Below are the quotes that were used in the video.
"Perfect worship is emulation. We honor those whom we imitate." I love that quote from Elder Bruce R. McConkie. Worship is the focus of section 93. This section helps us with the why and how to worship God and come closer to Him.
“I give unto you these sayings that you may understand and know how to worship, and know what you worship, that you may come unto the Father in my name, and in due time receive of his fulness.” (Section 93:19).
What to Worship - Section 93:2-11, 17
How to Worship - Section 93:12-16
Elder Bruce R. McConkie: “Perfect worship is emulation. We honor those whom we imitate. The most perfect way of worship is to be holy as Jehovah is holy. It is to be pure as Christ is pure. It is to do the things that enable us to become like the Father. The course is one of obedience.” (The Promised Messiah [1978], 568.)
President Russell M. Nelson: “Your most sincere sign of adoration of Jesus is your emulation of Him.” (Church Educational System Fireside at Brigham Young University on 10 September 2000.)
C. S. Lewis: “What is the good of pretending to be what you are not? Well, even on the human level, you know, there are two kinds of pretending. There is a bad kind, where the pretence is there instead of the real thing;
“But there is also a good kind, where the pretence leads up to the real thing.
“When you are not feeling particularly friendly but know you ought to be, the best thing you can do, very often, is to put on a friendly manner and behave as if you were a nicer person than you actually are. And in a few minutes, as we have all noticed, you will be really feeling friendlier than you were.
“Now, the moment you realise "Here I am, dressing up as Christ," it is extremely likely that you will see at once some way in which at that very moment the pretence could be made less of a pretence and more of a reality. You will find several things going on in your mind which would not be going on there if you were really a son of God.
“Well, stop them..
“Or you may realize that, instead of saying your prayers, you ought to be downstairs writing a letter, or helping your wife to wash-up. Well, go and do it!
“You see what is happening. The Christ Himself, the Son of God who is man (just like you) and God (just like His Father) is actually at your side and is already at that moment beginning to turn your pretense into a reality.
“Let us pretend in order to make the pretence into a reality." God looks at you as if you were a little Christ: Christ stands beside you to turn you into one. I daresay this idea of a divine make-believe sounds rather strange at first. But, is it so strange really? Is not that how the higher thing always raises the lower? A mother teaches her baby to talk by talking to it as if it understood long before it really does.” (Mere Christianity, Chapter 7 “Let’s Pretend”).
Elder James E. Talmage: "Man's capacity for worship is a measure of his comprehension of God." (Articles of Faith, p. 358.)
President Dallin H. Oaks: “Jesus Christ is the light of the world because he is the source of the light which “proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space” (D&C 88:12). His light is “the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (D&C 93:2; see also D&C 84:46). The scriptures call this universal light “the light of truth” (D&C 88:6), “the light of Christ” (D&C 88:7, Moroni 7:18), and the “Spirit of Christ” (Moroni 7:16). This is the light that quickens our understanding (see D&C 88:11). It is “the light by which we may judge” (Moroni 7:18). It “is given to every man, that he may know good from Ensign, 64 evil” (Moroni 7:16).” (Conference Report, Oct. 1987, 76; or Ensign, Nov. 1987, 63-64).
Is this the record of John the Baptist or of John the Apostle?
“In the opening chapter of his gospel, John the Apostle bore witness of Christ's glorious role since the beginning (see John 1:1-14). He also quoted the testimony or "record" of
John the Baptist (John 1:15, 19-34). Doctrine and Covenants 93 seems to be quoting from both John the Apostle (see vv. 8-10) and from John the Baptist (see vv. 15-16).” (Richard O. Cowan, Answers to Your Questions About the Doctrine and Covenants Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1996, 114.)
Elder Bruce R. McConkie: “Perfect worship is emulation. We honor those whom we imitate. The most perfect way of worship is to be holy as Jehovah is holy. It is to be pure as Christ is pure. It is to do the things that enable us to become like the Father. The course is one of obedience.” The Promised Messiah [1978], 568.
Elder Bruce R. McConkie: “To worship the Lord is to put first in our lives the things of his kingdom…
“It is to walk in the light as he is in the light, to do the things that he wants done, to do what he would do under similar circumstances, to be as he is.
“To worship the Lord is to be married in the temple, to have children, to teach them the gospel, and to bring them up in light and truth.
“It is to perfect the family unit, to honor our father and our mother; it is for a man to love his wife with all his heart and to cleave unto her and none else.
“To worship the Lord is to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction and to keep ourselves unspotted from the world.
“It is to work on a welfare project, to administer to the sick, to go on a mission, to go home teaching, and to hold family home evening.
“To worship the Lord is to study the gospel, to treasure up light and truth, to ponder in our hearts the things of his kingdom, and to make them part of our lives.
“It is to pray with all the energy of our souls, to preach by the power of the Spirit, to sing songs of praise and thanksgiving.
“To worship is to work, to be actively engaged in a good cause, to be about our Father’s business, to love and serve our fellowmen.
“It is to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to comfort those that mourn, and to hold up the hands that hang down and to strengthen the feeble knees.
“To worship the Lord is to stand valiantly in the cause of truth and righteousness.
“To worship the Lord is to be of good cheer, to be courageous, to be valiant, to have the courage of our God-given convictions, and to keep the faith.
“It is ten thousand times ten thousand things. It is keeping the commandments of God. It is living the whole law of the whole gospel.” (Conference Report, Oct. 1971, pp. 168–69; or Ensign, Dec. 1971, p. 130).
John C. Maxwell: "Think, act, talk and conduct yourself like the person you want to become."
Elder Neal A. Maxwell: “Jesus Himself did not receive ‘of the fulness at first,’ but continued ‘from grace to grace, until he received a fulness’ [D&C 93:13]. His progress was incomprehensibly more rapid than ours, but the pathway is the same; so can be the pattern of ‘grace to grace’: ‘For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom’ [2 Nephi 28:30]” (Even As I Am [1982], 15).
President Marion G. Romney: "But learning the gospel from books is not enough … getting a knowledge of the gospel and living it are interdependent. They go hand in hand. One cannot fully learn the gospel without living it. A knowledge of the gospel comes by degrees. One learns a little, obeys what he learns; learns a little more, obeys that; and repeats this cycle in an endless round. Such is the pattern by which one can move on to a full knowledge of the gospel." (Conference Report, Apr. 1962, p. 19.)
President Dallin H. Oaks: “The Apostle Paul taught that the Lord’s teachings and teachers were given that we may all attain “the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13). This process requires far more than acquiring knowledge. It is not even enough for us to be convinced of the gospel; we must act and think so that we are converted by it. In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something.” (‘The Challenge to Become,’ Ensign, Nov. 2000, p. 32).
‘Grace to Grace’ is to receive one endowment of light and truth after another until one eventually acquires a fulness.
‘Grace for Grace’ implies that one receives grace only as he gives grace or compassionate service to others.
How do we receive "grace for grace" and then continue "from grace to grace"?
John testified that we have received of God's fulness "grace for grace" (John 1:16). That phrase may have several meanings. The dictionary in the LDS edition of the Bible defines grace as "divine means of help or strength." Perhaps John means that we receive this help "for," or because of, God's goodness and power. The Jerusalem Bible's translation states that "we have, all of us, received-one gift replacing another," the gospel of Christ replacing the law of Moses (p. 1243). The New International Version translates this message in John as, "We have all received one blessing after another" (p. 1593).
Richard O. Cowan: “Latter-day Saint scholar Richard Draper has suggested another possibility. "To receive grace for grace is to receive assistance on the condition of giving assistance.
"Apparently, it was necessary for the Lord to grow through this process. In order to do so, he first received grace, or divine assistance from the Father. This grace he extended to his brethren. As he did so he received even more grace. The process continued until he eventually received a fulness of the glory of the Father" ("Light, Truth, and Grace," 37-38).
“Significantly, we too must receive "grace for grace" (D&C 93:20). Once we have begun receiving God's gifts, our challenge is to ascend "from grace to grace," or from one gift to another. Through continued righteousness we progress from one level of holiness to another until we receive a fulness of Godlike attributes. (Richard O. Cowan, Answers to Your Questions About the Doctrine and Covenants Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1996, 114-115.)
Joseph Smith: “The mind or the intelligence which man possesses is co-equal (co-eternal) with God himself. . . . The intelligence of spirits had no beginning, neither will it have an end. . . . Intelligence is eternal. It is a spirit from age to age, and there is no creation about it.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 352-354.)
First Presidency: “All men and women are in the similitude of the universal Father and Mother, and are literally the sons and daughters of Deity. . . .“. . . Man, as a spirit, was begotten and born of heavenly parents, and reared to maturity in the eternal mansions of the Father, prior to coming upon the earth in a temporal body to undergo an experience in mortality. It teaches that all men existed in spirit before any man existed in the flesh, and that all who have inhabited the earth since Adam have taken bodies and become souls in like manner. “. . . Man is the child of God. (”The Origin of Man,” Improvement Era, Nov. 1909, pp. 75-81.)
Elder Bruce R. McConkie: "Are children tainted with original sin? Absolutely not. There is no such thing as original sin as such is defined in the creeds of Christendom. Such a concept denies the efficacy of the atonement. Our revelation says: `Every spirit of man was innocent in the beginning'--meaning that spirits started out in a state of purity and innocence in preexistence--`and God having redeemed man from the fall, men became again, in their infant state, innocent before God' (D&C 93:38)--meaning that all children start out their mortal probation in purity and innocence because of the atonement." (Ensign, April 1977, p. 4.)
Elder Orson Pratt: “We see no impropriety in Jesus offering Himself as an acceptable offering and sacrifice before the Father to atone for the sins of His brethren, committed, not only in the second [mortality], but also in the first estate [pre-earth life]. Certain it was, that the work which Jesus was to accomplish was known in the Grand Council where the rebellion broke out; it was known that man would sin in his second estate; for it was upon the subject of his redemption that the assembly became divided, and which resulted in war.
"John, the revelator, speaking of a certain power, says, ‘And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world’ (Rev. 13:8). Now we may ask, Why was the Lamb, considered ‘slain from the foundation of the world?’
"If there were no persons who had sinned in their first estate, that could be benefitted by the sufferings of their elder brother, then we can see no reason for considering Him at that early period, as already slain: the very fact, that the atonement which was to be made in a future world, was considered as already having been made, seems to show that there were those who had sinned, and who stood in need of the atonement.
"The nature of the sufferings of Christ was such that it could redeem the spirits of men as well as their bodies. . . . Jesus suffered, not only in body, but in spirit. By the sufferings of His body He atoned for the sins of men committed in and by the body: by the sufferings of His spirit, He atoned for the sins committed by the spirit; hence, the atonement redeems both body and spirit. It is reasonable, therefore, to suppose that if spirits in the first estate sinned, they might be forgiven through their faith and repentance, by virtue of the future sufferings of Christ.” (“The Pre-existence of Man,” in The Seer, 54-55).
Sister Wendy Nelson: “So, let me ask you a question: What were you born to do? How I wish you could watch a 10-minute video of your premortal life on YouTube. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that if you could gaze into heaven for five minutes, you would know more on a topic than if you studied it all of your life. So just imagine if you could gaze for 10 minutes at your premortal life!
“Of course we realize that the Lord has wisely drawn a veil over those memories. But, just for a moment, imagine the effect on your life right now if you were permitted to watch 10 minutes of your premortal life.
“I believe if you could see yourself living with your Heavenly Parents and with Jesus Christ; if you could observe what you did premortally and see yourself making commitments—even covenants—with others, including your mentors and teachers;
“…if you could see yourself courageously responding to attacks on truth and valiantly standing up for Jesus Christ, I believe that every one of you would have the increased power, increased commitment, and eternal perspective to help you overcome any and all of your confusion, doubts, struggles, and problems. All of them!
“I believe if you could remember who you said you would help while you are here on earth, or what anguishing experiences you agreed to go through, that whatever really tough situation you are presently in—or will be in—you would say, “Oh, now I remember. Now I understand. This difficult situation makes sense to me now. With the Lord’s help I can do this!” (“Hope of Israel,” Worldwide Youth Devotional, June 3, 2018).
President Russell M. Nelson: “Just think of the excitement and urgency of it all: every prophet commencing with Adam has seen our day. And every prophet has talked about our day, when Israel would be gathered and the world would be prepared for the Second Coming of the Savior. Think of it! Of all the people who have ever lived on planet earth, we are the ones who get to participate in this final, great gathering event. How exciting is that!
“Our Heavenly Father has reserved many of His most noble spirits—perhaps, I might say, His finest team—for this final phase. Those noble spirits—those finest players, those heroes—are you!
“. . . My dear extraordinary youth, you were sent to earth at this precise time, the most crucial time in the history of the world, to help gather Israel. There is nothing happening on this earth right now that is more important than that. There is nothing of greater consequence. Absolutely nothing.
“This gathering should mean everything to you. This is the mission for which you were sent to earth.
“. . . My beloved younger brothers and sisters, you are among the best the Lord has ever sent to this world. You have the capacity to be smarter and wiser and have more impact on the world than any previous generation!” (“Hope of Israel,” Worldwide Youth Devotional, June 3, 2018).
William Wordsworth:
Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting:
The Soul that rises with us, our life’s Star,
Hath had elsewhere its setting,
And cometh from afar:
Not in entire forgetfulness,
And not in utter nakedness,
But trailing clouds of glory do we come
From God, who is our home:
Heaven lies about us in our infancy!
Elder David A. Bednar: “The glory of God is intelligence.” You might think intelligence means being gifted in academic work, but intelligence also means applying the knowledge we obtain for righteous purposes.”
Intelligence is the application of what we know for righteous purposes. There is an element of action, an element of obedience, in true spiritual intelligence. (David A. Bednar, RICKS COLLEGE DEVOTIONAL, September 9, 1997)
Elder John A. Widtsoe distinguished between intelligence and mere learning. "It often happens that a person of limited knowledge but who earnestly and prayerfully obeys the law, rises to a higher intelligence or wisdom, than one of vast Gospel learning who does not comply in his daily life with the requirements of the Gospel. Obedience to law is a mark of intelligence" (in Conference Report, Apr. 1938, 50).
President Spencer W. Kimball: "Sidney Rigdon did a lot of things for the Church. In those first few years of the organization of the Church he was very responsive, made many sacrifices for the Church. But what was his value if he lost his children while he was doing it?" (New Zealand Area Conference Report, February 1976, p. 19.)
First Presidency (1999): “We call upon parents to devote their best efforts to the teaching and rearing of their children in gospel principles which will keep them close to the Church. The home is the basis of a righteous life, and no other instrumentality can take its place or fulfill its essential functions in carrying forward this God-given responsibility.
“We counsel parents and children to give highest priority to family prayer, family home evening, gospel study and instruction, and wholesome family activities. However worthy and appropriate other demands or activities may be, they must not be permitted to displace the divinely appointed duties that only parents and families can adequately perform.” (First Presidency letter, Feb. 11, 1999, Ensign, June 1999, 80; or Liahona, Dec. 1999, 1).
In his classic reflections on Joseph Smith, Harvard-educated scholar Truman Madsen cited section 93 as evidence that Joseph Smith provided more profound answers to philosophical questions than did Plato. One of Brother Madsen's footnotes expounds his point and increases our appreciation for the depth of section 93: "The Timaeus, one of Plato's last dialogues, deals with cosmology, the relationship of nous, or mind, to the soul and the soul to the body. It also presupposes complex theories of the nature of truth, and of universals (ultimate ideas) in abstraction. Section 93 was received in May, 1833, when Joseph was twenty-seven years old. It defines beginningless beginnings, the interrelationships of truth, of light, of intelligence, of agency, of element, of embodiment, of joy. Every sentence, every word, is freighted with meaning. In one fell swoop it cuts many Gordian knots. For example: How can something come from nothing? Answer: The universe was not created from nothing. 'The elements are eternal.' How can Christ have been both absolutely human and absolutely divine at the same time? Answer: He was not both at the same time. Christ 'received not of the fulness at the first, but continued . . . until he received a fulness.' If man is totally the creation of God, how can he be anything or do anything that he was not divinely pre-caused to do? Answer: Man is not totally the creation of God. 'Intelligence . . . was not created or made, neither indeed can be. . . . Behold, here is the agency of man.' How can man be a divine creation and yet be 'totally depraved'? Answer: Man is not totally depraved. 'Every spirit of man was innocent in the beginning; and God having redeemed man from the fall, men became again, in their infant state, innocent before God.' What is the relationship of being and beings, the one and the many? Answer: 'Being' is only the collective name of beings, of whom God is one. Truth is knowledge of things (plural), and not, as Plato would have it, of Thinghood. 'Truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come.' How can spirit relate to gross matter? Answer: 'The elements are the tabernacle of God.' Why should man be embodied? Answer: 'Spirit and element, inseparably connected, receive a fulness of joy.' If we begin susceptible to light and truth, how is it that people err and abuse the light? Answer: People are free; they can be persuaded only if they choose to be. They cannot be compelled. The Socratic thesis that knowledge is virtue (that if you really know the good you will seek it and do it) is mistaken. It is through disobedience and because of the traditions of the fathers that light is taken away from mankind.“ (Truman G. Madsen, Joseph Smith the Prophet (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1989), 140-41.)
Teaching Thoughts:
“I give unto you these sayings that you may understand and know how to worship, and know what you worship, that you may come unto the Father in my name, and in due time receive of his fulness.” (Section 93:19).
What to Worship - Section 93:2-11, 17
How to Worship - Section 93:12-16
Elder Bruce R. McConkie: “Perfect worship is emulation. We honor those whom we imitate. The most perfect way of worship is to be holy as Jehovah is holy. It is to be pure as Christ is pure. It is to do the things that enable us to become like the Father. The course is one of obedience.” (The Promised Messiah [1978], 568.)
President Russell M. Nelson: “Your most sincere sign of adoration of Jesus is your emulation of Him.” (Church Educational System Fireside at Brigham Young University on 10 September 2000.)
C. S. Lewis: “What is the good of pretending to be what you are not? Well, even on the human level, you know, there are two kinds of pretending. There is a bad kind, where the pretence is there instead of the real thing;
“But there is also a good kind, where the pretence leads up to the real thing.
“When you are not feeling particularly friendly but know you ought to be, the best thing you can do, very often, is to put on a friendly manner and behave as if you were a nicer person than you actually are. And in a few minutes, as we have all noticed, you will be really feeling friendlier than you were.
“Now, the moment you realise "Here I am, dressing up as Christ," it is extremely likely that you will see at once some way in which at that very moment the pretence could be made less of a pretence and more of a reality. You will find several things going on in your mind which would not be going on there if you were really a son of God.
“Well, stop them..
“Or you may realize that, instead of saying your prayers, you ought to be downstairs writing a letter, or helping your wife to wash-up. Well, go and do it!
“You see what is happening. The Christ Himself, the Son of God who is man (just like you) and God (just like His Father) is actually at your side and is already at that moment beginning to turn your pretense into a reality.
“Let us pretend in order to make the pretence into a reality." God looks at you as if you were a little Christ: Christ stands beside you to turn you into one. I daresay this idea of a divine make-believe sounds rather strange at first. But, is it so strange really? Is not that how the higher thing always raises the lower? A mother teaches her baby to talk by talking to it as if it understood long before it really does.” (Mere Christianity, Chapter 7 “Let’s Pretend”).
Elder James E. Talmage: "Man's capacity for worship is a measure of his comprehension of God." (Articles of Faith, p. 358.)
President Dallin H. Oaks: “Jesus Christ is the light of the world because he is the source of the light which “proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space” (D&C 88:12). His light is “the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (D&C 93:2; see also D&C 84:46). The scriptures call this universal light “the light of truth” (D&C 88:6), “the light of Christ” (D&C 88:7, Moroni 7:18), and the “Spirit of Christ” (Moroni 7:16). This is the light that quickens our understanding (see D&C 88:11). It is “the light by which we may judge” (Moroni 7:18). It “is given to every man, that he may know good from Ensign, 64 evil” (Moroni 7:16).” (Conference Report, Oct. 1987, 76; or Ensign, Nov. 1987, 63-64).
Is this the record of John the Baptist or of John the Apostle?
“In the opening chapter of his gospel, John the Apostle bore witness of Christ's glorious role since the beginning (see John 1:1-14). He also quoted the testimony or "record" of
John the Baptist (John 1:15, 19-34). Doctrine and Covenants 93 seems to be quoting from both John the Apostle (see vv. 8-10) and from John the Baptist (see vv. 15-16).” (Richard O. Cowan, Answers to Your Questions About the Doctrine and Covenants Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1996, 114.)
Elder Bruce R. McConkie: “Perfect worship is emulation. We honor those whom we imitate. The most perfect way of worship is to be holy as Jehovah is holy. It is to be pure as Christ is pure. It is to do the things that enable us to become like the Father. The course is one of obedience.” The Promised Messiah [1978], 568.
Elder Bruce R. McConkie: “To worship the Lord is to put first in our lives the things of his kingdom…
“It is to walk in the light as he is in the light, to do the things that he wants done, to do what he would do under similar circumstances, to be as he is.
“To worship the Lord is to be married in the temple, to have children, to teach them the gospel, and to bring them up in light and truth.
“It is to perfect the family unit, to honor our father and our mother; it is for a man to love his wife with all his heart and to cleave unto her and none else.
“To worship the Lord is to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction and to keep ourselves unspotted from the world.
“It is to work on a welfare project, to administer to the sick, to go on a mission, to go home teaching, and to hold family home evening.
“To worship the Lord is to study the gospel, to treasure up light and truth, to ponder in our hearts the things of his kingdom, and to make them part of our lives.
“It is to pray with all the energy of our souls, to preach by the power of the Spirit, to sing songs of praise and thanksgiving.
“To worship is to work, to be actively engaged in a good cause, to be about our Father’s business, to love and serve our fellowmen.
“It is to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to comfort those that mourn, and to hold up the hands that hang down and to strengthen the feeble knees.
“To worship the Lord is to stand valiantly in the cause of truth and righteousness.
“To worship the Lord is to be of good cheer, to be courageous, to be valiant, to have the courage of our God-given convictions, and to keep the faith.
“It is ten thousand times ten thousand things. It is keeping the commandments of God. It is living the whole law of the whole gospel.” (Conference Report, Oct. 1971, pp. 168–69; or Ensign, Dec. 1971, p. 130).
John C. Maxwell: "Think, act, talk and conduct yourself like the person you want to become."
Elder Neal A. Maxwell: “Jesus Himself did not receive ‘of the fulness at first,’ but continued ‘from grace to grace, until he received a fulness’ [D&C 93:13]. His progress was incomprehensibly more rapid than ours, but the pathway is the same; so can be the pattern of ‘grace to grace’: ‘For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom’ [2 Nephi 28:30]” (Even As I Am [1982], 15).
President Marion G. Romney: "But learning the gospel from books is not enough … getting a knowledge of the gospel and living it are interdependent. They go hand in hand. One cannot fully learn the gospel without living it. A knowledge of the gospel comes by degrees. One learns a little, obeys what he learns; learns a little more, obeys that; and repeats this cycle in an endless round. Such is the pattern by which one can move on to a full knowledge of the gospel." (Conference Report, Apr. 1962, p. 19.)
President Dallin H. Oaks: “The Apostle Paul taught that the Lord’s teachings and teachers were given that we may all attain “the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13). This process requires far more than acquiring knowledge. It is not even enough for us to be convinced of the gospel; we must act and think so that we are converted by it. In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something.” (‘The Challenge to Become,’ Ensign, Nov. 2000, p. 32).
‘Grace to Grace’ is to receive one endowment of light and truth after another until one eventually acquires a fulness.
‘Grace for Grace’ implies that one receives grace only as he gives grace or compassionate service to others.
How do we receive "grace for grace" and then continue "from grace to grace"?
John testified that we have received of God's fulness "grace for grace" (John 1:16). That phrase may have several meanings. The dictionary in the LDS edition of the Bible defines grace as "divine means of help or strength." Perhaps John means that we receive this help "for," or because of, God's goodness and power. The Jerusalem Bible's translation states that "we have, all of us, received-one gift replacing another," the gospel of Christ replacing the law of Moses (p. 1243). The New International Version translates this message in John as, "We have all received one blessing after another" (p. 1593).
Richard O. Cowan: “Latter-day Saint scholar Richard Draper has suggested another possibility. "To receive grace for grace is to receive assistance on the condition of giving assistance.
"Apparently, it was necessary for the Lord to grow through this process. In order to do so, he first received grace, or divine assistance from the Father. This grace he extended to his brethren. As he did so he received even more grace. The process continued until he eventually received a fulness of the glory of the Father" ("Light, Truth, and Grace," 37-38).
“Significantly, we too must receive "grace for grace" (D&C 93:20). Once we have begun receiving God's gifts, our challenge is to ascend "from grace to grace," or from one gift to another. Through continued righteousness we progress from one level of holiness to another until we receive a fulness of Godlike attributes. (Richard O. Cowan, Answers to Your Questions About the Doctrine and Covenants Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1996, 114-115.)
Joseph Smith: “The mind or the intelligence which man possesses is co-equal (co-eternal) with God himself. . . . The intelligence of spirits had no beginning, neither will it have an end. . . . Intelligence is eternal. It is a spirit from age to age, and there is no creation about it.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 352-354.)
First Presidency: “All men and women are in the similitude of the universal Father and Mother, and are literally the sons and daughters of Deity. . . .“. . . Man, as a spirit, was begotten and born of heavenly parents, and reared to maturity in the eternal mansions of the Father, prior to coming upon the earth in a temporal body to undergo an experience in mortality. It teaches that all men existed in spirit before any man existed in the flesh, and that all who have inhabited the earth since Adam have taken bodies and become souls in like manner. “. . . Man is the child of God. (”The Origin of Man,” Improvement Era, Nov. 1909, pp. 75-81.)
Elder Bruce R. McConkie: "Are children tainted with original sin? Absolutely not. There is no such thing as original sin as such is defined in the creeds of Christendom. Such a concept denies the efficacy of the atonement. Our revelation says: `Every spirit of man was innocent in the beginning'--meaning that spirits started out in a state of purity and innocence in preexistence--`and God having redeemed man from the fall, men became again, in their infant state, innocent before God' (D&C 93:38)--meaning that all children start out their mortal probation in purity and innocence because of the atonement." (Ensign, April 1977, p. 4.)
Elder Orson Pratt: “We see no impropriety in Jesus offering Himself as an acceptable offering and sacrifice before the Father to atone for the sins of His brethren, committed, not only in the second [mortality], but also in the first estate [pre-earth life]. Certain it was, that the work which Jesus was to accomplish was known in the Grand Council where the rebellion broke out; it was known that man would sin in his second estate; for it was upon the subject of his redemption that the assembly became divided, and which resulted in war.
"John, the revelator, speaking of a certain power, says, ‘And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world’ (Rev. 13:8). Now we may ask, Why was the Lamb, considered ‘slain from the foundation of the world?’
"If there were no persons who had sinned in their first estate, that could be benefitted by the sufferings of their elder brother, then we can see no reason for considering Him at that early period, as already slain: the very fact, that the atonement which was to be made in a future world, was considered as already having been made, seems to show that there were those who had sinned, and who stood in need of the atonement.
"The nature of the sufferings of Christ was such that it could redeem the spirits of men as well as their bodies. . . . Jesus suffered, not only in body, but in spirit. By the sufferings of His body He atoned for the sins of men committed in and by the body: by the sufferings of His spirit, He atoned for the sins committed by the spirit; hence, the atonement redeems both body and spirit. It is reasonable, therefore, to suppose that if spirits in the first estate sinned, they might be forgiven through their faith and repentance, by virtue of the future sufferings of Christ.” (“The Pre-existence of Man,” in The Seer, 54-55).
Sister Wendy Nelson: “So, let me ask you a question: What were you born to do? How I wish you could watch a 10-minute video of your premortal life on YouTube. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that if you could gaze into heaven for five minutes, you would know more on a topic than if you studied it all of your life. So just imagine if you could gaze for 10 minutes at your premortal life!
“Of course we realize that the Lord has wisely drawn a veil over those memories. But, just for a moment, imagine the effect on your life right now if you were permitted to watch 10 minutes of your premortal life.
“I believe if you could see yourself living with your Heavenly Parents and with Jesus Christ; if you could observe what you did premortally and see yourself making commitments—even covenants—with others, including your mentors and teachers;
“…if you could see yourself courageously responding to attacks on truth and valiantly standing up for Jesus Christ, I believe that every one of you would have the increased power, increased commitment, and eternal perspective to help you overcome any and all of your confusion, doubts, struggles, and problems. All of them!
“I believe if you could remember who you said you would help while you are here on earth, or what anguishing experiences you agreed to go through, that whatever really tough situation you are presently in—or will be in—you would say, “Oh, now I remember. Now I understand. This difficult situation makes sense to me now. With the Lord’s help I can do this!” (“Hope of Israel,” Worldwide Youth Devotional, June 3, 2018).
President Russell M. Nelson: “Just think of the excitement and urgency of it all: every prophet commencing with Adam has seen our day. And every prophet has talked about our day, when Israel would be gathered and the world would be prepared for the Second Coming of the Savior. Think of it! Of all the people who have ever lived on planet earth, we are the ones who get to participate in this final, great gathering event. How exciting is that!
“Our Heavenly Father has reserved many of His most noble spirits—perhaps, I might say, His finest team—for this final phase. Those noble spirits—those finest players, those heroes—are you!
“. . . My dear extraordinary youth, you were sent to earth at this precise time, the most crucial time in the history of the world, to help gather Israel. There is nothing happening on this earth right now that is more important than that. There is nothing of greater consequence. Absolutely nothing.
“This gathering should mean everything to you. This is the mission for which you were sent to earth.
“. . . My beloved younger brothers and sisters, you are among the best the Lord has ever sent to this world. You have the capacity to be smarter and wiser and have more impact on the world than any previous generation!” (“Hope of Israel,” Worldwide Youth Devotional, June 3, 2018).
William Wordsworth:
Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting:
The Soul that rises with us, our life’s Star,
Hath had elsewhere its setting,
And cometh from afar:
Not in entire forgetfulness,
And not in utter nakedness,
But trailing clouds of glory do we come
From God, who is our home:
Heaven lies about us in our infancy!
Elder David A. Bednar: “The glory of God is intelligence.” You might think intelligence means being gifted in academic work, but intelligence also means applying the knowledge we obtain for righteous purposes.”
Intelligence is the application of what we know for righteous purposes. There is an element of action, an element of obedience, in true spiritual intelligence. (David A. Bednar, RICKS COLLEGE DEVOTIONAL, September 9, 1997)
Elder John A. Widtsoe distinguished between intelligence and mere learning. "It often happens that a person of limited knowledge but who earnestly and prayerfully obeys the law, rises to a higher intelligence or wisdom, than one of vast Gospel learning who does not comply in his daily life with the requirements of the Gospel. Obedience to law is a mark of intelligence" (in Conference Report, Apr. 1938, 50).
President Spencer W. Kimball: "Sidney Rigdon did a lot of things for the Church. In those first few years of the organization of the Church he was very responsive, made many sacrifices for the Church. But what was his value if he lost his children while he was doing it?" (New Zealand Area Conference Report, February 1976, p. 19.)
First Presidency (1999): “We call upon parents to devote their best efforts to the teaching and rearing of their children in gospel principles which will keep them close to the Church. The home is the basis of a righteous life, and no other instrumentality can take its place or fulfill its essential functions in carrying forward this God-given responsibility.
“We counsel parents and children to give highest priority to family prayer, family home evening, gospel study and instruction, and wholesome family activities. However worthy and appropriate other demands or activities may be, they must not be permitted to displace the divinely appointed duties that only parents and families can adequately perform.” (First Presidency letter, Feb. 11, 1999, Ensign, June 1999, 80; or Liahona, Dec. 1999, 1).
In his classic reflections on Joseph Smith, Harvard-educated scholar Truman Madsen cited section 93 as evidence that Joseph Smith provided more profound answers to philosophical questions than did Plato. One of Brother Madsen's footnotes expounds his point and increases our appreciation for the depth of section 93: "The Timaeus, one of Plato's last dialogues, deals with cosmology, the relationship of nous, or mind, to the soul and the soul to the body. It also presupposes complex theories of the nature of truth, and of universals (ultimate ideas) in abstraction. Section 93 was received in May, 1833, when Joseph was twenty-seven years old. It defines beginningless beginnings, the interrelationships of truth, of light, of intelligence, of agency, of element, of embodiment, of joy. Every sentence, every word, is freighted with meaning. In one fell swoop it cuts many Gordian knots. For example: How can something come from nothing? Answer: The universe was not created from nothing. 'The elements are eternal.' How can Christ have been both absolutely human and absolutely divine at the same time? Answer: He was not both at the same time. Christ 'received not of the fulness at the first, but continued . . . until he received a fulness.' If man is totally the creation of God, how can he be anything or do anything that he was not divinely pre-caused to do? Answer: Man is not totally the creation of God. 'Intelligence . . . was not created or made, neither indeed can be. . . . Behold, here is the agency of man.' How can man be a divine creation and yet be 'totally depraved'? Answer: Man is not totally depraved. 'Every spirit of man was innocent in the beginning; and God having redeemed man from the fall, men became again, in their infant state, innocent before God.' What is the relationship of being and beings, the one and the many? Answer: 'Being' is only the collective name of beings, of whom God is one. Truth is knowledge of things (plural), and not, as Plato would have it, of Thinghood. 'Truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come.' How can spirit relate to gross matter? Answer: 'The elements are the tabernacle of God.' Why should man be embodied? Answer: 'Spirit and element, inseparably connected, receive a fulness of joy.' If we begin susceptible to light and truth, how is it that people err and abuse the light? Answer: People are free; they can be persuaded only if they choose to be. They cannot be compelled. The Socratic thesis that knowledge is virtue (that if you really know the good you will seek it and do it) is mistaken. It is through disobedience and because of the traditions of the fathers that light is taken away from mankind.“ (Truman G. Madsen, Joseph Smith the Prophet (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1989), 140-41.)
Teaching Thoughts:
- The ‘What’ and ‘How’ to worship. How can you explain the what and how of worship in a simple way?
- Application – How will you worship God today? How will your worship bring you closer to God and bring more joy into your life?
- Have a discussion on ‘tradition vs. worship.’ 4.Perfect worship is emulation – What aspect of Christ’s life/example will you emulate today?