How can I return to live with God?
The utmost happiness can be obtained by returning to live with our Heavenly Father. He loves us and blesses His children with guidance. He did not just send us off to earth without a way to return to Him. Would a loving Father do that? No! We have scripture so we can learn from prophets of the past, however, we also receive guidance through prophets that are on earth today who can give us direction concerning specific situations we are faced with now.
A prophet is called by God and given priesthood power which is the authority to act in God's name for the salvation of His children. Prophets receive revelation and act as guardians for all God's children.
Our Father's plan is for us to return to live with Him again. This is called the plan of salvation or plan of happiness. Jesus Christ and His atonement for us is the center of the plan. Through the atonement we can gain eternal life if we exercise faith in Jesus Christ, repent, and are baptized by immersion for the remission of sins, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end.
Plan of Happiness
Of course we all have our agency in this plan. We can accept or reject it. Those who accept are blessed, and those who reject, ignore or distort the gospel do not receive God's promised blessing; and as a consequence distance themselves from God and dwell in spiritual darkness, or apostasy. When apostasy is widespread, God withdraws His priesthood authority, to teach and administer the ordinances of the gospel, from the earth.
In the Bible there are many instances where God speaks to prophets, and many instances of apostasy. Every time there is an apostasy, God eventually ends it by calling a new prophet and giving him the priesthood to teach the gospel. Each of these periods of time are called a dispensation.
God revealed the gospel to Adam and gave him priesthood authority. Adam was the first prophet and he taught his children the truths that were revealed to him. Over time his posterity rejected the gospel and choosing to be unrighteous, fell into apostasy. With each prophet (Noah, Abraham, Moses etc.) a new dispensation began and God granted them eternal truths and authority. Unfortunately, in each dispensation people eventually used their agency to reject the gospel and fell into apostasy.
A new dispensation began when God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ appeared and began to reveal the truth of the gospel to Joseph Smith at the humble age of 14. We now have the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, with all the truth and priesthood authority that existed when Jesus walked the earth! It's an incredible thing that we have on earth today. Let's share it!
Restoration
"Brothers and sisters, if God loves us enough to send us prophets, then we need to love Him enough to follow them"
-Sheldon F. Child Oct. Gen. Conf. 2003
Our Father's plan is for us to return to live with Him again. This is called the plan of salvation or plan of happiness. Jesus Christ and His atonement for us is the center of the plan. Through the atonement we can gain eternal life if we exercise faith in Jesus Christ, repent, and are baptized by immersion for the remission of sins, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end.
Plan of Happiness
Of course we all have our agency in this plan. We can accept or reject it. Those who accept are blessed, and those who reject, ignore or distort the gospel do not receive God's promised blessing; and as a consequence distance themselves from God and dwell in spiritual darkness, or apostasy. When apostasy is widespread, God withdraws His priesthood authority, to teach and administer the ordinances of the gospel, from the earth.
In the Bible there are many instances where God speaks to prophets, and many instances of apostasy. Every time there is an apostasy, God eventually ends it by calling a new prophet and giving him the priesthood to teach the gospel. Each of these periods of time are called a dispensation.
God revealed the gospel to Adam and gave him priesthood authority. Adam was the first prophet and he taught his children the truths that were revealed to him. Over time his posterity rejected the gospel and choosing to be unrighteous, fell into apostasy. With each prophet (Noah, Abraham, Moses etc.) a new dispensation began and God granted them eternal truths and authority. Unfortunately, in each dispensation people eventually used their agency to reject the gospel and fell into apostasy.
A new dispensation began when God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ appeared and began to reveal the truth of the gospel to Joseph Smith at the humble age of 14. We now have the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, with all the truth and priesthood authority that existed when Jesus walked the earth! It's an incredible thing that we have on earth today. Let's share it!
Restoration
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