MSB: I wasn't impressed with Max's ability to communicate, and the way he went about things kind of grated, but for me, Max helped me bring together the ideas of an Eastern type of enlightenment and a vision of Christ, whereas before, I wasn't able to reconcile the two, and what it meant.

JK: Can you elaborate? I think that’s where I am.

MSB: Well, I think that Christ the personage reveals himself according to his pleasure, meaning he may or may not reveal himself to us, in any order that he sees fit. As good structured Mormons, we think this is 1. receiving the Holy Ghost, 2. receiving Christ, 3. Christ introduces us to the Father, and 4. it is declared that we have eternal life. As Mormons we think he only speaks to our prophet, but Nephi reveals he speaks according to his pleasure. As Mr. Beaver said, Aslan isn't a tame lion.

All things are done, kept alive, kept in motion, given breath, ordered by something called "the light of Christ". When Jesus was incarnated, he said over and over that his light was the Father. So, in my opinion, the light of Christ was so named, because Christ was the perfect manifestation of the Father (like the way "Melchizedek priesthood" got its name).

When Jesus says no man cometh unto the Father but by me, "me" is synonymous Christ the personage, and synonymous with the light of Christ, they being essentially one in the same.

Denver said Jesus can appear as a personage, but the Father cannot appear without a host, and that a great mystery lies in that statement. So when I think of the Father, I think of a vision of all things being alive, all things being connected, all things operating exactly as designed, the past, present and future being one organism. All things ordered for the good of all, and the happiness of all in the long run is absolutely certain. Doing evil being a teacher as much as, or more so than doing good. One giant "goeswith" as Alan Watts puts it.

Max asserts this is what Joseph meant when he said "Could you gaze into heaven five minutes, you would know more than you would by reading all that ever was written on the subject." This "gazing into heaven" gives us all the knowledge and assurances we need, it reveals we are in possession of Eternal Life, and is the pinnacle of knowledge on the earth, it is the death of ego, because we realize we are one with all men, and all plants, rocks, animals -- everything.

I always previously thought that this "gazing into heaven" was a lesser thing than having a vision of Christ. But if I flip that around, suddenly, the eastern philosophy of enlightenment fits. They may have not had a vision of Jesus, but they did come to the Father through the "light of Christ" or "by me". Jesus not appearing to them, in my opinion, is just his MO. He throws wrenches and misdirections into our understanding all the time.

Denver said that in these "visionary encounters, friends have seen themselves as an enlightened beings, and in that role experienced peace, joy and love. They have overcome the pains, jealousies and distress of the mortal sphere..."

In D&C 95, the voice says we have "sinned a very grievous sin, in that [we] are walking in darkness at noon-day." Our sin is believing we are in hell, when we are really in God's perfect order. Max said "And what is the mother of all mysteries? That it really is noonday! There really is no darkness. Everything is working out perfectly for the good of all!"

Richard Bucke's account of his 5 minutes gazing into heaven.