"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."
1 John 3:2
Yesterday this scripture was quoted in conference, and I love it. It is interesting in a lot of ways. First, just that we will really be like God, and get to see him, and be reunited with him. And then, going along with the talk where this scripture was quoted... that we don't know what we will be, but that our whole task in this life is to become the person that we can be. God isn't going to judge us point by point, "you made a mistake is 1972, but I'll balance that out with this good deed in 2008..." but by the sum total of who we are. The good and the bad... what we have become, what we have learned. Like the parable of the talents. God gives us natural gifts and when we are called back, we show what we have learned and gained and become. See, that's one of the reasons that repentance works... because when we let go of it, and choose something else... it isn't part of the sum total anymore. God never holds the past against us... only the present. If we have the past inside of us, then it counts against us... but if we have become a new creature... let God change our heart... none of that will be found, and it won't matter anymore. I guess that I knew this before in a way, but it really hit me yesterday. If we are clean, right now... then no dirt from the past can touch us. That's why he can say he that is happy shall be happy still... because if we can learn to be great, and happy, and build Zion... then who cares about the past? Certainly God doesn't. Repent and go on. It isn't the past that ruins us, it is we who hold on to the past. We can heal wounds, build solid relationships... embrace peace, cultivate Zion... and we can still be anything and anyone that we want to be, and God helps us to become. Anyway, you brilliant people probably knew that already, but I needed to remember it. :)
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