Resurrection Morn

 I have in previous posts expressed my opinion that Mary the Magdalene (the tower) is the Lord’s wife.  There are evidences in scripture that support this idea.  For example Christ was anointed before His crucifixion.  In the account of Matthew it was in the house of Simon the Leper in Bethany.  “Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, there came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head as he sat in the house.” (Matt. 12:1 RE, Matt. 26:6-7 LE) In Matthew’s account there was no name mentioned other than it was “a woman” who anoints His head, and it took place in the house of Simon the leper. In the book of John it is written:  “Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment.” (John 7:9 RE, John 12:3 LE).  In this account Mary is mentioned but it is unclear which Mary it is but it takes place in the house of Martha and Mary and she anoints His feet.

It is always interesting to look at the different versions of events in the four gospels. We might ask: what is the significance of this event as it is described in all four gospels?  To add some clarification we can look at the same event in the recently revealed “Testimony of St. John” which is found in the RE Teaching and Commandments.

Six days before the Passover, Jesus returned to Bethany where he had raised Lazarus from the dead. They made supper for him and Martha served. Lazarus was among those who sat at the table with him. Many came to be there to see the man who was raised from the dead and to hear Jesus who had raised him.

And among those who were present were his mother, and Mary, the Elect Lady who was companion with Jesus. She cut off the seven locks of his hair that had not been cut before because of the vow, which fell at her feet. This troubled his disciples who feared his strength would depart from him but said nothing because Jesus permitted it to be done. Jesus, seeing their concern, asked, Is not a lamb shorn before it is sacrificed? But they did not understand his meaning. And she took royal oil used to coronate a king, containing spikenard, frankincense and myrrh, and applied it to the head, arms and hands, legs and feet of Jesus. And the house was filled with the smell of the royal anointing oil. (Teaching and Commandments, Testimony of St. John 8:12-13)

Here we learn a little more about the situation, Mary, the Elect Lady, administers specific ordinances to symbolize and prepare the Lord for what was to happen within a few days.  I point this out just to illustrate what I believe to be true, and you are welcome to disagree.

I would like to share another event and then get to my point.  In John we read:

The first day of the week, Mary Magdalene comes early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulcher, and saw the stone taken away from the sepulcher and two angels sitting thereon. Then she runs and comes to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and says unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulcher and we know not where they have laid him. Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulcher. So they ran both together, and the other disciple did outrun Peter and came first to the sepulcher. And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying there, yet went he not in. Then comes Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulcher, and sees the linen clothes lying there, and the napkin that was about his head not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. Then went in also that other disciple who came first to the sepulcher, and he saw and believed — for as yet they knew not the scripture that he must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.

But Mary stood outside at the sepulcher, weeping. And as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the sepulcher, and sees two angels in white sitting, the one at the head and the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had lain. And they said unto her, Woman, why do you weep? She says unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus says unto her, Woman, why do you weep? Whom do you seek? She, supposing him to be the gardener, says unto him, Sir, if you have borne him from here, tell me where you have laid him and I will take him away. Jesus says unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and says unto him, Rabboni — which is to say, Master. Jesus says unto her, Hold me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father. (John 11:1-2 RE, John 20:1-17 LE)

This morning at the end of our online scripture study, a video was shared plucked, I assume, from the LDS video library, and shown along with a beautiful song about our Savior.  In the video it shows Mary in the garden when she is greeted by the risen Christ.  As I watched that a more detailed version ran through my thoughts.  Please, I am not saying I had a vision or any type of manifestation, what I am about to describe is just what came into my mind.

As John above describes it was early in the morning “when it was yet dark”.  The two apostles had seen the sepulcher and departed; Mary was outside and has spoken with the angels.  In her sorrow I doubt she recognized them as angels.  As she turns away from the sepulcher she hears someone speak to her, not recognizing his voice until He speaks her name “Mary”. At that moment she looks up and sees her Lord and Master, her husband. I imagined her running to Him and jumping into His arms, weeping and kissing Him, as I think my wife would do.  Nobody fully understood what He was teaching them about His resurrection including Mary until after the event.  I also imagined them having a conversation still wrapped in each other’s arms that may have been something like; Mary: “your alive!”. Jesus: “Yes! We did it, we attained to the resurrection, we have done what the Father has asked us to do.” At this point Jesus gently puts His hands on her shoulders and moves her out of the embrace and says “Hold me not, I must now ascend to my Father.  Thank You! I will see you soon.”  As she steps back He ascends. 

We are to become one, husbands and wives, community, Covenant Christians.  Jesus has showed us how to do that.

 

Becoming a Godly People

 Joseph Smith said of the members of the church: “The duty of the members after they are received by baptism:…And the members shall manifest before the church and also before the elders, by a godly walk and conversation, that they are worthy of it, that there may be works and faith agreeable to the holy scriptures, walking in holiness before the Lord.” (T&C 1 (Joseph Smith History part 16) 19-20 RE)  The Lord requires of us to be holy and walk in godliness.  How do we do that? Just so you know I’m not there yet, but I’ve been thinking about it and here are a few of my thoughts.

 A while ago, I was pointed to a couple of podcasts by Mandy B. Green (Reflecting Light, I found it on Spotify), which I highly recommend.  One that I would like to reference here is her episode on 17 April 2021 entitled “The Ascent Vision of Mary Magdalene”. I believe the Christian world has an incorrect perception of Mary and who she is. Mandy’s extensive research on Mary is eye opening.  I would encourage you to look her up and see if there is truth that is important for you.  Mandy references a noncannonical book called “The Gospel of The Beloved Companion” by Jehanne De Quillan.  I have my own opinions about Mary, who and what she is, but I will save those perhaps for another time as it would get me too off topic.  Suffice it to say I am a big fan. The reason I bring this up in the first place is the vision that Mary had of her ascent to the 8^th Heaven is very instructive.  Below is the transcript taken right from the book. This recounting of the vision takes place at the end of the week after the Lord has been crucified and the disciples get together at the request of Mary. Peter then asked her to share with them “...the words of the Rabbi, which you remember which you know and understand, but we do not, nor have we heard them.”

   Mary replied “My Master spoke thus to me. He said, ‘Miryam, Blessed are you who came into being before coming into being, and whose eyes are set upon the kingdom, who from the beginning has understood and followed my teachings.  Only from the truth I tell you, there is a great tree within you that does not change, summer or winter, and its leaves do not fall. Whosoever listens to my words and ascends to its crown will not taste death, but know the truth of eternal life.’

  Then He showed me a vision in which I saw a great tree that seemed to reach unto the heavens; and as I saw these things, He said, ‘the roots of this tree are in the earth which is your body. The trunk extends upward through the five regions of humanity to the crown, which is the Kingdom of the Spirit. 

   There are eight great boughs upon this tree and each bough bears its own fruit, which you must eat in all its fullness.  As the fruit of the tree in the garden caused Adam and Chav’vah (Eve) to fall into darkness, so this fruit will grant to you the light of the spirit that is eternal life. Between each bough is a gate and a guardian who challenges the unworthy who try to pass.

   The leaves at the bottom of the tree are thick and plentiful, so no light penetrates to illuminate the way. But fear not, for I Am the Way and Light, and I tell you that, as one ascends the tree, the leaves that block one from the light are fewer, so it is possible to see all more clearly.  Those who seek to ascend must free themselves of the world.  If you do not free yourself from the world, you will die in the darkness that is the root of the tree.  But if you free yourself, you will rise and reach the light that is the eternal life of the spirit.’

   And as He said these things, I felt my soul ascend and saw the first great bough that bears the fruit of love and compassion, the foundation of all things.  And I knew that before you can eat of this fruit and gain its nourishment, you must be free of all judgment and wrath.  When you have freed yourself of these burdens, you may eat of the fruit and so gain the love and compassion that will allow you to pass the first of seven guardians.  And I heard the voice of the Lord of Wrath calling to me, but I denied him and he had no part in me.

   So I saw my soul ascend again and He showed me the second great bough, weighed down with the fruit of wisdom and understanding.  And I saw that before you can taste of its bounty, you must be free of all ignorance and intolerance.  Only then can you eat of the fruit and so pass upward unhindered through the second of the seven gates.  And I heard the voice of ignorance call to me, but I knew him not, and so my soul did thus unchallenged.

   Then my master showed me the third great bough, which bears the fruit of honor and humility.  Only when free of all duplicity and arrogance may you partake of its nourishment.  And Arrogance called to me, saying, ‘you are not worthy, go back.’ But my soul was deaf to him, and so moved onward and upward into increasing light.

   And then there came the fourth bough, blossoming with the fruit of strength and courage.  And I hear Him tell me that to eat of this fruit, you must have freed yourself from the weakness of the flesh and confronted and conquered the illusion of your fears. And the Master of the World stood before me and claimed me as his own, but I denied him and he had no part of me.

   Only then, my Master told me, when you have rejected the deceiver, can you pass through the hardest gate of all, to attain the fifth bough and the fruit of clarity and truth. Only then will you know the clarity and truth of your soul and, knowing yourself for the first time, understand that you are a child of the Living Spirit.  And as my soul moved upward, I realized that I could no longer hear the voice of the world, as all had become as silence.

  Then in the light above, I saw the sixth bough, the one that bore the fruit of power and healing.  My Master told me that when you truly have eaten of the fruit of the clarity and truth of yourself, then could you partake of the fruit of power and healing, the power to heal your own soul and thereby make it ready to ascend to the seventh bough, where it will be filled by the fruits of light and goodness.

   And I saw my soul, now free of all darkness ascend again to be filled with the light and goodness that is the spirit.  And I was filled with a fierce joy as my soul turned to fire and flew upwards in the flames from whence my Master showed me the eighth and final bough, upon which burned the fruit of the grace and beauty of the spirit.

   And I felt my soul and all that I could see dissolve and vanish in a brilliant light, in a likeness unto the sun.  And in the light, I beheld a woman of extraordinary beauty clothed in garments of brilliant white.  The figure extended its arms, and I felt my soul drawn into its embrace, and in that moment I was freed from the world, and I realized that the fetter of forgetfulness was temporary. From now on, I shall rest through the course of the time of the age in silence.  And then as if from a great distance, I heard the voice of my Master tell me, Miryam, whom I have called the Migdalah, now you have seen the all, and have known the truth of yourself; the truth that is I Am.  Now you have become the completion of completions.’  And thus the vision ended.”

   This is what my master has told and shown me.  And only from the truth I tell you, that all that I have revealed to you is true.

   When the Migdalah had told of all that Yeshua had said and done, she fell silent, since it was in that silence that Yeshua had spoken with her and revealed these truths.

I include the text, number one because I think it is soo cool, and two, to highlight what she had to let go of, or overcome, in order to obtain the fruit of each bough.  This compares favorably with the levels of Jacobs Ladder.  I have included beautiful artwork done by my friend Kim, which depicts the 8 boughs with their respective challenges and rewards.  Thank you Kim. 

 We have talked before about what we need to do to get out of Babylon and this is a great illustration of just that.  In addition, if we work on these things, we become more and more godly.  When you think about it, all of the things Mary had to let go of are attributes of the world: judgment and wrath, ignorance and intolerance, duplicity and arrogance, weakness of the flesh and the illusion of our fears (that one is interesting).  The next one is obvious, reject the deceiver.

 A while ago, I had a dream about rejecting the deceiver where, in order to overcome him, I was instructed to pronounce with boldness and out loud “Jesus Christ is my Master and Him alone will I serve” thereby putting the deceiver on notice that I choose not to be influenced by him.  With that statement and through repentance can we reject him and turn toward Christ, leaving Satan and his world in the rearview mirror. 

 We have also talked in the past about self awareness.  When we fully turn toward Christ by rejecting the deceiver, we then are able to grab hold of the fruit of clarity and truth of ourselves.  ”Knowing yourself for the first time…”, opens our eyes and heart to see ourselves as we really are, that we are truly children of God—The Living Spirit—and realizing we have much more history that just this mortality. Then we can obtain the fruit of Power and Healing.  Healing is a gift. What do we need to be healed from? Physical afflictions yes, but, I think more importantly, from the residue and wounds inflicted by the world and our incorrect perceptions.   Of course that is done through the Atonement, however, we need to grasp hold and intentionally partake of that gift in order to be filled with light and goodness.

 Mary reflects as she obtained clarity and truth she “…could no longer hear the voice of the world, as all had become as silence.”   I wondered about that, then at the end she says “…it was in that silence that Yeshua had spoken with her…”  When the voice of the world and all her distractions no longer hold our interest then we can be silent and still.  It is in that silence and stillness we can hear the voice of the Lord respond when we ask for instruction and direction. The last bough is the fruit of grace and beauty of the Spirit.  Joseph Smith in the Lectures on Faith refer to God the Father as a being of Spirit, I think this adds an additional witness to Joseph’s insight.

 Now for a squirrel—addressing a different topic. Denver Snuffer received a revelation from the Lord, on June 20^th 2024 (“Full text of June 20 revelation” Denversnuffer.com, July 19, 2024) posted as a blog on his website in which in part the Lord says: “There have been disputes among the women about the conduct of women’s councils and disputes about how they are to proceed.  I have given direction and it is not wise for the women to be commanded in every particular, but it is also not wise for the direction I have given to be used to achieve a predetermined outcome. The outcome should be based on, and the result of, what is learned in the council.

All my revelations are intended to guide you, and therefore remember that I have told you…that I established the Constitution by the hands of wise men…and the principles adopted in the Bill of Rights were intended to secure the protection of those accused of transgressing the laws of the land”.

 The revelation goes on to invite the women, if they choose, to have a conference to “Let the women learn to come to agreement and the voice of that conference decides all matters raised.”  This sounds on the surface as a great idea, but I wonder if it is like Samuel (1 Samuel 4 RE, 1 Samuel 8-10), as he was getting old and his sons did not follow the Lord the people asked Samuel “…Behold, you are old, and your sons walk not in your ways.  Now make us a king to judge us, like all the nations…The Lord said unto Samuel, listen unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.”

 With this recent revelation, I wonder if the Lord is offering us a lesser law (giving us a King) because there were those who were not satisfied with recent councils and feel His earlier direction regarding councils given to Denver, His servant, was not followed.  It is interesting that as we (my wife and I) learned more information about the how’s and why’s from a recent women’s council we were more at peace with the process and outcome.  This is just my opinion, I believe we should turn our face and ears toward the Lord and listen to His initial council and not bitch and complain when a council is called and we’re not satisfied with the process, the participants, or the outcome.  Perhaps, we need to learn to love each other enough and trust each other enough that we give the participants the benefit of the doubt and are good with decisions made in a council when one is merited.

 The upcoming conference is “Obtain a New Heart” so perhaps learning to be trustworthy according to the Lords definition and trusting each other is a good place to start.