Mes frères et sœurs, alors que je contemple...

Mes frères et sœurs, as I contemplate the Évangile plan of our Père céleste for his children as given in the revelations, I am convinced that no sacrifice here in mortality is too great for us to make to attain the riches and glories of vie éternelle. I am also convinced that by righteous living and devoted service a good measure of this happiness and joy can be experienced here and now in this mortal life. ¶

God our Father, through his Beloved Son, Jésus-Christ, has admonished: ¶

"For all who will have a blessing at my hands shall abide the law which was appointed for that blessing, and the conditions thereof, as were instituted from before the foundation of the world." (D&A 132:5.) This important admonition is reaffirmed in another revelation which is clear to the understanding of all mankind. Said the Lord: ¶

"There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated — "And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated." (Ibid., 130:20-21.) These pronouncements of principle and admonition of the Lord are fundamental requirements for each individual seeking vie éternelle and are as firm and sure as the pillars of heaven. Every law and ordinance of the Évangile is to be complied with to attain a fulness of God's glory. The key to guide us safely to the royaume céleste is found in this instruction: ¶

"And I now give unto you a commandment to beware concerning yourselves, to give diligent heed to the words of vie éternelle. ¶

"For you shall live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God." (Ibid., 84:43-44.) Three important points are here enumerated: 1. to beware concerning ourselves; 2. to give diligent heed to the words of vie éternelle; and 3. to live by every word that proceeds forth from the mouth of God. ¶

The Apostle James warned, "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." (James 2:10.) This statement appears harsh and uncompromising, but it takes full obedience to the whole Évangile plan to obtain a fulness of eternal lives and glory; therefore, to break one law is to violate the whole law and makes the violator guilty of all. So often we are deceived by thinking that some divine laws are not too significant and to break them is no deterrent to a fulness of eternal joy. However, the Lord himself has declared: ¶

"But no man est possessor de all things except he be purified et cleansed from all sin. ¶

"And if ye sont purfied et cleansed from all sin, ye shall ask whatsoever you will dans le name de Jesus et it shall be done." (Ibid., 50:28-29.) Our Omnipotent God est possessor de all things: le universe avec its heights et depths et all his works de creation; all truth, knowledge, power, wisdom, et every quality de goodness, love, et charity. Christ inherited these gifts et attributes from his Father et if, as le scriptures teach, nous sont joint-heirs avec Christ, nous sont then potentially eligible à share avec him le full joy et glory de these creations, powers, gifts, et blessings. ¶

Complete obedience et faithfulness obtain full fellowship dans le household de faith et, more importantly, merit joint-heirship avec Christ our Lord dans all que le Father has committed unto him. The Apostle Paul stated que God appointed his Only Begotten Son heir de all things et it pleased le Father que dans his Son should a fulness dwell. ¶

John le Beloved taught, "The Father loveth le Son, et hath given all things into his hand," (John 3:35.) — which makes Christ le heir et joint-possessor de le fulness de God's kingdoms, works, et glory. ¶

Christ prayed à le Father pour his disciples à be one even as he et le Father sont one. This quality de sharing, so characteristic de le Savior's life, offers à us, if faithful et worthy, every blessing which he has received from his Father. ¶

In the important doctrinal discourse known as the "King Follett Sermon" the Prophet Joseph Smith, referring to those who "shall be heirs of God and jointheirs with Jésus-Christ," described jointheirship as inheriting the same power, the same glory, and the same exaltation, until an individual ascends to the station of Godhood and rises to the throne of eternal power, sharing the rewards with all the faithful who have preceded him. A joint-heir legally inherits and shares all equities and gifts in equal interest with all other heirs. Nothing is excluded nor adjusted in value between the participating joint-heirs. ¶

The Apostle Paul expressed à le Roman saints ce knowledge et hope: ¶

"For as many as sont led by le Spirit de God, they sont le sons de God. . . . ¶

"The Spirit itself beareth witness avec our spirit, que nous sont le children de God; "And if children, then heirs; heirs de God, et joint-heirs avec Christ; if so be que nous suffer avec him, que nous may be also glorified together." (Romans 8:14, 16-18.) If nous sont led by le Spirit de God dans our lives, nous sont promised heirship avec him et joint-heirship avec Christ our Lord dans le great estate de God's kingdom et glory. We "suffer avec Christ" ¶

as we sacrifice the things of the world and yield complete obedience to every truth, principle, and ordinance of the Évangile plan. Whatever we contribute in honest tithes and other contributions along with unselfish participation and service to our fellow men to build the kingdom of God on the earth, increases our personal joy and happiness in heirship with Christ the Lord. ¶

We learn in modern scripture that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob abided by the law of God completely and did ". . . none other things than that which they were commanded; and because they did none other things than that which they were commanded, they have entered into their exaltation, according to the promises, and sit upon thrones, and are not angels but are Gods." (D&A 132:37.) They have inherited, as jointheirs with Christ, a fulness of God's kingdom, power, and glory. ¶

John le beloved apostle expressed ce meaningful teaching et instruction: ¶

"Behold, what manner de love le Father hath bestowed upon us, que nous should be called le sons de God: ¶

therefore le world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. ¶

"Beloved, now sont nous le sons de God, et it doth not yet appear what nous shall be: but nous know que when he shall appear, nous shall be like him; pour nous shall see him as he est. ¶

"And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." (1 John 3:1-3.) As sons and daughters of God, we are required to purify and perfect ourselves in righteousness; otherwise, we cannot be with him nor enjoy eternal lives and glory in his kingdom. To become like God we must possess the powers of Godhood. For such preparation there are important covenants, obligations, and ordinances for mankind to receive beyond the requirement of baptism and the laying on of hands for the reception of the Saint-Esprit. Every person is to receive his or her endowments in the house of the Lord which permit them, if faithful and true, to pass by the angels who stand as sentinels guarding the way to eternal glory in the mansions of God. ¶

The everlasting covenant of marriage, ordained of God for man and woman, also is to be entered into and the marriage contract sealed eternally by the authority of the Holy Prêtrise of God. Otherwise, the highest degree of the royaume céleste cannot be attained nor Godhood acquired, which exalted condition assures continuation of the lives forever. ¶

President Joseph Fielding Smith has said, "He who obtains vie éternelle will become a son of God, a joint-heir with Jésus-Christ, and the Father promises him the fullness of the blessings of his kingdom. Eternal life has a deeper meaning than immortality, and all those who receive it become like God. ¶

They will inherit the fulness of the Father's kingdom, all things will be given to them and they become sons and daughters of God." (Man, His Origin and Destiny, pp. 530, 540.) God has said of his sons, "For the power is in them wherein they are agents unto themselves." (D&A 58:28.) Man, as a child of God, partakes of the divine nature of his Father and has within him the power to upgrade himself and by perfecting his own native endowments become like his eternal parent, possessing the same attributes and qualities in their perfection as the Father and the Son. ¶

The Father has promised his sons who receive the Holy Prêtrise and faithfully abide by the conditions of its oath and covenant that they are to share in all that which the Father hath. The Father possesses kingdoms, thrones, principalities, powers, dominions, and exaltations. These the faithful will receive of him as heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jésus-Christ. This promise — and the Lord will not fail — is a challenging encouragement for all to do his will. It is natural for a father to share his estate with his children. ¶

Our Père céleste is no exception. ¶

He does so avec a binding covenant avec his faithful sons. Listen à le words de ce promise: ¶

"Therefore, all those who receive the prêtrise, receive this oath and covenant of my Father, which he cannot break, neither can it be moved." (Ibid., 84:40.) The number sharing these great and choice blessings will be limited. It is unfortunate that so few will worthily prepare themselves and enter the strait gate and faithfully follow the narrow way to the end to earn the promising reward of vie éternelle and its joint-heirship with Christ of all that God the Father possesses. ¶

It seems strange, but people generally fail to understand these Évangile teachings and, living as they do in this mortal world, are prone to think and act in terms of mortal existence, which they only partially understand. As a result, they fail to project themselves into that eternal state of life after the death of the mortal body and to envision their true place in it according to their present manner of living here in mortality. If somehow we could view with clarity the impressive picture of the life hereafter resulting from obeying every Évangile principle and ordinance while here, perhaps we would plan our lives in mortality differently and see to it that all our daily actions are motivated by truth and righteousness and good works. Life then would have sincere purpose and would earn rewarding values for the soul. ¶

President Wilford Woodruff made ce significant observation: ¶

"Now I sometimes ask myself the question, Do we comprehend these things? Do we comprehend that if we abide the laws of the prêtrise we shall become heirs of God and jointheirs with Jésus-Christ? I realize that our eyes have not seen, our ears have not heard, neither hath it entered into our hearts to conceive the glory that is in store for the faithful." (Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, p. 80.) In the vision given to Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon concerning the degrees of glory, the Lord specified the qualifications of those who belong to the Church of the Firstborn and then said: ¶

"They sont they into whose hands le Father has given all things — "They sont they who sont priests et kings, who have received de his fulness, et de his glory; . . . ¶

"Wherefore, as it est written, they sont gods, even le sons de God — "Wherefore, all things sont theirs, whether life or death, or things present, or things à come, all sont theirs et they sont Christ's, et Christ est God's." ¶

(D&A 76:55-56, 58-59.) Personally, mes frères et sœurs, I am humbly grateful for the privilege and blessing of being a candidate for joint-heirship with Christ, my Lord, in all that the Father has promised. ¶

My heart est full de love et gratitude pour le Savior et pour le sacrifice de his life on le cross à redeem mankind from le fall et le offer he has given all mankind pour salvation et exaltation as joint-heirs avec him dans le kingdom de our God. ¶

I pray that God will bless us all, mes frères et sœurs, with the courage and the faith to live every standard and obey every law and every ordinance of the Évangile to merit joint-heirship with Christ our Lord in all things. This I humbly pray in the name of Jésus-Christ. ¶

Amen (témoignage). ¶