0:00:00 - 0:00:20 Lectures on faith. What is lectures on faith? It's a series of lectures designed and delivered by Joseph Smith with the assistance of others who was canonized as scripture by the Church of Christ. In 1835. You may be unfamiliar with this title, but the Church of Christ is one of the several names by 0:00:20 - 0:00:44 which the church that Joseph Smith founded was known in 1835. The title of that church was the Church of Christ. It is the Doctrine portion of the Doctrine and Covenants as first published, it was also uh first in order in that book, it was removed from L DS Scripture in 1921 by a committee assigned 0:00:44 - 0:01:03 to prepare a new edition of the Doctrine and covenants. Although the lectures on faith were included in the Doctrine and covenants when presented for a sustaining vote by the membership of the church during a conference in 1835. And again, in the October 1880 General conference, the removal of the lectures 0:01:02 - 0:01:23 on faith by the committee was not presented to the membership of the church for a sustaining vote. In 1921 Joseph Smith believed that the lectures on faith were critical to an understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He said it contained the leading items of the religion which we have professed to 0:01:23 - 0:01:46 believe. He also said we do not present this little volume with any other expectation than that we are to be called, to answer to every principle advanced. There are other interesting quotes from the meetings where this content was sustained by the church, but we will skip over those for time. So why 0:01:45 - 0:02:07 make a video series on this, on this book? The lectures on faith. Uh There are at least two reasons for one, the intent and doctrine in the lectures are as essential now, just as they were in 1835 also many people are not familiar with the lectures, the writing style organization and most importantly 0:02:06 - 0:00:00 , content. The goal of this, this series of presentations is to better understand and accomplish Joseph's intent in writing lectures on faith. So in this introduction, we'll briefly cover what these uh what the intent was. And in the remaining videos in the series will go into deeper discussions of, 0:00:00 - 0:02:57 of the content and the intent. So uh as far as content goes, the main point of the lectures on faith is that you not one but you can become like God. That statement defies almost all of mainstream Christianity. Although it is clear from the scriptures that this is the whole point of the gospel, it's 0:02:57 - 0:03:23 to bring you to a point where you are more like God. And that in fact, you can become like God. The lectures on faith explains why you should want to and also how it's done in reading the lectures on faith. It's very clear that the intent is for you to obtain and exercise faith. Again, this is a very 0:03:23 - 0:03:48 individual quest. This means to uh to have faith means to obey everything that God tells you and to learn everything that God will teach you. Now, we're not going to go into depth into what faith is and how it works, etcetera in this presentation. But we are going to touch on these points and some quotes 0:03:47 - 0:04:09 from the lectures on these points, the points of becoming like God. So, um in general, on these presentations, what we're going to do is we're going to present quotes from the lectures on Facebook, but we're going to present them in a different order and we're going to organize them topically and, and 0:04:09 - 0:00:00 so we're going to cover the same content, but in an order that uh makes it maybe a little easier to understand. At least that's the hope and, and the the intent. So let's start on this idea that you can become like God, Jesus descended in suffering below that which man can suffer, or in other words, 0:00:00 - 0:04:48 suffered, greater sufferings and was exposed to more powerful contradictions than any man can be. But notwithstanding all this, he kept the law of God and remained without sin, showing thereby that it is in the power of man to keep the law and remain also without sin. This is a brief quote, this from 0:04:47 - 0:05:14 lecture five verse two. But in this brief quote, we have some earth shaking ideas. Uh They're dramatically different than what most people believe no matter what their religion. So this idea that Jesus came to Earth somehow immune from temptation because he was the Son of God is wrong and the the scriptures 0:05:14 - 0:05:36 are clear on this point. But let's just go off of this quote for now. He suffered greater sufferings, not just not just equal temptation and suffering than, than everyone else has, but greater suffering. And notwithstanding all this, he kept the law of God and remained without sin. And this is evidence 0:05:35 - 0:05:57 that it is in the power of man to keep the law and remain also without sin. This is critical. So if you read the book of Mormon, the doctrine contained in that book is very clear that we have to become sinless, we have to actually keep God's commandments as far as we understand them. There's no other 0:05:56 - 0:06:22 way in lecture seven, he goes on to say what language can be plainer than this. The glory which the Father and the Son have is because they are just and holy beings. I'll pause there. The glory which God has is a result of who He is and how he is let's continue reading and that if they were lacking in 0:06:22 - 0:06:42 one attribute or perfection, which they have the glory which they have never could be enjoyed by them. For it requires them to be precisely what they are in order to enjoy it. And if the Savior gives this glory to any others, he must do it in the very way, set forth in his prayer to his father by making 0:06:41 - 0:07:04 them one with him as he and the father are one in. So doing, he would give them the glory which the Father has given him. So we see that you can become like God. And the way to make that happen is to become like he is. And there is no other way you have to be as he is to receive the glory that he has 0:07:04 - 0:07:30 . These things are tied together. I highly recommend you read all of lectures on faith as you're going through this. But in particular lecture seven needs to be read for its um its layout of and treatment of scriptures to show these points. I'm not going to go over them here. So in lecture six, we read 0:07:29 - 0:07:49 it is in vain for persons to fancy to themselves that they are heirs with those or can be heirs with them who have offered their all in sacrifice. And by this means, obtained faith in God and favor with Him. So as to obtain eternal life, unless they in like manner, offer unto him, the same sacrifice 0:07:48 - 0:08:11 . And through that offering, obtain the knowledge that they are accepted of Him. So the way is the same for everyone and the way is that they have to, to sacrifice the same things and obtain the same knowledge that everyone else has had to do to get to that point, including the Lord himself. And that 0:08:11 - 0:08:37 is, it's all one and the same, the glory is received in the same way. We become more like God by learning more about him and by reconciling our character actions and desires to what we learn. That is the gospel, obtaining more and more of the spirit knowledge, wisdom or mind of God is the exercise of 0:08:37 - 0:09:07 faith unto life and salvation. In lecture five, we read the Father and the Son possessing the same mind, the same wisdom, glory, power and fullness. This mind is the Holy Spirit. This idea of the knowledge of God being the mechanism by which you acquire the glory of God uh is throughout scripture. And 0:09:07 - 0:09:27 it's also explained clearly in the lecturers on faith. In lecture five, it says that the Sun being filled with the fullness of the mind, glory and power, or in other words, the spirit glory and power, the Father possessing all knowledge and glory in the same kingdom, being filled with the fullness of 0:09:27 - 0:09:48 the mind of the Father. Or in other words, the spirit of the Father, which spirit is shed forth upon all who believe on his name and keep his commandments and all those who keep his commandments shall grow up from grace to grace and become heirs of the heavenly kingdom and joint heirs with Jesus Christ 0:09:47 - 0:10:10 , possessing the same mind, being transformed into the same image or likeness. Even the express image of him who fills all in all, being filled with the fullness of his glory and become one in him. Even as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one. If you're interested in this process of how you acquire 0:10:09 - 0:10:33 more knowledge, more light, more truth through the spirit of God, I highly encourage you to watch the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is a series on this youtube channel. But this is the mechanism for how you become like God. So why should you want to in lecture seven, we read salvation means to possess 0:10:33 - 0:10:56 the attributes, glory, power, authority, Majesty and Dominion that Jesus possesses essentially if you're not precisely like Jesus in these ways, you are not saved. So if you care about salvation, you should want to become like God because that is the means by which you are saved. In lecture seven, we 0:10:56 - 0:11:17 read these teachings of the Savior must clearly show unto us the nature of salvation and what he proposed unto the human family when he proposed to s to save them, that he proposed to make them like unto himself. And he was like the father, the great prototype of all saved beings. And for any portion 0:11:16 - 0:11:43 of the human family, to be assimilated into their likeness is to be saved and to be unlike them is to be destroyed. And on this hinge turns the door of salvation. This is the plan of salvation to make us like he is. It's a means, it's a, it's a pathway to become like he is. It's not a magic switch. It 0:11:43 - 0:12:04 happens through learning more about him and becoming like he is through implementing the things that we learn and that knowledge comes through the spirit. So when we come to how it's done, it's important to understand that this is not a case of us just sort of doing what we think we should do. And, and 0:12:04 - 0:12:29 that's good enough. It's not a case of us having the capacity of ourselves to get to this point. Uh Some people contend that if that we can't possibly live a sinless life because if we could, why would Jesus be essential? And that's an honest question. But it's, it's also kind of a silly one because 0:12:28 - 0:12:57 without his example, his knowledge and his character, how would we know how we should act and how our character should be. If the natural man is fallen, then we can't just sort of implement our best guess at what righteousness means. We have to be shown what it means because it righteousness lies outside 0:12:56 - 0:13:19 of our awareness. And it's through revelation, which is a gift from God that we are taught these things line upon line and beyond all of that, it would be insufficient to learn these things if we couldn't be forgiven of the mistakes we've made in the past. And that forgiveness is also a gift from God 0:13:19 - 0:13:41 . And so through his example, through revelation and through forgiveness, the Lord is, is essential to this plan. Uh It just doesn't exist without Him. So we've moved through some of the content in the lectures on faith. And now we'll give an introduction to the intended action. And again, this is just 0:13:41 - 0:00:00 meant to serve as an overview uh into which we will put more detail as we go through each of the remaining videos in this series, the action that we are intended to take after reading the lectures on faith is for, for us to obtain and exercise faith in particular. This is an individual quest. Again, 0:00:00 - 0:14:29 it's for you to obtain an exercise, faith, not for someone else, not for some group of people. This is not a group exercise, it's an individual exercise. This means to obey everything that God tells you and to learn everything that God will teach you. In lecture six, we read, let us here observe that 0:14:29 - 0:14:48 a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation. For from the first existence of man, the faith necessary unto the enjoyment of life and salvation never could be obtained without the sacrifice of all earthly 0:14:48 - 0:15:07 things. It was through this sacrifice and this only that God has ordained, that men should enjoy eternal life. And it is through the medium of the sacrifice of all earthly things that men do actually know that they are doing the things that are well pleasing in the sight of God. When a man has offered 0:15:07 - 0:15:27 in sacrifice, all that He has for the truth's sake, not even withholding his life and believing before God that he has been called to make this sacrifice because he seeks to do his will. He does know most assuredly that God does and will accept his sacrifice and offering and that He has not nor will 0:15:26 - 0:15:57 not seek his face in vain under these circumstances. Then he can obtain the faith necessary for Him to lay hold on eternal life. So in brief, this sacrifice means uh what we turn to and turn away from in order to seek more knowledge from God and implement it in our lives. And that is what faith is. If 0:15:57 - 0:16:21 you're interested in how we make this sacrifice, which isn't one thing. It's actually a process of many things. Then uh I, I recommend that you watch a video I did called Be Sinless and that you read a book I wrote called Seek Ye This Jesus, which is a guide through the scriptures on repentance and walking 0:16:20 - 0:16:44 with God. And what it means and, and how you get there. So not only do we have to do everything that God teaches us, but we also have to learn everything that God's willing to teach us. So, um it's appropriate at this point to talk about what everything means in DNC 76 we read for thus saith the Lord 0:16:44 - 0:17:08 I the Lord and merciful and gracious unto those who fear me and delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end. So the question is to whom is he speaking? He's speaking to those who fear him and those who serve him. So my question for you is, are you included in that group 0:17:07 - 0:17:28 ? I hope the answer is yes. I don't know why you'd be watching this if it wasn't. So let's keep reading great. Shall be their reward and eternal shall be their glory and to them. Remember who we're talking about here. I will reveal all mysteries. So what does all mysteries mean? Or maybe a better question 0:17:28 - 0:17:48 is what does that leave out? The answer is nothing, right? Yeah. All the hidden mysteries of my kingdom from days of old and for ages to come. Will I make known unto them the good pleasure of my will concerning all things pertaining to my kingdom. There's nothing limited here. Everything is included 0:17:48 - 0:18:08 . Yeah. Even the wonders of eternity shall they know and things to come. Will I show them even the things of many generations. He will show you the past, he will show you the present. He will show you the future. He will show you all things continuing the quote and their wisdom shall be great and their 0:18:08 - 0:18:27 understanding reach to heaven and before them, the wisdom of the wise shall perish. And the understanding of the prudent shall come to naught, which means you will surpass those who think they know these things for by my spirit. Will I enlighten them and by my power will I make known unto them the secrets 0:18:27 - 0:18:49 of my will. Yeah, even those things which I have not seen nor ear heard, nor yet entered into the heart of man. So my question here is will this will all things necessarily include things that you've never heard anywhere else. Absolutely. It will. If you believe God, that's exactly what he's saying here 0:18:49 - 0:19:12 and again, to whom is he making this promise to those who fear him and serve him? Here are some more scriptures mark 422. For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested. Neither was anything kept secret but that it should come abroad. Jeremiah 33 3 call to me and I will answer you and will tell 0:19:11 - 0:19:35 you great and hidden things that you have not known in moon 10 5 by the power of the Holy Ghost. You may know the truth of all things. So everything means everything. If you are interested in understanding more about how he teaches these things and what he teaches. Then I suggest you watch the video 0:19:35 - 0:19:59 called Revelation Learning and discerning, which is a two part series on this channel. And also that you read the book called The Glory of God is Intelligence, which talks about how to acquire and um assimilate more light and truth, how you learn everything. Well, that concludes our introduction and 0:19:59 - 0:20:14 overview of the lectures on faith. I hope you tune into the, the rest of the four videos in this series where we will dive into what it means to have faith and so on. And we'll cover more of the text of lectures on faith.