We must learn that in the Lord’s plan, our understanding comes “line upon line, precept upon precept.”In short, knowledge and understanding
come at the price of patience.
.--D. Uchtdorf
Some of my thoughts on oneness—Line upon line, that is how we gain understanding.
15 I say unto you, that whoso forbiddeth to marry is not ordained of God, for marriage is ordained of God unto man.
17 And that it might be filled with the measure of man, according to his creation before the world was made.
The most fundamental concept of couple oneness is the joining of two separate persons in a holy contract, and then physically, in love, so as to create one new life from the two. This new life literally is “one flesh” created from the joining of two persons. This is, in simple terms, a child. A new being who literally embodies the characteristics and personality traits of the parents combined in a unique and amazing way to form another person. Just as you cannot thereafter split this child into two beings representing the original two parents, so you should not assume to divide the parents after they have joined to make the child. Their united efforts and understanding are instead meant to be joined to then raise this child of their union with the best of their combined effort.
What God has joined together, let not man put asunder.--Matt 19:6
Families are the key to Father's plan, and his organizational unit for the eternities. We are expected to learn to operate within them in the manner which Father operates his family. He has given us the order of families within his gospel. The father is to lead, with love and wisdom, showing kindness and respect to his wife and children, using the priesthood of God along with his talents and strength, to order and provide for his family. The wife is to be wholly devoted to the love and support of her husband by lending him love and support, and by taking on a major role in nurturing and rearing of the precious fruits of the marriage union, the children. The man and woman are thus united in one faith and one purpose, in attempting to bring souls into this world, and in guiding them through this earth experience and the gaining of bodies so as to become more like God.
Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Phil 2:2
Beyond this most fundamental purpose, of “multiplying and replenishing the earth,” there is an added element of true true marital oneness, it is that of unity of purpose, companionship and compatibility, joy and love, that are meant to be enjoyed by the sons and daughters of God as they live together in love and create family units.
God did not leave us alone to navigate this earth life. He gave us family units to guide and protect us; to support and strengthen us; to bring us joy. It is his desire that we learn to love one another and serve one another in faith with charity and kindness. If we can do this, we will be blessed to continue to grow within these divinely organized units beyond this life and into the eternities. How vital is it then that we should learn to be one.
Detractors from couple and family oneness--
Detractors from couple and family oneness--
Could we just simply say that EVERYTHING that Satan has in his arsenal is pointed directly or indirectly at destroying marital and family oneness--that he knows how key marriage and family units are to Father's plan and is bent on destroying them?
I explained to Kyle a few months ago, in a talk we were having, that the church is organized to create, support, and strengthen the family unit, and to provide the ordinances required to seal families and prepare them for the Celestial Kingdom, where the organizational power is designed around the family structure. In the heavens, those without family structure will be assigned to serve those who attain this rank. It is the highest status and the most ennobling position to obtain to in the afterlife.
Father and Husband, Mother and Wife are the titles you can carry with you beyond this life—but only if you live worthy of it.
I have thought for some time now, that it is vital that we master out body, its appetites and passions, and subject ourselves to the laws that God has given us concerning them, or we will loose the ability to access the full power of our bodies in future worlds. Only those who show mastery of their use of the powers of procreation will be allowed to continue to possess them after death.
What then are the distractions from couple and family oneness? The list is seemingly endless, but includes:
media, societal norms, humanistic philosophy, popular political and cultural trends, abortion, same sex marriage, pornography, excessive birth control, sex as entertainment, recreation, etc, adult centered society, excessive focus on career, recreation, pride, financial issues, addictions of various types, habit forming behavior, anger, feelings of depression and inadequacy or worthlessness—These, and many other things are put up to block us or distract us from building solid and secure family units that can raise up children in righteousness before the Lord.
During Sacrament meeting this morning I opened my scriptures to D&C 132:15-32. This chapter has some great instruction for us on marriage and the purposes and potentials of these covenants, and the strength of them. Recommended reading. . .
Object and design of being one
43 And the Father and I are aone. I am bin the Father and the Father in me; and inasmuch as ye have received me, ye are in me and I in you.
God and Christ are “one.” What does that mean? We know that it does not mean that they are somehow congealed into one conglomerate person. It means that they are one in purpose, and what is this grand purpose? To bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. And how can we become one with them? By engaging in the same pursuit, by working with God to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of his children. For one thing, we all need bodies, that is where the being parents and families comes in. For another thing we all need the ordinances of the gospel. That is where teaching and serving in the church comes in, being missionaries, doing temple work, serving in callings etc. The power of being one is that we can thereby thwart the powers of the adversary and keep his influence away from us. The collective power of the church when it actually gains a oneness, it phenomenal, as we see happen in the City of Enoch, in AD Americas, and in a few other instances in recorded history.
18 And the Lord called his people aZion, because they were of bone heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them.
19 And Enoch continued his preaching in righteousness unto the people of God. And it came to pass in his days, that he built a city that was called the City of Holiness, even Zion.
Becoming one in a gospel sense is possibly the most powerful tool that we can have to work our way back to the presence of the Father.
21 And he commanded them that there should be no acontention one with another, but that they should look forward with bone eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts cknit together in unity and in love one towards another.
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