Thank you, Laurie, for the very moving lesson today on: The Immortality of the Soul. In this chapter, President George Albert Smith simply, yet eloquently lays out the doctrine on the journey of the soul - "Our comprehension of this life is that it is eternal life--that we are living in eternity today as much a we ever will live in eternity. Our belief is that we lived before we came here; that which is intelligence, that which is spirit, did not have its beginning in this life. We believe that we received a spiritual tabernacle before we came into this world. That spiritual body was sent to this world, and here it received a physical tabernacle, the body which we see. The physical portion that we see is of earth, earthy, but that portion which leaves the body when our lives go out is that which is spiritual, and it never dies. The physical tabernacle lies in the tomb--it is a portion of the earth and goes back to mother earth--but the intelligence that God has placed within it, that which has power to reason and to think, that which has power to sing and to speak, knows no death; it simply passes from this sphere of eternal life, and awaits there the purification of the physical tabernacle, until the time it will be reunited with this tabernacle, which will be glorified, even as the body of our risen Lord was glorified, if we have lived to be worthy of it."
One of my favorite scriptures about receiving eternal blessings was read today (D&C 88:32-33)..."nevertheless, they shall return again to their own place, to enjoy that which they are willing to receive, because they were not willing to enjoy that which they might have received. For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift." I know that Heavenly Father has many gifts in store for us, both in this life and in the post-mortal world. I often find myself asking Him if there are gifts that I am not presently willing to enjoy, and how I might lay hold on the good gifts that He is patiently waiting for me to both receive and enjoy. As often as I have asked this question, I have received direction. As often as I have followed the direction given, I have received and enjoyed additional blessings.
One of my favorite scriptures about receiving eternal blessings was read today (D&C 88:32-33)..."nevertheless, they shall return again to their own place, to enjoy that which they are willing to receive, because they were not willing to enjoy that which they might have received. For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift." I know that Heavenly Father has many gifts in store for us, both in this life and in the post-mortal world. I often find myself asking Him if there are gifts that I am not presently willing to enjoy, and how I might lay hold on the good gifts that He is patiently waiting for me to both receive and enjoy. As often as I have asked this question, I have received direction. As often as I have followed the direction given, I have received and enjoyed additional blessings.
