Topic: Why we cannot fill the measure of our creation without helping others to find the gospel?
What is the "Measure of our creation?" I've pondered this question for several weeks now.
What is the creation spoken of?
What does the word measure mean?
What is the intent of the Creator?
As I considered the first question, "What is the creation spoken of?" I decided that since "spirit cannot be created or destroyed, and we have existed for eternity in some spiritual form, then we must be speaking of the point at which we came to be identified as "Children of God." Perhaps this began with our pre-mortal birth and continued with our mortal birth, and will yet be added to by the resurrection.
Abraham saw the intelligences that were before the world was, and among them he saw many of the noble and great ones. He was able to identify them as God certainly did, and that they would have a purpose. Perhaps that purpose is the measure of our creation.
As I pondered the word measure I decided to look it up in the dictionary. One definition reads as follows: to estimate or assess the extent, quality, value, or effect of (something).
So the measure of my creation could be defined as the extent, quality, value or effect that my life has on something.
As I pondered the intent of the Creator my mind wondered through the many examples of human disasters. So many killed in war, famine and nature. So many ruthless dictators, so much disease. So many lives lost physically. I also thought of the spiritual losses as generation after generation came and left in apostasy and deception.
So I wondered, what could be the intent of the creator?
An age old question that has haunted and continues to haunt man is: If God is all powerful, than why does he not save us from these things? If He is all powerful, then He must not be all loving. Or if He is all loving why does he not demonstrate that love by saving us from these things? It must be than that He would if he could, but alas, He is not all powerful.
The answer to this quandary is in the intent of the Creator. "This is my work and my glory; to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." And, the means by which He accomplishes that is agency. Once as He spoke with the prophet Enoch and showed him the total of mankind that had, and would come upon the face of the earth. Enoch saw the sin and wickedness of them and noticed that God was weeping.
Moses 4
29 And Enoch said unto the Lord: How is it that thou canst weep, seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity?
32 The Lord said unto Enoch: Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them their knowledge, in the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency;
33 And unto thy brethren have I said, and also given commandment, that they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their Father; but behold, they are without affection, and they hate their own blood;
Agency was given in order that man could choose for himself the outcome of his creation.
Moses 7
3 Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down;
4 And he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice.
So this life is a test, and the conditions of mortality are the consequences of the choices made. It’s not fair that many suffer because of the choices of others, but that does not remove their agency to choose. Furthermore, God is empowered to act in behalf of His children when they choose to obey Him and the help He gives has only one purpose, the exaltation and eternal life of His children.
President David O'McKay stated:
Earth in all its majesty and wonder is not the end and purpose of creation. “… my glory,” says the Lord himself, “(is) to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” (Moses 1:39.) And man in exercising the divine gift of free agency should feel duty bound, should sense the obligation to assist the Creator in the accomplishment of this divine purpose.
The true end of life is not mere existence, not pleasure, not fame, not wealth. The true purpose of life is the perfection of humanity through individual effort, under the guidance of God’s inspiration.
So, the measure of our creation is the extent, quality, value and effect of our effort to assist in the perfection of humanity. We could say that to fill the measure of our creation we must do as God does. We must willingly share in His work and His glory by seeking the immortality and eternal life of man.
Jesus set the divine example for how this is accomplished. Moroni observed:"…I remember that thou hast said that thou hast loved the world, even unto the laying down of thy life for the world, that thou mightest take it again to prepare a place for the children of men. And now I know that this love which thou hast had for the children of men is charity; wherefore, except men shall have charity they cannot inherit that place which thou hast prepared in the mansions of thy Father." (Ether 12:33,34)
We must have charity, even as Jesus expressed charity. That could be defined, according to Moroni, as the willingness to personally suffer and sacrifice to elevate the potential of mankind.
Now, maybe the extent of our effect is small in comparison to the combined population of this world over thousands of years, but if the worth of even one soul is great in the sight of God, then using our agency to assist in the perfection of that one soul would meet the measure of our creation.
Sometimes when I feel discouraged by my limited reach, I remember this quote of Edward Everett Hale: "I am only one, but I am one. I can't do everything, but I can do something. The something I ought to do, I can do. And by the grace of God, I will."
Our limited reach is a given in the plan of the Creator. Our focus needs to be small and concentrated. First, we must reach ourselves by building within us an unshaken testimony through the application of gospel principles.
Second, we must reach our families by teaching with both word and deed.
Third, we must reach our fellow man that is within our area of influence.
The thing of most value to us according to the Lord is to "…cry repentance unto this people." In a nutshell, that means to make them aware of the saving ordinances and where to find them. (D&C 11:9, D&C 15:6)
Maybe we don't feel up to the task. Maybe we fee inadequate.
President Russell M. Nelson said:
"The Lord does not expect perfection from us at this point in our eternal progression. But He does expect us to become increasingly pure. Daily repentance is the pathway to purity, and purity brings power. Personal purity can make us powerful tools in the hands of God. Our repentance-our purity-will empower us to help in the gathering of Israel." (General Conference April 2019, Priesthood Session)
Brothers and sisters, we fill the measure of our creation by pointing the way to the gospel of Jesus Christ, by holding the lantern that lights the path back to Father.
May we all come to realize the true purpose of our existence at this time, in this place, with these gifts.
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