"AWAKING TO GOD" - THE TRANSLATION

During the following weeks and months, I will post the translation of my book "Att vakna  för Gud" ("Awaking to God"). The book, in Swedish and the Google translated version, is found here. 

You will find links to the different chapters below as soon as they've been translated:

Introduction
Chapter 1: How God awoke me from a "deep sleep"
Chapter 2: Part A - Two Keys to awakening and Faith
Chapter 2: Part B - The all-or-nothing doctrine
Chapter 3: The Fulness of the Gospel - in short
Chapter 4: Spiritual weeds
- Part 1: The Book of Mormon talks about us
- Part 2: The Power and Gift of the Holy Ghost
- Part 3: Fruits of the Spirit
- Part 4: The truth will make you free
- Part 5: The Doctrine of Infallibility
- Part 6: Putting your trust in man
- Part 7: Prophets, seers and revelators
- Part 8: The Fulness of the Priesthood
- Part 9: Saving ordinances
- Part 10: The Handbook and the lost soul
- Part 11: The Fate of the Church
Chapter 5: What are we to do with the Church
Chapter 6: Continued reading and studies

Introduction

When Jesus heard that Herod had had John, who was called the Baptist, decapitated, he sought to be alone his grief. A great multitude wouldn't leave him alone followed him. Jesus' time alone quickly turned into teaching, healing and the miraculous feeding of up to 10 000 men, women and children. Afterwards, Jesus sent away his disciples and went up in the mountains to pray.

"[Later that night,] the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God. And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret." [1]

Peter was a seasoned fisherman. He knew that a storm tossed sea only offered one safe place–the boat. His request to come to Jesus on the water was contrary to his experience, reason, knowledge and fears. Despite this, when Jesus called to him "Come!", he was ready to straightway leave the man made safety behind. As it seems he took a step over the railing without hesitation and walked on the water. Standing next to Jesus, Peter must've understood that the only truly safe place on that sea was with Jesus, the man who's obeyed by the winds and the sea.[2] From now on, Peter would choose Jesus ahead of the most impressing ship man could build.

To those who serve Mammon, live in Babylon and have made the world and its corruptibility their god, the teachings of Jesus is madness. To jump overboard on a stormy sea like Peter is crazy. Throughout all ages, man has been invited to follow Jesus and be saved. This has always required a step over the railing, with eyes single to Jesus, with faith in his words and God's power to save.

The question I hope this book will inspire you to ask is, which ship must I leave in order to be able to come to Jesus in faith? It's a question only you and God together can answer. It's my wish that we together seek for the answer to this question and that we'll have the courage to follow the answer that will come. If we liken our soul to a cabin in the woods, we might have a vision and will sufficient to make som superficial remodeling while God wants to and has the know-how to turn us into a palace[3]. Letting God do his work will bring with it growing pains as well as a ditching of our petty plans. It takes courage, a lot of courage, to take on a remodeling of godly proportions.

Are we to be save through him who calls himself the Truth, the truth has to be more important than our comfort, our traditions and even our most cherished practices and beliefs. I don't want to tear down the truth, only build it up. If this is done at the expense of untruth, unbelief, false traditions and disobedience, it's ok, for that's the price we have to be willing to pay to get to know God and his son.

I don't believe that I'm in possession of all truth and I should be willing to reevaluate every conclusion I present in this book when I receive more light and knowledge. Anything else would be hypocritical. This is a challenge and struggle for me as it is for you. This book is therefore more of a splinter in my mind than anyone else´s.

What I now believe in is the truest beliefs I've found. Line upon line, precept upon precept, a little here and a little there seems to be the only road forward when it comes to light, truth and knowledge.

I believe in God and Jesus. I believe they performed a great work through Joseph Smith Jr. I also believe that they would've performed a still greater work if the early saints would've shown faithful. I believe that what Joseph taught and tried to get into the heads of the early saints largely has been forgotten and distorted. In the place of pure doctrine, weeds have grown and they are choking the truth. Truth is from God, and if we want to get closer to him, truth has to be our focus.

The basis for this book is simple–all is not well in Zion and won't be until we rediscover the restoration and fulness of the gospel as it was taught by Joseph, and thereby get to know God. As Alma put it, we need to "awake to God" [4]. 

Alma the younger told the members of the church in Zarahemla about the people his father had taught and baptized in the waters of Mormon. He explained that they were save and asked rhetorically, on what grounds this was so. "Yea," he asked, "what grounds had they to hope for salvation? What is the cause of their being loosed from the bands of death, yea, and also the chains of hell?" [5] He answered the questions himself.

"A mighty change was also wrought in their hearts, and they humbled themselves and put their trust in the true and living God. And behold, they were faithful until the end; therefore they were saved."[6]

It's my sincere wish that something similar can be said about me, and about you.

Those who've tried to plant flowers know that a flowerbed first has to be weeded. The same is true for our faith. The truth won't have a place in us if our heart and minds are full of false traditions and teachings, commandments of men and unbelief. It might seem harsh, but that's how it's played out in my life. As I've come to put more trust in the "true and living God", he has helped me identify weeds that've grown roots in my soul.

This book is my answer to the Lord's invitation to "go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee." [7] I hope to inspire you to something similar for I know how important it is to me. 

It's important to understand that you shouldn't trust me to know what's true. Doing that would cause you to miss the mark. At the last day, you and no one else is responsible for the condition of your flowerbed of faith and the amount of light and truth you posses. If your flowerbed is full of weeds and your soul filled with darkness, you have to put the blame on yourself.

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[1] Matt. 14:22-33

[2] Matt. 8:23-27

[3] “Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.” C.S. Lewis, ”Mere Christianity”

[4] Alma 5:7

[5] Alma 5:10

[6] Alma 5:13

[7] Mark. 5:19