What is the veil?
It is the barrier between us and God.
It is the barrier of unbelief.
It is the barrier of sin.
It is unrelated to death and may be removed before death.
Likewise it may continue after death.
Without the removal of this veil, you remain in the fallen
condition established by Adam and Eve.
It is necessary to pass through this veil while in mortality to
receive the full measure of what God offers through the Atonement of Christ.
From the Lectures on Faith, we receive the following explanation
that the veil symbolized in the temple is a representation of the veil that
separates us from God. Remember that in the temple you are to consider yourself
as if you are Adam and Eve. What
separates them from God also separates you from God. Whatever restores them to God also restores
you. For this reason, the analogies of Adam and Eve
in the scriptures are intended as a guide for your own life.
Before there was sin in Adam and Eve, they were able to speak
with God face to face. They had a family
relationship. And so did you.
“From the foregoing we learn man’s situation at his first
creation, the knowledge with which he was endowed, and the high and exalted
station in which he was placed – lord or governor of all things on earth, and
at the same time enjoying communion and intercourse with his Maker, without a vail to separate between. We shall next proceed to examine the account
given of his fall, and of his being driven out of the garden of Eden, and from
the presence of the Lord.” (LOF 2:12)
After Adam and Eve took upon themselves the sinful condition,
they fell. The fall means to be removed
from the presence of God. The family
relationship is broken and they are no longer able to see God. Just as they were cut off from God, so are
you. We are fallen as they were.
“And then the angel spake, saying, This thing is a similitude of
the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and
truth; wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou doest, in the name of the
Son. And thou shalt repent, and call upon
God, in the name of the Son for evermore.
And in that day, the Holy Ghost fell upon Adam, which beareth record of
the Father and the Son.”
“This last quotation, or summary, shows this important fact,
that though our first parents were driven out of the garden of Eden, and were
even separated from the presence of God
by a vail, they still retained a knowledge of his existence, and that
sufficiently to move them to call upon him.
And further, that no sooner was the plan of redemption revealed to man,
and he began to call upon God, than the Holy Spirit was given, bearing record
of the Father and Son.” (LOF 2:24-25)
The Only Begotten of the Father is the means provided to remedy
the separation between us and God.
Christ has the purpose of bringing us through the veil. Christ removes the sinfulness of our
condition and restores the family relationship with God once again. We must
call on him for help.
The Holy Spirit is the witness that there is a Father and a
Son. The witness of the Spirit is given
to those who repent and call upon God. The
starting point is simple. Let the desire
to repent settle into your heart and call upon God.
Religions make this process too complicated. Religious organizations seek to supplant God
by becoming the voice of God for you. If
you will let them, the churches will give you the promise of being led to God
and yet they will prevent you from finding God.
This occurs if you misplace your trust and rely on everything taught by
a religious authority. Their
preoccupation with Authority is the evidence that they cannot lead you to
Christ. The humble followers of Christ
have no interest in Authority because they are filled with God’s light. They never thirst and therefore are not jealous
of the gifts of God made manifest in others.
But the Religious are not filled with light and they thirst and
hunger. They seek to fill their needs by
obtaining authority. They do this by
creating a list of rules for you to keep that will hold you in compliance with
their law and keep you held under their authority. Although they may pretend to speak in the
name of God, nothing is of God except that which comes from His own voice. Their inspirational messages may be good
words, but the application of a true message from God can only be understood
through direct communication with God. You
do not need a Religion to find God, but you do need Christ to find God.
Already you know your failings and sins. Let Christ teach you how to overcome these by
going directly to Him and those things which He tells You personally, do those
things. By this means, you begin to hear
His voice through the veil. He prepares
you to return to him as you hearken to the words He delivers to you. It is true that He may deliver His words to
you through a religious speaker or a religious book or a religious
ceremony. It is also true that He may
deliver His words through a family member or through a friend or through a neighbor. However, God’s most meaningful messages are
those He delivers through a stranger or through an enemy or through a source
you formerly thought was incapable of representing God in any manner. He seems to delight in this manner of
delivery for the purpose of testing your humility and breaking you of your
pride. The messenger is not
important. Ignore the messenger. Only the message matters. Look for messages from God and he will guide
you.
The Holy Spirit is that which gives witness of God the Father
and His son Jesus Christ. That witness
is received as you hearken to the voice of God.
Again notice that it is not given by a church organization. “And further, that no sooner was the plan of redemption revealed to man, and he began
to call upon God, than the Holy Spirit
was given, bearing record of the Father and Son.” It is given immediately
as you follow through with whatever it is God has asked of you to do TODAY. That
is how you receive the Holy Ghost. The
Holy Ghost does not come by authority of man.
It comes as a result of obedience to God.
The intention of Christ is to remove that veil while here in
this mortal life. Notice the experience
of the Brother of Jared:
“18 And he ministered unto him even as he ministered unto the
Nephites; and all this, that this man might know that he was God, because of
the many great works which the Lord had showed unto him.
19 And because of the knowledge of this man he could not be kept from beholding within the veil;
and he saw the finger of Jesus, which, when he saw, he fell with fear; for he
knew that it was the finger of the Lord; and he had faith no longer, for he
knew, nothing doubting.
20 Wherefore, having this perfect knowledge of God, he could
not be kept from within the veil; therefore he saw Jesus; and he did
minister unto him.
God is no respecter of persons and makes the same opportunities
available to every soul. He works in one
eternal round, meaning that the patterns of our lives are the same as the
patterns of the past. So too, God is a
God of Justice, meaning that He established the same laws for you that He has
for other souls. And God is a God of
Mercy, meaning that He is able to remove the conditions of a fallen nature for
those who come to Him with humility. God
is a God of Love or in other words, He is a Father who has a pure love for His
children and seeks to re-establish the family relationship. For all these qualities of God, we can trust
that He desires to remove the separation between us and Him.
It has often been taught that the removal of the veil while in
the mortal life is unnecessary. Here is
an example of such a teaching:
Richard E Turley: {59:13}
Another claim is that the church is not teaching what is
necessary for exaltation, for example, some say that only those who see the
face of Jesus Christ in mortality will receive Celestial Glory.
Dallin H. Oaks: {1:00:36}
Of course, all of the righteous desire to see the face of
our Savior, but the suggestions that this must happen in mortality is a familiar
tactic of the adversary. To identify a worthy goal, such as to achieve
exaltation, and then to use the desirability of that goal and people’s
enthusiasm for it to obscure [the Lord’s intended way by] the new means the
adversary suggests to achieve it [is a familiar tactic]. The means are
important, even vital. As the Lord said in another setting, ‘it must needs be
done in mine own way.’
(Boise Rescue Transcript, June 2015)
My earliest memories are of general conference Saturdays,
hanging out at grandma’s house, eating popcorn and listening to Dallin H.
Oaks. He has been one of my favorite
apostles since childhood. He has a lot
of authority as far as church members are concerned. Much of what he discusses
would be a counterpoint to what I am suggesting. If
you feel I deserve a rebuke for teaching that you may receive the Savior while
in this life, then Oak’s words may appeal to you. If you would like to read the remainder of
Dallin H. Oaks discussion, you may find it at the following link:
However, in this particular issue, I disagree with his assertion
that it is the Adversary who teaches us to seek the face of the Savior while in
this life. Apostle Oaks, it is a
doctrine of the devil to seek the Lord while in mortality? Of course it must be done in the Lord’s
way. Of course it must be at the Lord’s
discretion, according to His wisdom. Of
course our patience will be tried in the process. Of course it is with humility that we would
seek for Him. On this point, I agree and
I think that the caution is well deserved.
But “the adversary” would encourage us to seek for the Lord while in
this life to distract us away from the Lord?
Too many scriptures say otherwise.
Here are a few scriptures that encourage us to actively seek the Lord
while in this life:
D&C 93:1
Verily, thus saith the Lord: It
shall come to pass that every soul who
forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my
voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall
see my face and know that I am; And that I am the true light that
lighteth every man that cometh into the world;
John 14:22-23
22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it
that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father
will love him, and we will come unto him,
and make our abode with him.
And more from John 14 shows the
purpose of the Holy Spirit. The Holy
Spirit is to lead us to the finish line of entering into the presence of God
the Father. It does this by teaching all things and bringing to remembrance all
things.
24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and
the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.
26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things
to your remembrance, whatsoever I
have said unto you.
The veil remains because of unbelief. We doubt the promises of God and therefore we
do not even try to return to Him. We are
raised in a world where few have these experiences and so we think that the way
things are is the way things are supposed to be. But those who have seen the Lord, try to
awaken us to the offer of God that we can return to Him. It is necessary to remember that the veil must
be overcome and passed through while you are in this mortal life:
6 Now, this was what Ammon desired, for he knew that king Lamoni
was under the power of God; he knew that the dark veil of unbelief was being
cast away from his mind, and the light which did light up his mind, which
was the light of the glory of God, which was a marvelous light of his
goodness--yea, this light had infused such joy into his soul, the cloud of
darkness having been dispelled, and that the light of everlasting life was lit
up in his soul, yea, he knew that this had overcome his natural frame, and he
was carried away in God—(Alma 19:6)
14 Come unto me, O ye house of Israel, and it shall be made
manifest unto you how great things the Father hath laid up for you, from the
foundation of the world; and it hath not come unto you, because of unbelief.
15 Behold, when ye shall rend that veil of unbelief which
doth cause you to remain in your awful state of wickedness, and hardness of
heart, and blindness of mind, then shall the great and marvelous things which
have been hid up from the foundation of the world from you--yea, when ye shall
call upon the Father in my name, with a broken heart and a contrite spirit,
then shall ye know that the Father hath remembered the covenant which he made
unto your fathers, O house of Israel.
16 And then shall my revelations which I have caused to be
written by my servant John be unfolded in the eyes of all the people. Remember,
when ye see these things, ye shall know that the time is at hand that they
shall be made manifest in very deed. (Ether 4:14)
The removal of this barrier between you and God is the purpose
of the Atonement. The temple veil was
rent at the death of Christ, showing that his sacrifice is the means provided
to pass through that barrier between you and God:
50 ¶Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up
the ghost.
51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from
the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints
which slept arose,(Matthew 27:50-52)
And finally, here
is one more witness that we are meant to pass through the veil while in this day
of mortality:
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