November 4.

I've been thinking a lot this week about repentance and practicing heaven. 

First, an analogy:

There is a little boy that likes to play in the mud. His mom has told him on several occasions that playing in the mud is not okay, and that he shouldn't do it because if he does, he can't come back inside because he's not allowed to track mud into the house. One day, the little boy comes home covered in mud. Mom finds him on the doorstep and tells him that he can't come in because he is muddy. He starts to cry. This is hard for mom because she wants to let him in but she has already told him that he is not allowed to be in the house when he is all muddy. So she sits him down and talks with him. She tells him that she loves him and explains again why he can't come into the house, but he can come back inside when he has washed the mud off. Feeling his mother's love, he goes to the back and rinses off. He comes back and shows mom that he has done all he can to get the mud off, even though there are still spots that are dirty. But that's okay because mom can help him become completely clean. 

We are living in spiritual mud. We can't possibly expect to come into the house of God and sanctify ourselves unless we have been made clean through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He loves us, he forgives us even when we are all covered in mud, but we are not fully clean until we are baptized and have received a REMISSION of our sins.  

17 Wherefore, do the things which I have told you I have seen that your Lord and your Redeemer should do; for, for this cause have they been shown unto me, that ye might know the gate by which ye should enter. For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and ^abaptism by water; and then cometh a ^bremissionof your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost.

This has to do with practicing heaven. There is a talk by Brad Wilcox called "His Grace is Sufficient" where he talks about how this life is the time to "practice heaven". He gives an example about a wayward kid who's parents think that if he goes to EFY, he will be set straight. So they pull together the money and send him off. He lasts one day before he calls his parents and says "Get me out of here." It's not that EFY wasn't good, not that he didn't try to enjoy it, he did not want to be there because he did not feel comfortable there. 

God's work and glory is "to bring to pass the immortality and etermal life of man". How can he do that if we are not willing to do the things that make us COMFORTABLE to have eternal life? AKA REPENTANCE. I like the word better in German. Umkehr. It literally means "turn around". It's used a lot in transportation, a regular day to day activity. Every single person understands the word "umkehr" and when we apply that to our lives, we turn around. We turn closer to Christ and when we do that we are practicing heaven. We are practicing how to feel comfortable in the presence of God. We are practicing how to have Eternal Life. It's not given to us if we don't want it. 

So here is our challenge:

Every single person that has ever lived, and will ever live on this earth is ALREADY "saved" by the Atonement of Jesus Christ. They will be immortal. No problem. That's taken care of. But it's our job to HELP them practice heaven. Show them how. Invite them to the biggest Homecoming Party of ETERNITY! And help them feel like they belong there!!

I don't know about you, but I am feeling the urgency. I want everyone to be "at home" in heaven. I want them to know that they can feel comfortable and HAPPY for the rest of their existence!!

Gah. I want them to UNDERSTAND.

That is the hardest part. 

But I can testify that people are looking to understand. They want to know their eternal identity. They want to know that they are welcomed back into the presence of God. We meet them all the time! YOU meet them all the time! 

Keep your eyes open.

Love you!!!

Sister Babbitt