Catching up/Three YSA activities to remember

September/Airplane crash with three degrees of glory!

This activity was awesome!  Aaron, Mary and Purdee were the captain and flight attendants.  Aaron's mom made their costumes which were stunning!  They played their parts amazingly well.  The flight attendants served peanuts and soft drinks on the "flight."  Kevin prepared the computer animation for the crash sounds and they turned out amazing!  It was crazy funny, but then we had to transition into the very spiritual presentation of the three degrees of glory.  That transition could not have gone better.  Sister Edmonds sang acapella, "Be still my soul, and Jesus, Lover of My Soul."  All the passengers were told to close their eyes, she stood in the middle of the plane and sang them beautifully.  The John, the escorting angel took all the participants into the telestial room.  The YSA reps came early and helped in a gargantuan decorating effort that turned out perfect.  Most of the linens were shared by Sangre Grande and Davon Hernandez was so instrumental in getting them all there and helping assemble them.  Raymond and the missionaries were vital too.  The following was the text for the aiplane ride:

Flight Attendant as Passengers Board:    “Ladies and gentlemen, the Captain has turned on the Fasten Seat Belt sign. If you haven’t already done so, please stow your carry-on luggage underneath the seat in front of you. Please take your seat and fasten your seat belt.

        At this time, we request that all mobile phones, pagers, radios and electronic devices be turned off for the full duration of the flight.

       If you have any questions about our flight today, please don’t ask one of our friendly flight attendants. Thank you.” Make certain all cell phones are turned off!!!

Pilot stands and faces passengers:    “Ladies and gentlemen, this is Captain Aaron, and I’m your pilot, today. On behalf of the entire crew, welcome aboard Nephi Airlines flight 3:7, where our motto is: We fly with a wing and a prayer.” This is non-stop service from Trinidad to Barbados and continuing on to who knows where.

    Our flight time will be 1 hours and 10 minutes. We will be flying at an altitude of 22,000 feet at a ground speed of 80 kilometers per hour.

    “Flight attendants, please prepare for gate departure.”

Wait 20 seconds:    “Flight attendants, cross-check or whatever.”

Flight Attendants Safety demonstration

 Flight Attendant: “My name is Mary, and I am assisted by Perdy. We will be you flight attendants, today. Now we request your full attention as the flight attendants demonstrate the safety features of this aircraft”.

For those of you who have not been in a car in the last ten years, we should be demonstrating how to fasten a seat belt. But since this aircraft is not equipped with seat belts, please grab the piece of cloth attached to the right side of your chair, enclosing your fingers firmly around the fabric and hold on tight.  We suggest that you keep at least one hand on your fabric at all times during the flight, as we may experience turbulence.

        In the event of an emergency, please assume the bracing position. Lean forward with your hands on top of your head and your elbows against your thighs without letting go of your fabric. Ensure your feet are flat on the floor. Your seat bottom does not contain a flotation device. No matter, slip your arms into the chair and hold on for dear life.

    If you have any questions, please don’t ask one of our crew members. You may write your question to our Customer Service Department. Good luck. We wish you all an enjoyable flight.”

Take-off

 Pilot: “We are next in line for take-off. Prepare the cabin.

Roar of engines for take-off.

After take-off

 Flight Attendant:   “Ladies and gentlemen, the Captain has turned off the Fasten Seat Belt sign. However, we request you keep one hand on your fabric at all times. We will be serving a snack and light drink.

Now, sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight. Thank you.”

Serve drinks and peanuts

Flight Attendants: “We will be passing through the cabin now to collect you cups and wrappers. We will need all cups at this time.”

As soon as cups collected – Turbulence Begins

Pilot:     “We are experiencing unexpected turbulence. Flight attendants, please be seated immediately.”

Wait 15 seconds. Pilot:  “This is an emergency! Everyone assume bracing position!”

Sound of exploding engines and crash!!! Everything goes quiet!

Angel: Ladies and gentlemen, please close your eyes. You have passed out of mortality! Please keep your eyes closed.

Sister Edmonds sings hymn: Jesus Lover of My Soul and Be Still My Soul

Angel: Although the final judgment is far off in the future, you will have the privilege today of learning about the three degrees of glory where one day each of us will reside for eternity. From this point on, we ask you to maintain perfect silence. It will be important for you to listen carefully to the important information that will be shared with you.

We will begin our tour of the three kingdoms of glory with a prayer offered by Sister Shirts.

Following Prayer: Everyone please stand and walk quietly beginning with the first row and proceeding to the last. Everyone will follow me to the first kingdom.

Maintain strict silence, and do not allow people to turn on cell phones or other devices. Usher everyone into the first room.

 How fabulous are those costumes?  Arron was coming down with another attack of his illness, but was so determined to fulfill his commitment to this activity, that he did not tell his mother he was not feeling well, so that he would be able to go.  He did an amazing job, they all did, and the next day he had to go to the hospital and was there for two weeks.  The length of his stay and his health was comprised because of his faithfulness and excitement to be a part of this activity.  How we all love this young man!

 Serving the peanuts and soft drinks.

TELESTIAL KINGDOM PRESENTATION

I.                Welcome. Don’t worry about getting comfortable. Your stay here will be brief. You see, you have an appointment.

a.     Unfortunately, things will get worse before they get better.

b.    Your circumstances will eventually be much better than those you just left on earth; however, you must first spend time in hell suffering for your sins because you would not repent and receive the gospel of Jesus Christ, neither the testimony of Jesus. (D&C 76:82)

c.     You have not denied the Holy Spirit (D&C 76:83); Rather, you have acknowledged a “presence” in your life and in the world, at large.

d.    Accordingly, you will be ministered to by terrestrial beings and administering angels, from time to time (D&C 76:86-88)

e.     However, you will not be redeemed from the devil until the last resurrection, until the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb, shall have finished his work. (D&C 76:85)

II.              Nevertheless, you will ultimately inherit a kingdom of glory; more marvelous than anything you ever experienced on earth, for the Lord is generous and merciful

a.     But this will be the end of your progression

b.    You will dwell among the inhabitants of the telestial world with a host of other resurrected telestial beings as innumerable as the stars in the heavens or as the sand upon the seashore. (D&C 76:109)

c.     When you have suffered in hell for your sins, you will know by experience the agony of Gethsamane and Calvary; then your knees will bow and your tongue will confess that Jesus is the Christ who sits upon his throne forever and ever. (D&C 76:110)

d.    First, you will be judged according to your own works and receive accordingly because you were not willing to receive the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ, by entering into and keeping covenants with Him. (D&C 76:111)

e.     You put your trust in men and in man’s wisdom, which is foolishness.

f.      You would not receive the gospel, neither the testimony of Jesus, neither the prophets; neither the everlasting covenant. (D&C 76:101)

g.     Your works speak for themselves and reveal the true quality of your faith and the desires of your heart

h.    There is no nice way to say this; the truth must be spoken plainly

i.       You are liars who have deceived yourself and others, but not God. (D&C 76:103)

j.      You are sorcerers who have placed your trust in false traditions and false spirits. (D&C 76:103)

k.     You are adulterers and whoremongers, slaves to your flesh who have violated the law of chastity

l.       You mistake lust for love and make a lie to cover your sins. (D&C 76:103)

m.  You suffered, in part, on earth as the Spirit of God withdrew its presence from you, leaving you to rationalize and make excuses

n.    In this you had a foretaste of the wrath of God on earth (D&C 76:104)

o.    Now you must suffer the vengeance of eternal fire, being cast down to hell to suffer the wrath of Almighty God until the fullness of times when Christ shall subdue all enemies under his feet. (D&C 76:105-6)

p.    For a time, your suffering will be sore – how sore you know not, how exquisite you know not; yea, how hard to bear you know not, because you were not willing to repent and come unto Christ with lowliness of heart (D&C 19:15-16)

III.            Nevertheless, fear not; redemption will come, and you will receive a degree of glory like unto the brightness of the stars (D&C 76:109)

a.     You will yet be servants of the Most High

b.    But where God and Christ dwell, you cannot come, worlds without end. (D&C76:112)

c.     You broke God’s laws and sought to become a law unto yourselves; you chose to abide in sin; therefore, you cannot be sanctified by law, neither by mercy, justice nor judgment. (D&C88:35)

d.    You will spend eternity in telestial glory, enjoying that which you were willing to receive; but with full awareness that you might have enjoyed more, had you been willing to receive it. (D&C 88:32)

I am sooooo sad that we were so busy that we did not take any pictures of the three rooms.  They were beautifully decorated with stars on the wall in the Telestial room, a moon in the Terrestrial and a sun in the Celestial, all made with poster board with white Christmas lights poked through from the back.  They took FOREVER to make!  I do not recommend it.  It would take a fraction of the time to use strip christmas lights and just tape them in the shape of a star, moon, and sun on the wall and put black tape over the part of the lights that are not used as part of the shape to cover them. 

At the conclusion of the telestial presentation, Angel: This concludes our presentation of the telestial kingdom. Please follow me in silence to the next kingdom of glory.

TERRESTRIAL KINGDOM PRESENTATION

I.                Welcome to all. I have good news and bad news. The good news is you have attained terrestrial glory for which you may rejoice exceedingly. The bad news is you might have received sooooo much more.

a.     You are judged to be honorable men and women of the earth. (D&C 76:75)

b.    You have treated others with kindness and respect, but were blinded by the craftiness of man. (D&C 76:75)

c.     Some of you did not receive the testimony of Jesus Christ in the flesh, but received it now in the spirit world. (D&C 76:74)

d.    You have lived well and performed good works, but you followed the examples and teachings of mortal men and women, not the Lord Jesus Christ

e.     Others of you received of the glory of Jesus Christ on earth, but not the fullness of his gospel. (D&C 76:77)

f.      Like seeds that fall on stony ground, you received the good word with gladness, but when persecution or affliction arose, you were “offended” (Mark 4:17) and chose to be less-active.

g.     When asked to serve, you did not prove valiant in the testimony of Jesus; you failed to magnify your calling; you failed to prepare so you did not bless others you were called to serve. (D&C 76:79)

h.    You did not press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, feasting on the word of Christ and enduring to the end. (2Nephi 31:20)

i.       You did not abide the higher laws of celestial glory: the law of consecration, the law of eternal marriage, and the law of Christ (D&C 88:21)

II.              As a result, you have fallen short of the highest degree of glory, and you must inherit another kingdom, even the terrestrial kingdom, because you have not been sanctified by the higher law. (D&C 88:21)

a.     You will not obtain the crown over the kingdom of our God. (D&C 76:79)

b.    The Holy Spirit of Promise will not seal you up to inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, dominions and power. (D&C 132:19)

c.     Your terrestrial home is far greater than that of the telestial kingdom, excelling in glory, power, might and dominion, as the glory of the moon differs from that of the stars. (D&C 76:91)

d.    But this, the terrestrial kingdom, consists of a lesser glory and differs from that of the church of the Firstborn as the moon differs from the sun in the firmament. (D&C 76:71, 81, 89)

e.     This will be the end of your progression

f.      You will spend eternity in terrestial glory, enjoying that which you were willing to receive; but with full awareness that you might have enjoyed more, had you been willing to receive it by abiding the higher law. (D&C 88:32) 

 At the conclusion of the terrestrial presentation, Angel: We have now completed two of the three degrees of glory. You will now be ushered into celestial glory. We ask for strict reverence. Please follow me in silence into celestial glory.

CELESTIAL KINGDOM PRESENTATION

The following should be presented by a married couple, sealed in the temple.  They should be seated with the following on a music stand.  They should be talking to the group and be very familiar with the contents to avoid “reading it” too closely.

I.                As fellow brothers and sisters made perfect in Christ, we welcome you to the celestial kingdom. Many in mortality do not understand that a person’s progression ceases unless he or she attains the highest degree of the celestial kingdom. (Miracle of Forgiveness, pp. 243-244)

a.     You have come forth in the resurrection of the just or the first resurrection. To be just is also to be justified by God himself through the merits and grace of Jesus Christ.

b.    You have been valiant in the testimony of your Savior and Redeemer. To be valiant means you were courageous and bold as a doer of the word with unshakable conviction.

c.     You have followed in the steps of the Master; you have fulfilled your callings faithfully and served other with love.

d.    You have been baptized by immersion in the name of Jesus Christ by one with priesthood authority. (D&C 76:51)

e.     By keeping your covenants with Christ, he has washed and cleansed you of all your sins, and they are remembered no more.

f.      You have received the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands by one with power to bestow this priceless gift. (D&C 76:52)

g.     You have overcome the world by faith in the Lord and have been sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise. He has placed a permanent stamp of approval upon you as a faithful disciple of Christ. (D&C 76:53 and 132:19)

h.    Men may deceive other men, but no one can deceive the Holy Ghost; blessings are only conditional promises until they have been sealed by Him. You have been sealed by Him unto eternal life with God.

i.       You are the Church of the Firstborn. You are numbered among the congregation of exalted beings in the celestial kingdom. (D&C 76:71)

II.              Celestial marriage is the gate to membership in the Church of the Firstborn; “neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man in the Lord.” (1Corinthians 11:11 and D&C 132:19)

a.     The blessings of celestial marriage will not be denied anyone who proves faithful in keeping his or her covenants, but only a faithful man sealed to a faithful woman can receive a fullness of joy.

b.    Because you have kept your covenants and are sealed to an eternal companion, the Father will bestow all things upon you.

c.     You will inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, powers, and dominions (D&C 132:19)

d.    Nothing will be withheld from you. All that the Father hath shall be given to you.

e.     You will be above all things because all things are subject unto you.  (D&C 132:20)

f.      You will be priests and priestesses, kings and queens after the order of the Only Begotten Son

g.     You will receive a fullness of glory.

h.    Then shall you be gods, even the sons and daughters of God (D&C 76:58 and 132:20)

i.       “As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons (and daughters) of God.” (Romans 8:14)

j.      You will dwell eternally in the presence of the Father and the Son, enjoying their constant association and fellowship.

k.     Your names are recorded in heaven.

l.       You are just men and women made perfect through Christ, your Mediator. (D&C 76:66-69)

III.            Your bodies are celestial, having the glory of the sun, even the glory of God, the highest of all.

a.     Your bodies will be immortal, full of the vigor of perfected manhood and womanhood. (D&C 76:70)

b.    All deformities and defects, down to the slightest blemish, will be eliminated; signs of aging will disappear, and all physical weakness will be left behind in the grave.

c.     The perfection of a glorious resurrected body is indescribable. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught, “No man can describe it to you… no man can write it.”

d.    You will be exquisitely beautiful because you have mastered the appetites of your physical body.

IV.            You are made equal in power, might and dominion with the Father. He controls the elements of the earth, and you are promised the same.

a.     You will be heirs of all He has and joint-heirs with Christ

b.    You will inherit the same power, the same glory, and the same exalted status of gods and goddesses.

c.     You will ascend the throne of eternal power (D&C 132:21) and wear an eternal crown of glory and carry a scepter of righteousness (D&C 121:46)

d.    In mortality, it was often supposed that the Saints had all the ordinances for life, salvation and exaltation. This was not the case.

e.     There are other ordinances that can only be administered beyond the mortal world. I will mention three.

f.      In mortality, you cannot receive the ordinance and keys of the resurrection. You will now have this power to bring forth spirits and reunite them with a glorified body.

g.     In mortality you had the ability to procreate children, but now you will be given the power to create spirit children without number.

h.    Finally, you will receive power to organize the elements and create worlds of your own, worlds without end. (Spencer W. Kimball quoting Brigham Young, Ensign, May 1977)

V.              You are the posterity of Abraham and will receive the blessings promised to Abraham

a.     You shall pass by the angels and gods to your exaltation and glory. (D&C 132:19)

b.    You shall receive a fullness and a continuation of seed forever and ever. You will fulfill the measure of your creation, and your posterity will be as innumerable as the sands upon the seashores.

c.     You shall be gods, because you have no end. You will be everlasting to everlasting. Everlasting to everlasting means from pre-mortal existence throughout all eternity.

d.    As our Savior is the same yesterday, today and forever, you will be washed clean and made perfect in the blood of Jesus Christ and your past sins will be blotted out and remembered no more, everlasting to everlasting. You will be everlastingly clean, as He is clean.

e.     You shall inherit all that the Father has, even his title: God and Goddess, Man and Woman of Holiness; Man and Woman of Counsel, even Endless and Eternal (Moses 7:35 and D&C 19:11-12)

VI.            To help prepare you for the moment when you enter the presence of your Savior and Redeemer, let us share our experience with you.

a.     When first we beheld the Savior, his eyes were as a flame of fire! His countenance was luminous with a brilliance that shone above the brightness of the sun. His voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, so powerful and piercing as to shake the earth. (D&C 110:3)

b.    As he addressed us individually, his voice was not loud; neither was it harsh. Nevertheless and notwithstanding it being a small voice, it did pierce us to the center, insomuch that there was no part of our frame that it did not cause to quake; yea, it did pierce us to the very soul and did cause our hearts to burn. (3Nephi 11:3)

c.     The Savior stood in mid-air. He spoke no word, but my love for him was such that I was overcome and had no words to explain. I know that no man can love the Lord as I experienced love for the Savior unless God reveals it unto him.

d.    You will fervently desire to remain in his presence. Then you will have this overwhelming feeling of gratitude that you were willing to do whatever was required of you, even to the laying down of your mortal life, knowing that now you will be with Him forever. (George F. Richards, We Believe, p. 862)

e.     At a later time, I was told there was a privilege that was to be mine, and I walked into a room where I was informed I was to meet someone. As I entered the room, I saw seated on a raised platform the most glorious being I have ever conceived of and was taken forward to be introduced to Him.

f.      As I approached, He smiled, called my name, and stretched out His hands toward me. He put his arms around me and kissed me as He took me into His embrace, and he blessed me until my whole being was thrilled. As He finished, I fell at His feet and there saw the marks of the nails and as I kissed them with deep joy swelling through my whole being, I knew that I was in heaven, indeed. (Melvin J. Ballard testimony, January 7, 1919)

The couple should speak the following together in unison and in an attitude of praise!

VII.          Let the mountains shout for joy and the valleys cry aloud. Let the seas and dry land tell the wonders of our Eternal King.

a.     Let the sun, the moon, and the morning stars sing his praise together.

b.    Let all the sons and daughters of God shout for joy.

c.     How glorious is the voice heard from heaven proclaiming in our ears: glory and salvation, honor and immortality, eternal lives, kingdoms, principalities, power and dominion to those who love the Father and the Lamb (D&C 128:23)

 Sangre Grande did a three degrees of glory fireside prior to our activity.  These are pictures from their activity.  Our decorating was similar.  They kindly lent us the majority of these linens for our celestial kingdom.  Our activity was held in Arima.

In Grande Brother Ali was the officiator in the celestial room.  In Arima, we had Jason and Peaches Byng be the couple presenting the above material.  They did a fabulous job and Brother SuePaul gave the following closing remarks.

At the conclusion of the celestial presentation, Brother Suepaul: This concludes our presentation of the three degrees of glory. Of course, we cannot begin to imagine the glory of even the lowest kingdom, to say nothing of celestial glory where our Father in Heaven dwells. Still, there was much represented in these three presentations that should make all of us reflect on this vital question: Where would I go if my life ended today?

I hope you listened carefully to the description of those who will attain telestial, terrestrial and celestial glory. The scriptures clearly teach that specific laws govern each degree of glory, and if we are to attain any degree of glory, we must abide the law of that kingdom. Tonight, we have been reminded of some of those laws. The question we should be asking ourselves is: Which set of laws am I living right now?

The good news of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is that our Lord and Savior suffered, bled and died to atone for our sins. As a result, each of us has been given the opportunity to repent and forsake our sins. If tonight, you recognized some of your behavior as consistent with the law of a lower kingdom, I hope you will feel a strong desire to begin the repentance process immediately so you can live eternally with God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, eternally in the highest degree of glory. If you need to visit with the Bishop or Branch President to resolve past sins, do it tomorrow. He will help you with love and guidance of the Spirit so you can feel the Savior’s grace and peace once again in your life. Do not put this off. Listen to the Spirit. It will guide you to make wise choices in your life.

As told in the accounts of those who have been allowed into the presence of the resurrect Lord, we will all feel the power of his love and want more than anything to stay there with him. But we will only feel truly comfortable staying with him, if we have learned to keep his commandments and walk the path of righteousness he has shown us.

May we feel his loving arms outstretched to each of us. May we hear his pleading for us to join him in the highest degree of celestial glory is my prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Our closing hymn is hymn #2: The Spirit of God

Our closing prayer will be given by Davon Hernandez.

If you do this activity, make sure that it is practiced.  We ran through all the parts and readings prior to the activity and that made a huge difference.  We closed the activity with a hot dog roast, somores and a testimony meeting.

It was a great memory.