was:  “And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.  Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said:  nevertheless, I say unto you, Hereafter SHALL YE SEE the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.”  Matt 26:63-64

No wonder Peter promised forgiveness at the second coming because those who put him to death will see him coming in the clouds.

John the Revelator makes this point clear beyond dispute: “Behold, he cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall see him, AND THEY ALSO WHICH PIERCED HIM (The Jews in 34 AD):  and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him.”  Rev 1:17

At the second coming they will finally be able to be for given because they will realize they made a great mistake: “They (The Jews of 34 AD who will be reborn for the second coming) shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first born.”  Zech 12:10

There is perhaps no punishment greater than coming face to face with a great error and having to accept the truth whether you want to or not.  When Jesus comes again the ancient Jews reborn will definitely recognize him for who he is.  They will also see their blindness in their current lives, but it is also quite possible that their memory of their past lives in the days of Jesus will return to them so they can feel the enormity of their shame.  After two thousand years they will realize they killed their Savior.

Jesus spoke further of this:  “And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.  But the Children of the kingdom (the Jews 34 AD) shall be cast out into outer darkness:  there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”  Matt 8: 11-12

When the reincarnated Jews (and they may not be Jews in this life) face their rude awakening they will weep and gnash their teeth in despair and disgust with themselves and may not feel worthy or ready for the teachings of Christ for sometime.  Forgiveness is promised them at the second coming, but apparently they have to go through some anguish (and who knows what  else) first.

Our prayer should be that we will not be caught in the same predicament as the ancient Jews where the blind were following the blind and refused to examine any doctrine that was not approved by authorities.  Let us be open as a little child and be pre pared to “believe ALL things” so when the Christ  does come again we will not be  caught without our wedding garment.

Jesus taught a very important principle:  “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you.  For EVERY ONE that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.  Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?  Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, HOW MUCH MORE shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?”  Matt 7:7-11

Indeed.  We know how to give good gifts to our children, and whenever they ask for any good thing no matter how bad they have previously been, we will go out of our way to give it to them. We would not consider saying to our children:  “I will forgive you for a certain time period, and then no more for all eternity.”

Hypocrites!  They think they are more righteous than God, that they will go to greater extremes to save their children than God will for us.  NO NO NO!!!  The opposite is true.  God knows how to give better gifts than we do and when we ask for a good thing he is committed to give it to us.  He has put no time limit on it.  He did not say ask only until you die but merely ASK. Period.  If we ask during this life, the space between lives, or in the next life, then he is our committed Father waiting with love to respond and has devised a plan where we can all receive a second chance because a father (that is a loving Father) will ALWAYS give his children a second chance, and a third, and a forth…etc.

One should feel good about contemplating the doctrine of reincarnation, especially when thinking of all those who died in ignorance of the gospel, many who may be good friends, loved ones, or family.  It is scriptural to believe the following: If we wish our loved ones could achieve salvation, then God wishes something better and has complete power to carry out his will. “God having provided something better for us, that they (the dead) WITHOUT US should not be made perfect.”  Heb 11:40

The dead and the living have a karma that is intertwined and we must both work together in the flesh again to correct all of our problems and the problems of the planet.  We shall all rise again and work together and be perfected until the “last enemy” of death is destroyed and we achieve immortality or the resurrection of eternal life.

Copyright by J J Dewey

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Reincarnation and Mormonism, Part 1

Joseph Dewey
This entry is part 1 of 6 in the series Reincarnation & Mormonism

ONE LIFE OR MANY?

“Great God!   Where is common sense and reason?  Is there none on the earth?” exclaimed a somewhat frustrated Joseph Smith as he was trying to drill the simplest logic into the minds of the saints.  (See Documentary History of the Church Vol 5:297)

He also said: “There has been great difficulty in getting anything into the heads of this generation.  It has been like splitting hemlock knots with a corn-dodger for a wedge, and a pumpkin for a beetle.  Even the saints are slow to understand.  I have tried for a number of years to get the minds of the saints prepared to receive the things of God; but we frequently see some of them, after suffering all they have for the work of God, WILL  FLY TO PIECES LIKE GLASS as soon as anything comes that is CONTRARY TO THEIR TRADITIONS:  they cannot stand the  fire at all.  How many will be able to abide a celestial law, and go through and receive their exaltation, I am unable to say, as many are called, but few are chosen.”  DHC 6:183-185

Here we see Joseph’s feelings after trying to teach the simplest truths.  Imagine the difficulty he would have had if he had taught about reincarnation.   We will show that he believed in the doctrine, but wisely kept it to himself for this was one of the hidden mysteries that he dared not reveal.

The teaching of reincarnation as presented here is truly a two edged sword.  Members of the Mormon Church cannot be luke warm to this revealed concept.  They will either delight in the truth of this glorious revelation, or fight with all their strength to denounce it as a doctrine of the devil.

This article will prove beyond refutation that the latter simply cannot be done!  All truth is logical and we will show without doubt from the scriptures and the words of the prophets that the holy doctrine of reincarnation provides the only possible solution to the dilemma regarding the injustices among men and the salvation of  his eternal soul.

Will good LDS members fly apart like glass as the true doctrine of eternal lives is now clearly presented, or will they open their hearts and minds and let the Holy Spirit of God verify these things to them as it has to us?

We’ll begin with two well known statements made by Joseph Smith that strongly indicate that he knew of the doctrine of multiple lives, but felt it would be disaster to express it publicly.  To the Twelve he said:  “Would to God, brethren, I could tell you WHO I AM!  Would to God I could tell you what I know!  But you would call it blasphemy and want to take my life.” (Life of Heber C. Kimball; Page 333)

On Sunday, April 7, 1844, just two  months before  his martyrdom he gave one of his strongest public hints to the fact that he had previous lives he could not reveal.  This was his finest hour as he addressed twenty thousand Saints on the character of God at the funeral of King Follett.  At the end of this, one of his last sermons on the earth, he said:  “NO MAN KNOWS MY HISTORY.  I CANNOT TELL IT.  I shall never undertake it.  I don’t blame anyone for not believing my history.  If I  had not experienced what I have, I would have not believed it myself…When I am called by the trump of the  archangel and weighed in the balance, YOU WILL ALL KNOW ME THEN.   I add no more.  God bless you all.  Amen”  [Documentary History of the Church; Vol 6:  Page 317]

What was there in his history that “no man” knew and that he could not tell?  Why would those closest to him want to take his life if he revealed himself?   These were indeed strange statements from the Prophet for many were quite familiar with his history as Joseph Smith.  In fact,  he insisted on having a scribe  by his side at all times for the purpose of keeping an exact historical  record.  Whatever it was in his history that he was holding back was never clearly revealed to the church in his age or in the present age.  One thing we do know for sure, however, is that it would have been startling.

What would the saints  have done if he had said something like this? “Brethren, I wish to reveal myself unto you.  Keeping this within myself has been a heavy burden and I wish to unload it.  Let me read you a verse from Daniel, chapter twelve, verses ten and thirteen concerning a promise to this man:  ‘Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly:  and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand… But go thy way until the end be:  for thou shalt rest, AND STAND IN THY LOT AT THE END OF DAYS.’

“Here we are told, brethren, that there are many things to transpire in the latter days that only the wise will understand, so use wisdom,  and know that the prophecy made to Daniel is now fulfilled and will yet be fulfilled in a greater measure for Daniel is here standing before you, only he is now known as Brother Joseph.  Before my life as Daniel, I reigned as King David, and before that I was Joseph who was sold into Egypt.  In more recent history I was Mormon, so you see that when Moroni appeared to me he was not working with any stranger.

“This is not all.  I am a stranger and pilgrim to this planet and have lived in other star systems in ages past where I learned the lessons necessary to fulfill my mission on the earth which encompasses not only past lives,  and the present, but future lives as well…“

We ask you.  Would a revelation such as that have evoked a response or not?   The reaction would have been violent.  The brethren would have been so shocked and angry that they would have decided that Joseph would have to be silenced to save the honor of the church, and they would have killed him in the name of the Kingdom of God

Unfortunately, the time was not ripe to reveal the doctrine of reincarnation, or “eternal lives”  as Joseph called it, for the people would have hardened their hearts to that truth and it would have hindered the church of God.  The Prophet realized this when he stated:  “It is not always wise to relate all truth.”  DHC 6:608.

He also said: “The design of the great God in sending us into this world, and organizing us to prepare us for the eternal worlds, I SHALL KEEP IN MY OWN BOSOM at present.”   DHC 5:403

In addition he said:  “I have NEVER had the opportunity to give them (the saints) the plan that God has revealed to me.”  DHC 3:286

Now the average Mormon believes he has a pretty good grasp of the plan of salvation and the reason for his mortal existence, but the founder, Joseph Smith, said he was not even able to reveal it.  Therefore, none of the members of the church today are even aware of “the design of the great God in sending us into this world” for that design includes a series of rebirths until each of us eventually attains perfection..

Joseph also refused to elaborate on the conversation of Jesus and Nicodemus when he was asked the meaning of  “Except a man be born of water  and the spirit?” (See DHC 5:325)

Are not we all aware that this merely refers to baptism and the receiving of the Holy Ghost? Members in Joseph’s time were also aware of this.  Therefore, what interpretation of this scripture was Joseph keeping from us?

Let us review it and see: Jesus was talking with Nicodemus and said: “Except a man be BORN AGAIN, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

“Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old?  Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee.  Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  That which is born of flesh  is flesh; and that which is born of Spirit is spirit.  Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again.  The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and wither it goeth:  so is everyone that is born of the Spirit.

“Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?

“Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master in Israel, and knowest not these things?” John 3:3-10

Jesus began the conversation  by making the point blank statement that a man must be  born again to see the kingdom and Nicodemus immediately  assumed he was referring to some kind of physical rebirth.  Jesus did not deny this, but began to elaborate and tell Nicodemus that a person must go through two rebirths to see the kingdom of God.

The first rebirth is of the flesh.  A person born in the flesh is “born of water”,  for before birth a baby is completely submerged in water in the mother’s womb.  Baptism is given as a symbol of rebirth,  or reincarnation, but the real meaning here that Joseph was hesitant to reveal is that the physical kingdom  of God was not to manifest in the days of Jesus and one must be born again in the flesh (reincarnated in a future age) to see it.

Jesus also said that the kingdom of God is within us.  This is the Spiritual kingdom, and to see this one must be born again of the Spirit and receive the Holy Ghost.  Those who are born of the Spirit are like the wind, said Jesus.  You can’t tell where they come from or where they go.

What did he mean by this?  It is quite simple.  Those who are born of the Spirit as was Jesus and the prophets show up among mankind unexpectedly and the people they confront are confounded.  They wonder who they are, where they came from, and where they got their  great knowledge.  To ordinary people these avatars are like the wind.   They hear them and marvel, but don’t know where they came from or where they are going.  People are not aware when they are confronted by an advanced being that is born of the Spirit because their identities are hid as they are born again in new bodies from life to life.

Those who are born again are free to come and go on the earth as they choose as Jesus hinted at: “I am the door:  by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, AND SHALL GO IN AND OUT (of physical bodies like the wind) and find pasture.”  John 10:9

Those who are not born again are dragged in and out of mortality with little choice as to where and when they will be born.  A true disciple of Jesus has a great advantage in being able to plan his life and mission on the earth.

Nicodemus was astounded by this doctrine of Jesus.  He knew he was talking about something deeper than ordinances and exclaimed:  “How can these things be?  Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?”

If Jesus appeared to the modern day authorities in the Mormon Church and taught reincarnation would not they exclaim as Nicodemus:  “How can these things be?”

His ancient answer would still be appropriate:  “Art thou masters in Israel, and knowest not these things?”

Fortunately we are approaching: “A time to come in the which NOTHING shall be withheld, whether there be one God or many Gods, they shall be manifest.  All thrones and dominions, principalities and powers, shall be revealed and set forth upon all who have endured valiantly for the gospel of Jesus Christ.”  D&C  121:28-29   “…All shall know me, who remain, even from the least unto the greatest, and shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord.”  D&C 84:98  “And their wisdom shall be great, and their understanding reach to heaven.”  D&C 76:9  “For precept MUST be upon precept.”  Isa 28:10

Copyright by J J Dewey

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Reincarnation and Mormonism, Part 2

Joseph Dewey
This entry is part 2 of 6 in the series Reincarnation & Mormonism

DOCTRINE OF THE DEVIL?

The belief that reincarnation is the doctrine of the devil can be traced to a statement the Prophet Joseph recorded in church history.   In November 1835 a man who went by the name of Joshua paid a visit to the Prophet.  The man evidently had some truth for Joseph said he made some “excellent remarks”.   However, he was suspicious of him and discovered that he was Robert Matthias of New York who had endured trials for “murder, manslaughter, contempt of court, whipping his daughter, etc”  Despite this Joseph entertained him for a few days and finally asked him to enlighten him “on his views respecting the resurrection.”

Matthias made four statements:   (1)  He was a literal descendant of Matthias, the apostle of Jesus.  (2)  The spirit of Matthias was resurrected in him.  (3)  The scheme of eternal life was the transmigration of the spirit from father to son.  (4)  He was the Spirit of Truth itself and possessed the soul of Christ.

To this Joseph Smith said: “I told him that his doctrine was of the devil, that he was in reality in possession of a wicked and depraved spirit.”   Joseph pressed him to leave and upon his departing he said:  “And so I, for once, cast out the devil in bodily shape, and I believe a murderer.”  DHC 2:304-307

Let’s examine the four statements of Matthias and see if Joseph Smith was correct about him.  The first statement is the only one that may be true.  It is remotely possible that he was a descendant of the apostle.  Presumedly he merely assumed such because that was his last name.

On point two it’s very unlikely that he possessed the spirit of Matthias, or was Matthias reincarnated because the apostle Matthias was a just and holy man; whereas Robert Matthias was a suspected murderer and wife beater.  People generally make progress from life to life, not go backward.

Number three is also false doctrine since the scheme of things is not to have one’s spirit passed down from father to son.  One is often reincarnated in a body unrelated to a previous life.  Eventually we will incarnate on other worlds.

Number four is also false; he certainly did not possess the soul of Christ.

Interestingly, we who believe the true doctrine of reincarnation can say along with the Prophet Joseph that the teaching of Robert Matthias is the doctrine of the devil, or from a deceptive source.

A second major objection to reincarnation comes from a misunderstanding of the doctrine.  Many think that anyone who believes in the teaching fear they will come back as a cow, a dog, or even a rock.  This is simply not so.  We use a series of embodiments to gain the experience and knowledge necessary to take us from the man to the God kingdom.  Thus we are in a constant state of eternal progression.

An exception would be a wicked person who  refuses learn from his mistakes.  Concerning this man  Brigham Young said that  “They will be THROWN BACK TO THEIR NATIVE ELEMENT from which they originated, TO BE WORKED OVER AGAIN.”  Journal of Discourses 2:12

“When the elements in an organized form do not fill the end of their creation, THEY ARE THROWN BACK AGAIN, like brother Kimball’s old pottery ware, to be ground up, AND MADE OVER AGAIN.”  Journal of Discourses Vol 1; Page 275.

The sons of perdition, according to Brigham Young, will have to begin their progression all over again and to get back to where we are now will take  “Myriads of years.”

This conforms to the  doctrine of reincarnation which is this:  That we reincarnate again and again on the earth until we manifest God.  On the other hand, those who are very selfish and evil cut themselves completely off from the Spirit of God and are broken down to their native element and eventually begin their progression over again on another physical world ages and ages hence.

The third major objection to multiple lives comes from the Bible.  In Hebrews 9:27 we read: “And as it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgement.”

The “once to die” sounds like an absolute statement not open to debate until we realize that it is boldly contradicted by the scriptures themselves: “Broad is the gate, and wide the way that leadeth to THE DEATHS…”  D&C 132:25

“They (the dead) were judged every man according to their works.  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.  THIS IS THE SECOND DEATH.   And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast (to suffer a second death) into the lake of fire.”  Rev 20:12-15

Modern day revelation sheds further light on exactly what the second death is: “Wherefore, I the Lord God, caused that he should be cast out from the Garden of Eden, from my presence, because of his transgression, wherein he became spiritually dead, which is the FIRST DEATH EVEN THE SAME DEATH WHICH IS THE LAST DEATH, which is spiritual, which shall be pronounced on the wicked when I  shall say:  Depart ye cursed.”  D&C 29:41

What was the first death???  It was being cut off from the presence of God and being placed in a state of probation in a MORTAL STATE subject to death and disease.  We are told here with startling clarity that the last or second death is the same as the first.  Therefore, those who suffer the second death will be (1)  Cut off from the presence of God and (2) Suffer disease and PHYSICAL DEATH all over again. If that is not reincarnation we do not know what is.

After we are told that man only dies once the scripture says “BUT after this the judgement.”  The word “but” comes from the Greek ALLA which literally means contrariwise. In other words, it indicates that the information that is forthcoming may contradict that which has just been said.

That would  mean that “after this the judgement” may have an opposite meaning to “it is appointed unto men once to die”.  It would indicate an exception as in the sentence:  “I rise every morning at 8:00 A.M., except when the alarm does not go off.”

We shall see that when we examine the Greek word for “judgement” that the second half of the sentence does indeed contradict the first.

The word  “judgement”  here comes from the Greek word KRISIS. This is one of the most misunderstood words in the entire Bible.  Translators don’t quite seem to know how to handle it and have rendered it according to their bias rather than the actual meaning.  In the King James version it is translated as: accusation, condemnation, damnation, and judgement, but none of these portrays the word accurately.

The modern English word “crisis” (which is derived from the Greek word KRISIS) is a more accurate rendering than the Bible translations.  The actual Greek word implies a decision that brings correction. It is hard to give the meaning of this word with one English word, but the word “correction”  would probably be the closest.

The best scripture to help us understand the KRISIS is from John  5:28-29:   “The hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation (KRISIS).”

Here Jesus divides all resurrections into two categories.  The first he calls the “resurrection of life” and the second “the resurrection of  damnation”.  “Damnation” is a mistranslation.  The Greek KRISIS is more correctly rendered “correction” or “judgement that forces  correction” and generally refers to the second resurrection.

Taking this into consideration let us retranslate Hebrews 9:27: “And as it is appointed  unto mankind  once to be dying, but on the other hand, after this comes (the resurrection of) correction.”

Paul also said that God “will have ALL MEN to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”  I Tim 2:4  Is God’s will not all powerful?  Does he not have power to fulfill it?  Therefore, will not all men eventually  be saved and return to his presence?  If not then God is powerless, which thing can never be.

The resurrection of  life, or “endless lives” as Joseph called it,  is not as easy to attain as people think.  We are told that in  the days of Paul “only” Jesus had attained immortality. (See I Tim 6:15-16) Paul also tells us that he had not attained it because he was not yet perfect: “If by any means I might ATTAIN unto the resurrection of the dead.  Not as though I had already attained, either were already PERFECT:  but I follow after.”  Phil 3:11-128

The writings of Joseph Smith are in perfect harmony with Paul.  In fact, he makes the resurrection of life sound even more difficult to attain.  Most Latter-Day Saints assume that when they are exalted they will automatically receive the resurrection, but obviously they have not read the teachings of their founder:  “You have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God, the same as all Gods have done before you, namely by going from one small degree to another, and from a small  capacity to a great one; from grace to grace, FROM EXALTATION TO EXALTATION, UNTIL YOU ATTAIN TO THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.”  DHC 6:306

We  not only have to be exalted once, but a number of times before we overcome death.  After all Paul said: “The LAST enemy that shall be destroyed is death.”  I Cor 15: Concerning those  who receive an exaltation it is written  “And they SHALL (not have) overcome all things.” D&C 76:60 Thus even after one receives an exaltation he has to overcome many things, and the LAST thing to overcome is death,  and this only occurs after passing through numerous exaltations.

All those who have not passed through numerous exaltations will therefore attain another type of resurrection called the resurrection of KRISIS or correction.  These are the inhabitants of the telestial, terrestial, and some of the celestial kingdom, but    not the sons of perdition.  These sons of perdition will attain no resurrection in this sphere of activity, but will be sent back to  their native element to start all over again.

The scriptures tell us that the celestial inhabitants can choose whether or not to be subjected to death or endless life:  :”Wherefore, all things are theirs, whether LIFE OR DEATH, or things present, or things to come, all are theirs and they are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.”  D&C 76:59

This is a very subtle scripture but there is no escaping the fact that the choice of either “life or death” belongs to celestial inhabitants.  After all, that is what it says in black and white.

If a celestial inhabitant can choose death again then obviously he would have to be reincarnated at some time or another.

Brigham Young clearly tells us that Adam was one of those members of the celestial kingdom who chose death instead of life:  “When Father Adam came into the garden of Eden, he came into it with a CELESTIAL BODY…He helped make and organize this world.”  JD 1:50

He further quoted Adam as saying: “I once dwelt on an earth something like this IN A MORTAL STATE, I was faithful, I received my crown and exaltation.  I have the privilege of extending my work, and to its increase there shall be no end.”  Deseret News; June 18, 1873; Page 308.

We are clearly told that the celestial inhabitants have the are the only ones with any type of immortality: “For man is spirit.  The elements are eternal, and spirit and element INSEPARABLY CONNECTED, receive a fulness of joy.”  D&C 93:3

Who receives a fulness of joy?  We know the son of perdition does not and of the telestial inhabitants it is written: “These are they who are thrust down to hell.  These are they who receive NOT of his fulness…”  D&C 76:84&86

The terrestial inhabitants also miss this fulness: “These (those in the terrestial world) are they who receive of his glory, BUT NOT OF HIS FULNESS.”

Immortality in either of these two lower worlds is impossible according to D&C 93:33 because they do not have fulness of joy; therefore, their spirits and bodies are NOT inseparably connected.

Where does one receive a fulness of joy? “In thy presence is fulness of joy.”  Psalms 16:11  “They shall inherit the kingdom of God…and their joy shall be full forever.”  II Nephi 9:18

These scriptures indicate that a fulness of joy only takes place in the presence of God or the celestial kingdom.  Therefore, the celestial  is the only one of the three revealed  kingdoms where the spirit and body is “inseparably connected”.  Thus, of the three kingdoms, only the celestial has any degree of immortality and even there immortality is by choice.  They can choose “life or death”.  In other words, they can live in an immortal state until they feel they need some new challenge.  Then they choose mortality or “death” as did Adam.

The church has taught from the beginning that the earth is a part of the telestial kingdom.  During the temple ceremony in the telestial room the speaker reveals: “Brethren and sisters, this room represents the telestial kingdom, OR THE WORLD IN WHICH WE NOW LIVE.”

The description of the telestial world given in the Doctrine and Covenants  correlates with the information given in the temple  revealing that  planet earth (and possibly other physical planets) is the real telestial kingdom.

The highest inhabitants of the telestial world “shall be servants of the Most High.”  D&C 76:112 and the lowest “are they who suffer the wrath of God ON EARTH.”  D&C 76:104

We are further told that the telestial inhabitants receives “the administering of angels (as did Joseph Smith) who are appointed to minister for them, or who are to be ministering spirits for them; for they (us here on the earth now, the telestial inhabitants) shall be heirs of salvation.”  D&C 76:88

The original temples were built with three rooms representing the three kingdoms.  The saints progressed from one room or kingdom to another thus demonstrating with profound clarity that we pass from one life to another until we leave the telestial and go to a higher world, the terrestial, and finally, the celestial.

But that is not all.  The celestial is NOT the highest.  The scriptures tell us there are realms higher than this:   In the celestial kingdom “the white stone mentioned in Revelation 2:17 will become a Urim and Thummim to each individual who receives one, whereby things pertaining to A HIGHER ORDER OF KINGDOMS will be made known.  D&C 130:10

Higher orders of kingdoms than the celestial???  That’s something we were not taught in Sunday School, but there it is in the scriptures.  No revelation has elaborated on these higher kingdoms, and why should they?  The telestial kingdom that we are presently in  “surpasses all understanding”.  A description of any kingdom above the celestial would have no meaning to us in our present state of consciousness.

Those who fall short of the highest resurrection (the resurrection of life) and yet do not become sons of perdition go to the resurrection of KRISIS or correction and generally come back in another life to this telestial world.  When we fall short of the perfection of Christ the scriptures tell us that our defiled bodies will be destroyed and there will be a continuing separation of body and spirit until we overcome all things.   The word of God decrees:  “And when separated (spirit and body), man cannot receive a fulness of joy.  The elements are the tabernacle of God; yea, man is the tabernacle of God, even temples; (referring to our bodies)  and whatsoever temple (body) is defiled, GOD SHALL DESTROY THAT TEMPLE.”  D&C 93:34-35

Now we understand why it is written that “the wages of sin is death.”  Rom 6:23 When we sin and our bodies are defiled we are clearly told they will be destroyed.  This is why we are told that “the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” I Cor 15:26  We live life after life in the telestial kingdom each time sinning and falling short of the glory of God, leaving our bodies behind to be destroyed until we finally “come to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Eph 4:13) and manifest the glory of God through a life of sinlessness.  At that time we “put on immortality” as did Jesus.

The Bible agrees with modern day revelation on this subject:  “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?  If any man defile the temple of God (sin), HIM SHALL GOD DESTROY; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”  I Cor 3:16-17

Paul talks about the two resurrections and informs us that one will bring “corruption” and the other “life everlasting”: “For every man shall bear his own burden…Be not deceived; God is not mocked:  for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.  For he that soweth to his flesh shall OF THE FLESH REAP CORRUPTION; (the resurrection of KRISIS or rebirth in mortality) but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting (or the resurrection of life).” Gal 6:5-8

The word “corruption” here comes from the Greek PHTHORA which is derived from PHTHEIRO the same word that is used when Paul said that God shall “destroy” the defiled temples.  PHTHORA indicates a state of “decay”.

Thus Paul is simply telling us over and over that if our mind is centered on carnal things we will not put on immortality but reap corruption, decay, and eventually have our bodies destroyed.  How else can this scripture be fulfilled unless we are born again and put  on mortality instead of immortality?  How can we “of the flesh  reap corruption” in the telestial kingdom if the inhabitants are all immortal and there is no corruption or decay?

How do we escape the resurrection of KRISIS? “He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life (the resurrection of life), AND SHALL NOT COME INTO CONDEMNATION (“Condemnation” comes from KRISIS and means the resurrection of correction):  but is passed from death to life.” John 5:24

CONCLUSION:  The scriptures plainly tell us that there are two resurrections.  In the resurrection of life we put on immortality, but still have the free will to choose death.  In the resurrection of KRISIS we  will continue to live in a mortal state where our bodies are subjected to decay and destruction.

Copyright by J J Dewey

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Reincarnation and Mormonism, Part 3

Joseph Dewey
This entry is part 3 of 6 in the series Reincarnation & Mormonism

ELIJAH AND JOHN

Many people are very confused about who Elias and Elijah are after reading Joseph’s discourse on the subject. We need to clarify this before proceeding. He talks about three offices: that of Elias, the forerunner, Elijah the builder, and Messiah the teacher He compares the office of Elias to that of Aaron, Elijah to the Melchizedek, and speaks of Messiah as even higher. Joseph also writes of being visited by separate personages named Elias and Elijah.

These statements have received much ridicule from the Anti-Mormons because the name “Elias” is taken from the New Testament and is merely Greek for Elijah. In other words, as the New Testament calls Isaiah “Isaias” and Messiah “Christ” so does it call Elijah “Elias” because it was translated from the Greek and not the Hebrew as was the Old Testament.

Elias and Elijah refer to the same person in the Bible. For instance Luke 4:25, James 5:17, and Romans 11:2 definitely refer to the Old Testament Elijah but call him Elias.

I do not believe that Joseph was ignorant of this, but that he was describing three principles and merely chose the names Elias, Elijah, and Messiah to describe them. He could have called them A, B, and C. An angel that appeared to Joseph was also named Elias, but this was undoubtedly merely the name that Joseph decided to apply to it.

We needed to clarify this to delve into one of the most powerful scriptural witnesses for reincarnation which concern Elijah. Most LDS are familiar with the great prophecy of Elijah: “Behold, I will send you ELIJAH THE PROPHET before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” Malachi 4:5-6

Church authorities agree with us that this refers to Elijah’s appearance to Joseph Smith, but what few understand is that the scripture had a dual fulfillment. Elijah was also expected before the first coming of the Lord, and did appear in the guise of John the Baptist.

Luke tells us that John fulfilled the prophecy of the first coming of Elijah: “And he (John) shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS TO THE CHILDREN.” Luke 1:17

Concerning John Jesus said: “For this is he of whom it is written, Behold, I will send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding, he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffered violence, and the violent taketh it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if ye will receive it, THIS IS ELIAS, which was to come.” Matt 11:10-14

This last line is a poor translation which is corrected in most modern editions such as the Concordant: “And if you are willing to receive HIM, HE IS ELIJAH…”

These scriptures plainly tell us that John the Baptist fulfilled the prophecy of the coming of Elijah the Prophet before the first coming of the Lord. Jesus even identified him as Elijah.

No wonder John was able to go forward in the spirit and power of Elijah. He was Elijah.

Those who do not believe that John was Elijah will quote the scripture where the priests and Levites were sent to John: “And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered. No.” John 1:21

Here it sounds like John denied being Elijah. You couldn’t blame him if he did because such an admission may have caused an early death sentence. On the other hand, Joseph’s inspired version tells a different story:

And this is the record of John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? And he confessed and DENIED NOT THAT HE WAS ELIAS, but confessed, saying, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, saying, HOW THEN ART THOU ELIAS? and he said, I am not that Elias who was to restore all things. And they asked him, saying, Art thou that prophet? and he answered, No.  Inspired Version, John 1:20-22

Here it makes it clear that John knew he was Elijah come again. His answer was clear enough that the priests replied:

“How then art thou Elias?”

During the transfiguration we are told that both Moses and Elias (Elijah) appeared to Jesus, but the Inspired Version adds something rather startling for Mormon eyes. It says:

And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses, OR IN OTHER WORDS, JOHN THE BAPTIST AND MOSES; and they were talking with Jesus.       Mark 9:3

You can’t get amore positive I.D. than that. “in other words” Elijah and John the baptist were one and the same.

After Peter, James, and John witnessed this event they became quite curious about Elijah because the scribes had told them that Elijah had to appear on the earth before the Messiah. The only thing they had seen of Elijah was the vision they had beheld with their Lord so they asked: “Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come (referring to the future), and restore all things. But I say unto you, That Elias IS COME ALREADY, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. THEN THE DISCIPLES UNDERSTOOD THAT HE SPAKE UNTO THEM OF JOHN THE BAPTIST.” Matt 17:1-13

It’s amazing that everyone doesn’t believe in reincarnation after reading this scripture. Jesus reveals as clear as the spoken or written word can be that John the Baptist was Elijah.

Those who argue that John was merely like Elijah in his mission have no case. For one thing, John’s mission was “to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:17), completely different from anything Elijah did. Secondly, the prophecies tell us that “Elijah THE PROPHET” would come, not Elijah the symbol.

Modern day revelation puts a seal on the doctrine that John the Baptist was Elijah the Prophet, not Elijah in spirit only. In 1823 Moroni said: “Behold , I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, BY THE HAND OF ELIJAH THE PROPHET, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. D&C 2:1

And who revealed the priesthood to Joseph? All church members commemorate that great date when the priesthood was revealed: On May 15, 1829, as recorded in section thirteen, John the Baptist stood before Joseph and Oliver and revealed the Priesthood. Then he ordained them under his own hands.

Even though John only ordained Joseph and Oliver to the Aaronic priesthood he was the one that revealed both. At the time of his visitation he explained the function of not only the Aaronic but the Melchizedek Priesthood (DHC 1:39); thus both priesthoods were revealed by John.

After the Priesthood was revealed by John it could not be revealed by anyone else because it was already revealed.

Therefore, the only way the priesthood could have been revealed by “Elijah the prophet” was if John the Baptist and Elijah were the same person.

Copyright by J J Dewey

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Reincarnation and Mormonism, Part 4

Joseph Dewey
This entry is part 4 of 6 in the series Reincarnation & Mormonism

INTERESTING SCRIPTURAL EVIDENCE

There are numerous other scriptures that are only explained with the principle of reincarnation.  For the sake of space we shall just highlight a few.

 The Doctrine and Covenants quotes some of the words of Jesus while he was with his apostles in the flesh wherein he told them:  “For as ye have looked upon the long absence of your spirits from your bodies to be a bondage…” D&C 45:17

The natural question here is when did the twelve apostles ever have their spirits separated from their bodies if that was their first life on the earth?  Jesus had to be referring  to the space of time between lifetimes in the past lives of the Twelve when their spirits were separated from their bodies.

It is clear that reincarnation was a common belief in the days of Jesus for at one time he asked: “Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?  And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist:  some Elias; and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets.”  Matt 16:13-14

It is revealing that many of the people thought that Jesus may have been Isaiah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets born again.  Jesus said nothing to indicate that anyone was wrong in considering this.

An interesting power was given to the first Elders of the church:  “And verily I say unto you, that they who go forth, bearing these tidings unto the inhabitants of the earth, to them is given power to seal both on earth and in heaven, the unbelieving and rebellious; Yea, verily TO SEAL THEM UP UNTO THE DAY WHEN THE WRATH OF GOD SHALL BE POURED OUT UPON THE WICKED without measure.”  D&C 1:8-9

This is interesting that the Elders had the power to seal the wicked of 1831 to the fate of suffering  the wrath of God on the earth, which wrath would be over 150 years in coming.

How could the wicked of 1831 suffer in the latter-day tribulations if they are not reborn here on the earth to experience them?

Now we understand why eternal life is spoken of as being plural: “This is ETERNAL LIVES – to know the only wise and true God and Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent.  I am he.  Receive ye, therefore, my law.  Broad is the gate, and wide is the way that leadeth to the DEATHS: and many there are that go in thereat.”  D&C 132:24-25

Later in this section Joseph receives an interesting promise:  “And I command mine handmaid, Emma Smith, to abide and cleave unto my servant Joseph, and to none else.  But if she will not abide this commandment she shall be destroyed, saith the Lord; for I am the Lord thy God, and will destroy her if she abide not my law.  But if she will not abide this commandment, then shall my servant Joseph do all things for her, even as he hath said; and I will bless him and multiply him and give unto him an HUNDREDFOLD IN THIS WORLD, OF FATHERS AND MOTHERS, BROTHERS AND SISTERS, HOUSES AND LANDS, WIVES AND CHILDREN, AND CROWNS OF ETERNAL LIVES IN THE ETERNAL WORLDS.” D&C 132:54-55

First we see that men will live eternal lives (plural) and others will suffer deaths (plural).  Next we are told of an amazing promise made to Joseph Smith that he will be blessed in “this world”, meaning on this earth, with a hundred mothers, fathers, houses,  wives, and that he will live in a hundred different lands…How is this possible???  How could he have a hundred different fathers and mothers unless he was born at least a hundred times?

Then after he leaves this world we are told he will have “eternal liveS in the eternal worldS” In other words, when he has finished his missions in this world he will leave this planet and work on even greater tasks on other worlds visible and invisible and attain many crowns.

This is why Jesus is spoken of as having “many crowns” (Rev 19:12). He has has many victorious lifetimes.

Copyright by J J Dewey

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Eternal Lives, Chapter 1

Joseph Dewey
This entry is part 1 of 17 in the series Eternal Lives

121

Search for the Truth

Note: This book includes many LDS references to assist them in understanding the important principle of reincarnation, but people of all belief systems should find something of interest here.  Those who have read my shorter treatises of Reincarnation and the Bible and Reincarnation and Mormonism will enjoy the additional material and references included here.

When I was a young boy I remember hearing my neighbors discussing the story of Bridie Murphy, a girl who under hypnosis was able to recall previous lives on the earth.  At the time I thought that the doctrine of passing through numerous lives sounded fair and just and I accepted it with the faith of a child.  I thought that, for instance, if one were to die with unfinished goals or be cut off when he was young or happened to be crippled or blind all his life that it would indeed be fair to receive another chance. If there was only one life why is it that we are all born in such diverse circumstances – some favored, some disfavored?  How could a baby who had only taken a few breaths and died possibly gain any mortal experience?  We may hear many platitudes about how great his situation is in heaven, but why should he be denied the knowledge gained from a long mortal experience for all eternity.

J. Reuben Clark once said that he could not understand how one single life of trial even if we had a long one, could qualify us for an eternity of bliss since life seemed so short, and neither could I.

Life isbut a flicker of light between two eternities.  What great effect could one little flicker have on either of them?  A great effect could only come by many flickers.

When I started attending the LDS church about the age of 13 someone finally told me that we only have one life – that this was the doctrine of the church.  Since I believed the church I had to mentally accept this, but in my heart I still felt that those who had only lived a short life should have another chance to see what they could do if they had at least an average life span.  Finally, after I became more steeped in church doctrine I came across the scripture: “And as it is appointed unto men ONCE to die, but after this the judgment.” Heb.9:27.  There it was at last!  Now I was convinced. Man dies only once and he is born only once so there is no reincarnation. That settled it.  From then on I decided to put my faith in the justice of God, that he would make things right in the end, and not worry about it any more.  I went on a mission and if anyone brought up reincarnation I quoted them Hebrews 9:27 and bore my testimony and generally they had no defense  Then one day a newspaper ran an article about a couple who had lost a pair of twins in an Auto accident.  A short time later this couple gave birth to a second set of twins.  As this second set grew the couple noticed that they began to look and act exactly like the first. They even had moles in the exact same location.  As they learned to talk they even had flashbacks to their lives as the previous twins and remembered their old toys and began to show the same quirks of character as the first set.

When the non members and even some of the members asked for an explanation of this article I found that for the first time on my mission that I was without a satisfactory explanation.  About all I was able to come up with was that it must be a trick of the devil or else a very astounding coincidence, still in my heart I wondered about the whole truth of the matter.

Later on I did some experiments in hypnosis and took numerous people back to what they described a previous life.  Some were able to speak foreign languages and dialects and give detailed descriptions of ancient times.  I viewed these experiences with great wonder, but I wasn’t about to let them “shake my testimony”.  After all Joseph Fielding Smith and others said it was a doctrine of the devil – so it must be false.  The trick was in how could I explain this regression to previous lives?  I had several theories:  (1) Some tricky evil spirit took possession of their bodies during hypnosis and was trying to fool me.  Well, if this were the case the evil spirit was certainly consistent.  It seemed as if about ninety percent of those hypnotized were able to go back, even many who did not believe in reincarnation.  Also this evil spirit seemed to have a good memory as a person can be regressed weeks or even years later and recall the same past lives..  Also I have had experience with evil spirits numerous times in the past.  I have been attacked by them and have administered to others who have been possessed and each time I was able to discern them through the Spirit.  This time the spirit told me that no evil spirit was present so I went to my next theory: (2) I called this the race memory theory.  This theory states that each cell of the human body has inherit in it the memory of all our ancestors and at the moment of conception the memory of all of one’s ancestors are passed on.  This would explain why one could have in his subconscious mind memories of past lives.  This sounded the most logical so I accepted it.

Then one day I had a rather amazing occurrence.  I had become acquainted with a newly married couple and when we were having a party I hypnotized the wife while the husband was at the store. I took her back to several previous lives and she described names and dates in great detail.  After I brought her back to the present her husband returned and he was completely unaware of anything his wife had said (No he wasn’t listening at the door).  He agreed to hypnosis and to my amazement he described two previous lifetimes in exactly the same detail as his wife.  His wife had stated her husband’s name in a previous life and he recalled that same name. They were husband and wife in at least two previous lifetimes. Their stories coincided exactly.  Maybe that old devil was at it again I thought!  Still my faith was unshaken and I decided to put it on the shelf and wait.

Meanwhile I found out that many people went back to previous lifetimes under hypnosis to discover that they were of a completely different race.  They were regressed to people that they could not have been related to.  My race memory theory began to break apart. Still I figured that there could be no reincarnation as it would shatter too many cherished principles of the gospel, yet there must be an answer.

Finally, the answer came.  I will not give out all the details, but the spirit of the Lord came to me and gave me a difficult commandment that would not only affect me in this world, but the one to come.  Why would the Lord command me to do something contrary to my will and contrary to producing a state of happiness? I thought.  I would be damned if I obeyed and damned if I disobeyed, yet I put all the faith I had in the goodness of God and submitted.  God did not come down and erase all the problems his commandment created, I had to struggle with them, but as compensation to those who obey His will he paved the way for greater knowledge.  I began to see that His commandment would only be fair if there were more than one life.  Perhaps there was something I had done in a past life to warrant the commandment I had received, then if there were future lives all inequalities could be justified.  I began to ponder on this idea considerably and as I did I began to experience the truth of the words of Alma:  “If it be a true seed, or a good seed… behold it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves it must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.”  Alma 32:28

As I pondered more I saw how reincarnation was a master piece of a giant jigsaw puzzle that threw light on the entire scene. I began to see how little we really know.  It is like the story of the three blind men and the elephant.  One grabs a leg and says “I perceive that the elephant is like a tree.”  The second grabs the trunk and states:  “No, no the elephant is like a large hose.”  The third grabs the tail and says:  “you’re both wrong.  The elephant is like a rope.”  Actually, all three men were right, but because they only had a portion of the truth they had an entirely wrong idea of the whole elephant.  This is the way it is with us.  That portion that we have is correct, but we as a people have an entirely wrong idea of what the whole elephant looks like.  The Lord has said “I shall also speak unto ALL NATIONS of the earth and THEY SHALL WRITE IT.” II Nephi 29:12  The Lord has indeed spoken to all nations of the earth and they have written it, but because that portion describes the tail, trunk or ear of the elephant and does not agree with the leg that we have we rise up and condemn them as being of the devil.  The key to judge was given by Moroni:  “Wherefore, all things which are good cometh of God.” Moroni 7:12  Read all of Moroni chapter seven and you will have a good idea of how to find the “best books” that Joseph Smith was commanded to search out.

Yes, the idea of many lives began to be delicious to me and enlighten my understanding, and broaden my mind.  I can, however, understand many people’s repulsion to it for as many say  “Once is enough!”  They say this because they never want to go through the trials they have had in life again, but what men fail to realize is that this earth is the hell most often talked about in the scriptures and it will continue to be until we follow Jesus’ advice to “take my yoke upon you… and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  Matt 11:29-30.  When a person reaches a certain point of progression along the path he begins to overcome his enemies and actually looks forward to future trials and almost relishes in them.  The burdens and cares of earth life begin to be light “And they desire a better country, that is an heavenly.”  Heb. 11:16.

Reincarnation also answered some strange aspects of LDS doctrine.  For instance, The church believes that not only will all men be resurrected but all living things will.  This is derived from the scripture:  “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”  I Cor 15:22  This “all” we are told means everything including animal, birds, bees plants, insects and even bacteria.  Has anyone ever stopped to think what this would mean?  It would mean that every fly that has ever lived would come back and be immortal.  Taking into consideration the shorter life span of the fly the results would spell disaster indeed.  For every person now living there may have only a couple times that amount since Adam, but for every fly now living there would have been thousands perhaps millions!  This could mean that in the resurrection there may be a million times more flies than there is now!!!  Do you call that heaven?  How about bacteria?  A human grows much more than his body weight in a lifetime of bacteria alone.  A man’s body will not be able to hold all of that when he comes back so what will happen?  Are we going to have immortal heaps of bacteria scattered around to distort our countryside?  Even if the animals alone are brought back they would be so numerous that it would make life unbearable for humans.  I might ad:  Let us hope that the immortal mosquito does not attempt to get whatever is in our immortal veins!

If such a point as this is brought up to the typical Mormon he will smile and say:  “Don’t worry yourselves about such matters.  God will work it all out.”

God not only “will” work it all out, He already has.  The fly will never reach immortality as a fly, even though his intelligence will never die and always progresses.  Instead at death the fly goes to the spirit world and comes back a short time later as a fly again.  Thus there is a limited number of spirits that take bodies as flies so we do not have to worry about being overwhelmed in any resurrection.  An oversoul for an insect may even control numerous bodies at one incarnation.  This is why there is such great unity and cooperation in various groups in the insect world.  Another interesting point is the fly, when it fills the measure of its’ creation will disappear completely from this earth.  Then the spirits will be free to seek another and higher form.

“But that can’t be true!” says one. “All things will be resurrected and be immortal.”

Sorry, but that is not what the scriptures say.  According to them only one has achieved immortality: “That thou keep this commandment without spot unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; WHO ONLY HATH IMMORTALITY, dwelling in a light which no man can approach unto… I Tim 6:16.  This is indeed an amazing scripture for it plainly tells us that only the Christ possesses immortality or the Greek ATHANASIA which means literally “Deathlessness” and is only found three places in the scriptures, none of which conflict with the above.  If this scripture is true, it would mean that those who were resurrected with the Christ are not yet immortal and will die again.  That also means that, at least up to the time of Timothy, no one else had experienced an immortal resurrection as Christ did.  That means that there is more than one type of resurrection as is plainly manifest in the scripture:  “Others were tortured not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a BETTER RESURRECTION.”  Heb 11:35. There are three Greek words in all from which the word “resurrection” is translated.

Putting all the pieces of the puzzle together we can safely say that only the highest resurrection produces immortality and man must pass through numerous lifetimes and “receive not a fullness at first… but continue from grace to grace (life to life), until he receive a fullness.”  D&C 93:12-13.  We must do as Jesus did and progress from life to life until we become like unto: “a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Eph 4:13  Then we may step forward ourselves and be like the savior as we have been commanded (Matt 5:48) and become the savior of an age: “That you may come unto the Father in my name, and in due time (after many lifetimes) receive of his fullness.” D&C 93:19.

Copyright by J J Dewey

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Eternal Lives, Chapter 2

Joseph Dewey
This entry is part 2 of 17 in the series Eternal Lives

The Inseparable Connection

My mind reflects back now to another curiosity in Mormon doctrine caused by a lack of information. The Church believes that many of us will go to the celestial kingdom and there become Gods and have spirit children and eventually create our own worlds and people them. Then our children on those worlds will pray to us and worship us as Gods. Since the course of God is “one eternal round” (I Nephi 10:19) that means that the course of God in the past will be like that of the future. Taking this into account it means that our God at one time lived on another world like this. This is recognized by Mormon doctrine since Lorenzo Snow said “as man is God once was.” Now the question that arises is this: When God was on this other world was he the Savior of that world, or was he an Apostle, or maybe he was just an Elder who was a faithful home teacher? Then too he may have died as a baby and only breathed a few breaths. Maybe he was born during a Millennium and knew no sin.

Let’s suppose that God was a typical member of the Church in His day. He had to spend most of his life just earning a living. He paid his tithes and offerings and did his home teaching and obeyed his Bishop. He never had any opportunity to be a savior for he would have never dreamed of comparing himself to such. Finally, he died and went off to the spirit world and there by some mysterious process learned everything necessary to be a God. Now he is up there in heaven and we worship him. The question I have is, would not God feel humiliated to have a Son like Jesus who showed him up so much when he came down for his life? If this were the case then Jesus did ten times as good in his earth life as his Father did. How can I show due respect to a God that has not experienced all the tribulation of earth life that I have? Such a God could not succor me in every time of need. One can only have a very limited number of experiences and trials in one life. Each person I meet can only understand a portion of my problems because only a portion of his problems are similar to mine. What right did God have to command Abraham to take the life of his son or Jesus to be crucified if he had not went through a similar experience himself? What right did God have to expect his son to be a savior if he had not done so himself?

Let us suppose that ten million souls on God’s original earth made it to the celestial kingdom and became Gods. That would roughly mean that we have one chance in ten million of having for our god the person that was the savior of a world. Chances would be our God is merely some Elder that did his duty, but wait! The scriptures tell us that we are the lucky ones! Our God was the Savior of a world. Jesus said: “The Son can do nothing of himself, but what HE SEETH THE FATHER DO: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth.” John 5:19-20

Here we have it! God must have been a savior at one time for what Jesus did when he was here was almost a carbon copy of what he saw the Father did. Our God then certainly does deserve our respect, but what about the other Gods who were not Saviors? How can their only begotten Sons say that they are doing what their Fathers did? How could they teach anyone else to be a Savior if they have not learned how and proven it through an actual life as a Savior themselves? They could not. To become a God we must “overcome all things” D&C 76:60 and “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” I Cor 15:26. Jesus overcame all things and the last enemy he overcame was death and after many lives it will be our last enemy for we as yet have not overcome all things for he “only hath immortality”. I Tim 6:16.

How could one possibly overcome all the weaknesses of mortality in one life??? Many believe that in some mysterious way we do not understand we will overcome the weaknesses of the flesh in the spirit. But how can this be so? If one did not pay his tithing because he was worried about feeding his family how can he possibly gain the faith necessary to do this in the spirit where he does not have to worry about survival? One can only overcome the things of the flesh IN THE FLESH. It is as Jesus said to his disciples:

“And I will show it plainly as I showed it unto my disciples as I stood before them in the flesh and spake unto them saying: As ye have asked me concerning the signs of my coming, in the day when I shall come in my glory in the clouds Of heaven, to fulfill the promises that I have made unto your fathers. For as ye have looked upon the long absence of your spirits from your bodies to be a bondage, I wil1 show unto you how the day of redemption shall come… D&C 45:16-17 Here Jesus was talking to the disciples during his mortal life and he commented on the apostles grumbling about the hardship of their spirits being separate from their bodies, obviously in the past. But if their life with Jesus was their first life, when were their spirits ever separated from their bodies and, how did they know it was a bondage? If their spirits had previously been separated from their bodies then sometime in their past they occupied other bodies. The disciples were merely complaining about their lack of progress between lifetimes!

The disciples like Abraham had lived numerous lives as shown in the scriptures: “And Joshua said unto the people, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, your father dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time… (The other side of the flood probably means before the days of the flood of Noah) … And I took Abraham FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FLOOD, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan…” Joshua 24:2-3. This scripture certainly implies that Abraham lived on the other side of the flood, or before the flood, in a previous lifetime

It is as Joseph Smith said: We progress “from grace to grace and exaltation to exaltation until we attain the resurrection of the dead” History of the Church Vol. 6:306

Now the common belief in the church is that we are resurrected and then exalted, but Joseph here states point blank that we must first not only be exalted, but go from exaltation to exaltation before we attain the resurrection.

As we shall see it is obvious that Joseph believed in reincarnation, but this was one of the doctrines he had to keep secret and teach only with subtle hints except for some close friends as indicated in Orson Whitney’s diary:

“During our talks he (Lorenzo Snow) told me that his sister, the late Eliza R. Snow Smith was a firm believer in the principle of reincarnation and that she claimed to have received it from Joseph the Prophet, her husband. He said he saw nothing unreasonable in it, and could believe it, if it came to him from the Lord or his oracle.” Diary of Orson F. Whitney June 8, 1889

Joseph Lee Robinson, a contemporary of Joseph Smith wrote:

“We also heard him [Joseph] say that God had revealed unto him that any man who ever committed adultery in either of his probations that that man could never be raised to the highest exaltation in the celestial glory and that he [Joseph] felt anxious with regard to himself and he inquired of the Lord and the Lord told him that he, Joseph, had never committed adultery [see D&C 132:41]. This saying of the Prophet astonished me very much. It opened up to me a very wide field of reflection. The idea that we had passed through probation prior to this and that we must have been married and given in marriage in those probations or there would be no propriety in making such an assertion and that there were several exaltations in the Celestial Kingdom of our God, the highest we supposed to be the Godhead and we conclude that there are several grades of exaltations in servants to the Gods. Be this as it may, this is what he said.” (The Journal of Joseph Lee Robinson, p.12)

Orson Hyde applied the term “baby resurrection” to the coming reunion with our bodies. By this he meant that instead of obtaining new bodies by raising out of the grave we will become babies again by coming out of the womb of a female. From An Intimate Chronicle: The Journals Of William Clayton, pg 429-430

Other of the early brethren referred to the resurrection as “multiple moralities” and were open to all possibilities as to how the resurrection will play out.

John Taylor clearly pointed out the need to overcome all things before any final triumph: “If any man or woman expects to enter into the celestial kingdom of our God without being tested to the very uttermost, they have not understood the gospel. If there is a weak spot in our nature, or if there is a fiber that can be made to quiver or to shrink, we may rest assured that it will be tested.” THE KINGDOM OF GOD OR NOTHING page 345. “For everyone shall be salted with fire.” Mark 9:49 “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even AS I ALSO OVERCAME, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” Rev. 3:21

Any reasonable person will admit that in one lifetime it would be impossible to be tested in all things or to overcome as did Jesus.

Clearly, then, we are to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and eventually live the perfect life: “And he that overcometh and keepth my works unto the end to him wil1 I give power over the nations.. EVEN AS I RECEIVED OF MY FATHER. Rev 2:26-27 “As my Father hath sent me, even so I send you.” John 20:21. Finally God says: “Him that over cometh I will make a pillar in the temple of my God, AND HE SHALL GO NO MORE OUT (Shall not have to be reborn) Rev 3:12

To show clearly that we only achieve immortality after we achieve the status of the Christ we quote: “For man is spirit. The elements are eternal, and spirit and element, inseparably connected, receive fullness of joy. And when separated, man cannot receive fullness of joy.” D&C 93:33-34

Now I will make a statement that is beyond refute: If a fullness of joy is produced by an inseparable connection of the body and spirit then any connection where there is not an eternal connection will not produce a fullness of joy. If a fullness of joy is not produced then the union of spirit and body is temporary.

Where is there not a fullness of joy?

Obviously there is not a fullness of joy in the lower worlds of the terrestrial and telestial.

So what does this tell us?

That beyond scriptural argument the spirit and body can yet be separated and die in the lower worlds.

Those earmarked for the lower worlds are those who are subject to corruption to some degree. Where there is corruption there is always the disintegration of the form. The scriptures are clear “Whatsoever temple (body) is defiled, GOD SHALL DESTROY THAT TEMPLE.” D&C 93:35. All those in the lower kingdoms have sinned and defiled their temples so their bodies shall be destroyed. Furthermore I must point out that a Fullness of joy which produces immortality only comes in the presence of God: “In thy presence is fullness of joy.” Psalms 16:11 “They shall inherit the kingdom of God…and their joy shall be full forever.” II Nephi 9:18. Finally we see that fullness of joy comes from living a life like the Christ: “And for this cause ye shall have fullness of joy; and ye shall sit down in the kingdom of my Father; yea, your joy shall be full, EVEN AS THE FATHER HATH GIVEN ME FULLNESS OF JOY; AND YE SHALL BE EVEN AS I AM…” III Nephi 28:10.

That there is a resurrection of corruption is plainly set forth by Paul: “Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap (Often in a future life). For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh REAP CORRUPTION (Greek PHTHORA means decay); but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” Gal 6:7-8.

The doctrine of reincarnation was revealed to Joseph Smith near the end of his life, but instead of calling it reincarnation he called it “eternal lives”. D&C 132:25&55. The church has always assumed that the reason the word “lives” is plural is because more than one individual will achieve eternal life (or the husband and wife together make two eternal lives) but this idea does not coincide with the scripture: “But if she (Emma) will not abide this commandment, then shall my servant Joseph do all things for her, even as he hath said; and I will bless HIM (singular) and multiply him and give unto him an HUNDREDFOLD IN THIS WORLD, of fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, houses and lands, wives and children, and crowns of ETERNAL LIVES IN THE ETERNAL WORLDS.” D&C 132:55.

Here the Lord was definitely speaking to Joseph Smith alone, not including his wife or anyone else and promised him IN THIS WORLD (this earth existence) an hundredfold of fathers and mothers (whoever heard of having one hundred fathers and mothers?) brothers and sisters, houses (know anyone who lived in one hundred houses?) lands (How could he live in one hundred countries in one life?), wives and children (Joseph Smith never had one hundred wives and children in this world).

Remember up to now the scripture deals with “this World,” not the next. However, the scripture plainly points out that only the last few words refers to the next world: “And crowns of eternal lives (plural) in the eternal worlds (plural). In other words, we will live many lives on many other different earths, worlds far superior to this. Instead of living on a telestial earth like this we will go to terrestrial and celestial worlds made of matter whose atoms vibrate to a purer tone whose nucleus of light shines through unfolded electrons until the bodies shine like the sun where there is no night. The highest glory we may obtain in this telestial earth (where we currently live) is to be “servants of the Most High.” D&C 76:112. All the worlds you see in the sky at night are of a telestial order. The higher worlds are in a light beyond normal vision.

Only in the Celestial and above can there be a fullness of joy where standard excursions into mortality will not be necessary.

Copyright by J J Dewey

Eternal Lives, Chapter 3

Joseph Dewey
This entry is part 3 of 17 in the series Eternal Lives

Physical Evidence

Not only did my own experiments, experience and study of the scriptures such as mentioned previously help convince me of reincarnation, but there are hundreds of documented cases of people remembering their past lives.  I have personally met people who remember past lives with normal consciousness without the aid of any regression techniques.

This conscious remembering is not as rare as many may think and this phenomenon caught the attention of Dr. Ian Stevenson, the former head of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Virginia, about forty years ago.  Since that time he has traveled the world studying these people and has accumulated about 3000 cases in his files.

Most of the more amazing cases occur with young children just a couple years old who are just learning to speak.  As a general rule they remember the past life for a  couple years and lose the memory around the age of five or six.

In a typical situation the child may insist that her parents are not really her parents, but that her true parents (and perhaps spouse) are in another city or part of the country).  Dr. Stevenson tries to catch these children before they had a chance to visit their home of a previous life and take them there and scientifically examine their response.  In many cases the child’s memory of a past life is proven, for the name given out is discovered to be a real person who died.  The child is then taken to the home of her past life and will identify dozens of memories that she could have not acquired in this life.  If there is some secret hiding place he or she will identify this.  If there are favorite possessions, these will be pointed out.

In one case a young girl identified a previous spouse who refused to believe that the little girl was his dead wife reborn.  She gave identification after identification of information only the wife could have known, but still the guy was unconvinced.  In desperation the little girl pulled him aside and step by step told him exactly what she did to him when they made love as husband and wife.  That did the trick.  The man was convinced.

Basically Dr. Stevenson likes to get about twenty-four items of identification from the child of things that she could have not known, about the family and circumstances of the past life before he will take it seriously or even write about it.

In 35% of cases he investigated, children who died an unnatural death developed phobias. For example, if they had drowned in a past life then they frequently developed a phobia about going out of their depth in water. If they had been shot, they were often afraid of guns and sometimes loud bangs in general. If they died in a road accident they would sometimes develop a phobia of traveling in cars, buses or trucks.

If the child’s previous life possessed a talent of some kind then the child shows a disposition to that talent as he or she matures.

The child will often express a wish for the type of food she had in a past life.

If the child was a different sex in the past life then the person will often be homosexual in the current life.

This is all the type of information that I and others who have done regression  work have discovered, but unable to give scientific proof.  The difference with Dr. Stevenson is that he delivers actual proof.

Now some will look at this type of evidence and declare that it is the work of the devil – that some tricky evil spirit is deceiving these children.

This is a poor excuse used since the beginning of time by those who have attempted to escape the power of logic and thought, and has been used against every holy man that God has sent including Jesus.  Even with the great evidence of the miracles He demonstrated before unbelieving eyes He was himself accused of being possessed by evil and doing  his miracles by the power of the evil one.  Also Joseph Smith is often accused of writing the Book of Mormon by the power of the devil.

However, the scriptures give evidence that Dr. Stevenson’s children are not influenced by Satan for it is written:

But behold, I say unto you, that little children are redeemed from the foundation of the world through mine Only Begotten;  Wherefore, they cannot sin, for power is not given to Satan to tempt little children, until they begin to become accountable before me.  D&C 29:46-47

Also: “little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing sin.” Moroni 8:8

If indeed reincarnation is the “doctrine of the devil” and wrong – or a sinful belief, then according to scripture the evil one would have no power to tempt children under the age of eight (the age of accountability) to remember past lives of actual people.

Scripture also says: “Now this is not all; little children do have words given unto them many times which confound the wise and the learned.” Alma 32:23

This is indeed the case with Stevenson’s studies.  The little children he works with have come up with powerful evidence that have confounded the wise and learned of the world.

If the reader is interested in reading numerous case studies Dr. Stevenson has done I would recommend the book:  “Children who remember Previous Lives.”

It is available at Amazon.com. Click on the following link.
Children Who Remember Previous Lives

Perhaps even more startling than the evidences derived from recalling past lives is Dr. Stevenson’s more recent work on corresponding birthmarks from one life to the next.  He discovered that if one has a wound, particularly one that caused death, such as a gunshot, that the person will often have a birthmark in the exact placed where the wound was in a past life.  What is even more fascinating is that if the person received a bullet wound which penetrated the body and left an exit hole that the entity will have a birthmark at both the point of entrance and exit.

Even more interesting is that the exit wound is larger than the entrance, and when the corresponding birthmarks are examined he found that the birthmark at the location of the exit wound was also much bigger.

Dr. Stevenson examined 895 children, who remembered past lives, for birthmarks, corresponding to wounds and found related birthmarks on 309 of them or 35%.

The chances of this happening are very miniscule.  The average adult has about 17 square feet of skin stretching over his body.  That is 2448 square inches.  Now the chances of finding a birthmark on the same square inch of the body in a current life as a wound in a past life is 2448:1.  The chances of finding a birthmark on the same square inch of both an exit and entrance wound is much greater:  5,992,704 to one, yet Stevenson turned up this startling evidence time and  time again.

The interesting thing about the birthmark study is that the “tricky devil:” theory is even more ridiculous.  To believe the devil is bouncing around stamping birthmarks on children defies all logic.

One can read much more on this subject of birthmarks and examine the evidence himself from Dr. Stevenson’s book: “Where Reincarnation and Biology Intersect.”

One can check this out HERE

In addition to this he has a more exhaustive 2200 page study called “Reincarnation  and Biology.”

Another interesting evidence of reincarnation comes through Near Death Experiences (NDE).

Amber Wells of the University of Connecticut wrote a research paper based on her study of the near death experience for her senior honors thesis under the direction of Dr. Kenneth Ring.  She discovered that 70 percent of the people who experience NDE believe in reincarnation, and many of them so believe because of something gleaned from the experience.  On the other hand, according to Gallup only 23 percent of Americans in general believe in the doctrine.  These statistics bear out that there is something about the experience that convinced many who saw a glimpse of the great beyond that there is more than one life.

One event given by many is what is called the life review.  Some report being given the ability to review their whole life in detail, but in addition to this many also reported the obtaining of a vision of numerous past lives.

Then others report seeing entities waiting to be reborn or being told that they will have future lives.

Here in the West we tend to look on a belief in reincarnation as a minority belief expressed by a few new agers, but many do not realize that more religious people of the world accept the doctrine than reject it.

Interestingly, many of the American Indians believed in reincarnation.  The Dakota tribe taught that man lived at least four lives and in between those lives he lived with the Gods and received instruction in magic and healing.  Many of the Indian medicine men claimed to remember past lives.  The Indian hunters did not believed they actually killed an animal, but just deprived it of its body for a short time.  Often among  the Tibetans as well as Eskimos if there is an old man who knows he is going to die he will find a young couple that he likes and ask permission to be their future child.  If they accept he will give that couple his personal things that he wants for his next life and then wander off to die.  There are numerous occurrences where babies of such couples will claim such articles as their own, and for a short period of time have a recollection of the past life associated with them.

This searching for marks of identification is very common among cultures that believe in reincarnation, and especially among the Tlingit Indians and the Igbos of Nigeria. Various tribes of West Africa make marks on the body of the recently deceased in order to be able to identify the person when he or she is reborn.

All the evidence I discovered helped me to believe in reincarnation, but I did not know it for sure until the day I discovered that I had lived before. This changed my whole life and outlook and opened my eyes to a new world of seeing.

I was amazed and almost wished it wasn’t true because of the problems it could create for my church membership, but for once  in my life I realized that an average member of the church like myself may become aware of the truth of many doctrines that  neither the prophet or the general authorities know anything about.

If the reader even after seeing all the evidence of reincarnation is still not convinced he should seek an answer through the Spirit as commanded in the scriptures.  Ask with a sincere heart and you will receive an answer through the Holy Spirit.

The promise  in the Book of Mormon pertains to all true works.  Read Alma 32  and D&C 9:7-9 and see if the doctrine of reincarnation does not generate the feelings and results described.  You are commanded  to “try the spirits whether they are of God.” I John 4:1.  Remember  you are not commanded to ignore the sprits or claim they are from  the devil, or to try and destroy them, but “try them”.  It is as  Joseph Smith said: “When was the time that I was ever confounded?”  This doctrine cannot be confounded or proved wrong because it is  true and it is in the scriptures despite the efforts of the  Great and Abominable Church to remove all reference to the  doctrine.  The truth cannot be removed and  darkness only lasts during the night and then cometh the day and  we see with a perfect light.

Copyright 1996 by J J Dewey

Eternal Lives, Chapter 4

Joseph Dewey
This entry is part 4 of 17 in the series Eternal Lives

Precept Upon Precept

The doctrine of reincarnation will be a comfort to the pure in heart, a stumbling block and thorn in the side to those who make flesh their arm and rely on priestcraft, and darkness to those who reject it and are now in the twilight zone of belief. This doctrine is not a new revelation. It is believed by over half the people in the world and is also plainly manifest in our scriptures as we shall show, yet this teaching is declared by some authorities to be the doctrine of the devil. Since the church authorities believe this to be the doctrine of the devil, they are likely to believe that I am from the devil. This is no new experience for a bearer of truth, for of Jesus the people (especially the leaders) thought that “He hath a devil and is mad so why hear ye him.” John 10:20. Others thought “he hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth out devils.” Mark 3:22. Many thought that John the Baptist was a wild man and that Jesus was a glutton and wine bibber. Some Jews thought the apostles were drunkards. Lehi’s’ family thought that he was a deluded dreamer. Others thought Lehi’s descendants Nephi and Lehi in the third book of Nephi were insane. In modern times the world has fulfilled Moroni’s promise to Joseph Smith that “his name should be had for good and evil among all nations.” Joseph Smith 2:33. Many who are in darkness believe that he was lead by the devil. It is a common thing that when a rock of truth is thrown into a stagnate pool – there are ripples of repulsion and those who are in self righteous apathy are awakened and forced to fight either for or against God.

The time is verily coming when “out of His (the Christ) mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations.” Rev 19:15. The sharp sword is truth or the word of God, and that word shall smite the hearts of the children of men among the nations, “and the guilty taketh the truth to be hard for it cutteth them to the very center.” I Nephi 16:2. On the other hand, the righteous receive “the Holy Ghost even the comforter which sheweth all things and teacheth the peaceable things of the kingdom. D&C 39:6.

The doctrine of reincarnation is indeed peaceable to the righteous. Unfortunately, it is a difficult doctrine for the average Mormon (and most other Christians) to accept, and because of this I must present it with the authority of the scriptures for only by seeing how it is taught in the standard works can the average Mormon come close to accepting it. If one were to merely explain the doctrine with no authority he would be burned at the stake as an apostate if the laws of the land would permit it. The official doctrine of the Church is that only the four standard works are to be accepted as doctrine. Since the prophets of various generations have disagreed with each other, even their statements are not binding doctrine unless voted on and accepted by the church as scripture. With this in view we shall prove this “strange doctrine” from that which is accepted: the scriptures.

Alma said “Ye ought to search the scriptures.” Alma 33:2. Notice that he did not say “read”, but search. People think that if they read them they are fulfilling the commandment, but on the other hand those who do fulfill the commandment and discover “mysteries” are seen by many as agents of deception. Many rise up and condemn and become as Satan “the accuser of our brethren”. Rev, 12:10.

Many insinuate that searching out mysteries is wrong. I boldly declare this to be a doctrine of the Adversary, of the carnal apathetic mind who does nothing until he is commanded and receiveth no reward. D&C 58:26-29. Are we to be condemned for being like Nephi: “also having great desires to know the mysteries of God.” I Nephi 2:16. Chose ye this day! Are you like Nephi or are you like the-Latter-Day Saints in his prophecy that “is at ease in Zion.” II Nephi 28:24. “Wo be unto him that shall say WE HAVE RECEIVED THE WORD OF GOD, and we need no more word of God, for we have enough!” II Nephi 28:29.

Members read this Book of Mormon scripture and think it’s talking about the non Mormons and forget that Nephi was talking to those who are “at ease in Zion,” and to those who “have received the word of God.” The LDS is the only major Christian church who has claimed to receive the word of God. “Wo unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men, for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.” Matt 23:13.

At a general conference I heard a general authority say that he did not know all there was to know about faith so why be bothered about the weightier doctrines until we learn the simple ones. Another said the reason the general authorities repeat the same things over and over is because the saints have not learned them yet. Now on the surface this sounds logical until you actually try and apply the principle in any kind of learning activity. I remember-when I enrolled in Algebra II I probably did not know one third of what was in my Algebra I book, but I struggled at it and pretty soon the new concepts fell into place and I was able to grasp the higher principles. I found I began to remember and understand teachings I had forgotten or did not clearly grasp before. If I had applied the above peculiar philosophy and learned everything first in Algebra I it would have spelled disaster because I would have become very bored with all the repetition and frustrated that I could not remember everything perfectly. Requiring perfect learning before more is given could keep a student in Algebra I until he dies, and this is what happens to the to the typical Latter-Day Saint. The Adversary laughs and his angels rejoice that members are kept in Mormon One until they die, for he knows that “it is impossible to be saved in ignorance. D&C 131:6 “A man is saved no faster than he gets knowledge, for if he does not get knowledge, he will be brought into captivity by some evil power in the other world.” TOTPJS Pg 217

“Behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept… II Nephi 30-31. “Precept MUST BE added upon precept.” Isaiah 28:10. Interestingly, even the world in its folly realizes that precept must be added upon precept. If the world is this wise – the why not the church?

Isaiah gives a good example: “Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? doth he not open and break the clods of his ground? When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat and the appointed barley and the rie in their place?” Isa 28:24-25.

Isaiah’s admonition to ancient Israel is still applicable today. When we teach the same things over and over to the same person for his seventy-two years we are doing what Isaiah says even a plowman has the sense not to do. Does a plowman always plow??? No No No. When he is done he “casts in the principal wheat” and works toward the harvest.

The Church has, for several generations, been plowing the same field over and over, but the seed which is the word of God has not been sowed and the harvest which is the gathering of Israel (Lights) into a land of Zion (not to church meetings), or the coming “out of Babylon” Rev 18:4 has not been accomplished, nor is there any concrete steps taken to fulfill the commandment of the gathering for members are “at ease in Zion.” II Nephi 28:21.

Now I proceed to fulfill a commandment “that the time is verily come that it is necessary and expedient in me that you should open your mouths in proclaiming my gospel, the things of the kingdom, EXPOUNDING THE MYSTERIES THEREOF OUT OF THE SCRIPTURES according to that portion of the spirit and power which shall be given unto you.” D&C 71:1. If this means opposition, to fulfill this commandment, then one must drink the cup for men do not “light a candle and put it under a bushel.” Matt 5:15 Unto you who read this: “Ask that you may know the mysteries of God. D&C 8:11 “And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.” Moroni 10:5.

It is much more difficult for a Mormon, or standard Christian, to accept the doctrine of reincarnation than someone who has no religion at all simply because the mind of a member is not open to doctrine that has not been revealed. If any unusual doctrine is presented to the typical member he will reply “If that is true why hasn’t the prophet told us?” For some reason he assumes that no one could possibly know any truth unless the prophet proclaims it. He also assumes that the prophet knows everything there is to know. Many believe that he has daily walks with Jesus. Why so many assume such things when the prophet himself makes no such claim is a mystery in itself. Brigham Young clearly stated that those who make it to the celestial kingdom must not “pin their faith on another’s sleeve.” He said that we must go forward with the independence of heaven and do what is right even though the whole world take an opposite course. Joseph Smith once complained that the members minds were “darkened” because they relied on him for all their inspiration.

If we give the prophet the benefit of the doubt and take for granted that he has knowledge of the doctrine it is still quite possible that he would not reveal it as it would cause quite an upheaval in the church. Also, an important principle members often overlook is that the Lord only gives to those who “study it out in their minds” and then ask. I doubt if any of the general authorities have studied this out in their minds, seriously that is. Position does not give a person automatic access to the mind of God. Faith does. Joseph Smith was a non member not ordained to any priesthood when he had his first vision. The president of the church has to have as much faith to receive a revelation as you or I do. The only advantage he has over the lowest member is that the entire church will listen to him. If this is true, says one, why do you proclaim your doctrine? Where do you get your authority?

The answer is quite simple. I need no authority. I am not teaching any doctrine as “church doctrine” I am merely teaching it as truth. I am obeying the commandment given to all members: “And I give unto you a commandment that you shall teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom.” D&C 88:77 In Joseph Smith’s day the church was much more tolerant of individual expression. If a controversial doctrine was brought up it was presented before the High Council and the president thereof sought a revelation to clarify it. I do not expect any such consideration of these teachings. This treatise is not to the church, but to anyone in the world who seeks knowledge. If anyone has an ear let him hear. Who needs authority to present truth to the world? What authority had Edison? Einstein? Tesla? Bell? and others. They discovered truth and they were under a moral obligation to present it to the world or their talent would have been taken from them. I am a scientist like them. I discovered truth by experimentation and I present it. Like all revelators, the great scientists in the past have all met with great opposition when they presented their discoveries. These teachings will, of course, be opposed by those who do not believe as I do or cannot discern the light of the scriptures. It is no crime to disagree with someone, but when one takes a step to destroy his fellow man merely because he doesn’t like his doctrine, you may be assured he has lost the spirit “For it must needs be that offenses come; but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh!” Matt 18:7

When any new or unaccepted doctrine is introduced to a people it has to be presented and accepted by only a few at first, then to others as they can bear the light. This has been the case throughout history. When teaching, Jesus took his disciples aside and said: “It is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them (the general public) it is not given. 1I Matt 13:11. Jesus gave the apostles many teachings that were never written down, but passed down orally for many generations because the common believer was not ready for it. Yet many of the mysteries are not lost, but cleverly hidden in the scriptures. “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing.” Proverbs 25:2. The doctrines of the plurality of Gods as well as celestial marriage had to be taught secretly before they were openly released. This situation is not permanent however. The scriptures tell us of “A time to come in the which nothing shall be withheld…” D&C 121:28. The time is rapidly approaching when all “who remain, even from the least unto the greatest … shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, and shall see eye to eye.” D&C 84:98. Man will have so much pure intelligence he will learn for himself and not need to establish teachers over him: “And they shall TEACH NO MORE every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying Know the Lord:: for they shall ALL know me…” Jer 31:34
Copyright 1996 by J J Dewey

Eternal Lives, Chapter 5

Joseph Dewey
This entry is part 5 of 17 in the series Eternal Lives

One Death or Many?

Why do the present Mormon authorities teach that reincarnation is the doctrine of the Devil?

It all stems, as do many false doctrines, from an original misinterpretation, and each succeeding authority did not have a mind to contradict the preceding ones. It’s as Joseph Smith said in the King Follet discourse. If we start right we can go right all the time, but if we start amiss we will continue to error.

In November 1835 a man who went by the name of Joshua paid a visit to Joseph Smith. The man evidently had some truth for Joseph said he made some “excellent remarks”. However, Joseph Smith was suspicious of him and discovered that he was Robert Mathias of New York who had endured trials for “murder, man slaughter, contempt of court, whipping his daughter, etc.” Despite this Joseph entertained him for a few days and finally asked him to enlighten him “on his views respecting the resurrection.” Matthias made four statements 1. He was a literal descendant of Matthias, the apostle. 2. The spirit of Matthias was resurrected in him. 3. The scheme of eternal life was the transmigration of the spirit from father to son. 4. He was the spirit of truth itself and possessed the soul of Christ.

To this Joseph Smith said “I told him that his doctrine was of the devil, that he was in reality in possession of a wicked and depraved spirit.” Joseph pressed him to leave and upon his departing he said: “And so I, for once, cast out the devil in bodily shape, and I believe a murderer.” History of the Church Vol. 2; pages 304-307.

Let’s examine the four statements of Matthias and see if Joseph Smith was correct about him. The first statement is really the only one that may be true. It is possible (but very improbable) that he was a descendant of Matthias. Intellectually, we have no way of knowing the truth of this one.

It’s very unlikely that he possessed the spirit of Matthias, the Apostle, since he (Robert Matthias) himself was a murderer. Chances are very slim that one of the original twelve apostles would come back as a murderer and wife beater.

Number three is also false doctrine since the scheme of things is not to have one spirit passed down from father to son. One is often reincarnated in a body unrelated to a previous life.

Number four is also false doctrine as he certainly did not possess the soul of Christ neither was he the Spirit of Truth.

Interestingly we can believe in the true doctrine of reincarnation and yet say along with Joseph Smith that the man’s doctrine was of the adversary.

It is easy to misunderstand the statements of the prophets if we just have a portion of their thoughts. For instance Mormon called the baptism of infants “solemn mockery before God.”. If this was the only statement of the prophets we had concerning baptism then the natural man would automatically assume that all baptism is mockery and no one would be caught dead getting baptized. People take Joseph’s only statement dealing directly with reincarnation and apply it to the whole vast doctrine of eternal lives as the doctrine of the devil. We must remember that there is more to an elephant than a leg.

Just like many Christians misunderstand Mormonism many also misunderstand reincarnation. Some erroneously believe the doctrine teaches that one may be a rock or toad in the next life. This, of course, is not true and is completely out of harmony with any teaching on eternal progression. It is, however, a good tool to make a mockery out of a sacred belief: “Watch out! Don’t step on that ant. He may be your dead Uncle!!!” As a general rule a person enhances his form and becomes more like God in each incarnation, but if a person were to sin against the Holy Ghost he would suffer a terrible retrogression for a long period of time. As Brigham Young said he would go back to his native element and start his progression all over again. He said such a thing would take myriads of ages. See the Journal of discourses Vol. l; page l18, 213-214, 275; and Vol. 5; page 95. If one had to start his progression all over that would take at least one reincarnation right there.

With as many scriptures as there are to prove reincarnation both in the Bible and Latter-Day works, it’s amazing that many Christian religions don’t accept the doctrine. There are a few though, which on the surface, do seem to refute it. These few scriptures Christendom pounce on immediately, ignoring the rest. We shall pounce on them too and take away their punch.

The most common and powerful scripture against reincarnation is: “And as it is appointed unto men ONCE TO DIE, but after this the judgment.” Heb 9:27 The argument is, of course, that if man only dies once, then he could only be born once, thus there could be no reincarnation. You may think this scripture puts us in a corner, but it’s not nearly as bad of a fix as when a Jehovah’s Witness quotes to a Mormon missionary “God is a Spirit” John 4:24, or “no man hath seen God at any time.” John 1:18 About the only good explanation a Mormon can give is that they are mistranslations, but of course, to a Jehovah’s Witness – this is completely unacceptable.

Instead of just ignoring this scripture we shall examine it in the light of day. Just as many scriptures differ in meaning with the above quotes from John many seemingly contradict Hebrews. Paul said: “I die daily.” I Cor 15-31. Since we are told that men only die once we must ask ourselves what kind of death he is talking about in both scriptures? Also, we must take into consideration that the people he was writing to in Hebrews had little if any knowledge of Eternal Lives and they assumed that men lived and died only once. Thus the writer used this phrase to show to them the sacrifice of Christ in language they could understand. The scripture’s surface meaning meant just what it said, but it also had a second hidden meaning, as do most of the doctrinal scriptures as Jesus explained with his parables. (Matt 13:11

The key to the hidden meaning is the phrase: “But after this the judgment.” Also important is that death is appointed unto “men” (plural) or the human race as a whole.

We see that when this one death is over there is “the judgment.” But does the judgment come after the regular physical death? No ! The judgment comes at the “last Day” Then all men shall be judged of their works.”. II Nephi 9:44 The reason the last day is called such is because it is the last day of man’s spiritual death, and after this is the judgment.

“And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and Hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Rev 20:12-15.

Let us examine the meaning for further light: “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it.” What is the sea? The scripture explains: “The waters (the sea) which thou sawest where the whore sitteth are the peoples, and multitudes, and nations and tongues.” Rev 17:15. We are told that “Death (Physical death II Nephi 9:11) and Hell (the spiritually dead in hell. II Nephi 9:12) delivered up the dead which were in them.” Thus we see that on the last day ALL the spiritually dead including those still living on the earth (The sea) and all the Spirit world (Death and Hell) will be judged, and those who cannot abide the judgment must suffer a “second death” and be cast into the lake of fire (or another round of numerous lives of sorrow).

Exactly what is the second death? Mormons have a vague idea of the truth when they say it is being cut off from the presence of God a second time, but how does this happen? The scripture explains: “therefore, I, the Lord God, caused that he should be cast out from the Garden of Eden, from my presence, because of his transgression, wherein he became spiritually dead, which is the FIRST DEATH, EVEN THE SAME DEATH WHICH IS THE LAST DEATH, which is spiritual, which shall be pronounced on the wicked when I shall say: Depart ye cursed.” D&C 29:41

What was the first death??? It was being cut off from the presence of God and being placed in a state of probation in a MORTAL STATE subject to death and disease and this is “that same death which is the last death” (second death). Therefore those who suffer the second death will be (1) Cut off from the presence of God and (2) suffer disease and PHYSICAL DEATH all over again. There is no other way the second death could be the same as the first death as the scripture says..

Those who do not suffer the second death: “The same shall overcome and shall receive an inheritance UPON THE EARTH when the day of transfiguration shall come.” D&C 63:20 When the Earth is transfigured it will be quickened to abide the terrestrial glory and all the telestial stars and planets we see about us will disappear and there will be “a new heaven and a new earth”. Those spirits who cannot abide the transfiguration must go to another planet in the telestial kingdom or “must abide a kingdom which is not a kingdom of glory.” D&C 88:24. These Sons of Perdition with no glory will be sent to a kingdom of darkness where they will return to their original intelligence to start their progression all over again.

Now we complete the hidden meaning of the scripture in debate if you can receive it: “And as it is appointed unto (the race of) men once (on this earth) to die (spiritual death), but after this the judgment (and transfiguration).

As we said, many scriptures have more than one interpretation. Now let us take a second view of Hebrews 9:27

Let’s refresh our memory and quote it one more time: “And as it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgement.”

The “once to die” sounds like an absolute statement not open to debate until we realize that it is boldly contradicted by the scriptures themselves: “Broad is the gate, and wide the way that leadeth to THE DEATHS…” D&C 132:25

We have also talked about a “second death,” so obviously in the big picture the “once to die” statement is not literal.

After we are told that man only dies once the scripture says “BUT after this the judgement.” The word “but” comes from the Greek ALLA which literally means “contrariwise.” In other words, it indicates that the information that is forthcoming may contradict that which has just been said.

That would mean that “after this the judgement” may have an opposite meaning to “it is appointed unto men once to die”. It would indicate an exception as in the sentence: “I rise every morning at 8:00 A.M., except when the alarm does not go off.”

We shall see that when we examine the Greek word for “judgement” that the second half of the sentence does indeed contradict the first.

The word “judgement” here comes from the Greek word KRISIS. This is one of the most misunderstood words in the entire Bible. Translators don’t quite seem to know how to handle it and have rendered it according to their bias rather than the actual meaning. In the King James version it is translated as: accusation, condemnation, damnation, and judgement, but none of these portrays the word accurately.

The modern English word “crisis” (which is derived from the Greek word KRISIS) is a more accurate rendering than the Bible translations. The actual Greek word implies a decision that brings correction. It is hard to give the meaning of this word with one English word, but the word “correction” would probably be the closest.

The best scripture to help us understand the KRISIS is from John 5:28-29: “The hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation (KRISIS).”

Here Jesus divides all resurrections into two categories. The first he calls the “resurrection of life” and the second “the resurrection of damnation”. “Damnation” is a mistranslation. The Greek KRISIS is more correctly rendered “correction” or “judgement that forces correction” and generally refers to a lesser resurrection.

Taking this into consideration let us retranslate Hebrews 9:27: “And as it is appointed unto mankind once to be dying, but on the other hand, after this comes (the resurrection of) correction.”

Another stumbling block to a Mormon accepting reincarnation is the doctrine of the resurrection. This, of course, is not peculiar to the Mormon faith as many Christians have various beliefs on the resurrection which does not coincide with reincarnation. We find, though, that when we examine the standard works, we, on the other hand, have difficulty in justifying the normal doctrine of resurrection with them.

The scripture creating the main problem states that after the resurrection “neither can they die any more.” Luke 20:36. In examining this scripture let us first state that we recognize that there are three degrees of glory after the resurrection; yet the scriptures point out there are two types of resurrections and one must recognize this to determine what the prophets were talking about. The official doctrine is that “in Christ shall ALL be made alive.” I Cor 15:22. This is interpreted to mean that all men will be resurrected. Two resurrections are pointed out by John: “All that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation (KRISIS).

Let us examine first the resurrection of life. This is the resurrection Paul talked about when he said “this mortal must put on immortality”. I Cor. 15:53 This way we can eventually be like Him “Who only hath immortality” I Tim 6:16. Even though it is written that at the resurrection of Jesus “many of the bodies of the Saints which slept arose” Matt 27:52 only Jesus possessed immortality.

A point realized by few is that the immortal resurrection is not a free gift to all and must be obtained through great effort. Paul says that he was not advanced enough to yet obtain it: “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might ATTAIN (Greek KATANTAO Means struggle to arrive at) unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but follow after.” Phil 3:10-12 If Paul was not yet perfected enough to receive an immortal resurrection like Jesus how can we expect it with one imperfect life?

Jesus also pointed out that there was a resurrection given to not just anyone: “But they which shall be ACCOUNTED WORTHY to obtain that world, AND THE RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD, neither marry nor are given in marriage: neither can they die any more…” Luke 20:35-36 Clearly one must be accounted worthy to obtain this resurrection of life. One must be an even better man than Paul. Finally, Joseph Smith offers a statement that is impossible to misunderstand: “You have to learn how to be Gods yourselves, and be kings and priests to God, the same as all Gods have done before you, namely by going from one small degree to another, and from a small capacity to a great one: from grace to grace FROM EXALTATION TO EXALTATION until you ATTAIN THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.” History of the Church; Vol. 6 Pg. 306

Where is there room for error??? Prophets both ancient and modern tell us that the immortal resurrection must be ATTAINED. We must be exalted and then exalted again before we can attain it. What! Says one. How can one be exalted without an immortal resurrection In the same sermon Joseph Smith said that “Those who have died in the faith are NOW in the Celestial Kingdom of God.” History of the Church Vol. 6, Pg. 315. Here he was referring to the recently dead who had not obtained any physical resurrection. This certainly is a different idea than that of going to the spirit world to wait a resurrection to the celestial kingdom as taught in the missionary discussions. The scriptures teach the same doctrine: “There are two kinds of beings in heaven (the celestial glory), namely: angels who are resurrected personages, having bodies of flesh and bones Secondly: the spirits of just men made perfect, they who are not resurrected, but inherit the same glory.” D&C 129:1&3

So far we have come to some interesting conclusions: (1) There is both a mortal and immortal resurrection. (2) One may be exalted in the celestial kingdom BEFORE reaching the immortal resurrection.

Now we proceed to unfold a mystery dreamed of by few. The word of the Lord is “That same sociality which exists among us here will exist among us there” (in the celestial kingdom). D&C 130:2 On the other hand, we are told that both spirits and resurrected personages dwell there. This fact causes one to question as to how this same sociality which exists here can exist there between a spirit and a personage of flesh and bones? How would they even shake hands? It would seem like it would be an extremely inconvenient way to live, but to understand the reality of eternal lives, one must understand how this same sociality does exist.

The prophet said: “There is no such thing as immaterial matter. ALL SPIRIT IS MATTER, but it is more fine or pure, and can only be discerned by purer eyes: We cannot see it; but when our bodies are purified we shall see that it is all matter.” D&C 131:7-8 We see here that spirits were made of matter and bodies are also made of matter. What is the difference between the two? Basically very little for the Lord said that “man is Spirit” D&C 93:33. Paul said that the physical body is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.” I Cor 15-44 “The last Adam (Christ) was made a quickening spirit.” Verse 45 Modern revelation agrees with this: “For notwithstanding they die, they also shall rise again, A SPIRITUAL BODY.” D&C 88:27. Most do not think of a resurrected body of flesh and bones as a spiritual body, but it is obvious that a resurrected personage can change the state of the matter of his body from spirit to physical and reverse at will, When Jesus appeared to the disciples after his resurrection he passed his body through the wall and after let the apostles touch him. Luke 24:36-42. Just as man through his knowledge can make water into ice and ice, water Jesus made his body vibrate to a higher vibration and it became spirit while he was going through the wall. Afterwards he lowered the vibration and it became solid so the disciples could touch him and he could eat flesh with them. Thus in the celestial kingdom the spirits of the just men made perfect and the resurrected personages vibrate on the same wave causing them both to have spiritual bodies and having sociality between one another.

One thing few people stop and ask themselves is: What is the real purpose of a body? The answer we receive is, of course, to become like God, but that is no answer, for we are still left wondering why God needs a body. The answer is quite simple. Our bodies, both spiritual and physical are merely vehicles of conscious thought. On the earth when one wants to go under the sea he uses a submarine to extend his consciousness in that area and that is the only way he can do it. If one wants to travel sixty miles an hour on the land he must use a car. If he wants to go in the air he will use an airplane. The same is true of a celestial being. If he wants to descend into physical matter he must create for himself a physical body by lowering the rate of his vibrations. If he wants to go to the celestial kingdom his body must be “quickened” or increased in vibrational rate so he can have a suitable vehicle to ascend. One does not use a submarine while flying and one does not use a physical body in the celestial kingdom; instead the scriptures plainly tell us we use a “spiritual body.” Keeping in mind that bodies are vehicles of consciousness, bodies are useful only to the extent that they can carry and expand our intelligence to the infinite kingdoms of God.

It is true that after a celestial resurrection a person cannot die anymore as the scriptures say, but this must be clarified, for in describing the leg of an elephant it is difficult to give the correct impression of the entire body. It is true that a celestial body cannot die a physical death since it is spiritual and “it dieth no more”; nevertheless “with God ALL things are possible” Matt 10:27. A celestial being by using his free will can again become physical and subject to death again. Brigham Young taught this doctrine quite clearly; even though the church through lack of understanding is somewhat embarrassed to admit it. He stated that: “When Father Adam came into the garden of Eden, he came into it with a CELESTIAL BODY.” Journal of Discourses Vol. 1; Pg. 50. Brigham quoted Adam as saying: “I once dwelt UPON AN EARTH something like this, IN A MORTAL STATE, I was faithful, I received my crown and exaltation. I have the privilege of extending My work, and to its increase there shall be no end.” (From an address given June 8, 1873 in the tabernacle. Reported in the DESERET NEWS June 18, 1873; pg. 308; Column 5.)

Concerning those who go to the celestial kingdom it is written:

“Wherefore, all things are theirs, whether life OR DEATH, or things present, or things to come, all are theirs and they are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.” D&C 76:59

“And they shall overcome all things.” D&C 76:60

These celestial beings we are told can choose “life or death” and they “shall” overcome all things indicating that a choice of death may be a necessary part of their eternal progression.
Copyright 1996 by J J Dewey