Experiencing the divine ...

"I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it." -- 1 John 2:21.

By this statement, the writer of this epistle seems to make clear that he is not addressing outsiders or even potential converts to the Christian faith. He is writing to Saints already grounded in the gospel, those who already know the truth. His purpose? "That your joy may be full."

And yet, this seems to contradict his earlier declaration, in which he states that his purpose in writing is that "ye may also have fellowship with us." At first glance, that appears to be precisely an invitation to outsiders, an appeal to join the family of the saints.

I puzzled over that tonight. Then the Spirit spoke to me. John is indeed addressing the membership, telling them: You know the truth. Now I invite you to ascend to the next level -- experience it, even as we apostles have!

To quote LDS author Robert Millet, referencing certain saints in his recollection: " Their [testimonies weren't] simply an intellectual disclosure but rather a report of personal engagement with things divine." (Holding Fast, P. 1)

We know from Jesus' words that the pure in heart are promised that they shall see God. And God keeps his promises.

Alphabet, Word, Creation

A Jewish associate of mine on another website reports that the first sentence of the Bible – bereshit bara elohim shamayim eretz – actually is a little bit grammatically more complex than that. It requires an “et” before shamayim (heavens).

“ET is a word that is not translatable into English. It is like a marker that says - "a definite direct object is next." Thus there needs to be an ET before THE heavens and THE earth. If there was no the, there would not need to be an ET, but there is a deeper meaning. ET is spelled - Aleph Tav. And Aleph Tav is an abbreviation for the Aleph -BET. Aleph is the first letter of the ALPHABET and Tav the last. So in a beginning God created the ALPHA-BET. And God did this before creating the heavens and the earth. God used the letters, the building blocks, to create the world.”

Could John have had this very concept in mind when he spoke of Logos, The Word, which was with God and was God? When you create Alphabet, you create Word. And it seems to connect as well with the Savior’s statement that He is Alpha and Omega, the Greek equivalent of Aleph-Tav, the beginning and the end.

From whence we came ...

The idea that we came from heaven to this earth is instinctively felt and cherished by many in Christianity though their clergy officially revile it.

The pre-Earth existence -- not reincarnation but simply the idea that we once lived as spirits with God our Father and now live here, clothed in mortal flesh -- is one of the beautiful doctrines explained in the restoration of the Gospel.

While reading in 1st John the other day, I came across this exquisite verse:

"I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father."

If we did not once live, as conscious, sentient beings, with our Heavenly Father, what could this verse possibly mean?