The mark of which I’m speaking is one a growing number of scripture enthusiasts are looking beyond in their attempts to go directly to the end goal of becoming one of the 144,000 servants of God. A prideful sense of entitlement has gripped some in the church who openly discuss their anticipation of serving as one of these translated beings, or, in Isaiah’s terms, seraphs. Although the scriptures, including the words of Isaiah, foretell the ministry of these endtime servants of God, the aspiring seraphs seem to equate familiarity with these scriptures with an obsessive expectation of attaining that high and holy spiritual calling.
Don’t they know that God translates no one except on the same basis he translated his servants of old? The backstories of those scriptural heroes show that far more than desires to save men’s souls led to their transition from mortality to semi-resurrection. The fact that these modern seraph seekers voice their ambitions, and even appoint one another, tells us a lot. In other words, if I had desires of serving God within such a calling, I would keep it a secret between God and me. I would ask that if that was indeed his will I would offer to pay whatever price was necessary to fulfill it, knowing full well that God would require it of me.
In fact, to ascend Isaiah’s spiritual ladder to the seraph level, we aren’t talking about only one mark these aspirants are looking beyond. “Making sure one’s calling and election” is a preceding level some have been fixated on. But after all their preoccupation with these things, I know of no one who has attained, or even could attain, these goals by making them their focus. On the contrary, that kind of looking beyond the mark has been taking many out of the church—as if God had provided a shortcut to heaven just for them. Why, we could learn more from the heroes and heroines of fairytales than from that kind of misplaced zeal!
Those I know who have had profound experiences such as seeing our Savior rarely voice those things openly on account of their sacredness. And that would be only a prelude to translation, which lies a long way beyond it. Their focus is typically on offering themselves as a living sacrifice after the pattern of him who redeemed us. The laws of God’s covenants that spell out what God requires of us on each spiritual level are their preoccupation and mine. If there are shortcuts, they lead downward, not up. In my experience, the signs that accompany spiritual breakthroughs seem always to come at times I’m not expecting them.
Read Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story “The Celestial Railroad” for an interesting allegory about those who choose an easy, essentially effortless way to salvation.
Nice article. It seems there’s no shortage of groups and people pitching shortcuts to heaven. The only shortcut I know of happened to people who passed away very early in life and even then I’m not sure it is a shortcut for them.
– Pat
I completely agree that simply wishing for a higher blessing is not going to get one there. All of them come with dedication to one source – the Savior. By the same token, in order to know what blessings are available, we must know what the scriptures say, and what will be required of us if we desire to achieve or arise to any of those sacred blessings that are all throughout the scriptures but often missed.
The higher blessings of Baptism of Fire, Calling & Election, and Second Comforter are not trophies to be set upon a shelf.. they are gifts endowed by the Savior that also come with a higher responsibility to love and serve.
Once a person understands what is involved, and how that blessing is manifest, one will see it everywhere in the scriptures… beginning in 1Nephi 1 where Lehi experiences his own higher blessings.
One of the things I admonish people to do is to allow the Lord to lead and teach them line-upon-line with what they are ready for- even, or especially by beginning with the simple things. Only HE can lead us to the perfect next thing we need to grow spiritually. No one really wants a gift that they are not responsibly or spiritually capable of.
From the scriptures I have gathered on the subjects, we see that we are constantly admonished to seek after the higher blessings – including by prophets like Peter and Joseph. There are 24 scriptures alone that say we are to ‘seek the mysteries’… that is the beginning of growing into understanding.
If those blessings were not available for those who love the Lord – Christ being the ‘mark’, they wouldn’t be spelled out everywhere in scripture by the prophets…
I agree whole heartedly with your last paragraph in particular!…
and you are correct… there are NO shortcuts!
Agreed on all points regarding the “The Mark” post.
From your analysis it would seem that the command to seek, ask, and find as directed by the Holy Spirit has little merit. Granted, one cannot intellectualize a calling from God or a visit from divine beings. Yet, as directed by God over a long period of time, testing, and development a person can be introduced to callings from God customized to them. If you find that offensive then so be it. My name is not important.