2009-2-7 03:18:00
Thanks for the birthday wishes, my friends, and a special thanks to Ruth for taking the time and thought to write a poem for little ole me.
I indeed recall the first time I heard the song by the Beatles -- "When I'm Sixty-Four." At that time 64 seemed a long way away. I'm sure it also seemed a long way away for Paul McCartney who sang it. Now I am sixty-four it indeed forces the truth upon my consciousness that one lifetime is not really that long. My life so far in a way only seems like an extended dream having only a tiny amount of the experiences available. We would all indeed be shortchanged if there were only one life as taught by orthodox religions.
Larry W. asks if the baptism of fire is associated with discipleship. I wasn't attempting to say that the experience of the baptism of fire indicates that one is an accepted disciple. To receive the fire of the Spirit one must be open as a child and of pure heart at the moment of the witness.
What I was saying is that a true disciple will stimulate others in the direction of this experience. Just as signs will follow those who believe, even so will the spirit follow those who teach by the Spirit.
Several asked about this quote I made in 1994:
"We are living in an age when a number of advanced disciples are preparing to make their presence felt. There are four that are in the news on a regular basis, but few would be able to name them."
One of the reasons I did not name them was that I was dealing with people who very politically liberal and Rush Limbaugh was one of the initiates I had in mind. People who are polarized on one of the two extremes of political thought often have great difficulty in admitting that another who thinks differently than themselves is an initiate.
Rush Limbaugh single-handedly initiated the age of talk radio on a scale it had never existed before and whether you agree with him or not one must recognize the new ground he broke.
One must also admire his mind for the way he can look at a situation and come to a true deduction that is in the opposite direction to everyone else's thinking -- even that of many of his fellow conservatives.
Here's just one example. After the recent banking collapse over the sub prime mortgage situation everyone was blaming the problem on a lack of regulation. I must have heard this repeated a hundred times by people of all persuasion. Then I turned on Rush and I heard him say, "The problem wasn't created by a lack of regulation, but by too much regulation and interference."
Rush was using one of the Principles of Discovery which is to look at what everyone is saying or agreeing to and then look in the opposite direction. I kicked myself for him doing this with the situation before I did. He didn't have to say anything else. Immediately I realized there was truth in what he said.
I believe another one of the four was Kevorkian who is ultra liberal and the opposite of Rush in many ways. Rush can't stand the guy and calls him "Doctor Death." Yet they are both initiates, but in different areas of endeavor.
If I remember correctly the other two I had in mind was Steve Jobs and Bill Gates.
None of these four are looked upon as particularly religious or spiritual as some think an initiate needs to be.
Larry W. also asks:
"I always wondered about this scripture and, since I'm on a roll asking questions, what do you think about this scripture?
"D&C 49:8 -- 'Wherefore, I will that all men shall repent, for all are under sin, except those which I have reserved unto myself, holy men that ye know not of.'"
JJ:
I have written about this several times. Here is a quote from "The Gathering of Lights":
"This Master works in close connection with Koot Hoomi as well as Master Morya and all three of them are in close association with the Christ. They are all 'resurrected beings,' using Christian terminology. In esoteric language they are referred to merely as "the Masters" or the 'Masters of Wisdom.'"
"The Christ once hinted at these associates in a revelation given to Joseph Smith:
'Wherefore, I will that all men shall repent, for all are under sin, except those which I have reserved unto myself, HOLY MEN THAT YE KNOW NOT OF.' (D&C [Doctrine & Covenants] 49:8)
"These holy men that the world and even many prophets knew not of were the Masters. There are many Masters, but the three mentioned above are of the most important from our point of view. Koot Hoomi is next in line to take over the position of The Christ in about a thousand years from now when the present Christ will move on to other work. These three men have known each other from many lifetimes and were the three wise men from the East who presented gifts to the Christ child. They understood the mission of Christ much better than His twelve apostles and helped to surround the babe with a protective aura in the first few years of his life."
(Gathering of Lights, Chapt 10, The 3 Revelations)
Finally Larry W. asks:
"Finally, I'm curious about this scripture; keys by which Hyrum may ask and receive? What's this?
"God, speaking of Hyrum Smith said, (D&C 124:95) 'That he may act in concert also with my servant Joseph; and that he shall receive counsel from my servant Joseph, who shall show unto him the keys whereby he may ask and receive, and be crowned with the same blessing, and glory, and honor, and priesthood, and gifts of the priesthood, that once were put upon him that was my servant Oliver Cowdery;'
"So is this an ordinance like bowing to the East three times and speaking two special holy words or what? There is much in scripture that gets your curiosity going but does not fulfill it."
JJ:
The Key here is to be linked to one who is linked to the Holy Spirit. Where two or more people are gathered unto Christ there He will be in the midst of them. Oliver Cowdrey severed his relationship with Joseph and was on his own. He was not linked with anyone else to work this principle. Hiram was in great harmony with Joseph who was sensitive enough to receive revelation. This union caused Hiram to share Joseph's light and Joseph could also share his.
This principle can work to some degree on the internet but the flow is much increased with personal contact.
This is one more reason why it is important for those of you who are able to create a local group and find others to share "communion" with.
Copyright © 2009 by J.J. Dewey, All Rights Reserved