A few years ago I felt impressed (and inspired by the example of others) to make some changes in my life and my home. Following subtle but unmistakable promptings, I cleaned up my entertainment and media consumption to invite and qualify for the Spirit more fully. This was the first and hardest step for me, but the noticable change in my spiritual sensitivity, peace, and confidence motivated me to keep going.
I studied God’s revealed word on many topics so that I could better align my beliefs and actions with the truth and His will. And I did these things from a place of sincere desire now, rather than fear or obligation. The more I aligned myself with Him, the more I wanted to.
During this time, President Russell M. Nelson (prophet and president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) said, “Sometimes we speak almost casually about walking away from the world with its contention, pervasive temptations, and false philosophies. But truly doing so requires you to examine your life meticulously and regularly. As you do so, the Holy Ghost will prompt you about what is no longer needful, what is no longer worthy of your time and energy. As you shift your focus away from worldly distractions, some things that seem important to you now will recede in priority. You will need to say no to some things, even though they may seem harmless. As you embark upon and continue this lifelong process of consecrating your life to the Lord, the changes in your perspective, feelings, and spiritual strength will amaze you!” This was my experience exactly!
It’s interesting the way these changes happened for me. I followed promptings and made the changes, and then, later I learned and understood more about the reasons I was prompted to make changes. I had clear and convincing evidence now, but it didn’t come until after I had made changes in faith.
One of the greatest things I came to understand later on was Satan’s goal to get us comfortable in a telestial world, so that we’re not primed (prepared and ready) for something higher. He does this subtly and gradually, so we don’t even realize that our spiritual taste and appetite have become so unrefined.
My husband was recently studying in the scriptures about God’s kingdom and those who will be able to abide the glory of His kingdom. When I hear the word ‘abide’ I tend to think of the definitions “stay with,” “dwell or reside,” “endure,” and even “wait for.” But he pointed out another definition that I don’t often think about: “tolerate, bear, or stand.” So not only will some people not endure or stay with the gospel and end up in God’s kingdom, but some will not even be able to bear being in His presence.
“And they who are not sanctified through the law which I have given unto you, even the law of Christ, must inherit another kingdom, even that of a terrestrial kingdom, or that of a telestial kingdom.
“For he who is not able to abide the law of a celestial kingdom cannot abide a celestial glory.” (D&C 88:21-22)
Our just and loving Father has prepared a place for all of His children depending on which laws we choose to live in this life. Only those who live the laws of His kingdom (what we call the Celestial kingdom) will have a place there. But also, only those who have lived celestial laws will be able to tolerate living there for eternity, and survive the celestial glory that comes with it.
We become what we choose over and over. If we have continually chosen the things of this world, we likely won’t desire or be comfortable with more elevated and refined things—and more importantly, we won’t have become a celestial person capable of receiving a celestial glory. Thankfully, it’s never too late to choose something different in this life.
What do we truly want (what have we become comfortable with; what kind of appetite have we developed)? And what do we want to want? It takes a conscious decision and intentional effort to align every aspect of our hearts and lives with the Lord and His will. The world is quickly getting farther and farther away from Him, and just going with the flow will have devastating consequences. But we can find higher ground and stand against the tide. By the grace of God, we can prime ourselves and our families for eternal life in His kingdom.
