2
Ne 9:41 the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of
Israel
There
is no way into the celestial kingdom except through the gate made available by
the atonement of Jesus Christ. He is the keeper of the gate. He will only open
the gate to those who knock, And whoso knocketh, to
him will he open (v. 42).
Brigham
Young
¡°Let
me give you a definition in brief. Your endowment is, to receive all those
ordinances in the house of the Lord, which are necessary for you, after you
have departed this life, to enable you to walk back to the presence of the
Father, passing the angels who stand as sentinels, being enabled to give them
the key words, the signs and tokens, pertaining to the holy Priesthood, and
gain your eternal exaltation in spite of earth and hell.¡± (Discourses of
Brigham Young, compiled by John A. Widstoe, p. 416)
¡°God's is a loving and redeeming hand
which we are to acknowledge, for ¡®eye hath not seen
nor ear heard.¡¯ Even His children in the telestial kingdom receive ¡®¡¦ the glory of the telestial, which surpasses all
understanding¡¯ (D&C 76:89D&C 76:89)
He is an exceedingly generous God! ¡¦ One later day, Jesus' hand will not
give the faithful merely a quick, approving pat on the shoulder. Instead, both
Nephi and Mormon tell of the special reunion and welcome at the entrance to His
kingdom. There, we are assured, He is ¡®the keeper of
the gate ¡¦ and He employeth no servant there.¡¯ (2
Ne. 9:412 Ne. 9:41.) Those who reject Him will miss out on a special
personal moment, because, as He laments, He has ¡®stood
with open arms to receive you.¡¯ (Morm. 6:17Morm.
6:17.) The unfaithful-along with the faithful-might have been ¡®clasped in the arms of Jesus¡¯ (Morm. 5:11Morm. 5:11). The imagery of the holy temples
and holy scriptures thus blend so beautifully, including things pertaining to
sacred moments. This is the grand moment toward which we point and from which
we should not be deflected. Hence, those who pass through their fiery trials
and still acknowledge but trust His hand now will feel the clasp of His arms
later!¡± (Cory H. Maxwell, ed., The Neal A. Maxwell Quote Book [Salt Lake
City: Bookcraft, 1997], 137.)