GRADUATION UNTO ETERNAL LIFE 2

Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (2 Timothy 3:7)

If your ability to retain information is at the same level as that which I currently find myself suffering, a quick review of last week’s Thought would be very helpful before embarking on this week’s.

Heavenly Father’s possible Eternal Curriculum designed to enable His children to maximize their time during mortality might have started with:

Level one Shedding my Telestialness.

Behold, are ye stripped of pride? I say unto you, if ye are not ye are not prepared to meet God. Behold ye must prepare quickly; for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand, and such an one hath not eternal life.

Behold, I say, is there one among you who is not stripped of envy? I say unto you that such an one is not prepared; and I would that he should prepare quickly, for the hour is close at hand, and he knoweth not when the time shall come; for such an one is not found guiltless. (Book of Mormon – Alma 5: 28, 29)

The prophet/king Benjamin gave us a hint of the makeup of the curriculum of this level one learning process in his last great sermon to the Nephites just prior to his death. By beginning with pride and envy he certainly starts very strongly advocating things of our telestial nature which need to be shed. You could add to making your Sabbath a delight by going to that talk and reading the additional negative parts of our natures we need to strip from ourselves.

As I have pondered all that I must shed of my telestialness, I have come up with the following possible curriculum outline. Remember, you can enroll in any subject at any time and reregister if you think you need a refresher course.

Subject – Shedding Pride

Principle one – Retaining a remembrance your own frailties

Principle two – Remembering everything you accomplish and create is temporary

Principle three – Understanding you are the created, not the Creator

Principle four – Realizing Heavenly Father loves all His children equally

Subject - Shedding Envy

Principle one – Rejecting negative thoughts about my self

Principle two – Stop wanting to be my neighbor

Principle three – Cease wanting to have what my neighbor has

Principle four – Stop being controlled by my desire to have all my temporal dreams fulfilled

Subject – Shedding Exclusiveness

Principle one – Shortening your list of reasons others should not be in your circle

Principle two – Eliminating fears of others because of their differences

Principle three – Destroying your list of those who are eternally lost

Principle four – Overcoming ancestral prejudices

Subject – Shedding Anger

Principle one – Learning to count to ten

Principle two – Remembering it is not all about you

Principle three – Before reacting, count the cost

Principle four – Overcoming the need to always be right

Even though there are many other items which are included in the Shedding of Telestialness curriculum I will just mention them by name and let your own pondering come up with the principles which need to be covered. There is thoughtlessness – demandingness – callousness – competiveness – hard heartedness – greediness – along with a long list which even a casual perusal of the scriptures will provide. This supplies us with more than one life time of negative characteristics of which we need to shed ourselves.

One course for which I have not supplied the subjects to be covered, but which I feel would be beneficial for all of us to take at least once in our lives is the one on restraint. A brief summary of this course says that we will learn to refrain from actions which are harmful to the eternal progression of ourselves and others.

There is a promise given at the end of the Shedding my Telestialness curriculum outline. It indicates that as I shed these telestial characteristics, I become increasingly eligible for the Plan of Happiness to be part of my daily walk.

Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (2 Timothy 3:7)

(To be continued)

THOUGHTS FOR A SABBATH DAY – WILLIAM L. RILEY

EDITED BY – KATHLEEN W. RILEY