Sunday, 12 February 2012
Introduction to: "The Two Great Commandments: The Gateway to the Fulfillment of All of Jesus Promises"
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy might, mind, and strength; and in the name of Jesus Christ thou shalt serve him
INTRODUCTION
I was sitting in a presentation at a big business conference in Las Vegas, Sin City, the last place one would expect to receive a revelation from the Lord. But the topic was inspiring, related to finding an altruistic approach to running a business, getting past the goal of making profits, cutting costs and getting big bonuses. The speaker, a young CEO, spoke of his own “ah hah” in seeking to find ways to help others achieve happiness rather than focus on his own success and amassing of wealth.
As he spoke, a voice came to me in an almost audible manner, “Write about my First and Second Commandment. Therein is found everything you need to know about eternal life, happiness and unlocking all mysteries.”
I was humbled. I wondered if the Lord or His Spirit was really speaking to me. I was overwhelmed by the thought of writing about such a broad and deep subject. Surely, as fundamental and important as this subject was, volumes must have been written on it by others much wiser and more righteous than me.
That night, I did a search on Amazon on the subject of “Loving God with all of our hearts, etc.” and kind of held my breath expecting to see dozens of titles bearing those keywords. I was surprised at how few works came up and most were out of print. Maybe I didn’t do the search right. But, I concluded, it doesn’t matter, the Lord has asked me to write on it and I would do so independent of the interpretations and thoughts of others. I felt directed not to consult the speeches or writings of others who have lived within the past few centuries, only the writings found in the scriptures that I consider inspired of God. I would write as the Spirit dictated to me. What I might write may not benefit anybody else, but it will benefit me.
I have never written a book. I have always thought it was somewhat presumptuous to write a book, expecting people to be interested in it. There is an element of “feeding the ego” (a theme mentioned in this writing) in writing a book. However, as I have become absorbed in my writing, I have come to understand why others write books, it is a labor of love about the subject of which they are writing. While I hope that someone else might get something out of what has been written, I am the main beneficiary of this endeavor.
As I have written the book, writing down thoughts and impressions as they come to me, I have come to know that it is impossible to be puffed up in pride, IF, one is truly obeying the First and Second Great Commandments. One of the greatest lessons that came to me in writing this book, was that the Lord, in His loving kindness, works through very imperfect people. I know because He is working through me. I don’t pretend to convey that I am an expert on the subject of this book. To the contrary, I believe that the Lord has directed me to write this book so that I can master and obey this great commandment. By embarking on this journey, my learning might also help other imperfect people.
As I set out on this journey of writing about these great commandments, I realized that the First Commandment is such a vast subject by itself that it deserves its own book. The Lord made it the First Commandment for a reason. While I realize that the two commandments are so integrated as to be one commandment, I have, nevertheless, focused on the First Commandment . The Second Commandment is important in its own right and I have included it more heavily in the latter part of the book.
This is not a scholarly work. It is more of an essay as thoughts flow to me. I have a bias for wanting to know the origin of words, what the ancient writers may have been thinking when they chose a word, what the Lord Himself may have meant when He used certain words. Therefore, I have used the dictionary of etymology quite frequently. One startling discovery that came in my search for the origin of a word, was when I looked up the word “believe”. The actual origin of believe is so astounding that it actually changed my whole paradigm. I will not give it here, I will let you find it in another part of the book. Another life changing discovery was what the Lord really meant when he said, “take up your cross daily”. It is not what the majority of Christians think.
Many of the questions raised in this book are my own that I have had throughout the years, such as:
· Why did Christ heal all manner of afflictions in his time, but those same healings are not found among us today?
· What are the commandments we are supposed to be keeping or the law upon which blessings are predicated?
· Why was Daniel saved from the lions but the early Christians were not saved when thrown to the lions by the Romans?
· Why do we have to be subject to the wicked and evil exercise of free agency by others, is there no escape, no deliverance?
· Why was Enoch and others able to have all power over their enemies, but we are not?
· Why does Jesus talk about an easy yoke and a light burden but I fail to see how this world is even remotely related to an easy yoke and a light burden?
· Why do horrible things happen to good people?
· Is death the only way to be released from intense suffering?
This work does draw heavily upon the scriptures but the interpretation and analysis are my thoughts, mingled with the scriptures. The Lord has said, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither my ways, your ways.” With that thought in mind, I was amazed at how many insights came to me, that didn’t really sound like me. They were ideas and concepts that I normally would have not thought of. The reader will have to read this under the influence of the Comforter, even the Holy Ghost or Spirit, the Testator, to know if these things are true.
Regarding the scriptures, I have cited extensively from the New Testament but I have also drawn from other sources that I consider to be scripture. I would ask that you keep an open mind and heart, before rejecting these other scriptures. I used them because I consider them to be harmonious with the New Testament. A wise man once gave his advice on how one can judge if something is good, or evil:
Moroni 7:15 For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know good from evil; and the way to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a perfect knowledge, as the daylight is from the dark night.
16 For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God.
There are so many to whom I could dedicate this book, among the many I would have to include my friend and mentor, James Custer who wrote the book, “The Unspeakable Gift” which had a huge impact on me. Of course, my parents, my sisters, my grandparents and my ancestors to whom I will be eternally indebted for their legacy of faith, nobility and love. It almost goes without saying that this book is dedicated to the one who made it all possible, the Savior, Son of God, the King of Kings, Master of Masters, the Great Example and Mentor, the Lord Jesus Christ.
I must conclude by joining the ranks of the innumerable hosts of heaven, who cannot find the right words or sufficient energy to praise the Lord my God for His infinite goodness, His mercy, His power, His love. For by writing this book, I must inevitably learn and rejoice in, Loving the Lord my God with all my heart, with all my mind, with all my soul, and with all my strength.
Note: This book assumes that the reader believes in God or a supreme being. However, if you, like many, struggle with the concept of believing in a loving, kind, merciful God in the context of a cruel, painful, unjust world, then this book is for you. Please see the chapter : To Believe or Not To Believe: How Can I Believe (or Love) in a God Who Allows Atrocities and Suffering? 
