Greetings my Millennial Friends! I want to give a Millennial shout out to our international readers. Thank you so much for reading this blog. I hope it is a great blessing in your millennial journey towards the Tree of Life. Peace and blessings to you.
We live in a world of turmoil and tumult. Today is the anniversary of 9-11 and yet hatred and bigotry continue to abound. War and violence continue to steal away our serenity and peace. But it was in the midst of wars and rumors of wars that Jesus Christ said he would return! Ever since the ascension of Christ, his followers believed that His return was imminent and the end of the world was right around the corner. Our faith tradition as Mormons, is no exception.
Nicodemus Mormons will look at Christ's words in a very literal sense. They are like Nicodemus who when he heard that he needed to be "born again" wondered in puzzlement how someone could return to the womb a second time. Many members of our church as well as others continue to interpret scripture and the teachings of Jesus in this uber literalist frame. Jesus said many things that were parables and cryptic symbolisms. As the prophetic Messianic
Psalm 78:2 says: "I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old". Unfortunately there are many members of the church who continue to cling to uber literalism just as the ancient children of Israel did as well as the scribes and Pharisees. They fail to uncover the symbolism of Christ's teachings and are left spiritually malnourished. The natural man and woman in their carnal state will look around in desperation wanting to be led. Their senses will dominate and so they will look for messengers of "flesh and blood" to tell them what to do and give them laws. Natural men and women will do this until the expansion and inflation of laws and ordinances end up breaking them down and humbling them. Then perhaps they will turn to God and begin a friendship with Him instead of looking at Him as a Father who is constantly disappointed in them and expects them to work harder and harder to please Him. We would not have high regard for this kind of earthly father whose child can never measure up to his expectations. Yet, that is how many see their Heavenly Father. This belief about God is projected out into the universe and a Telestial life is generated in what Neal A. Maxwell called our "customized curriculum." On the other hand, if we want a millennial relationship with God then He releases the next lessons in our customized curriculum.
Whom do people say YOU are? Flesh and blood will not reveal who we are. That will only come from our Father in Heaven. Through the still small voice.
Thankfully, we can begin to leave this Telestial world behind us and move on to the Terrestrial or Millennial part of our journey that is a paradise filled with peace and goodwill. Once we have mastered our millennial journey, there will be one last battle and we will cross the threshold into a Celestial existence. Jesus Christ has shown us the way to do this and we are all at various stages in our journey. We are in the process of truly becoming like Him. We have the opportunity to truly take upon His name and not just become Christians but Christ-Men and Christ-Women. The word Christ means Anointed One. You also have been anointed (where were you anointed?) and part of the journey of this life is self discovery to find what is within you that needs to be expressed. When it becomes fully expressed you truly take upon yourself the name of Christ and you will enter the Promised Land and create an internal millennium within yourself. As more and more people discover this and leave uber literalism, fundamentalism, legalism, and formalism behind, an actual Millennium will occur where people will lay down their weapons of war both within and without. Swords will be beaten into ploughshares and we will be able to live in peace and harmony within ourselves and with each other. We will realize at that moment what Christ meant when he said he would return. He was talking about YOU!!!
We cling to literalism because as Jack Nicholson said in A Few Good Men: "You Can't Handle The Truth!" Our merciful Heavenly Father understands this and thus provides messengers, ordinances, laws, parables and dark sayings until we are ready to create an internal millennium and wake up and remember who we are. Those who are wise will see that all these things are types and shadows of Christ and point to Him. Once one sees this then those who seek an internal millennium will be able to do so. The temple teaches us all we need to know to do this. Yet most of us continue to circle around in the desert wilderness of the Telestial Kingdom and cling to the law and the prophets. The natural man worships the world or the flip side--they worship the law and the prophets. The Temple is of limited value to uber literalists. For Millennial Mormons it is a treasure trove of symbolism that leads to a new relationship with God.
Fortunately, once one is in tune with the "still small voice" within you, a millennial journey begins and we can recognize that the Law of Moses has been fulfilled and we can move on to a new world. For those on this journey back to the Tree of Life, they begin to see more and more what I like to call "Millennial Moments". These Millennial Moments are very healing and energizing. Thus, in the midst of hatred and people threatening to burn Korans and American flags and all the noise that surrounds this frenzied fear-based chaos, Millennial Mormons will close their eyes and look and see small moments that let them know that they are on the right track. They see the truth and the truth is setting them free. They see a new relationship with God forming. A deep and abiding friendship.
For me, as I watch more and more movies from my childhood, I am finding things in them that I would consider millennial moments. Things that I missed at the time as a youth but now recognize as millennial. sign posts. As most of you know, I have a proclivity towards 80's movies since that was the era of my youth. A few days ago, I watched one of my favorite movies: The Karate Kid. No, not the new one. The OLD one. Sorry I haven't seen the new one yet but I heard it was good.
MR. MIYAGI and DANIEL LARUSSO SPARRING
As many of you remember, in the movie, Daniel is constantly being harassed by a group of bullies who are making his life miserable. Eventually they force him off a road and Daniel tumbles down a hill with his bike. In anger, he throws his mangled bike into a dumpster. He confronts his mother and tells her he wants to move back to his old home in New Jersey. The next day he finds his bike outside his door and it has been fully repaired--good as new. He knows that it had probably been fixed by Mr. Miyagi who is the repairman for the apartment complex that Daniel and his mother live in. As Daniel enters Mr. Miyagi's office to thank him for repairing his bike, he sees the wise old Japanese man clipping a very small bonsai tree. The dialogue goes something like this:
Daniel: Are those real trees?
Miyagi: You like see, come inside.
Daniel: How did they get so small?
Miyagi: I train.
Daniel: Did you go to school for this?
Miyagi: Father teach.
Daniel: Was he a gardener?
Miyagi: Fisherman.
Daniel: These are really beautiful.
Miyagi: Come, you try.
Daniel: I don't know how to do this stuff. I may mess it up or something. (n.b. Note the FEAR of the Natural Man)
Miyagi: Close eyes. Trust. Concentrate. Think only tree. Make perfect picture down to last pine needle. Wipe your mind clean. Everything but the tree. Nothing exists in whole world... ...only tree.
You got it? Open eyes. Remember picture?
Daniel: Yeah.
Miyagi: Make like picture. Just trust the picture.
Daniel: How do I know my picture's the right one?
Miyagi: IF IT COME FROM INSIDE YOU, IT ALWAYS RIGHT ONE.
I highlighted my millennial moments. The symbolism is extensive and beautiful.
There's your recipe for the internal millennium. Take time to ponder what you want to create in your life.
What is wanted?
More war and hatred? Following the masses and the controversy? Continuously partaking of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil? Seeing all things as either Evil or Good?
Let's remember this day as a turning point in our lives. Instead of a day of infamy, let it be the dawning of a millennial day. Instead of a day of revenge and an eye for an eye, the burning of a Koran, and the endless cycle of Telestial wandering, let this day be one of loving our enemies and praying for them as Jesus taught us.
What do you want create with your Divine Nature?
What is wanted?
Embrace your divine nature and create that which is beautiful (like the bansai tree) and that which generates peace on Earth and goodwill toward ALL men and women.
In your mind picture a millennial world. Picture every detail. Then, "make like picture".
Let go of an image of a church with endless laws, rules, ordinances, fear of the family being under attack and more and more wandering in a Telestial Desert. Instead, picture a millennial Mormon Church. A truly Christ-Centered Church. Think of every detail. Then, "make like picture".
Let go of a harsh and accusatory notion of yourself and your life. Dismiss Satan from your Temple inside you. (Remember, YOU ARE THE TEMPLE!!) Instead, picture a millennial life. Down to the last detail. Then, "make like picture".
Until next time my millennial friends. "Trust picture."
Wax On. Wax Off. Wax On. Wax Off . . .
See the story here:
