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-- D&C 88:5
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DEFINITION: |
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CHURCH
OF THE FIRSTBORN
Even of God, The Holiest of All,
Through Jesus Christ His Son
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Those who penetrate the
veil and come into communion with God and his holy angels and
are called after the holy order of God. |
The Church of the Firstborn is not an earthly denomination but an
ecumenical general assembly of believers who attain communion through
the veil with Almighty God and the holy angelic hosts. It consists of
humble men and women who have sought God diligently to the point of
coming into his(&her) very presence and being called after the holy
order of God, that they might be princes of peace, preachers of
righteousness in carry forth God's work on the earth.
The Church of the Firstborn umbrella also consists of those who make
this attainment their main focus (seek and ye shall find), thanks to,
but not wholly dependent upon, denominational affiliations.
This GreaterThings
web site is designed to support this quest, that the Lord may be our
God, and we may be his people.
The Church of the Firstborn is not a religion with dogmas and
buildings. There are no meeting requirements or organization
memberships. Rather, it is a level of spirituality and
connectedness with the heavens and with others on earth who are likewise
minded. |
Page Contents:
Definition | Welcome
| Pertinent Scriptures | See
also | Related Sites
This Index is Featured At:
Zion 101 Fundamentals - Zion is a society of individuals whose hearts
have been changed by God, who helps them realize and accomplish their unique
missions in life for the betterment of all mankind.
"The gospel, removing us from natural carnality,
brings us into communion with God (which includes coming to an awareness of
our spiritual heritage as heirs); and when we get there, God (which includes
our highest awareness within ourselves in harmony with the church of the
Firstborn -- those mortal and immortal who have overcome, including the head
honcho) is the ONE who works with us one on one to direct us in our path.
"That's about the sum of it."
-- Sterling D. Allan (2/17/01)
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Welcome
Jesus moved us from Telestial to Terrestrial. The holy
spirit of promise (second comforter), which is a function of the work of the
Father, moves us from Terrestrial to Celestial.
Jesus' ministry among the Jews was about taking the body of
God's people and moving them the next quantum leap forward: from Telestial
law-bindedness to Terrestrial walking by the Holy Spirit of God.
David's Messianic ministry among the Gentiles (Mormons
especially and Christians more generally) is about moving the body of God's
people to the next quantum leap forward: from Terrestrial, walking by the
Spirit, to Celestial walking with God.
The scriptural definition for the "prerequisite" for
this next change is that we abide in the rock of Christ steadfast and
immovable, always abounding in good works through the indwelling of the
Spirit, so that Christ, the Lord God Omnipotent, might seal us his.
In other words, walking in the Spirit becomes second nature
for us, as our spirits are aligned with the spirit of God.
Having thus overcome our fallen natures, we are called after
the holy order of God and become his emissaries. We attain unto the
stature of prophets, priests(&priestesses), kings(&queens) unto the
Most High God. We become numbered among the general assembly of the
church of the Firstborn.
Sterling D. Allan
October 30, 1999
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Pertinent Scriptures
Doctrine and Covenants 88:3-5
3 Wherefore, I now send upon you another Comforter,
even upon you my friends, that it may abide in your hearts, even the Holy
Spirit of promise; which other Comforter is the same that I promised unto my
disciples, as is recorded in the testimony of John.
4 This Comforter is the promise which I give unto you of eternal life,
even the glory of the celestial kingdom;
5 Which glory is that of the church of the Firstborn, even of
God, the holiest of all, through Jesus Christ his Son--
Doctrine and Covenants 107
18 The power and authority of the higher, or Melchizedek
Priesthood, is to hold the keys of all the spiritual blessings of the church--
19 To have the privilege of receiving the mysteries of the kingdom of
heaven, to have the heavens opened unto them, to commune with the
general assembly and church of the Firstborn, and to enjoy the
communion and presence of God the Father, and Jesus the mediator of the new
covenant.
Doctrine and Covenants 93:19-33
19 I give unto you these sayings that you may
understand and know how to worship, and know what you worship, that you may
come unto the Father in my name, and in due time receive of his fulness.
20 For if you keep my commandments you shall receive of his fulness,
and be glorified in me as I am in the Father; therefore, I say unto you, you
shall receive grace for grace.
21 And now, verily I say unto you, I was in the beginning with the
Father, and am the Firstborn;
22 And all those who are begotten through me are partakers of the glory
of the same, and are the church of the Firstborn.
23 Ye were also in the beginning with the Father; that which is Spirit,
even the Spirit of truth;
24 And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and
as they are to come;
25 And whatsoever is more or less than this is the spirit of that
wicked one who was a liar from the beginning.
26 The Spirit of truth is of God. I am the Spirit of truth, and John
bore record of me, saying: He received a fulness of truth, yea, even of all
truth;
27 And no man receiveth a fulness unless he keepeth his commandments.
28 He that keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light, until he
is glorified in truth and knoweth all things.
29 Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light
of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be.
30 All truth is independent in that sphere in which God has placed it,
to act for itself, as all intelligence also; otherwise there is no existence.
31 Behold, here is the agency of man, and here is the condemnation of
man; because that which was from the beginning is plainly manifest unto
them, and they receive not the light.
32 And every man whose spirit receiveth not the light is under
condemnation.
33 For man is spirit. The elements are eternal, and spirit and element,
inseparably connected, receive a fulness of joy.
Doctrine and Covenants 76:51-70; 92-95; 102
51 They are they who received the testimony of Jesus,
and believed on his name and were baptized after the manner of his burial,
being buried in the water in his name, and this according to the commandment
which he has given--
52 That by keeping the commandments they might be washed and cleansed
from all their sins, and receive the Holy Spirit by the laying on of the hands
of him who is ordained and sealed unto this power;
53 And who overcome by faith, and are sealed by the Holy Spirit of
promise, which the Father sheds forth upon all those who are just and true.
54 They are they who are the church of the Firstborn.
55 They are they into whose hands the Father has given all things--
56 They are they who are priests and kings, who have received of his
fulness, and of his glory;
57 And are priests of the Most High, after the order of Melchizedek,
which was after the order of Enoch, which was after the order of the Only
Begotten Son.
58 Wherefore, as it is written, they are gods, even the sons of God--
59 Wherefore, all things are theirs, whether life or death, or things
present, or things to come, all are theirs and they are Christ's, and Christ
is God's.
60 And they shall overcome all things.
61 Wherefore, let no man glory in man, but rather let him glory in God,
who shall subdue all enemies under his feet.
62 These shall dwell in the presence of God and his Christ forever and
ever.
63 These are they whom he shall bring with him, when he shall come in
the clouds of heaven to reign on the earth over his people.
64 These are they who shall have part in the first resurrection.
65 These are they who shall come forth in the resurrection of the just.
66 These are they who are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of
the living God, the heavenly place, the holiest of all.
67 These are they who have come to an innumerable company of angels, to
the general assembly and church of Enoch, and of the Firstborn.
68 These are they whose names are written in heaven, where God and
Christ are the judge of all.
69 These are they who are just men made perfect through Jesus the
mediator of the new covenant, who wrought out this perfect atonement through
the shedding of his own blood.
70 These are they whose bodies are celestial, whose glory is that of
the sun, even the glory of God, the highest of all, whose glory the sun of the
firmament is written of as being typical.
92 And thus we saw the glory of the celestial, which
excels in all things--where God, even the Father, reigns upon his throne
forever and ever;
93 Before whose throne all things bow in humble reverence, and give him
glory forever and ever.
94 They who dwell in his presence are the church of the Firstborn; and
they see as they are seen, and know as they are known, having received of his
fulness and of his grace;
95 And he makes them equal in power, and in might, and in dominion.
102 ...These all are they who will...be gathered with
the saints, to be caught up unto the church of the Firstborn,
and received into the cloud.
Hebrews 12:22,23
22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city
of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of
angels,
23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn,
which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits
of just men made perfect....
Doctrine & Covenants 78:13-22
13 Behold, this is the preparation wherewith I prepare
you, and the foundation, and the ensample which I give unto you, whereby you
may accomplish the commandments which are given you;
14 That through my providence, notwithstanding the tribulation which
shall descend upon you, that the church may stand independent above all other
creatures beneath the celestial world;
15 That you may come up unto the crown prepared for you, and be made
rulers over many kingdoms, saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Zion, who hath
established the foundations of Adam-ondi-Ahman;
16 Who hath appointed Michael your prince, and established his feet,
and set him upon high, and given unto him the keys of salvation under the
counsel and direction of the Holy One, who is without beginning of days or end
of life.
17 Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye are little children, and ye have
not as yet understood how great blessings the Father hath in his own hands and
prepared for you;
18 And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer,
for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are
yours, and the riches of eternity are yours.
19 And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made
glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an
hundred fold, yea, more.
20 Wherefore, do the things which I have commanded you, saith your
Redeemer, even the Son Ahman, who prepareth all things before he taketh you;
21 For ye are the church of the Firstborn, and he will
take you up in a cloud, and appoint every man his portion.
22 And he that is a faithful and wise steward shall inherit all things.
Amen.
JST-Genesis 9:21-22
21 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I
may remember the everlasting covenant, which I made unto thy father Enoch;
that, when me should keep all my commandments, Zion should again come on the
earth, the city of Enoch which I have caught up unto myself.
22 And this is mine everlasting covenant, that when thy posterity shall
embrace the truth, and look upward, then shall Zion look downward, and all the
heavens shall shake with gladness, and the earth shall tremble with joy; and
the general assembly of the church of the first-born shall come down
out of heaven, and possess the earth, and shall have place until the end come.
. .
Doctrine and Covenants 77:11 [post Adam On Diaman]
11 Q. What are we to understand by sealing the one
hundred and forty-four thousand, out of all the tribes of Israel--twelve
thousand out of every tribe?
A. We are to understand that those who are sealed are high priests,
ordained unto the holy order of God, to administer the everlasting gospel; for
they are they who are ordained out of every nation, kindred, tongue, and
people, by the angels to whom is given power over the nations of the earth, to
bring as many as will come to the church of the Firstborn.
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Personal Accounts:
 |
Why I Left
the Mormon Church - Robert Bushman tells the story of how after a
lifetime of enmeshed involvement, he decided that it was more important for
him to stand on his own. (May 2001) |
See also:
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Related Sites
From least to more controversial.
| Christian Definitions
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| LDS Mainstream Definitions
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| Mormon Remnant Outcasts Sites
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| Non-denominaational Sites
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Page created on October 30, 1999
visits since October 13, 2001
Last update on October 31, 2009
Thanks to www.prophecies.org for permission to use the
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