![]() How could that be? God then tells us why this new destiny was possible-because men now “know good and evil.” Being immersed in a world of good and evil, having the capacity to choose, and being able to draw upon the powers of the Atonement resulted in man having unlimited opportunities to progress toward his destiny of godhood. Once Adam and Eve were cast from the garden, we read in the book of Genesis that God Himself said, “Behold, the man is become as one of us ” ( Genesis 3:22 emphasis added). An infant may be innocent but certainly not perfect in the sense that he or she has acquired all the attributes of godliness. Innocence and perfection are not the same. When Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden, they traded their innocence, meaning a lack of knowledge of good and evil, for the prospect of perfection-that was the deal. They were in a state of spiritual neutral and could not progress toward their divine destiny until they were cast out of the garden and thus put in spiritual gear. I cannot reach your destination until I put my car in gear.” You might respond, “That would make no difference. What if I further replied, “Just push the accelerator all the way to the floor-you know, as they say, ‘Push the pedal to the metal.’” ![]() You might smile and respond, “That’s not possible.” Further suppose I asked you to drive in neutral. Suppose for a moment my wife and I invited one of you good Saints from California to drive to our home in Utah. Lehi described their condition as follows: “Wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery doing no good, for they knew no sin” ( 2 Nephi 2:23). When Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, they lived in a state of innocence-meaning they only had a limited knowledge of good and evil. What, then, has God revealed to us about our destiny? He has spoken clearly and frequently and forthrightly on this subject from the very beginning. They are, in truth, inseparable partners. If one does not correctly understand his divine identity, then he will never correctly understand his divine destiny. It is this doctrine of identity that defines our potential destiny of godhood. However many generations in your mortal ancestry, no matter what race or people you represent, the pedigree of your spirit can be written on a single line. Fix that truth in your mind and hold to it. Spiritually you are of noble birth, the offspring of the King of Heaven. As to this identity, President Packer has written: On the other hand, as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we believe that we are the spirit offspring of God with inherited spiritual traits that give us the divine potential to become like our parent, God the Father. In essence, their doctrine of identity has defined and dictated a diminished destiny. For example, can a mere creation ever become like its creator? Can a building ever become an architect? A painting a painter? Or an invention an inventor? If not, then those who believe we are creations of God, rather than His spirit offspring, reach the inevitable conclusion that we do not have the capacity to become like our creator, God. 1 What difference does this doctrinal distinction make? The difference is monumental in its consequence because our identity determines in large measure our destiny. They teach that we are more than creations of God they teach that we are the literal spirit offspring or children of God our Father. The scriptures teach, however, a much different doctrine. There is a sentiment among many in the world that we are the spirit creations of God, just as a building is the creation of its architect or a painting the creation of its painter or an invention the creation of its inventor. And so today I speak of the true nature of our identity and a correct vision of our divine destiny.įirst, our identity. That answer resonated with me, not only as a response to that specific question but as an appropriate response to most of the challenges we face in life. ![]() ![]() Nelson stood and replied, “Teach them their identity and their purpose.” At a recent training session for General Authorities, the question was asked: “How can we help those struggling with pornography?”Įlder Russell M. In keeping with the theme of this week, I would like to discuss with you a vision of who we are and what we may become.
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