Become Celestial Beings

November 21, 2016

Dear Family and Friends,
This last week and a half has been and adventure! We have worked hard,
experienced a lot of failure,  and done a lot of second questioning,
and recollecting, and in the end I have decided that I LOVE FAILING!!
Through failing, we show Christ that we are willing to endure, and to
continue to carry his flag until the end, no matter what happens, and
we prove that we are on Christ's side, not just when it is easy, but
also when it seems impossible, and there is very little hope.


As members of the church, we often fall into the trap of feeling sorry
for ourselves, and ask God why we didn't get everything that we felt
that we were supposed to get, despite having kept the commandments,
and lived the gospel. We do not remember what Christ did, and that we
too have to suffer, and bear our own crosses, in order to become like
God. The subject of much thinking and study of mine recently is the
Celestial Kingdom. In our church we believe that through obeying and
honoring the necessary ordinances and principles of the gospel, we can
return to God, and be exalted, and "Go to the Celestial Kingdom."
While this is true, there is one distinct, and very important
discretion that needs to be accounted for: We do not sacrifice, work
hard, and do everything we can, in order to be able to receive the
reward, of "Going to the Celestial Kingdom", we work hard, change,
become joyous, and slowly, through the Atonement of Jesus Christ,
become LIKE God! While we do indeed end up getting to enter the
celestial kingdom, it is not our actions that grant us passing, it is
the person whom we have become, that grants us Exaltation and eternal
life. We BECOME celestial beings, and thereby get to live with God,
because we have BECOME like him. If our actions appear close to God,
but our hearts, and the true person that we are on the inside is far
from God, then when the day of reckoning comes, we will see that our
actions will grant us nothing. Christ will say "Ye never knew me". Let
us all strive in our discipleship, to not earn the celestial kingdom,
but to become Celestial beings. I know that this is God's kingdom. I
know that we are his Children. I know that Christ lives, and that he
accomplished the Atonement. I know that we have latter day prophets,
and that they guide and direct us in this work, in this purpose; to
become like God. I leave my blessing, and love with you,
In the name of Jesus Chirst, Amen.
Love,
コノバー長老
Elder Conover
My best friend, Elder Graham!! Been through it all with him from Day
one in the MTC, same zone for the first 3 transfers, same district for
the last 2 and now district and apartment for this one!!! I have
learned so much from him, and love and respect him as truly one of my
greatest friends, and examples. I love ya Elder Graham.