Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 130:7-9
"But they reside in the presence of God, on a globe like a sea of glass and fire, where all things for their glory are manifest, past, present, future, and are continually before the Lord.
The place where God resides is a great Urim and Thummim.
This earth, in its sanctified and immortal state, will be made like unto crystal and will be a Urim and Thummim to the inhabitants who dwell thereon, whereby all things pertaining to an inferior kingdom, or all kingdoms of a lower order, will be manifest to those who dwell on it; and this earth will be Christ's."
Today is my temple day and while I was sitting in an endowment session my mind wandered over the beauties of this earth. Then I thought of all the places I have never seen and probably will never get to. I had a sadness come over me as I always do when I think of such things. There is so much beauty in this earth and I would love to appreciate all of God's creation, but I know I will never have the money to travel and go there. I shall leave this earth and never have the chance in my body to know what it feels like to see a volcano, travel upon the vast ocean, or look down the grand canyon. Will the end times destruction erase the man made attractions I have never seen, like the Eiffel Tower or Disneyland? There is so much beauty on this earth and I know I will miss it. I recalled somewhere in the scriptures the earth being turned into glass and the thought made me sad to not see mountains, hills, streams and all that green. I even thought about little children born in abject poverty that never witnessed even the amount of beauty I have seen. I already felt bad, now I felt even worse for them.
While I sat thinking about this a thought came to me "God doesn't take away, he gives you more." I didn't understand how glass could be more beautiful than the beauties of this earth. Then as my habit, after the session I went into the celestial room to settle in a favor chair and read my scriptures. What do you know, this chapter talked about the very thing my mind had been wondering on. That was no coincident, the spirit seems to like to teach me things this way. I learned the place where God resides is a great Urim and Thummin, a globe like a sea of glass and fire, where all things in their glory are manifest, past, present, and future, and are continually before him. One day I can live in such a place. I thought if my God can have anything he wants and he wants that, then it must be far better than what I have.
What I hadn't recalled earlie was the part about the past, present and future continually before the Lord. I felt like I was being told, "See you won't miss anything. You will see far more than what the time of your life existence could have ever shown you. It will be presented in such away that will be more real than what is possible now. The poor among the earth that follow Christ will obtain celestial glory. It isn't less, it's more. When you loose your life for Christ's sake the return is a hundred fold." I know to some the sadness over not being able to travel may seem trivial to them. But, this experience has brought me such comfort and peace over the whole matter.
Day 549
