Seven of Everything

This is a continuation of the blog post  Why Do We Need Body?  from September 2009. Most of this is quoting from the fireside talk by Things as They Really Are Elder Bednar and apostle of Jesus Christ given in May 2009. I removed the personal stories. "[Satan's] attempts to influence us both to misuse our physical bodies and to minimize the importance of our bodies." “Wherefore, I give unto them a commandment … : Thou shalt not idle away thy time, neither shalt thou bury thy talent that it may not be known” (D&C 60:13). I strongly believe that ... moments of regret and realization will come to each of us for our idle time and buried talents. We will not receive new talents and loose the ones that we have if we do not come back to reality. Nephi and Alma commanded their people to be industrious and produce much fruit just like our modern prophets and apostles. "If [satan] cannot entice us to misuse our physical bodies, then one of his most potent tactics...

I decided to search the scriptures for every instance of the terms redeemed and redemption as well as saved and salvation. According to the scriptures, redemption brings about both resurrection and salvation. Resurrection is the redemption from the fall. It is never said that we are saved from the fall - this is not the case. We are redeemed from the fall which brings all men back into the presence of God. Redemption from the fall is not complete until we, all of God's children who come to earth, are standing in the presence of God. However, redemption and salvation are essentially the same thing when it comes to personal sins. The redemption brings about salvation of those who believe and are baptized. Those who go the the Telestial kingdom are saved. Those who go to outer darkness are the only ones that are not saved from the second death, they are damned. They are redeemed from "the fall" but not from their fall. It is not possible to say redeemed from the second...

This months set of seven comes from Elder Richard G Scott's April 2012 General Conference talk titled How to Obtain Revelation and Inspiration for your Personal Life : "When I am faced with a very difficult matter, this is how I try to understand what to do. 1) I fast. 2) I pray to find and understand scriptures that will be helpful. (That process is cyclical.) 3) I start reading a passage of scripture; 4) I ponder what the verse means and 5) pray for inspiration. 6) I then ponder and pray to know if I have captured all the Lord wants me to do. 7) Often more impressions come with increased understanding of doctrine. I have found that pattern to be a good way to learn from the scriptures." [Numbering and parenthesis added]