What Christ Expects of Us

by Nicky Smith

We live in a Telestial World and we become quite encumbered with Telestial sins. In Doctrine and Covenants 76 it states that those who commit Telestial sins can only be ministered to by the Holy Ghost and angels. They will not be ministered to by Christ. Doctrine and Covenants 88 explains why.

22 For he who is not able to abide the law of a celestial kingdom cannot abide a celestial glory. 23 And he who cannot abide the law of a terrestrial kingdom cannot abide a terrestrial glory. 24 And he who cannot abide the law of a telestial kingdom cannot abide a telestial glory;  34 And again, verily I say unto you, that which is governed by law is also preserved by law and perfected and sanctified by the same. 35 That which breaketh a law, and abideth not by law, but seeketh to become a law unto itself, and willeth to abide in sin, and altogether abideth in sin, cannot be sanctified by law, neither by mercy, justice, nor judgment. Therefore, they must remain filthy still. 36 All kingdoms have a law given;

If we are committing Telestial sins we cannot be sanctified by the Terrestrial law, which by keeping it, one can see Christ. The Spirit told me that if I want to see Jesus, I need to remove all Telestial sins from my life and heart. I then began studying the scriptures to look for Telestial sins and some of them are: malice, envy, jealousy, backbiting, gossiping, lying, unforgiving, hypocrisy, idolatry, deceiving, fearing man more than God, unbelief, boasting, pride, and so on (see D&C 76:82-89,99-112; Revelation 21:8; Romans 1:28-32; 1 Peter 2:1-2)

It is easy to think we don't do any of these things, but the reality is if Christ is not visiting us, it is because we're committing a Telestial sin. For example, is there a time we might have lied about something and we haven't repented? Or has there been a time when we have been prideful? Or unforgiving? If we have done any of these things and we have not repented and been told we have been forgiven, that is one indication of why Christ cannot come to us. 

We need to search our hearts and ask the Lord to reveal to us those things we lack and need to change. I have done this and he always shows me what I need to repent of. Now is the day of our probation to repent (see 1 Nephi 10:21). One day it will be too late (see John 9:4). 

I want to see Jesus in this life. And so I am pleading with God daily to show me my sins and weaknesses in order to live a higher law. It is hard. It is painful. The experiences that come with it are tremendously difficult, but while going through these things I reflect on why I am doing it and I look forward, with great hope, to the day that I can embrace my Savior.

Today I was randomly reading Mormon 9 and the Spirit helped me understand these two verses differently. As I read them, I knew they were talking about what one needs to do in order to come back into the presence of Jesus Christ in this life. They decribe overcoming Telestial sins:

27 O then despise not, and wonder not, but hearken unto the words of the Lord, and ask the Father in the name of Jesus for what things soever ye shall stand in need. Doubt not, but be believing, and begin as in times of old, and come unto the Lord with all your heart, and work out your own salvation with fear and trembling before him. 28 Be wise in the days of your probation; strip yourselves of all uncleanness; ask not, that ye may consume it on your lusts, but ask with a firmness unshaken, that ye will yield to no temptation, but that ye will serve the true and living God. 

The most important thing one can do is hearken to the words of the Lord given to you through revelation. But, then this is what we need to do:

• Ask God what you stand in need of. This is not referring to temporal needs, but what you lack spiritually. The Spirit will show you what you need to fix in order to see Jesus.
• Have genuine faith in these things. Real faith leads to action (see Lectures on Faith).
• The Lord requires your whole heart. He will ask you to sacrifice very hard things and you cannot accomplish it if you do not give God your whole heart and be willing to do whatever he asks.
• Work out your salvation by working on overcoming the things he tells you that you need to get rid of. 
• We need to do it now and not wait thinking we have time.
• The process involves stripping ourselves of everything unclean and moving to a sanctified state where we are no longer tempted by sin.