From: Richard Pratt
To: Those I Love
Re: HOPE!
July 13th marks the third anniversary of my sweet wife’s death. If I had no hope of soon being with her, I would be of all men the most miserable. And to be with her implies in every relationship of husband and wife eternally. And so it is that hope is the second principle of the gospel, faith being the first as was discussed in the last memo.
Faith without hope is dead! Where there is no faith in Christ, there is also no hope.
So what do those who have faith in Christ hope for? Faith and hope being inseparable.
Faith in Christ is to know him and to know that he is the rewarder of those who diligently seek him. To know, that without him there is nothing for he is not only our creator, by divine investiture of power from the Father, but is also the creator of all things and has promised those who have faith in him to also hope that all that the Father has shall be given to the faithful.
These then are the things that the faithful shall hope for, and the following list is far from being all inclusive:
First: Because Christ was resurrected I, too will come forth from the grave clothed upon with immortality, which means I can never die again. But more than that the resurrected body will be perfected and restored to what it might have been in our prime which peaks in this life at about 25 years of age. And those born with abnormalities of any kind will have them removed. There will be no diseases of any kind. Doctors will not be needed nor health care in any way.
Second: Shortly following this exciting event of resurrection I will be summoned to appear before the pleasing bar of God. Or as Moroni records: “I soon go to rest in the paradise of God, until my spirit and body shall again reunite, and I am brought forth triumphant through the air, to meet you before the pleasing bar of the great Jehovah, the Eternal Judge of both quick and dead, Amen” Moroni 10:34 (Note: “The Great Jehovah” is none other than Jesus Christ.” We will stand before him, every soul, and give an accounting of our mortal lives and receive our eternal reward. For our God has appointed this great judgmental power to his first born son, because of his willingness and total obedience.
And the Father and the Son have set up the following criteria for judgement:
“Whoso is faithful unto the obtaining these two priestoods of which I have spoken, and the magnifying their callings, are sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies. (resurrection.)
They become the sons and daughters of Moses and of Aaron and the seed of Abraham, and the church and kingdom, and the elect of God.
And also all they who receive this priesthood receive me, saith the Lord. For he that receiveth my servants receiveth me.
And he that receiveth me receiveth my Father.
And he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Fathers kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him.
And this is according to the oath and covenant which belongeth to the priesthood....
And now I give unto you a commandment TO BEWARE concerning YOURSELVES, to give diligent heed to the words of ETERNAL LIFE.
For you shall live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God.
For the word of the Lord is Truth. And whatsoever is truth is light. And whatsoever is light is spirit, even the spirit of Jesus Christ.
And the Spirit giveth light to EVERY MAN (AND WOMAN) that cometh into the world; and the Spirit enlighteneth every man (and woman) through the world that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit.
And everyone that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit COMETH UNTO GOD, even the Father. ( D & C 84:33-47)
Third: Having the resurrection and successfully passing the judgement bar, what will be my next hope?
Why to inherit a portion of this earth’s surface, which has been renewed by death and resurrection of the earth itself. For as the Savior said, “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5) When shall the meek inherit the earth? After all who have lived on the earth and the earth itself have passed through the changes of death and the resurrection. Who are the meek? Those who have accepted Jesus as their Savior and God as their Father.
Fourth: Having inherited a portion of this earth the meek then shall look forward to a fulness of joy.
A fullness of joy is only possible by four requisites: “Eternal life, eternal love, eternal peace and eternal wealth. These four principles are co-dependent upon each other.
With the fear of death removed via the resurrection and as it is not good for man to be alone there must needs be an eternal love or union of the sexes. Neither of these can be achieved without eternal peace - no longer will man be torn from his family and sent off to war and all its attending horrors.
But with life, love, and peace assured a fulness of joy cannot be attained in poverty. So those who inherit the earth will be assured of an estate sufficiently large to adequately support their ever expanding family.
“In short, eternal man, in possession of eternal worlds in all their variety and fulness, will eat, drink, think, converse, associate, assemble, disperse, go, come, possess, improve, love and enjoy. He will increase in riches, knowledge, power, might and majesty, and dominion, in worlds without end.
Eternal gold, silver, precious stones and other precious material would be useful in erection and furnishing of mansions and of public and private dwellings.
These edifices would constitute eternal cities, gardens, groves, walks, rivulets, fountains, flowers and fruits would beautify and adorn the landscape, please the eye, the taste, the smell and thus contribute gladness to the heart of man.
With this view of the subject, what man would be so base, so groveling, so blind to his own interest as to neglect those duties, self denials, sacrifices that are necessary in order to secure a part in the first resurrection, and a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory in that life which never ends.” (Excerpts from Parley P. Pratt’s “Key to the Science of Theology”
pages 35-38)
Remember: BE AWARE OF YOURSELF. “We are our own worst enemy and will not be able to lay blame on anyone else for our missing the boat.”
Go forward filled with faith and hope and prepare for the wonderful things that can be ours from our loving Heavenly Father.
I love you,
Grandpa Pratt
