A dream from June 16, 2005

On June 16, 2005, I had a dream that had to do with how light is initially ministered to God's children in the latter days, to prepare them for the 2nd Coming of Christ. This method is also the same exact method that was used to minister light to Adam and Eve. I'll try to explain.

Its a fact that all light burns. Whether it fades the colors of an object sitting in daylight, or whether it causes instant consumption, ALL light burns.

And I ask you, who will abide the day of Christ's 2nd coming and not be burned by the brightness thereof? Those who have received light from God in small increments, enough to have been cleansed and have all impurities burned out.

How will you know if you can abide that day? By having been in Christ's presence before he comes again. That is the only way you can know 100% that you'll abide the day. Sure knowledge is the way, not just faith. Faith is not knowing 100%. Experience is.


Christ has made it possible to literally be in and partake of his glory before he comes again, so we know of a surety that we will abide the brightness of that day. It is to happen within the New Jerusalem Temple.

All the training we receive in our current, modern temples is to prepare us for the real deal in the New Jerusalem Temple; to prepare us to literally enter into the presence of Jesus Christ.

The real deal is not to happen only after he comes again, but before, so we can be ready.


The main point of my dream was to answer these questions: How do we even get started? What is the process to get the 1st comforter, the Holy Ghost as a constant companion to continually purify us with light? And who will get us started?


Angels sent by God are the ones who get us started. An "angel" can be either a heavenly being (resurrected or just a spirit-entity) or a human being. Understand, though, that both types of angels have one grand commonality - they are true messengers, authorized and sent to dispense light and knowledge.


In the beginning with Adam and Eve, angels came down from Heaven. They taught them the laws, rites and ordinances that produce, promote, preserve, protect and perfect life, which would allow all mankind to become like the Father and Mother - physically, spiritually and maritally alive and endless. Adam and Eve learned how to become "store-houses" of light and power. They learned how to endure and continue through the endless eternities to come, all because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. They learned how to become full of light.

The attainable end result that comes from what angels minister to us is the "strength" that Christ offers those who are humble before Him, those who endure to the end in doing everything He asks of them.

When Christ says he'll make weak things become strong, what he ultimately means is that our weakness (mortality) will be made strong (immortality and eternal life), and that process here on earth starts with the ministering of angels - true, authorized messengers, whether heavenly beings sent directly from heaven or human beings sent from somewhere around this world.

When a young man receives the Aaronic Priesthood, he receives 2 keys:

1. The key of the ministering of angels
2. The key of the gospel of repentance and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins

When he receives this priesthood worthily, he becomes a ministering angel of light. He becomes authorized to minister the gospel of repentance and of baptism (like the angels sent to Adam and Eve), teaching the law and rite and performing the ordinance... because he holds those respective keys. This is what is meant by D&C 13:1.

D&C 13:1 does not mean that when a man receives the Aaronic Priesthood, he all of a sudden can behold ministering spirits. No, what it means is that he now holds the authoritative keys that allow him to join the ranks of ministering angels and teach the law and rite of the gospel of repentance and perform the ordinance of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins.

If D&C 13:1 meant that the Aaronic Priesthood receiver could then receive and behold ministering angels, it would contradict the fact that men, women and children in times past and present have at times received and beheld ministering angels sent from heaven, without having been baptized. Joseph Smith Jr. is a prime example, for he neither had been baptized nor received the Aaronic Priesthood before he behold Jesus Christ, Heavenly Father and Angel Moroni.

The fact of the matter is this: When angels minister the word of God to mortals, they actually minister a very small portion of telestial light to mankind, "For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light...." (D&C 84:45)

The light has to be telestial light, or in other words, just enough light to cause a warm, burning feeling which is, in a small measure, cleansing the mortal. If the light was terrestrial or celestial, it would cause a complete consumption of the mortal being. Hence the implication of the scripture that says that no (mortal) man can see God and live.

The way you see God and live is by first receiving divine light in small increments which burn out impurities. And the more impurities that are burned out by light over time, the more prepared you will be to see him face to face.

If you aren't cleansed from all sin and God happened to burst all his light upon you, you would die. Hence, the unrighteous at the 2nd Coming of Christ will be burned by the brightness of his coming.



Every person on earth is a receptacle of light. And when telestial light is given to us by true messengers, we feel warm. That is because there is literal light being given to us. And because it is warm, it is doing what all light does - it is burning out impurities.

The more light we receive in small increments at a time, the more pure we become, the more we can withstand brighter light.

But what is "telestial light" and why do we need it first?

When we hear the words of the angels, we are receiving telestial light. When we repent of our sins and are baptized and are told to receive the Holy Ghost and actually receive Him, we receive the 1st comforter as a constant companion. And the light that is sent to us from the our new companion is telestial light.

Telestial light is the amount and brightness of light that the Holy Ghost gives, and when you've been purged by that light enough, you can start receiving terrestrial light, which is the amount and brightness of light that Christ gives, and when you've been perfected by that light, you can receive celestial light, which is the amount and brightness of light that the Father gives.

Notice how I said "gives", not "has".

These 3 Gods have celestial light, but they each give certain amounts and brightnesses according to their rank. And when we want to enter the presence of the Gods, you start with God the 3rd - the Holy Ghost. And he'll give you all the telestial light you need to be prepared to enter the presence of the next God, God the 2nd - Jesus Christ. And he'll give you all the terrestrial light you need to be prepared to enter the presence of the next God, God the 1st - Heavenly Father.

Remember Joseph Smith's experience in the sacred grove? The Father and Son didn't BURST their light onto Joseph because he would have been burned up. They descended gradually, and the increments of light prepared Joseph's body to withstand their full celestial presence.

Prior to that, Joseph had received portions of telestial light by reading the words of angels in the Bible. They taught him to believe in Christ and repent of his sins. They taught him to be baptized. The light Joseph received had an initial cleansing affect upon him, which was enough to get him ready for more light in the sacred grove.

Now, Joseph didn't begin to exercise faith after the sacred grove experience. He had been exercising faith long before that, ever since he had first heard the "word of God" in the Bible given by true messengers. His parents had raised him with the teachings of true messengers (as many teachings as had not been distorted by translations over time).

It all started for him by first hearing the word of God. And that is how it all starts for us.

When we receive and act on the word of God, it is then that we start to exercise faith unto repentance. For how can anyone exercise faith as a grain of mustard seed save they shall first hear the word delivered by angels, who are true, sent and authorized messengers of God?

Casualness Causes Casualties

My mission president, R. Scott Strong, drilled into our minds and hearts this phrase - "Casualness causes casualties".

Missionary Standpoint

During my 2 year service in Australia, I came to understand the meaning of that phrase from a missionary standpoint.

If you're a casual missionary, you'll fail to teach and baptize those who would have become worthy converts, whether they were "golden" (immediately ready to be baptized) or needed some help only you and the Spirit could offer.

If you're a casual missionary, those who would SEE and FEEL the Light of the Spirit from one of Jesus Christ's authorized and empowered servants (you), and who would EXPERIENCE the power of the Word knocking at the door of their heart, and who would EMBRACE the Gospel 100%... will just have to keep waiting and missing out on the further Light and Knowledge that God promised He would send to His children in the world.

And when they keep waiting for someone that is truly SENT from God to give them further Light and Knowledge, they can give in to the "world" and become a casualty.

Latter-day Saint Standpoint

Its obvious that if you're a casual latter-day saint, just doing the very least amount possible to survive spiritually in this world, you will eventually be overcome.

The subtle powers of Satan are constantly at work, while at the same time, so are the powers of God. But, if you are casually living the life of a latter-day saint, the powers of Satan will overcome you.

Just as it is vital to your body that you eat food and drink water, it is vital to your spirit that you "feast" on the words of Christ. There is truth in the phrase, "Man shall not live by bread alone", for what is "man" composed of? Spirit and flesh, and both elements need to be nourished or there will be death.

Knowing that your body or spirit hungers is evident by hunger pains, or even death. Its a lot easier to recognize hunger pains from your body, but its not as easy to recognize them from your spirit.

But there are signs of spiritual hunger.

• You start to lose enthusiasm for the basics of a healthy spiritual life, like church, prayer, scripture study, temple attendance, fasting, fulfilling your callings, etc.
• You start to let the things of the world become common in your life like vulgarity, immodesty, disrespect to authorities, breaking little laws, etc.
• You actively give in to temptations that you previously were strong to avoid and overcome
• You get offended when chastised and called to repentance
• Your testimony has been lost
• You withdraw yourself from the good things God has given you and apostatize

I'd venture to say that if you find yourself experiencing the first spiritual hunger sign I mentioned, that in itself should be a big red flag that your spirit is hungering for Light.

This is when you need to buckle down and revitalize your relationship with God and get Light, because what God gives you is Light, the very light that promotes, produces, preserves, protects and perfects LIFE!

And if you are casual in your spirituality, you will become a casualty.

Bishop Standpoint

Being a Bishop is a big challenge, but a wonderful opportunity to care for the latter-day saints. And if a bishop is casual in his duties, he will see spiritual casualties in his own congregation.

There are many ways to care for the saints, but one in particular is absolutely crucial to understand. And that is his duty to judge.

Pornography is a vicious, addictive and destructive drug. It is also a sin, the natural consequences of which can take a long time to recover from, even an entire lifetime. I have spoken with many young men who's lives have been tainted by it, and have discussed their experience with confessing it to their bishops.

The things I've noticed perhaps the most are the different levels of tolerance for the broken law of chastity that their bishops have, before they enact disciplinary measures. While I acknowledge that every situation can be different, the sin remains the same and can have life-altering natural consequences.

Some bishops will just encourage the young man to try harder to avoid and resist temptation, while some will take away privileges for a certain amount of time.

The fact of the matter is this - by you choosing to look at or be pornography, you open the door for Satan to come in and rob you of Light. Pornographic thoughts are sticky, in that they stick around for a long time, and if you entertain those thoughts, you widely open the door for Satan again and again.

If a bishop says to someone who is confessing, "Oh just try your best to avoid it and keep praying for strength", what is bound to happen more often than not? Satan will tease the poor soul with pornographic thoughts, and the person may very well give in just a little bit here, and a little bit there until he slips down the slippery slide of sin to the rocky bottom.

Bishops who are unaware of how strong the grip of pornography is and how Satan works, or who don't want to come across as "judging harshly" for a seemingly small sin, allow for casualties amidst their congregations.

Taking away a few privileges for a few months because, say, someone looked at pornography a couple times, may initially appear as "judging harshly". But when the discipline is finished, that soul will rejoice and proclaim to himself and to the Lord, "Yes! I have escaped the grasp of Satan in this matter. I have repented fully and am at peace!"

I believe that if bishops only tell someone to "try your best to avoid temptation" after they have already given in to pornography, those bishops are being casual in their judgments, and may cause a spiritual casualty which could have been avoided if they would have done more to help and discipline at the first time of confession.

Sexual sin has never been more available nor more thrust down the throats of innocent children of God than it is in these times. And bishops must not underestimate the power Satan has over those who give in to pornography, even if its just a little.

Bishops who lovingly discipline saints who break the law of chastity are, in fact, helping the Lord heal wounded souls. They are, in fact, helping people to escape the grasp of Satan, to not open the door to him any more.

Anyway, the principle of "casualness causes casualties" can be applied to most any standpoint in life, and is, to me, pretty interesting to research.