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 8th 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.