The Creation Life in the Great MTC

The Creation Life in the Great MTC Khinckley1@yahoo.com

With football over, Big Lou has taken up soccer

BYU Studies- Dr. Lester Allen After some struggle, I decided to ask the Lord how [evolution and the creation] relate to each other. After personal preparation, I petitioned the Lord and asked, "What is the answer?" There came clearly into my mind the statement, "There is an answer." I didn't learn what the answer is, but it is reassuring to know that it all fits together. I have come to realize that I don't need to know the answer now. Possibly I couldn't understand it if I had it. My awareness…has changed me from one who thinks he knows to one who knows he doesn't know; from a position of hesitant uncertainty to one of admitted ignorance. I have developed a great appreciation for the unknown. While I don't know what I don't know, at least I am coming to realize that I don't know what I don't know!

Earth’s creation How the earth was created is not as important as why it was created…

Welcome to the MTC! In creating a Mortality Training Center (the Earth), the Eternal Plan of Salvation requires three things of the Creator and future creators: • Organize Abraham 4:1 And then the Lord said: Let us go down. And they went down at the beginning, and they, that is the Gods, organized and formed the heavens and the earth.

Brigham Young’s Vision Joseph Smith: “tell the people to follow the Spirit of the Lord…if they will, they can find themselves just as they were organized by our Father in Heaven before they came into the world. Our Father in Heaven organized the human family, but they are all disorganized and in great confusion"

Question Why is “organization” is so important to the Lord?

Organization? My father died when I was a boy and left my mother with ten children to raise. I remember hearing my mother express her feeling that he would come back and visit us and let us know that he was thinking of us. That impressed me. I remember wondering when he would come, if he did at all. I went to a solemn assembly in the St. George Temple, almost expecting to see him, but he didn't come. Then a few years ago, my brothers and sisters got together and organized our family. We went to a priesthood genealogy seminar in the day and talked in the evening and, under the inspiration of the Spirit, drew up the constitution and bylaws for our family. Then we called a meeting of all our father's children and grandchildren over eight years of age. We had a great meeting. The Spirit was there; …after the meeting, one of the little granddaughters said to her mother, "Mama, who was that man standing by Grandma all during the meeting?" Our hearts burned within us as we realized that our father had been there at his meeting. That solemn assembly was not for him, but how could he think of missing his own family meeting, organizing in his name? I testify that the veil is very thin when families meet, and often family members from both sides attend (J Ballard Washburn, Ensign, January 1977, p. 38).

Welcome to the MTC! The Mortality Testing Center requires three things of the Earth and its inhabitants: • Organize • Multiply and replenish Question- What are we to multiply? Abraham 4: 28 And the Gods said: We will bless them. And…we will cause them to be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth,

Where have we been planted?

Welcome to the MTC! The Mortality Testing Center requires three things of the Earth and its inhabitants: • Organize • Multiply and replenish • Submit in all things 3 Nephi 11: 10 Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world. 11 And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland Even as we rehearse [the details of the Atonement], you can be certain that with some in this world if is not fashionable or flattering to speak of submitting to anybody or anything. At the threshold of the twenty-first century it sounds wrong on the face of it. It sounds feeble and wimpish. It just isn’t the American way.

Elder Holland continues The path to a complete Christian experience most likely will pass through the Garden of Gethsemane. We will learn there, if we haven’t learned it before, that our Father will have no other gods before him- even (or especially) if that would be god is ourself. It will be required of each of us to kneel when we may not want to kneel, to bow when we may not want to bow, to confess when we may not want to confess… (On Earth as it is in Heaven, Jeffrey and Patricia T. Holland, Deseret Book, pp 130.)

Elder Marion G. Romney Even though he did not doubt, Elder Romney was astonished to see Ida’s Eyes open as he concluded the blessing. Somewhat stunned by all that Had happened, he sat down on the edge of the bed only to hear his wife’s Frail voice for the first time in months. She said, “for goodness’ sake, Marion, What are you doing here?” He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He said, “Ida, how are you?” With that flash of humor so characteristic of both of them, She replied, “compared to what, Marion? Compared to what?” Helaman 10: 4 Blessed art thou…for those things which thou hast done… sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments. 5 And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will.

The Creation Life in the Great MTC