December 1, 2008
From: Richard M. Pratt
Re: Christmas
To: My beloved family and friends
My dear family once again it is Christmas time and many in the world are paying our Great Redeemer a little lip service. Let us do more than that. May I be able in the next four pages, so brief, when we consider the thousands of pages written about him. May I be able to, by the Spirit, working in me and in you gain some little glimpse of what Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and king is trying to do for you and I and every soul living on the earth or has or will yet enjoy its fantastic richness.
In as much as most Christmas messages are about the short 33 years he spent on earth may I briefly allude to them and then spend the balance of this message on the great King, Lord, and Law Giver whose soon arrival on this earth to rule and reign is about to be ushered in.
He started this mortal life as we all do by the birth process of a mother who offers to die that we might have physical life.
“and she brought forth her first born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”
(note: The earth he had created couldn’t even give him a decent place to be born.
Have you ever been in a barn filled with a variety of animals? I have and it definitely is not where I would want my beloved mother to give birth.
“and lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them. Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be unto all people.”
In the balance of this brief letter may I somehow in my inept way be able to portray the fantastic joy that awaits those who find their way back into the presence of this tiny baby now soon to be crowned King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
In doing so we will have to pass thru some very turbulent times for all the nations of the earth must suffer the total collapse of earthly governments. For all earthly governments are in a sad stage of corruption as the rightful freedoms given by God are trampled on and destroyed. There are and will be thru this time of peril three places of safety.
NOTICE: “And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place (home ~ yours hopefully) of Zion and upon her assemblies (churches) a cloud and smoke by day, and the shinning of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defense.” (This is the same way the saints have been protected in times of danger earlier.) “there shall be a tabernacle (Temple) for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.” Notice: the three places of safety, your HOME, CHURCH, and the TEMPLE. From Isaiah 4: 5-6
This earth is living and must die, but since it keeps the law it shall be restored thru the resurrection by which it shall become Celestialized and the abode of Celestial Beings. For the Lord said, “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5
It’s certain that the meek will not inherit it in this life. So that fulfillment can only come after the Lord and King has returned in power and great glory to rule and reign upon THIS earth forever.
There are so many scriptures pertaining to this monumental event that I can only refer to a few of them. But every aspect of the Savior’s soon return is prophesied in detail, except for one thing, the time . And there is excellent reason for this, If the time was given, we, being human, would put off getting prepared until it would be everlastingly to late.
Not knowing the exact time keeps the believers in a constant state of readiness. But the signs are everywhere that it is so very close.
Many people, other than ourselves, are at least making lip service to that monumental day.
“and it shall come to pass that he that loveth me shall be looking forth for the great day of the Lord to come, even for the signs of the coming of the Son of Man.
And they shall see signs and wonders, for they shall be shown forth in the heavens above, and in the earth beneath.
And they shall behold blood, and fire, and vapors of smoke. And before the day of the Lord shall come, the sun turned into blood, and the stars fall from heaven. And the remnant shall look for me, and behold, I will come; and they shall see me in the clouds of heaven, clothed with power and great glory; with all the holy angels, and he that watches not for me shall be cut off. But before the arm of the Lord shall fall, an angel shall sound his trump, and the saints that have slept shall come forth to meet me in the cloud….then shall the arm of the Lord fall upon the nations. And then the Lord shall set his foot upon this mount (Mt. Of Olives) and it shall cleave in twain, and the earth shall tremble, and reel to and fro and the heavens shall shake.
And the Lord shall utter his voice, and the ends of the earth shall hear it; and they that have laughed shall see their folly…. then shall the Jews look upon me and say: what are these wounds in thine hands and in thy feet?
Then shall they know that I am the Lord; for I will say unto them: These are the wounds with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. I am he who was lifted up. I am Jesus that was crucified. I am the Son of God.” D & C 45:39-52
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and every thing that in them are or as it states in the opening chapter of John, “In the beginning was the word…the same was in the beginning with God…all things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.” John 1:1-3
Having made ALL THINGS then he as the creator OWNS all things. And from the dust of the earth, which he owns he created man. Therefore none of us can even call our body our own for it belongs to the great creator. But what a marvelous plan he has for each one of us if we will but accept it.
You see HE is trying to create a royal place for us to live in opulence (what does that word mean?) forever more. Let us be among those who accept the offer.
First it takes three things to make a kingdom ~ LAND ~ PEOPLE ~ and a KING. He is the KING and He had created the land and since its creation he has been trying to people his kingdom.
Right now I am looking at a picture of my wife who at the age of twenty- two chose to become a citizen of the U.S.A. She had been born in Canada when it was still a part of the Kingdom of Great Britain, therefore she was a British citizen but in compliance with USA law she renounced her British citizenship and became a “naturalized” citizen of the U.S.A.
It wasn’t easy and took two or three years of hard study learning American history, an expensive trip to Calgary, Canada and all the money we could rake up plus the
Very generous help of a rich uncle whom I only remember as Uncle Ez. Who lived in Calgary. I never met him but will be eternally grateful to him. I think he was married to my wife’s mother’s sister so was only related by marriage. THANK YOU UNCLE EZ.
Now let us compare how the Lord provides citizenship for his kingdom. Like our country, birth into the world, no matter where, from pole to pole grants automatic citizenship. All new borns are citizens of the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is His church and this is in preparation for the Kingdom of Heaven which He will bring with him and that will add to the present church laws all the civil laws needed to govern a bonifide Kingdom.
At the age of eight ones citizenship is on the line still, a one year extension is granted and their names are not taken off the kingdoms roles till their ninth birthday then it remains if they have complied with the naturalization laws. (baptism)
And here are the laws that allow eternal citizenship rights in the realms of the Lord.
We must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ (the King) and that he rewards those that diligently seek him. This is called FAITH and without faith it is impossible to please Him.
We must put ourselves in full compliance with the Laws. This is called REPENTANCE.
Then by certain actions we show our New Country that we mean what we say and seal it with an oath, so to speak, called BAPTISM by immersion for the remittance of pardoning of our past unlawful behavior. This baptism can only be legal when performed by a qualified servant of the law. That legal servant has received his legality from someone in authority. In the case of His Kingdom it is called PRIESTHOOD. And every servant claiming authority must be able to show it in an unbroken line back to the King.
And the baptism must be confirmed by the GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST.
(and recorded)
Here is my Priesthood line of authority to perform these necessary ordinances to be a legal citizen of God’s realm:
I was ordained (commissioned) to the office of an Elder in the Melchizedek Priesthood by William R. Sloan who was ordained by Heber S. Allen, who was ordained by Apostle George Teasdale, who was ordained by President Brigham Young who was ordained by the three witnesses of the Book of Mormon. They were ordained by the Prophet Joseph Smith, who was ordained by Peter, James and John and they received their authority from Moses and Elijah and Jesus Christ on the Mt. Of Transfiguration and anyone who cannot show his line of authority back to Jesus who received it from his Father and our Father is an imposter.
It is important to keep a record of your line of authority!
Back in the 1950’s the highest ranking official of the Catholic church (I believe he had the title of Archbishop) in North America visited the Prophet David O. McKay in Salt Lake City. They had a very agreeable visit and toward the end of their conversation, the Bishop said to President McKay: “You do not know the strength of your position, for either your church is the only true church by direct revelation or the Catholic Church is the only true church by direct dissension from Christ. All the other Christian churches have no claim to authority. All they have is their protesting against the Catholic Church.”
President McKay smiled at him and said; “Yes we know the strength of our position.”
Now back to the Kingdom of Heaven, which Jesus will bring with him. All man made governments with only one or two tiny exceptions are tyrannical, dictatorial, abusive and destructive and none last forever for the subjects in their abused state usually aggravated by excessive taxation rise up in revolt or are extinguished by another dictatorial power neighboring them.
But what a difference in the Kingdom of Heaven. For out King wants to share equally with us ALL THAT HE HAS.
And what does he have that he can give it all to each one of his citizens. KNOWLEDGE. The more knowledge you give to more people the more you have left for yourself. As a teacher I completely understand this grand precept. A teacher always learns more than his students.
Knowledge brings POWER. The more knowledge the more power until the students are like the teacher.
So our teacher, our Lord, our Savior, our King, if we will let him, is going to give the subjects of his Kingdom all things of an eternal nature that will bring everlasting joy.
Someday we will have gained so much knowledge in this beneficent kingdom that we will have power to do all things. Yes, to go and to come in any direction with no restrictions of time and space. To create worlds, to people those worlds with our own spiritual offspring.
There is no limit to what we can become or what we can do if we will but comply with the few simple laws of the Kingdom of Heaven and follow Jesus Christ our King.
“If you could hie to Kolob in the twinkling of an eye and then continue onward with that same speed to fly. Do you think that you could ever thru all eternity, find out the generation where Gods began to be?
Or see the grand beginning, where space did not extend? Or view the last creation where Gods and matter end?
Me thinks the Spirit whispers, no man has found pure space, nor seen the outside curtains, where nothing has a place.
The works of God continue, and worlds and lives abound; improvements and progression have one eternal round.
There is no end to matter; there is no end to space; there is no end to spirit; there is no end to race. There is no end to virtue; there is no end to might; there is no end to wisdom; there is no end to light.
There is no end to union; there is no end to youth; there is no end to priesthood; there is no end to truth.
There is no end to glory; there is no end to love; there is no end to being; there is no death above.” By Parley P. Pratt
Believe it and rejoice forever more! Merry Christmas! I love you all!
Dad, Grandpa, etc. Richard Pratt
