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This page allows you to see in one place all the commentary pages for the reading assignment for this Doctrine & Covenants Gospel Doctrine lesson. Click on the heading to go to a specific page. Click the edit links below to edit text on any page.


D&C 76:46-50

Home > Doctrine & Covenants > Section 76 > Verses 76:25-49
Previous page: Verses 76:1-24                      Next page: Verses 76:50-70


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Relationship to Section 76. The relationship of Verses 76:25-49 to the rest of Section 76 is discussed at D&C 76.

Story.

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Verses 76:25-49 include:

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 76:37: Second death. The phrase "second death" isn't used much in the scriptures. In the bible the phrase is used only 4 times--all in Revelations. There it is defined as "the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone" (Rev 21:8) where those not found written in the book of life are cast into (Rev 20:14-15) at the final judgement. Revelations tells us that the fearful, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, whoremongers, sorcerers, idolaters, and liars will all have some part in this second death (Rev 21:8).
  • D&C 76:40-45. If we look back at verse 40 we see that the Lord has introduced these verses by saying "This is the gospel...--" These verses are an explanation of what the gospel is, or in other words, what the glad tidings are. What are these glad tidings? We learn about an eternal punishment in Revelations, "the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone" (Rev 21:8) where the wicked are cast in. This punishment is the second death spoken of in verse 37. The glad tidings of the gospel, the point of these verses, is that very few will suffer this punishment, this second death. Instead, through the atonement, Christ will save all but the sons of perdition from this awful state. He will even save those who have committed serious sin: liars, sorcerers, adulterers, etc. (Note that in verse 108 we are told that these sinners will inherit the telestial kingdom. This assumes of course that they neither receive the testimony of Jesus (and thus inherit a better kingdom) or deny openly Christ (and become a son of perdition).

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 76:29. What is Satan's work and glory? Does he focus on the world at large, or is he focused on making "war with the saints"?
  • D&C 76:29. What does it mean for Satan to encompass the saints round about?
  • D&C 76:30. Why does this vision of the degrees of glory start with a vision of Satan and the sons of perdition?
  • D&C 76:31. What are the exact requirements for becoming a son of perdition? How much power does one have to know and partake of and then deny?
  • D&C 76:31. What is the power of the LORD that sons of perdition know, partake of, then deny?
  • D&C 76:33. What does it mean to be a "vessel of wrath"?
  • D&C 76:33. What does it mean for sons of perdition to suffer with the devil and his angels "in eternity"?
  • D&C 76:34. Why is there no forgiveness for sons of perdition?
  • D&C 76:34. What does it mean to have no forgiveness "in this world nor in the world to come"? What is "the world to come? Does this mean that they can never ever, ever, ever, ever be forgiven or only that they can't be forgiven in this life and the spirit world? What happens to them after that?
  • D&C 76:35. How do sons of perdition deny the Holy Spirit?
  • D&C 76:35. How do sons of perdition deny the Only Begotten Son of the Father?
  • D&C 76:35. What does it mean to crucify the LORD unto themselves?
  • D&C 76:35. What does it mean to put the LORD to an open shame? What is an "open shame"?
  • D&C 76:36. What does it mean that the sons of perdition will "go away" with the devil and his angels?
  • D&C 76:36. Who are the "angels" of the devil? Why are they called angels?
  • D&C 76:36. What is "the lake of fire and brimstone" where the devil and his angels will go?
  • D&C 76:37. Why are the sons of perdition the only ones on whom the second death shall have any power (verse 37)? If we think of the second death as being removed from the presence of God due to sin, then we might think this second death still has some power over those who live in the telestial or terrestial worlds. What does it mean to say that the second death doesn't have any power over those people?
  • D&C 76:38. What does it mean to "not be redeemed"?
  • D&C 76:38. What does "the due time of the Lord" mean?
  • D&C 76:38. What are "the sufferings of his wrath"?
    • D&C 76:38. Does this explain how the sons of perdition differ from those in the Telestial Kingdom, who are eventually redeemed from the second death after paying the price for their sins?
  • D&C 76:39. What does it mean that the LORD was "in the bosom of the Father"?
  • D&C 76:39. What are the "worlds" that were made? Does this refer to the creation of other earths?
  • D&C 76:41. What does it mean to come into the world?
  • D&C 76:41. How was Christ crucified "for the world"?
  • D&C 76:41. ow does Christ "bear the sins of the world"? Is this different from "paying the price" of sin?
  • D&C 76:41. What does it mean to "sanctify the world"?
  • D&C 76:41. How does the atonement "cleanse" the world "from all unrighteousness"?
  • D&C 76:42. How many are "saved" by Christ? What does it mean to be "saved"?
  • D&C 76:42. Who are those "whom the Father had put into his power"? How can we be "put into his power"?
  • D&C 76:43. How does Christ glorify the Father?
  • D&C 76:43. What are "all the works of his hands"? Is this just people, or the rest of creation? What do "hands" have to do with work? What is this "work"? Is it the same as creation?
  • D&C 76:43. What does it mean to "deny the Son after the Father has revealed him"? How is the Son revealed by the Father?
  • D&C 76:44. What does it mean that Christ saves all except the sons of perdition? Does this mean that being saved is the same as inheriting one of the three kingdoms of glory, or just that all eventually escape "the second death" and "the lake of fire and brimstone"?
  • D&C 76:44. What is "everlasting punishment"? Are everlasting, endless, and eternal all synonyms here, or do the represent different aspects of this punishment?
  • D&C 76:44. What does it mean for the sons of perdition to "reign" with the deveil?
  • D&C 76:44. What does it mean that "their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched"? How is this a torment?
  • D&C 76:45. What is the "end" mentioned here? Is it the end of the sons of perdition of just of their torment? Does this imply that their torment will eventually end?
  • D&C 76:46. Why is the end, place, or torment of the sons of perdition not revealed except "to them who are made partakers thereof"?
  • D&C 76:47. Since the LORD just said that he doesn't reveal the end, place, or torment of the sons of perdition, how is it that "many" are shown "it" in a vision? What is it that isn't revealed in that vision? Is it the feeling associated with the torment? The "place" of the torment? The "end" of those tormented?
  • D&C 76:47. What does it mean for a vision to be shut up?
  • D&C 76:48. Does this help explain what isn't revealed in the vision of the sons of perdition?
  • D&C 76:48. What is the "end" or the "height" or the "depth" mentioned here?
  • D&C 76:48. What does it mean to be "ordained" to this condemnation? Is it literally an ordination, or does this mean something else?
  • D&C 76:49. Why are the sons of perdition considered "ungodly"?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • In lesson 19, The D&C and Church History Class Member Study Guide asks in reference to these (v 41-45) and other verses "Why is the Atonement central to the plan of salvation?" (See exegesis above.)

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Verses 76:1-24                      Next page: Verses 76:50-70

D&C 76:51-55

Home > Doctrine & Covenants > Section 76 > Verses 76:50-70
Previous page: Verses 76:25-49                      Next page: Verses 76:71-80


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Relationship to Section 76. The relationship of Verses 76:50-70 to the rest of Section 76 is discussed at D&C 76.

Story.

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Verses 76:50-70 include:

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 76:51: The testimony of Jesus. This phrase is found four times in the KJV of Revelations (Rev 1:2, Rev 1:9, Rev 19:10, Rev 12:17, and once in Alma 6:8. Joseph F. Smith also uses it in what appears to be a paraphrase of a verse in this section D&C 138:12. The phrase as used in these scriptures seems to refer to more than just a belief in Jesus, but a spiritual power referred to as "the spirit of prophecy" (Rev 19:10; Alma 6:8. There are many references to the "spirit of prophecy" in the Book of Mormon, where it is related to obtaining a foreknowledge of Christ's mission and sacrifice--but also seems to be an authorizing power that backs up gospel teaching.
  • D&C 76:53: Who overcome by faith. The phrase "overcome by faith" does not appear anywhere else in ancient or modern scripture. The English word "overcome" does occur over 20 times in the KJV of the bible, where it is often the translation of the Greek verb nikao which also means to conquer or vanquish (see discussion here).

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 76:50. What is the "testimony of the gospel of Christ"? What does testimony mean in this case? What does it mean that the testimony is "concerning" those of the resurrection of the just?
  • D&C 76:51. What does it mean to "receive the testimony of Jesus"?
  • D&C 76:51. What does it mean to believe "on his name"?
  • D&C 76:51. What does it mean to be "buried in the water in his name"? Why do we have to be buried?
  • D&C 76:52. Why is authority necessary for baptism and confirmation?
  • D&C 76:53. What does it mean to "overcome by faith"?
  • D&C 76:53. What does it mean to be "sealed" by the Holy Spirit of promise? What is the Holy Spirit of promise? How does this sealing occur?
  • D&C 76:56. Is there a difference between these kinds of priests and those ordained as priests in the Aaronic priesthood?
  • D&C 76:56. How do we become priests and kings? How might this relate to temple worship?
  • D&C 76:56. How do priests and kings receive "his fulness, and...his glory"?
  • D&C 76:57. Is there a difference between these priests and those ordained as High Priests in the Melchizedek Priesthood in this life?
  • D&C 76:57. What does it mean for the priesthood to be referred to here as an "order"?
  • D&C 76:59. What does it mean that Celestial beings have all things, including "whether life or death"? Does this imply that Celestial beings have power to choose death after receiving Celestial glory?
  • D&C 76:59. How might "things present, or things to come" be given to Celestial beings? What does this mean?
  • D&C 76:60. What does it mean that Celestial beings "shall" overcome all things? Does that mean that they still have things to overcome after they reach the Celestial Kingdom?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Verses 76:25-49                      Next page: Verses 76:71-80

D&C 76:56-60

Home > Doctrine & Covenants > Section 76 > Verses 76:50-70
Previous page: Verses 76:25-49                      Next page: Verses 76:71-80


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Relationship to Section 76. The relationship of Verses 76:50-70 to the rest of Section 76 is discussed at D&C 76.

Story.

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Verses 76:50-70 include:

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 76:51: The testimony of Jesus. This phrase is found four times in the KJV of Revelations (Rev 1:2, Rev 1:9, Rev 19:10, Rev 12:17, and once in Alma 6:8. Joseph F. Smith also uses it in what appears to be a paraphrase of a verse in this section D&C 138:12. The phrase as used in these scriptures seems to refer to more than just a belief in Jesus, but a spiritual power referred to as "the spirit of prophecy" (Rev 19:10; Alma 6:8. There are many references to the "spirit of prophecy" in the Book of Mormon, where it is related to obtaining a foreknowledge of Christ's mission and sacrifice--but also seems to be an authorizing power that backs up gospel teaching.
  • D&C 76:53: Who overcome by faith. The phrase "overcome by faith" does not appear anywhere else in ancient or modern scripture. The English word "overcome" does occur over 20 times in the KJV of the bible, where it is often the translation of the Greek verb nikao which also means to conquer or vanquish (see discussion here).

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 76:50. What is the "testimony of the gospel of Christ"? What does testimony mean in this case? What does it mean that the testimony is "concerning" those of the resurrection of the just?
  • D&C 76:51. What does it mean to "receive the testimony of Jesus"?
  • D&C 76:51. What does it mean to believe "on his name"?
  • D&C 76:51. What does it mean to be "buried in the water in his name"? Why do we have to be buried?
  • D&C 76:52. Why is authority necessary for baptism and confirmation?
  • D&C 76:53. What does it mean to "overcome by faith"?
  • D&C 76:53. What does it mean to be "sealed" by the Holy Spirit of promise? What is the Holy Spirit of promise? How does this sealing occur?
  • D&C 76:56. Is there a difference between these kinds of priests and those ordained as priests in the Aaronic priesthood?
  • D&C 76:56. How do we become priests and kings? How might this relate to temple worship?
  • D&C 76:56. How do priests and kings receive "his fulness, and...his glory"?
  • D&C 76:57. Is there a difference between these priests and those ordained as High Priests in the Melchizedek Priesthood in this life?
  • D&C 76:57. What does it mean for the priesthood to be referred to here as an "order"?
  • D&C 76:59. What does it mean that Celestial beings have all things, including "whether life or death"? Does this imply that Celestial beings have power to choose death after receiving Celestial glory?
  • D&C 76:59. How might "things present, or things to come" be given to Celestial beings? What does this mean?
  • D&C 76:60. What does it mean that Celestial beings "shall" overcome all things? Does that mean that they still have things to overcome after they reach the Celestial Kingdom?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Verses 76:25-49                      Next page: Verses 76:71-80

D&C 76:61-65

Home > Doctrine & Covenants > Section 76 > Verses 76:50-70
Previous page: Verses 76:25-49                      Next page: Verses 76:71-80


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Relationship to Section 76. The relationship of Verses 76:50-70 to the rest of Section 76 is discussed at D&C 76.

Story.

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Verses 76:50-70 include:

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 76:51: The testimony of Jesus. This phrase is found four times in the KJV of Revelations (Rev 1:2, Rev 1:9, Rev 19:10, Rev 12:17, and once in Alma 6:8. Joseph F. Smith also uses it in what appears to be a paraphrase of a verse in this section D&C 138:12. The phrase as used in these scriptures seems to refer to more than just a belief in Jesus, but a spiritual power referred to as "the spirit of prophecy" (Rev 19:10; Alma 6:8. There are many references to the "spirit of prophecy" in the Book of Mormon, where it is related to obtaining a foreknowledge of Christ's mission and sacrifice--but also seems to be an authorizing power that backs up gospel teaching.
  • D&C 76:53: Who overcome by faith. The phrase "overcome by faith" does not appear anywhere else in ancient or modern scripture. The English word "overcome" does occur over 20 times in the KJV of the bible, where it is often the translation of the Greek verb nikao which also means to conquer or vanquish (see discussion here).

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 76:50. What is the "testimony of the gospel of Christ"? What does testimony mean in this case? What does it mean that the testimony is "concerning" those of the resurrection of the just?
  • D&C 76:51. What does it mean to "receive the testimony of Jesus"?
  • D&C 76:51. What does it mean to believe "on his name"?
  • D&C 76:51. What does it mean to be "buried in the water in his name"? Why do we have to be buried?
  • D&C 76:52. Why is authority necessary for baptism and confirmation?
  • D&C 76:53. What does it mean to "overcome by faith"?
  • D&C 76:53. What does it mean to be "sealed" by the Holy Spirit of promise? What is the Holy Spirit of promise? How does this sealing occur?
  • D&C 76:56. Is there a difference between these kinds of priests and those ordained as priests in the Aaronic priesthood?
  • D&C 76:56. How do we become priests and kings? How might this relate to temple worship?
  • D&C 76:56. How do priests and kings receive "his fulness, and...his glory"?
  • D&C 76:57. Is there a difference between these priests and those ordained as High Priests in the Melchizedek Priesthood in this life?
  • D&C 76:57. What does it mean for the priesthood to be referred to here as an "order"?
  • D&C 76:59. What does it mean that Celestial beings have all things, including "whether life or death"? Does this imply that Celestial beings have power to choose death after receiving Celestial glory?
  • D&C 76:59. How might "things present, or things to come" be given to Celestial beings? What does this mean?
  • D&C 76:60. What does it mean that Celestial beings "shall" overcome all things? Does that mean that they still have things to overcome after they reach the Celestial Kingdom?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Verses 76:25-49                      Next page: Verses 76:71-80

D&C 76:66-70

Home > Doctrine & Covenants > Section 76 > Verses 76:50-70
Previous page: Verses 76:25-49                      Next page: Verses 76:71-80


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Relationship to Section 76. The relationship of Verses 76:50-70 to the rest of Section 76 is discussed at D&C 76.

Story.

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Verses 76:50-70 include:

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 76:51: The testimony of Jesus. This phrase is found four times in the KJV of Revelations (Rev 1:2, Rev 1:9, Rev 19:10, Rev 12:17, and once in Alma 6:8. Joseph F. Smith also uses it in what appears to be a paraphrase of a verse in this section D&C 138:12. The phrase as used in these scriptures seems to refer to more than just a belief in Jesus, but a spiritual power referred to as "the spirit of prophecy" (Rev 19:10; Alma 6:8. There are many references to the "spirit of prophecy" in the Book of Mormon, where it is related to obtaining a foreknowledge of Christ's mission and sacrifice--but also seems to be an authorizing power that backs up gospel teaching.
  • D&C 76:53: Who overcome by faith. The phrase "overcome by faith" does not appear anywhere else in ancient or modern scripture. The English word "overcome" does occur over 20 times in the KJV of the bible, where it is often the translation of the Greek verb nikao which also means to conquer or vanquish (see discussion here).

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 76:50. What is the "testimony of the gospel of Christ"? What does testimony mean in this case? What does it mean that the testimony is "concerning" those of the resurrection of the just?
  • D&C 76:51. What does it mean to "receive the testimony of Jesus"?
  • D&C 76:51. What does it mean to believe "on his name"?
  • D&C 76:51. What does it mean to be "buried in the water in his name"? Why do we have to be buried?
  • D&C 76:52. Why is authority necessary for baptism and confirmation?
  • D&C 76:53. What does it mean to "overcome by faith"?
  • D&C 76:53. What does it mean to be "sealed" by the Holy Spirit of promise? What is the Holy Spirit of promise? How does this sealing occur?
  • D&C 76:56. Is there a difference between these kinds of priests and those ordained as priests in the Aaronic priesthood?
  • D&C 76:56. How do we become priests and kings? How might this relate to temple worship?
  • D&C 76:56. How do priests and kings receive "his fulness, and...his glory"?
  • D&C 76:57. Is there a difference between these priests and those ordained as High Priests in the Melchizedek Priesthood in this life?
  • D&C 76:57. What does it mean for the priesthood to be referred to here as an "order"?
  • D&C 76:59. What does it mean that Celestial beings have all things, including "whether life or death"? Does this imply that Celestial beings have power to choose death after receiving Celestial glory?
  • D&C 76:59. How might "things present, or things to come" be given to Celestial beings? What does this mean?
  • D&C 76:60. What does it mean that Celestial beings "shall" overcome all things? Does that mean that they still have things to overcome after they reach the Celestial Kingdom?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Verses 76:25-49                      Next page: Verses 76:71-80

D&C 76:71-75

Home > Doctrine & Covenants > Section 76 > Verses 76:71-80
Previous page: Verses 76:50-70                      Next page: Verses 76:81-119


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Relationship to Section 76. The relationship of Verses 76:71-80 to the rest of Section 76 is discussed at D&C 76.

Story.

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Verses 76:71-80 include:

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 76:71-79. Verses 71-79 describe the vision Joseph Smith and Sidney Ridgdon had of the telestial kingdom. The phrase "these are they" is repeated throughout these verses to introduce each description of the people here. This is similar to verses 50-70 where "they are they" and then "these are they" is repeated throughout to introduce each description of the people in the celestial kingdom. In the description of the people in the celestial kingdom, each description seems to apply to everyone in the celestial kingdom and only to those in the celestial kingdom. In this way each description is self-contained. For example from verse 62 we get the idea that all of those in the celestial kingdom will dwell in the presence of God and Christ forever and that if we don't go to the celestial kingdom we won't be in their presence forever.
But, if we read verse 72 by itself as something that applies to everyone in the terrestrial kingdom and only applies to those in the terrestrial kingdom, we would come to the understanding that everyone who dies without the law would go to the terrestrial kingdom. But we know this is not the case from other scriptures. One of the footnotes points us to D&C 137:7-10. There the Lord makes it clear that those who die without the law because they did not have the chance to receive it, but would have received it had they been given the chance will go to the celestial kingdom.
If instead we read "these are they" as a partial description these verses make sense. Reading verses 71 to 74 together we see that those in the terrestrial kingdom are those who died without the law, whose spirits were kept in prison after death, who Christ visited and preached to there, who did not receive the testimony of Jesus in this life but received it after they died. D&C 138:32 makes the explicit distinction between those in spirit prison because they never had a chance to receive the gospel and those who rejected it. We read "received not" in verse 74 as a description of this latter group. Verse 75 then sums it up by saying that these people were "honorable" but "blinded by the craftiness of men." This doesn't apply to those people who simply never had the opportunity to accept the gospel.
  • D&C 76:72: Without law. The phrase without law is also used in Romans 2:12 (as noted in the footnote). In Romans 2:12-15 without law is used to mean without knowledge of the commandments.
  • D&C 76:79: Valiant. The English valiant is used over 20 times in the KJV Old Testament to translate the Hebrew chayil, which refers to power or might. In English, valiant is defined in Webster's 1828 dictionary as 1) strong; vigorous in body or 2) brave; courageous; intrepid in danger. The word comes to English from Latin via Old French, where it is the past participle of valēre "to be strong".
Being "valiant in the testimony of Jesus" seems to be used to distinguish between those of Celestial and Terrestrial glory. As discussed previously for D&C 76:51, the "testimony of Jesus" is referred to as the "spirit of prophecy" and seems to relate to an ability to obtain and dispense gospel truth through inspiration. To be valiant in that testimony would imply being brave, strong, and mighty in that ability. Only those who obtain the gift of the Holy Ghost and cultivate an ability to feel, recognize, and follow the Spirit are able to become strong in that ability, or "valiant in the testimony of Jesus". Without that ability to be directed and act "as one" with the Spirit, one cannot obtain a Celestial glory.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 76:72. What does whether one died without law (verse 72) or received not the testimony of Jesus in the flesh (verse 74) have to do with what kingdom someone will inherit?
  • D&C 76:79. What does it mean to be "valiant in the testimony of Jesus"?
  • D&C 76:79. What is the "crown over the kingdom of our God"? What does it mean to "obtain" that crown?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Verses 76:50-70                      Next page: Verses 76:81-119

D&C 76:76-80

Home > Doctrine & Covenants > Section 76 > Verses 76:71-80
Previous page: Verses 76:50-70                      Next page: Verses 76:81-119


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Relationship to Section 76. The relationship of Verses 76:71-80 to the rest of Section 76 is discussed at D&C 76.

Story.

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Verses 76:71-80 include:

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 76:71-79. Verses 71-79 describe the vision Joseph Smith and Sidney Ridgdon had of the telestial kingdom. The phrase "these are they" is repeated throughout these verses to introduce each description of the people here. This is similar to verses 50-70 where "they are they" and then "these are they" is repeated throughout to introduce each description of the people in the celestial kingdom. In the description of the people in the celestial kingdom, each description seems to apply to everyone in the celestial kingdom and only to those in the celestial kingdom. In this way each description is self-contained. For example from verse 62 we get the idea that all of those in the celestial kingdom will dwell in the presence of God and Christ forever and that if we don't go to the celestial kingdom we won't be in their presence forever.
But, if we read verse 72 by itself as something that applies to everyone in the terrestrial kingdom and only applies to those in the terrestrial kingdom, we would come to the understanding that everyone who dies without the law would go to the terrestrial kingdom. But we know this is not the case from other scriptures. One of the footnotes points us to D&C 137:7-10. There the Lord makes it clear that those who die without the law because they did not have the chance to receive it, but would have received it had they been given the chance will go to the celestial kingdom.
If instead we read "these are they" as a partial description these verses make sense. Reading verses 71 to 74 together we see that those in the terrestrial kingdom are those who died without the law, whose spirits were kept in prison after death, who Christ visited and preached to there, who did not receive the testimony of Jesus in this life but received it after they died. D&C 138:32 makes the explicit distinction between those in spirit prison because they never had a chance to receive the gospel and those who rejected it. We read "received not" in verse 74 as a description of this latter group. Verse 75 then sums it up by saying that these people were "honorable" but "blinded by the craftiness of men." This doesn't apply to those people who simply never had the opportunity to accept the gospel.
  • D&C 76:72: Without law. The phrase without law is also used in Romans 2:12 (as noted in the footnote). In Romans 2:12-15 without law is used to mean without knowledge of the commandments.
  • D&C 76:79: Valiant. The English valiant is used over 20 times in the KJV Old Testament to translate the Hebrew chayil, which refers to power or might. In English, valiant is defined in Webster's 1828 dictionary as 1) strong; vigorous in body or 2) brave; courageous; intrepid in danger. The word comes to English from Latin via Old French, where it is the past participle of valēre "to be strong".
Being "valiant in the testimony of Jesus" seems to be used to distinguish between those of Celestial and Terrestrial glory. As discussed previously for D&C 76:51, the "testimony of Jesus" is referred to as the "spirit of prophecy" and seems to relate to an ability to obtain and dispense gospel truth through inspiration. To be valiant in that testimony would imply being brave, strong, and mighty in that ability. Only those who obtain the gift of the Holy Ghost and cultivate an ability to feel, recognize, and follow the Spirit are able to become strong in that ability, or "valiant in the testimony of Jesus". Without that ability to be directed and act "as one" with the Spirit, one cannot obtain a Celestial glory.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 76:72. What does whether one died without law (verse 72) or received not the testimony of Jesus in the flesh (verse 74) have to do with what kingdom someone will inherit?
  • D&C 76:79. What does it mean to be "valiant in the testimony of Jesus"?
  • D&C 76:79. What is the "crown over the kingdom of our God"? What does it mean to "obtain" that crown?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Verses 76:50-70                      Next page: Verses 76:81-119

D&C 76:81-85

Home > Doctrine & Covenants > Section 76 > Verses 76:81-119
Previous page: Verses 76:71-80                      This is the last page for Section 76


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Relationship to Section 76. The relationship of Verses 76:81-119 to the rest of Section 76 is discussed at D&C 76.

Story.

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Verses 76:81-119 include:

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 76:107. It makes sense that when Christ says in verse 107 that he trod the wine-press alone he is referring to his experience on the cross when he asks why he is forsaken (Matt 27:46). But there may be another meaning here related to the second coming. Note that this verse (as in D&C 88:106 and D&C 133:50) is part of Christ's report to the Father about the second coming. In D&C 133:51 the treading of the wine press seem to refer not to the atonement, but to the the Lord's day of vengeance when he does terrible things (D&C 133:42) to his adversaries (D&C 133:41). It seems then that the Lord works alone in two parallel cases: when he saves us through the atonement and when he takes out vengeance upon his enemies.
That the Lord works alone in the day of vengeance is consistent with other scriptures. Rom 12:19 and Morm 3:15 tell us that vengeance is the Lord's--we are not to participate in taking vengeance on the wicked.
The Lord explicitly tells us that he will work alone in taking vengeance. Contrast this with who he will bring with him when he comes to rule over the earth D&C 76:63.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 76:94. What is the church of the Firstborn?
  • D&C 76:94. What does it mean to see as you are seen and know as you are known? (See related exegesis on Isa 64:4.)
  • D&C 76:94. What does it mean to receive of God's "fulness"?
  • D&C 76:103. What does it mean to love and make a lie?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Verses 76:71-80                      This is the last page for Section 76

D&C 76:86-90

Home > Doctrine & Covenants > Section 76 > Verses 76:81-119
Previous page: Verses 76:71-80                      This is the last page for Section 76


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Relationship to Section 76. The relationship of Verses 76:81-119 to the rest of Section 76 is discussed at D&C 76.

Story.

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Verses 76:81-119 include:

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 76:107. It makes sense that when Christ says in verse 107 that he trod the wine-press alone he is referring to his experience on the cross when he asks why he is forsaken (Matt 27:46). But there may be another meaning here related to the second coming. Note that this verse (as in D&C 88:106 and D&C 133:50) is part of Christ's report to the Father about the second coming. In D&C 133:51 the treading of the wine press seem to refer not to the atonement, but to the the Lord's day of vengeance when he does terrible things (D&C 133:42) to his adversaries (D&C 133:41). It seems then that the Lord works alone in two parallel cases: when he saves us through the atonement and when he takes out vengeance upon his enemies.
That the Lord works alone in the day of vengeance is consistent with other scriptures. Rom 12:19 and Morm 3:15 tell us that vengeance is the Lord's--we are not to participate in taking vengeance on the wicked.
The Lord explicitly tells us that he will work alone in taking vengeance. Contrast this with who he will bring with him when he comes to rule over the earth D&C 76:63.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 76:94. What is the church of the Firstborn?
  • D&C 76:94. What does it mean to see as you are seen and know as you are known? (See related exegesis on Isa 64:4.)
  • D&C 76:94. What does it mean to receive of God's "fulness"?
  • D&C 76:103. What does it mean to love and make a lie?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Verses 76:71-80                      This is the last page for Section 76

D&C 76:91-95

Home > Doctrine & Covenants > Section 76 > Verses 76:81-119
Previous page: Verses 76:71-80                      This is the last page for Section 76


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Relationship to Section 76. The relationship of Verses 76:81-119 to the rest of Section 76 is discussed at D&C 76.

Story.

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Verses 76:81-119 include:

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 76:107. It makes sense that when Christ says in verse 107 that he trod the wine-press alone he is referring to his experience on the cross when he asks why he is forsaken (Matt 27:46). But there may be another meaning here related to the second coming. Note that this verse (as in D&C 88:106 and D&C 133:50) is part of Christ's report to the Father about the second coming. In D&C 133:51 the treading of the wine press seem to refer not to the atonement, but to the the Lord's day of vengeance when he does terrible things (D&C 133:42) to his adversaries (D&C 133:41). It seems then that the Lord works alone in two parallel cases: when he saves us through the atonement and when he takes out vengeance upon his enemies.
That the Lord works alone in the day of vengeance is consistent with other scriptures. Rom 12:19 and Morm 3:15 tell us that vengeance is the Lord's--we are not to participate in taking vengeance on the wicked.
The Lord explicitly tells us that he will work alone in taking vengeance. Contrast this with who he will bring with him when he comes to rule over the earth D&C 76:63.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 76:94. What is the church of the Firstborn?
  • D&C 76:94. What does it mean to see as you are seen and know as you are known? (See related exegesis on Isa 64:4.)
  • D&C 76:94. What does it mean to receive of God's "fulness"?
  • D&C 76:103. What does it mean to love and make a lie?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Verses 76:71-80                      This is the last page for Section 76

D&C 76:96-100

Home > Doctrine & Covenants > Section 76 > Verses 76:81-119
Previous page: Verses 76:71-80                      This is the last page for Section 76


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Relationship to Section 76. The relationship of Verses 76:81-119 to the rest of Section 76 is discussed at D&C 76.

Story.

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Verses 76:81-119 include:

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 76:107. It makes sense that when Christ says in verse 107 that he trod the wine-press alone he is referring to his experience on the cross when he asks why he is forsaken (Matt 27:46). But there may be another meaning here related to the second coming. Note that this verse (as in D&C 88:106 and D&C 133:50) is part of Christ's report to the Father about the second coming. In D&C 133:51 the treading of the wine press seem to refer not to the atonement, but to the the Lord's day of vengeance when he does terrible things (D&C 133:42) to his adversaries (D&C 133:41). It seems then that the Lord works alone in two parallel cases: when he saves us through the atonement and when he takes out vengeance upon his enemies.
That the Lord works alone in the day of vengeance is consistent with other scriptures. Rom 12:19 and Morm 3:15 tell us that vengeance is the Lord's--we are not to participate in taking vengeance on the wicked.
The Lord explicitly tells us that he will work alone in taking vengeance. Contrast this with who he will bring with him when he comes to rule over the earth D&C 76:63.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 76:94. What is the church of the Firstborn?
  • D&C 76:94. What does it mean to see as you are seen and know as you are known? (See related exegesis on Isa 64:4.)
  • D&C 76:94. What does it mean to receive of God's "fulness"?
  • D&C 76:103. What does it mean to love and make a lie?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Verses 76:71-80                      This is the last page for Section 76

D&C 76:101-105

Home > Doctrine & Covenants > Section 76 > Verses 76:81-119
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Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Relationship to Section 76. The relationship of Verses 76:81-119 to the rest of Section 76 is discussed at D&C 76.

Story.

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Verses 76:81-119 include:

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 76:107. It makes sense that when Christ says in verse 107 that he trod the wine-press alone he is referring to his experience on the cross when he asks why he is forsaken (Matt 27:46). But there may be another meaning here related to the second coming. Note that this verse (as in D&C 88:106 and D&C 133:50) is part of Christ's report to the Father about the second coming. In D&C 133:51 the treading of the wine press seem to refer not to the atonement, but to the the Lord's day of vengeance when he does terrible things (D&C 133:42) to his adversaries (D&C 133:41). It seems then that the Lord works alone in two parallel cases: when he saves us through the atonement and when he takes out vengeance upon his enemies.
That the Lord works alone in the day of vengeance is consistent with other scriptures. Rom 12:19 and Morm 3:15 tell us that vengeance is the Lord's--we are not to participate in taking vengeance on the wicked.
The Lord explicitly tells us that he will work alone in taking vengeance. Contrast this with who he will bring with him when he comes to rule over the earth D&C 76:63.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 76:94. What is the church of the Firstborn?
  • D&C 76:94. What does it mean to see as you are seen and know as you are known? (See related exegesis on Isa 64:4.)
  • D&C 76:94. What does it mean to receive of God's "fulness"?
  • D&C 76:103. What does it mean to love and make a lie?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



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D&C 76:106-110

Home > Doctrine & Covenants > Section 76 > Verses 76:81-119
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This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Relationship to Section 76. The relationship of Verses 76:81-119 to the rest of Section 76 is discussed at D&C 76.

Story.

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Verses 76:81-119 include:

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 76:107. It makes sense that when Christ says in verse 107 that he trod the wine-press alone he is referring to his experience on the cross when he asks why he is forsaken (Matt 27:46). But there may be another meaning here related to the second coming. Note that this verse (as in D&C 88:106 and D&C 133:50) is part of Christ's report to the Father about the second coming. In D&C 133:51 the treading of the wine press seem to refer not to the atonement, but to the the Lord's day of vengeance when he does terrible things (D&C 133:42) to his adversaries (D&C 133:41). It seems then that the Lord works alone in two parallel cases: when he saves us through the atonement and when he takes out vengeance upon his enemies.
That the Lord works alone in the day of vengeance is consistent with other scriptures. Rom 12:19 and Morm 3:15 tell us that vengeance is the Lord's--we are not to participate in taking vengeance on the wicked.
The Lord explicitly tells us that he will work alone in taking vengeance. Contrast this with who he will bring with him when he comes to rule over the earth D&C 76:63.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 76:94. What is the church of the Firstborn?
  • D&C 76:94. What does it mean to see as you are seen and know as you are known? (See related exegesis on Isa 64:4.)
  • D&C 76:94. What does it mean to receive of God's "fulness"?
  • D&C 76:103. What does it mean to love and make a lie?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Verses 76:71-80                      This is the last page for Section 76

D&C 76:111-115

Home > Doctrine & Covenants > Section 76 > Verses 76:81-119
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This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Relationship to Section 76. The relationship of Verses 76:81-119 to the rest of Section 76 is discussed at D&C 76.

Story.

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Verses 76:81-119 include:

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 76:107. It makes sense that when Christ says in verse 107 that he trod the wine-press alone he is referring to his experience on the cross when he asks why he is forsaken (Matt 27:46). But there may be another meaning here related to the second coming. Note that this verse (as in D&C 88:106 and D&C 133:50) is part of Christ's report to the Father about the second coming. In D&C 133:51 the treading of the wine press seem to refer not to the atonement, but to the the Lord's day of vengeance when he does terrible things (D&C 133:42) to his adversaries (D&C 133:41). It seems then that the Lord works alone in two parallel cases: when he saves us through the atonement and when he takes out vengeance upon his enemies.
That the Lord works alone in the day of vengeance is consistent with other scriptures. Rom 12:19 and Morm 3:15 tell us that vengeance is the Lord's--we are not to participate in taking vengeance on the wicked.
The Lord explicitly tells us that he will work alone in taking vengeance. Contrast this with who he will bring with him when he comes to rule over the earth D&C 76:63.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 76:94. What is the church of the Firstborn?
  • D&C 76:94. What does it mean to see as you are seen and know as you are known? (See related exegesis on Isa 64:4.)
  • D&C 76:94. What does it mean to receive of God's "fulness"?
  • D&C 76:103. What does it mean to love and make a lie?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Verses 76:71-80                      This is the last page for Section 76

D&C 84:16-20

Home > Doctrine & Covenants > Section 84 > Verses 84:1-30
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This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Relationship to Section 84 The relationship of Verses 84:1-30 to the rest of Section 84 is discussed at D&C 84.

Story.

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Verses 84:1-30 include:

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 84:4-5: This generation. The phrase "this generation" as used here is generally interpreted to be equivalent to the phrase "this dispensation" and covers the time period from the restoration to some time around second coming. This interpretation is also used in D&C 5:10.
  • D&C 84:6ff: Genealogy. What is the purpose of including a long genealogy of priesthood authority?
  • D&C 84:17ff: The introduction of two priesthoods. Beginning with verse 17 and running through about verse 30 is the passage in which the two-tiered structure of the priesthood is introduced to the Latter-day Saints. A number of interesting details here deserve attention. It should be noted that the two prieshtoods are never described as the Melchizedek and Aaronic priesthoods: those "titles" would not be introduced into the Church as a whole until 1834-1835. The several offices of the Church are tied to the separate priesthoods for the first time as well (the Church seems to have understood all offices to belong to a kind of general priesthood until the revelation of the office of high priest in 1831; even after that and until this generation, the office of elder, for example, was understood to be an office of the lesser priesthood). The relationship between the two priesthoods, in this first introduction, is very clearly rooted in the Old Testament temple experience: the keys and powers of the priests and high priests are understood as connected with the duties and responsibilities of priests and high priests as outlined in the Pentateuch. The two priesthoods are introduced as at once permanently interconnected and yet founded by a particular ancient event. The two priesthoods are presented in skeleton form (priests and high priests) to which other "appendages" are attached. And all of this is rooted in an at once rather traditional and marvelously radical understanding of the Moses-to-John-the-Baptist story.
What all of these interesting details suggest, when brought together, is that the introduction of the two priesthoods as such is profoundly rooted in the Bible, in a kind of return to the Biblical way of being, though it offers up an undeniably unique hermeneutic on that scripture as a whole. In other words, this passage can be taken as a kind of reinterpretation of the relationship between the Old and New Testaments, one that is uniquely Mormon. The story it presents, of course, is quite familiar: it breaks ancient history up into three parts, namely, the pre-Mosaic era of the Melchizedek priesthood, the Mosaic era of the Aaronic priesthood, and the Christian era of restoration of the Melchizedek priesthood. And yet, the picture as it is presented is not quite so simple as this: though this picture is a good place to start, there is inevitably a great deal more happening here. For example, and just by way of introduction, it is important to note that the high priesthood—understood here as tied to the office of high priest—is not done away with or completely removed with the historical institution of the Aaronic priesthood; rather, it is limited in that high priests are far fewer in number and the office is no longer open to just anyone (though one should well ask whether it was so open before Moses either). The story, in a word, is obviously more complex than it might first appear.
  • D&C 84:19: Mysteries. It appears the phrase "mysteries of the kingdom" is equivalent to "knowledge of God" in this verse.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 84:16. How was the priesthood passed from Abel to Enoch? Does this imply that Abel had and ordained his posterity before he was killed? Why is Abel listed here, rather than Seth?
  • D&C 84:17. What does it mean that the priesthood is "without beginning of days or end of years?"
  • D&C 84:19. What does it mean that the Melchizedek priesthood holds the key of the mysteries of the kingdom?
  • D&C 84:20. Why does the verse begin with the word "therefore"?
  • D&C 84:20. What does it mean that the power of godliness is present in the ordinances?
  • D&C 84:20. What does "the power of godliness" mean?
  • D&C 84:22. To what does the word "this" refer? To the priesthood? To the ordinances? To the power of godliness?
  • D&C 84:24-25. How does removing the priesthood from the children of Israel remove them from the Lord's rest, the fullness of his glory?
  • D&C 84:24-25. What does "the Lord's rest" or "the fulness of his glory" mean?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Section 84                      Next page: Verses 84:31-42

D&C 84:21-25

Home > Doctrine & Covenants > Section 84 > Verses 84:1-30
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This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Relationship to Section 84 The relationship of Verses 84:1-30 to the rest of Section 84 is discussed at D&C 84.

Story.

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Verses 84:1-30 include:

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 84:4-5: This generation. The phrase "this generation" as used here is generally interpreted to be equivalent to the phrase "this dispensation" and covers the time period from the restoration to some time around second coming. This interpretation is also used in D&C 5:10.
  • D&C 84:6ff: Genealogy. What is the purpose of including a long genealogy of priesthood authority?
  • D&C 84:17ff: The introduction of two priesthoods. Beginning with verse 17 and running through about verse 30 is the passage in which the two-tiered structure of the priesthood is introduced to the Latter-day Saints. A number of interesting details here deserve attention. It should be noted that the two prieshtoods are never described as the Melchizedek and Aaronic priesthoods: those "titles" would not be introduced into the Church as a whole until 1834-1835. The several offices of the Church are tied to the separate priesthoods for the first time as well (the Church seems to have understood all offices to belong to a kind of general priesthood until the revelation of the office of high priest in 1831; even after that and until this generation, the office of elder, for example, was understood to be an office of the lesser priesthood). The relationship between the two priesthoods, in this first introduction, is very clearly rooted in the Old Testament temple experience: the keys and powers of the priests and high priests are understood as connected with the duties and responsibilities of priests and high priests as outlined in the Pentateuch. The two priesthoods are introduced as at once permanently interconnected and yet founded by a particular ancient event. The two priesthoods are presented in skeleton form (priests and high priests) to which other "appendages" are attached. And all of this is rooted in an at once rather traditional and marvelously radical understanding of the Moses-to-John-the-Baptist story.
What all of these interesting details suggest, when brought together, is that the introduction of the two priesthoods as such is profoundly rooted in the Bible, in a kind of return to the Biblical way of being, though it offers up an undeniably unique hermeneutic on that scripture as a whole. In other words, this passage can be taken as a kind of reinterpretation of the relationship between the Old and New Testaments, one that is uniquely Mormon. The story it presents, of course, is quite familiar: it breaks ancient history up into three parts, namely, the pre-Mosaic era of the Melchizedek priesthood, the Mosaic era of the Aaronic priesthood, and the Christian era of restoration of the Melchizedek priesthood. And yet, the picture as it is presented is not quite so simple as this: though this picture is a good place to start, there is inevitably a great deal more happening here. For example, and just by way of introduction, it is important to note that the high priesthood—understood here as tied to the office of high priest—is not done away with or completely removed with the historical institution of the Aaronic priesthood; rather, it is limited in that high priests are far fewer in number and the office is no longer open to just anyone (though one should well ask whether it was so open before Moses either). The story, in a word, is obviously more complex than it might first appear.
  • D&C 84:19: Mysteries. It appears the phrase "mysteries of the kingdom" is equivalent to "knowledge of God" in this verse.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 84:16. How was the priesthood passed from Abel to Enoch? Does this imply that Abel had and ordained his posterity before he was killed? Why is Abel listed here, rather than Seth?
  • D&C 84:17. What does it mean that the priesthood is "without beginning of days or end of years?"
  • D&C 84:19. What does it mean that the Melchizedek priesthood holds the key of the mysteries of the kingdom?
  • D&C 84:20. Why does the verse begin with the word "therefore"?
  • D&C 84:20. What does it mean that the power of godliness is present in the ordinances?
  • D&C 84:20. What does "the power of godliness" mean?
  • D&C 84:22. To what does the word "this" refer? To the priesthood? To the ordinances? To the power of godliness?
  • D&C 84:24-25. How does removing the priesthood from the children of Israel remove them from the Lord's rest, the fullness of his glory?
  • D&C 84:24-25. What does "the Lord's rest" or "the fulness of his glory" mean?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Section 84                      Next page: Verses 84:31-42

D&C 88:11-15

Home > Doctrine & Covenants > Section 88
Previous section: D&C 87                         Next section: D&C 89


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Summary[edit]

This heading should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Historical setting[edit]

This heading should explain facts about the historical setting that will help a reader to understand the section. This may include issues that prompted the section, its subsequent implementation, and the extent of circulation through its first inclusion in the Doctrine & Covenants. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Received:
  • Prior section in chronological order: D&C 87
  • Next section in chronological order: D&C 89

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 88:3: My friends. The Lord calls those he addresses here my friends. This use of friends is similar to how it is used in John 15:14-15 where the Lord distinguishes his servants from his friends. See also D&C 84:63.
  • D&C 88:15: Soul. Though "soul" is defined here as the unity of the spirit and body, it isn't always or even often used that way in other scriptures. This definition is one which seems to have been saved for the latter-days. Therefore, when you read the word "soul" in scripture, you must ask yourself whether the writer meant "spirit" or "soul" as it is used here.
  • D&C 88:15. This is an important doctrine, for traditional Christianity has often denigrated the body, and because of that denigration our culture still often looks on the body as a hindrance (or, in backlash, it thinks of the body as the only thing). The privilege and acclaim we sometimes give supposedly intellectual professions over more physical professions is one of the remnants of this misunderstanding of the body and the spirit.
  • D&C 88:22: Abide. "Abide" means "wait for," "be prepared for," "endure," or "sustain."
  • D&C 88:32. Verse 32 speaks of those who remain, after those who receive a celestial, terrestrial and telestial glory have received it. The end of the verse tells us that these are they who are not willing to enjoy that which they might have received. It seems that what they might have received is one of the kingdom's of glory, or in other words, salvation (as the term is used in D&C 76:43). In D&C 76 (in verses 32 and 43) these people who do not receive salvation are referred to as the sons of perdition.
  • D&C 88:47. D&C 88 begins with a discussion of how Christ became "in and through all things" including the sun, moon, and stars because of his ascending above and descending below all things during the atonement. Here in verse 47, we are told that when we see the movement of the sun, moon or stars, we see God. We might ask about the promise to see God, is this all it means?--that we can see the sun, moon or stars? For most people, seeing the sun, moon, or stars is not the same as seeing God, just as verse 48 reminds us that when Jesus came to the earth, many people did not comprehend him--they just saw a carpenter from Nazareth, because they did not understand what they saw. Likewise, if we just see the sun, moon, or stars, we might miss seeing God if we don't understand how He is connected to them through the creation and the atonement. D&C 88 seems to challenge us to look beyond the mere physics of heavenly objects to seek out God. Especially in light of vv. 11-12, one might also see in this a merciful invitation to begin to see God (i.e., through phenomenon derived from his grace but not requiring translation/calling and election made sure, etc. that we might normally associate with the privilege of viewing God). See D&C 18:36 for a similarly "right in front of your face" way to hear His voice.

D&C 88:69-84: What the elders who attend the school of the prophets are to do[edit]

D&C 88:85-116: Signs of the times[edit]

D&C 88:117-126: Kirtland Temple[edit]

D&C 88:127-141: Order of the School of the Prophets[edit]

  • D&C 88:127-141: Later receipt. Verses 127-141 were received two weeks later than the rest of D&C 88.

Complete outline and page map[edit]

This heading contains an outline for the entire section. Items in blue or purple text indicate hyperlinked pages that address specific portions of this section. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 88:2 "Alms" is from the Greek word ἐλεημοσύνη (eleaemosynae) meaning to exercise goodwill, charity, or pity. What are "alms of prayers"?
  • D&C 88:3. The verse ends "as is recorded in the testimony of John." Is this a reference to John 14:16?
  • D&C 88:4. How is the comforter the promise of eternal life?
  • D&C 88:15. What are some of the ways that we forget that the spirit and the body are one?
  • D&C 88:17. Why is it significant in the context of the redemption of the soul to note that Jesus promised the earth to the poor and meek? Why do these two things belong together?
  • D&C 88:21-22. We sometimes speak of being sanctified through obedience to law, but verse 21 speaks of being sanctified through the law. Is that any different? If so, how so? If not, why not?
  • D&C 88:21-22. Why do you suppose the Lord speak of abiding a law rather than obeying a law?
  • D&C 88:31. How does the phrase "receive of the same, even a fulness" square with D&C 76:86 where seems to say that those of a telestial glory "receive not of his fulness in the eternal world"? Is "fulness" referring to different things in these two passages? Or are these talking about two different periods of time? Or is something else going on?
  • D&C 88:32. Verse 32 tells us that the sons of perdition (see exegesis) enjoy that which they are willing to receive. Since the sons of perdition have openly rejected Christ, what is there left to receive?
  • D&C 88:35: A law unto itself. What does this phrase mean? Is it related to Rom 2:14 where the Gentiles are said to be a "law unto themselves" (but in a seemingly positive context there, in contrast to the seemingly negative context here)?
  • D&C 88:67-68. Verse 67 contains promises for those whose "eye be single to [the Lord's] glory", while verse 68 states contains a promise for those who sanctify themselves that "[their] minds become single to God." What is the relationship between the eye and the mind in these verses? Could eye and mind be used interchangeably in these verses?
  • D&C 88:69. What is the "great and last promise" we are to remember? Is it the promise found in verse 68?
  • D&C 88:78. What is the law of the gospel? Is it some specific law, or set of laws (e.g. the law of Moses)? or does it mean something general like "all the commandments"? (Maybe D&C 74:4 would be of help? There law of Moses and gospel of Christ are setup in contrast.)
  • D&C 88:114. Is this a metaphorical battle, like the one in the pre-mortal existence? Do Satan's armies only consist of the 1/3 of the hosts of heaven that are his spirit beings followers, or will people fall from glory and join Satan and his ranks?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Previous editions.

  • The oldest surviving copy of D&C 88 is __.
  • D&C 88 was first published in __.
  • D&C 88 was first included in the Doctrine & Covenants in the 18__ edition.
  • Changes to the text of D&C 88:

Related passages that interpret or shed light on D&C 88.

Doctrinal references cited on this page.

Historical references cited on this page.

Other resources.

  • D&C 88:22. Larry W. Gibbons, "Wherefore, Settle This in Your Hearts," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 102–4. Elder Gibbons states: "Commandments are not given to burden or restrict us. Rather, they are guideposts from an all-wise Heavenly Father to keep us out of trouble, to bring us a fulness of happiness in this life, and to bring us safely back home to Him... Brothers and sisters, keeping the commandments makes all the difference in this life and in the next. To be worthy of the celestial kingdom and the joy that is there, we must keep the commandments!"
  • D&C 88:33. A. Roger Merrill, "Receiving by the Spirit," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 92-94. Elder Merrill ponders: "One cannot help but wonder how many gifts and blessings surround us that we do not receive."

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous section: D&C 87                         Next section: D&C 89

D&C 88:16-20

Home > Doctrine & Covenants > Section 88
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This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Historical setting[edit]

This heading should explain facts about the historical setting that will help a reader to understand the section. This may include issues that prompted the section, its subsequent implementation, and the extent of circulation through its first inclusion in the Doctrine & Covenants. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Received:
  • Prior section in chronological order: D&C 87
  • Next section in chronological order: D&C 89

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 88:3: My friends. The Lord calls those he addresses here my friends. This use of friends is similar to how it is used in John 15:14-15 where the Lord distinguishes his servants from his friends. See also D&C 84:63.
  • D&C 88:15: Soul. Though "soul" is defined here as the unity of the spirit and body, it isn't always or even often used that way in other scriptures. This definition is one which seems to have been saved for the latter-days. Therefore, when you read the word "soul" in scripture, you must ask yourself whether the writer meant "spirit" or "soul" as it is used here.
  • D&C 88:15. This is an important doctrine, for traditional Christianity has often denigrated the body, and because of that denigration our culture still often looks on the body as a hindrance (or, in backlash, it thinks of the body as the only thing). The privilege and acclaim we sometimes give supposedly intellectual professions over more physical professions is one of the remnants of this misunderstanding of the body and the spirit.
  • D&C 88:22: Abide. "Abide" means "wait for," "be prepared for," "endure," or "sustain."
  • D&C 88:32. Verse 32 speaks of those who remain, after those who receive a celestial, terrestrial and telestial glory have received it. The end of the verse tells us that these are they who are not willing to enjoy that which they might have received. It seems that what they might have received is one of the kingdom's of glory, or in other words, salvation (as the term is used in D&C 76:43). In D&C 76 (in verses 32 and 43) these people who do not receive salvation are referred to as the sons of perdition.
  • D&C 88:47. D&C 88 begins with a discussion of how Christ became "in and through all things" including the sun, moon, and stars because of his ascending above and descending below all things during the atonement. Here in verse 47, we are told that when we see the movement of the sun, moon or stars, we see God. We might ask about the promise to see God, is this all it means?--that we can see the sun, moon or stars? For most people, seeing the sun, moon, or stars is not the same as seeing God, just as verse 48 reminds us that when Jesus came to the earth, many people did not comprehend him--they just saw a carpenter from Nazareth, because they did not understand what they saw. Likewise, if we just see the sun, moon, or stars, we might miss seeing God if we don't understand how He is connected to them through the creation and the atonement. D&C 88 seems to challenge us to look beyond the mere physics of heavenly objects to seek out God. Especially in light of vv. 11-12, one might also see in this a merciful invitation to begin to see God (i.e., through phenomenon derived from his grace but not requiring translation/calling and election made sure, etc. that we might normally associate with the privilege of viewing God). See D&C 18:36 for a similarly "right in front of your face" way to hear His voice.

D&C 88:69-84: What the elders who attend the school of the prophets are to do[edit]

D&C 88:85-116: Signs of the times[edit]

D&C 88:117-126: Kirtland Temple[edit]

D&C 88:127-141: Order of the School of the Prophets[edit]

  • D&C 88:127-141: Later receipt. Verses 127-141 were received two weeks later than the rest of D&C 88.

Complete outline and page map[edit]

This heading contains an outline for the entire section. Items in blue or purple text indicate hyperlinked pages that address specific portions of this section. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 88:2 "Alms" is from the Greek word ἐλεημοσύνη (eleaemosynae) meaning to exercise goodwill, charity, or pity. What are "alms of prayers"?
  • D&C 88:3. The verse ends "as is recorded in the testimony of John." Is this a reference to John 14:16?
  • D&C 88:4. How is the comforter the promise of eternal life?
  • D&C 88:15. What are some of the ways that we forget that the spirit and the body are one?
  • D&C 88:17. Why is it significant in the context of the redemption of the soul to note that Jesus promised the earth to the poor and meek? Why do these two things belong together?
  • D&C 88:21-22. We sometimes speak of being sanctified through obedience to law, but verse 21 speaks of being sanctified through the law. Is that any different? If so, how so? If not, why not?
  • D&C 88:21-22. Why do you suppose the Lord speak of abiding a law rather than obeying a law?
  • D&C 88:31. How does the phrase "receive of the same, even a fulness" square with D&C 76:86 where seems to say that those of a telestial glory "receive not of his fulness in the eternal world"? Is "fulness" referring to different things in these two passages? Or are these talking about two different periods of time? Or is something else going on?
  • D&C 88:32. Verse 32 tells us that the sons of perdition (see exegesis) enjoy that which they are willing to receive. Since the sons of perdition have openly rejected Christ, what is there left to receive?
  • D&C 88:35: A law unto itself. What does this phrase mean? Is it related to Rom 2:14 where the Gentiles are said to be a "law unto themselves" (but in a seemingly positive context there, in contrast to the seemingly negative context here)?
  • D&C 88:67-68. Verse 67 contains promises for those whose "eye be single to [the Lord's] glory", while verse 68 states contains a promise for those who sanctify themselves that "[their] minds become single to God." What is the relationship between the eye and the mind in these verses? Could eye and mind be used interchangeably in these verses?
  • D&C 88:69. What is the "great and last promise" we are to remember? Is it the promise found in verse 68?
  • D&C 88:78. What is the law of the gospel? Is it some specific law, or set of laws (e.g. the law of Moses)? or does it mean something general like "all the commandments"? (Maybe D&C 74:4 would be of help? There law of Moses and gospel of Christ are setup in contrast.)
  • D&C 88:114. Is this a metaphorical battle, like the one in the pre-mortal existence? Do Satan's armies only consist of the 1/3 of the hosts of heaven that are his spirit beings followers, or will people fall from glory and join Satan and his ranks?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Previous editions.

  • The oldest surviving copy of D&C 88 is __.
  • D&C 88 was first published in __.
  • D&C 88 was first included in the Doctrine & Covenants in the 18__ edition.
  • Changes to the text of D&C 88:

Related passages that interpret or shed light on D&C 88.

Doctrinal references cited on this page.

Historical references cited on this page.

Other resources.

  • D&C 88:22. Larry W. Gibbons, "Wherefore, Settle This in Your Hearts," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 102–4. Elder Gibbons states: "Commandments are not given to burden or restrict us. Rather, they are guideposts from an all-wise Heavenly Father to keep us out of trouble, to bring us a fulness of happiness in this life, and to bring us safely back home to Him... Brothers and sisters, keeping the commandments makes all the difference in this life and in the next. To be worthy of the celestial kingdom and the joy that is there, we must keep the commandments!"
  • D&C 88:33. A. Roger Merrill, "Receiving by the Spirit," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 92-94. Elder Merrill ponders: "One cannot help but wonder how many gifts and blessings surround us that we do not receive."

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous section: D&C 87                         Next section: D&C 89

D&C 88:21-25

Home > Doctrine & Covenants > Section 88
Previous section: D&C 87                         Next section: D&C 89


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Historical setting[edit]

This heading should explain facts about the historical setting that will help a reader to understand the section. This may include issues that prompted the section, its subsequent implementation, and the extent of circulation through its first inclusion in the Doctrine & Covenants. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Received:
  • Prior section in chronological order: D&C 87
  • Next section in chronological order: D&C 89

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 88:3: My friends. The Lord calls those he addresses here my friends. This use of friends is similar to how it is used in John 15:14-15 where the Lord distinguishes his servants from his friends. See also D&C 84:63.
  • D&C 88:15: Soul. Though "soul" is defined here as the unity of the spirit and body, it isn't always or even often used that way in other scriptures. This definition is one which seems to have been saved for the latter-days. Therefore, when you read the word "soul" in scripture, you must ask yourself whether the writer meant "spirit" or "soul" as it is used here.
  • D&C 88:15. This is an important doctrine, for traditional Christianity has often denigrated the body, and because of that denigration our culture still often looks on the body as a hindrance (or, in backlash, it thinks of the body as the only thing). The privilege and acclaim we sometimes give supposedly intellectual professions over more physical professions is one of the remnants of this misunderstanding of the body and the spirit.
  • D&C 88:22: Abide. "Abide" means "wait for," "be prepared for," "endure," or "sustain."
  • D&C 88:32. Verse 32 speaks of those who remain, after those who receive a celestial, terrestrial and telestial glory have received it. The end of the verse tells us that these are they who are not willing to enjoy that which they might have received. It seems that what they might have received is one of the kingdom's of glory, or in other words, salvation (as the term is used in D&C 76:43). In D&C 76 (in verses 32 and 43) these people who do not receive salvation are referred to as the sons of perdition.
  • D&C 88:47. D&C 88 begins with a discussion of how Christ became "in and through all things" including the sun, moon, and stars because of his ascending above and descending below all things during the atonement. Here in verse 47, we are told that when we see the movement of the sun, moon or stars, we see God. We might ask about the promise to see God, is this all it means?--that we can see the sun, moon or stars? For most people, seeing the sun, moon, or stars is not the same as seeing God, just as verse 48 reminds us that when Jesus came to the earth, many people did not comprehend him--they just saw a carpenter from Nazareth, because they did not understand what they saw. Likewise, if we just see the sun, moon, or stars, we might miss seeing God if we don't understand how He is connected to them through the creation and the atonement. D&C 88 seems to challenge us to look beyond the mere physics of heavenly objects to seek out God. Especially in light of vv. 11-12, one might also see in this a merciful invitation to begin to see God (i.e., through phenomenon derived from his grace but not requiring translation/calling and election made sure, etc. that we might normally associate with the privilege of viewing God). See D&C 18:36 for a similarly "right in front of your face" way to hear His voice.

D&C 88:69-84: What the elders who attend the school of the prophets are to do[edit]

D&C 88:85-116: Signs of the times[edit]

D&C 88:117-126: Kirtland Temple[edit]

D&C 88:127-141: Order of the School of the Prophets[edit]

  • D&C 88:127-141: Later receipt. Verses 127-141 were received two weeks later than the rest of D&C 88.

Complete outline and page map[edit]

This heading contains an outline for the entire section. Items in blue or purple text indicate hyperlinked pages that address specific portions of this section. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 88:2 "Alms" is from the Greek word ἐλεημοσύνη (eleaemosynae) meaning to exercise goodwill, charity, or pity. What are "alms of prayers"?
  • D&C 88:3. The verse ends "as is recorded in the testimony of John." Is this a reference to John 14:16?
  • D&C 88:4. How is the comforter the promise of eternal life?
  • D&C 88:15. What are some of the ways that we forget that the spirit and the body are one?
  • D&C 88:17. Why is it significant in the context of the redemption of the soul to note that Jesus promised the earth to the poor and meek? Why do these two things belong together?
  • D&C 88:21-22. We sometimes speak of being sanctified through obedience to law, but verse 21 speaks of being sanctified through the law. Is that any different? If so, how so? If not, why not?
  • D&C 88:21-22. Why do you suppose the Lord speak of abiding a law rather than obeying a law?
  • D&C 88:31. How does the phrase "receive of the same, even a fulness" square with D&C 76:86 where seems to say that those of a telestial glory "receive not of his fulness in the eternal world"? Is "fulness" referring to different things in these two passages? Or are these talking about two different periods of time? Or is something else going on?
  • D&C 88:32. Verse 32 tells us that the sons of perdition (see exegesis) enjoy that which they are willing to receive. Since the sons of perdition have openly rejected Christ, what is there left to receive?
  • D&C 88:35: A law unto itself. What does this phrase mean? Is it related to Rom 2:14 where the Gentiles are said to be a "law unto themselves" (but in a seemingly positive context there, in contrast to the seemingly negative context here)?
  • D&C 88:67-68. Verse 67 contains promises for those whose "eye be single to [the Lord's] glory", while verse 68 states contains a promise for those who sanctify themselves that "[their] minds become single to God." What is the relationship between the eye and the mind in these verses? Could eye and mind be used interchangeably in these verses?
  • D&C 88:69. What is the "great and last promise" we are to remember? Is it the promise found in verse 68?
  • D&C 88:78. What is the law of the gospel? Is it some specific law, or set of laws (e.g. the law of Moses)? or does it mean something general like "all the commandments"? (Maybe D&C 74:4 would be of help? There law of Moses and gospel of Christ are setup in contrast.)
  • D&C 88:114. Is this a metaphorical battle, like the one in the pre-mortal existence? Do Satan's armies only consist of the 1/3 of the hosts of heaven that are his spirit beings followers, or will people fall from glory and join Satan and his ranks?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Previous editions.

  • The oldest surviving copy of D&C 88 is __.
  • D&C 88 was first published in __.
  • D&C 88 was first included in the Doctrine & Covenants in the 18__ edition.
  • Changes to the text of D&C 88:

Related passages that interpret or shed light on D&C 88.

Doctrinal references cited on this page.

Historical references cited on this page.

Other resources.

  • D&C 88:22. Larry W. Gibbons, "Wherefore, Settle This in Your Hearts," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 102–4. Elder Gibbons states: "Commandments are not given to burden or restrict us. Rather, they are guideposts from an all-wise Heavenly Father to keep us out of trouble, to bring us a fulness of happiness in this life, and to bring us safely back home to Him... Brothers and sisters, keeping the commandments makes all the difference in this life and in the next. To be worthy of the celestial kingdom and the joy that is there, we must keep the commandments!"
  • D&C 88:33. A. Roger Merrill, "Receiving by the Spirit," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 92-94. Elder Merrill ponders: "One cannot help but wonder how many gifts and blessings surround us that we do not receive."

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous section: D&C 87                         Next section: D&C 89

D&C 93:26-30

Home > Doctrine & Covenants > Section 93 > Verses 93:21-40
Previous page: Verses 93:6-20                      Next page: Verses 93:41-53


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Relationship to Section 93. The relationship of Verses 93:21-40 to the rest of Section 93 is discussed at D&C 93.

Story.

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Verses 93:21-40 include:

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 93:21. This verse marks a decided shift in the revelation. Before this point, the revelation works through part of "the record of John," concluding with the promise that the Saints can travel a path not unlike the one Christ is said to have followed in John's account: "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" (verse 20). Marking the textual break and transition to a new discussion is this verse's "And now, verily I say unto you." Of course, at the same time, there is a good deal of thematic continuity. The largest change in tone seems to be that now it is Christ Himself talking "autobiographically" about what before only John had talked about by way of testimony. In the end, this block of text beginning with verse 21 seems to continue through verse 40.
  • D&C 93:23. After the not entirely surprising content of verses 21-22, verse 23 introduces what must, to the Saints in 1833, have been a real theological shocker: "Ye were also in the beginning with the Father"! These words make up, importantly, the earliest reference in Church history to the idea of a premortal existence. The language of course refers back to verse 21: "I was in the beginning with the Father" is parallel to "Ye were also in the beginning with the Father."
Next, though, verse 23 suddenly becomes grammatically obscure (if not incoherent): "Ye were also in the beginning with the Father; that which is Spirit, even the Spirit of truth." What is happening with the last two clauses of verse 23? They might be taken as qualifications of "the Father" ("the Father, namely, that which is Spirit, even the Spirit of truth."). Or perhaps they might be taken as the beginning of a new sentence that never gets off the ground ("That which is Spirit, even the Spirit of truth—And truth is, etc...."). Or again, they might be connected grammatically with verse 26 ("That which is Spirit, even the Spirit of truth—and truth is, etc....—Getting back to the Spirit of truth, it is of God. I am the Spirit of truth").
  • D&C 93:24. It seems likely that verses 24-25 are a kind of aside meant to clarify "the Spirit of truth," introduced in verse 23 and returned to in verse 26.
  • D&C 93:24: Modern reading. From a modern philosophical perspective, this verse might be read as defining truth as a type of knowable proposition that is true in the past, present and future. A problem with this reading is that verse 30 becomes very difficult to make sense of: in what sense can propositional truth be said to "act for itself"?
  • D&C 93:24: Knowledge. Another way to read this verse is to consider truth as a way of relating to things. The very mention of the word knowledge seems to suggest something more than a propositional-type definition. If truth can be understood as a proposition, what does it have to do with knowledge? Knowledge here seems to imply, even emphasize, the knower of the truth. The Hebrew word for knowledge, yada, has a relational connotation which is most obvious when sexual relations are described as knowing someone ("in the Biblical sense").
  • D&C 93:24: Things. The word "things" here seems to emphasize the specific as opposed to abstract nature of the knowledge being described here. This may be related to the distinction between "all things . . . compound in one" vs. "one body" in 2 Ne 2:11. In this sense, the plural form of "things" is important: truth is not knowledge of one thing, but a knowledge of a plurality of things that, according to Lehi, are "compound in one." At any rate, the word "things" gets a good deal of play in uniquely Mormon scripture. (It is interesting, for instance, that by far the most common way of referring to the Book of Mormon, within the Book of Mormon itself, is with the phrase "these things.") But the word appears so often that it is difficult to pin down any kind of consistent definition—it seems to be an all-purpose word. Here, there is no necessary implication that "objects" or even "substantial things" are meant. That said, it is important that the word "things" appears here, since it ruptures what might be taken to be a knowledge of "the past" or "the present" or "the future" as some kind of abstract historical schema. Whatever it means to say that truth is knowledge, it is clear that it is not knowledge of "the past," for example, but knowing of "things as they were." It is significant, also, that there is no triple repetition of the word "things." It is apparently not that truth is a knowledge of "things as they are" and of "things as they were" and of "things as they are to come," as if one could classify things in three distinct categories (present things, past things, future things). Rather, "things" appears only once, and truth is a question of knowing those things according to all three temporal modes. Whatever comprehensiveness is at work in truth/knowledge, it is a comprehensiveness of the things (triply) known more than it is a comprehensiveness of the (triply distributed) temporal horizon in which things to be known fall.
  • D&C 93:24: As they are, as they were, and as they are to come. This description seems to echo the progressive "grace to grace" description of the Son of God's obtaining a fulness in previous verses. In this sense, truth seems to be a knowledge that relates to things in the past in the present and the future, not the way the knower may wish things to be, but the way things "really are" (cf. Jacob 4:13). In this sense, it seems that things can act upon the knower independently of the knower. Perhaps it is in this way that sense can be of the notion in verse 30 that truth can "act for itself." Moreover, it is interesting that all three modes of temporality appear here. Only four other passages in scripture seem somewhat similar to this passage, but none of them includes all three modes. (In 2 Ne 6:4 and Jac 4:13, only the present and the future are mentioned; in Mosiah 8:17, only the past and the future are mentioned; and in D&C 5:13, only the present is mentioned. It is possible also that there is a connection with Rev 11:17 and Rev 1:8; in these two passages, all three modes of temporality are present, but the wording is less like the present passage.) At any rate, there seems to be something more comprehensive at work in the present passage than in other similarly worded passages. Another curious detail is the order of the modes presented. Why present, then past, then future—especially when Western moderns are more likely to expect past, then present, then future? If the ordering is significant, it is possible that truth is a question first of knowing things as one experiences them in the present, then of tracing these things into the past, and only then of seeing how these things look out onto the future. Yet another curious detail: the verse does not actually have a strict distribution of present, past, and future. The present and past are couched in terms of being ("things as they are"; "things as they were"), but the future is couched in terms of coming ("things as they are to come"). More strictly, the future is couched in terms of being to come. It thus entangles itself with the present: the future is a question of things "as they are to come." There is, here, no strong notion of "knowing the future," but of knowing things both "as they are" and "as they are to come," as if there were two ways of knowing things "as they are." (Notice the difference here from Jacob 4:13: "it speaketh of things as they really are, and of things as they really will be.")
  • D&C 93:24: As. Why is truth a knowledge of "things as they are/were/are to come" and not simply a knowledge of "what is/was/is to come" or of "the present/past/future"? Or again, why is truth not a knowledge of "things that are/were/are to come"? Why this "as" structure in the definition? This structure introduces a minimal gap into the things known, keeping them from complete self-identity. It signals, perhaps, that there is nothing like an immediate knowing of things: things have to be known as something, even if that something is their being (as they are). Things—whatever those things are—can only be known as they are. It perhaps follows that truth is dialectical, that it is always mediated, never a question of self-evidence, always worked out in an unfolding through which things pass through various "as-stages" until one comes to know things as they are/were/are to come. It seems, in other words, that things can be known as they are not, or perhaps must so be known on the way to knowing them as they are. If there is no "knowing the thing itself," then one must work through so many "things as x" on the way to knowing "things as they are." Of course, this suggests that it is necessary to ask what is meant by being here. Westerners are inclined to read "things as they are" to mean something like "the essence of things." But this is already problematized by the triple are/were/are to come business: it is not that one is simply to come to know things as they really are or as they are eternally/atemporally; one is to come know things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come. Though it may at first seem like the dialectics of the previous paragraph means that there is a process of learning before one comes to "essences," that the "as-stages" are so many mistaken moments on the way to learning what really is the case, there may be reason to read this passage otherwise.
  • D&C 93:26. This verse marks an important departure from what was said in verses 1-20. Though this verse apparently quotes from the same record of John, nothing before was said about Christ receiving "a fulness of truth," only "the fulness" plain and simple (see verses 12-14) and "a fulness of the glory of the Father" (see verse 16). It seems, then, that Christ here introduces still more of the record of John than can be found in verses 1-20. (It should be noted that verse 18 included a promise that "if you are faithful you shall receive the fulness of the record of John.")
Crucially, though, while verses 1-20 never have John say that Christ received the fulness of truth, they do have John say things about the Spirit of truth (see verses 9 and 11). Unfortunately, though, neither of the earlier passages clarifies the meaning of the phrase "the Spirit of truth."
  • D&C 93:28. Given the larger claims made by this revelation (or, at least, in verses 1-40), verse 28 seems to lay out the pathway for human beings that lies parallel (but is also folded within) Christ's own already-traveled pathway to the fullness. It makes four very interesting moves: (1) truth comes only through "keeping his commandments"; (2) truth is paired with light; (3) truth is said to be something in which one "is glorified"; and (4) glorification is made to be a question of "know[ing] all things."
  • D&C 93:29: Intelligence. Apart from an obscure reference in Daniel, the only appearance of the word "intelligence" in scripture before this point is in D&C 88:40: "For intelligence cleaveth unto intelligence." (The word would become central to the Book of Abraham, but Joseph wouldn't be looking at that project two years after section 93 was given.) What few instances of the word are to be found in Joseph Smith's pre-1835 letters and diaries are all pretty banal ("intelligence" meaning either "information about goings on elsewhere" or "mental capacity or ability"). Webster's 1828 dictionary gives the following definitions in the following order: (1) "Understanding; skill." (2) "Notice; information communicated; an account of things distant or before unknown." (3) "Commerce of acquaintance; terms of intercourse." (4) "A spiritual being; as a created intelligence." Note that the first two of these definitions seem to be the standard ones usually employed by Joseph before 1835. And of course note that the last definition, obviously the one at work in the translation of the Book of Abraham, is strikingly contradicted by the passage in D&C 93: "A spiritual being; as a created intelligence"; "Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be." In the end, it seems best to take "intelligence" here to follow something like Webster's first definition. (The fourth is intriguing, but the revelation does not speak of "an intelligence"; only of "intelligence.") Something like the first definition, at any rate, seems to be implied by the clarification of the term offered by "or the light of truth."
  • D&C 93:29. Suddenly, with verse 29, the revelation becomes strikingly abstract—abstracted, that is, from the concrete dialogical voice that otherwise characterizes verses 21-40. This can be sensed simply by comparing "Man was also in the beginning with God" here in verse 29 with "I was in the beginning with the Father" (verse 21) and "Ye were also in the beginning with the Father" (verse 23). The personal pronouns have been replaced with "man," and "the Father" has been replaced with "God." This abstraction continues through about verse 39 (with verse 40, there is a return to the wonted conversational tone: "But I have commanded you to bring up your children in light and truth"). Is there anything besides a rhetorical difference between verse 23's "Ye were also in the beginning with the Father" and verse 29's "Man was also in the beginning with God"? The change perhaps makes clearer in retrospect that the "ye" business of verse 23 addressed the earlier statement to a specific group of people, not to whoever happens to read the revelation—and that the addressed group of people are in some sense privileged because they were in the beginning with the Father rather than, more abstractly, with God.
Much more difficult is the statement about intelligence. There are two difficulties here (in addition to the clarification of "intelligence" in the lexical notes above): (1) What is to made of the shift from "light and truth" to "light of truth"? (2) What does it mean to say that intelligence "was not" and indeed cannot be "created or made"?
The first question calls for two obvious interpretations. On the one hand, the light in question might be taken to be something like an effect of truth, as if truth brings with it a kind of light. On the other hand, the light in question might be taken to be instrumental in the process of receiving truth, as if light opens up a space for truth. Thus, it seems, the light in question could come either before or after truth. That the passage (a) equates "the light of truth" with "intelligence" and (b) goes on to say that "intelligence"/"the light of truth" cannot be created suggests that the "before" interpretation makes the most sense: it isn't at all clear why the revelation would bother to make a claim about the non-createdness of a light that comes after truth. It would seem, in short, that intelligence is, in this verse, something that opens up a space or otherwise paves the way for the reception of truth.
Second, to claim that intelligence cannot be created or made means what? It should be noted that verse 33 goes on to say: "For man is spirit. The elements are eternal, and spirit and element, inseparably connected, receive a fulness of joy." Latter-day Saints tend, perhaps, to read this latter passage as a kind of revelatory reference to Newtonian physics: nothing comes from nothing. Perhaps such can be read into the word "eternal," but there is a real gap between "neither created nor destroyed" and "eternal"—and there is thus a gap between verse 33's "eternal" and verse 29's "was not created or made, neither indeed can be." Indeed, there is no claim in verse 29 that intelligence cannot be destroyed, only that it cannot be created. Thus, whatever verse 33 means when it says that "the elements are eternal," there is no such claim in verse 29. Of course, whether that means that intelligence can be destroyed is an open question, so far as verse 29 is concerned.
Taking the whole of verse 29 together, one seems to have something like the following. To say that "man was also in the beginning with God" is, apparently, to say that "intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be." Whatever it means to say that human beings were with God in the beginning—whether, that is, this should be interpreted in "individualistic" terms or in "collective" terms—the point is simply, it seems, that the very enabling light of truth could not have been produced. Whether human beings somehow "come into" that light or not, that light was always, apparently, there. At the very least, the intelligent part of humankind was in the beginning with God.
  • D&C 93:30. This verse makes three "claims" that must be dealt with. (1) "All truth is independent in that sphere in which God has placed it, to act for itself." (2) Apparently "all intelligence also" is of the same nature. (3) Crucially, if things were "otherwise," then "there is no existence."
There are several difficulties at work in the first "claim." (a) How is the "all" of "all truth" to be interpreted? (b) What does "independence" mean here? (c) What does "sphere" mean in this connection? (d) What is truth such that God can "place" it? (e) What does it mean to say that truth can "act"? (f) What does it mean to say that truth can "act for itself"? (g) How is independence connected with what I'll loosely call agency?
Perhaps the fact that the same statement can be made about intelligence ("as all intelligence also") is a clue to interpretation. In verse 29, it is made clear that "intelligence" cannot be created. Verse 30 thus suggests that God does something with an already existent intelligence, placing it in spheres so that it can act for itself. In terms of intelligence, this idea is not terribly surprising. That God would take this apparently uncreated intelligence, place it in spheres and so render it independent, and thus set it up with a strong notion of agency—that seems, at least in some sense, to describe the creation of human beings. Should something like the same picture be simply translated over into the question of truth? That is, is one here to assume that (i) truth is uncreated/uncreatable; (ii) God distributed truth into differentiable "spheres"; and (iii) truth was thus given some kind of agency?
Still more crucial is the fact that intelligence and truth, each apparently uncreated and each undergoing a kind of distribution among "spheres," are more closely connected, in light of verse 29, than verse 30 seems to suggest: "intelligence" is the "light of truth." The picture provided in verse 30, then, is one in which God distributes among spheres both the light of truth and then truth itself, this double distribution allowing for the possibility of some kind of (active!) engagement between the two. To some extent, this is a reinterpretation of the creation: it was, it might be said, first and foremost a question of this double distribution. "Otherwise," apparently, "there is no existence."
(D&C 93:31 is interesting on this account, because it seems to suggest that human agency is bound up within this complex entanglement between truth and intelligence—and it seems that condemnation is a question precisely of the uniquely human capacity to reject intelligence.)

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  • D&C 93:30: Truth is independent. Can truth be neutral? Does no one control it? Does it stand on its own? Is it never relative?
  • D&C 93:30: Sphere. Why does truth lose its independence outside of certain realms? Does that mean it is not absolute?
  • D&C 93:30: Placed. Does truth not exist until God introduces it? Does this mean truth is whatever God says it is? Does God have the power to determine what is truth?
  • D&C 93:30: Act for itself. How can truth act? Is this verse saying that truth can act? If so, in what sense can truth be understood to act? Does truth have agency because of what it shares in common with intelligences?
  • D&C 93:30: There is no existence. Should this verse in combination with Alma 42:22, since they both discuss how a violation of divine nature leads to death?
  • D&C 93:31: Agency. Is this verse saying that people have freedom to choose because of the intelligence that is within them? Has that intelligence been independent enough to give us agency even when we were not enticed by evil, notwithstanding what 2 Ne 2:16 says? Why is the word agency found only in latter-day scriptures?
  • D&C 93:31: Condemnation. Is it our words, works, and thoughts that will condemn us (see Alma 12:14), or is it declining to admit light into our soul that will most definitely damn us?
  • D&C 93:32: Receive not the light. If "whatsoever is light is Spirit" (D&C 84:45), then is the opposite also true? If so, how does a human spirit that is made of light repel the very substance from which it is made?
  • D&C 93:36: What exactly is the "glory" of God? How is it related to intelligence, light, and truth? Does this have something to do with eternal intelligences as seen by Abraham?
  • D&C 93:31: What is truth as used here? How might it be related to light?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



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D&C 107:21-25

Home > Doctrine & Covenants > Section 107 > Verses 107:21-32
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Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Relationship to Section 107. The relationship of Verses 107:21-32 to the rest of Section 107 is discussed at D&C 107.

Story.

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Verses 107:21-32 include:

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 107:21-32: Beyond characterizing the priesthoods in general. Beginning with verse 21, this revelation radically altered the saints' understanding of the priesthood, systematizing and organizing it so that it might function as a form of government, in addition to its "cultic" role, dwelt upon in the previous verses. Each verse that follows in this revelation is worth very careful consideration: each has had a major impact on the structure of the Church, as well as on the understanding of the priesthood.
The setting is significant. 1835 marks the establishment of church government--an incredibly controversial moment in LDS history now and then ("apostasy" from the Church's organization--as opposed to apostasy from the Church's moral standards or from the contents of a particular revelation--might well be said to center on this very moment of institutionalization, both in Joseph's day and even now). The same year also marks the supersecion of the "Book of Commandments" by the "Doctrine and Covenants," the latter text radically altering the former--most obviously in focus and function, but also in actual wording. More still, 1835 is also marked by the acceleration of the work on the Kirtland House of the Lord, with its accompanying emphasis on priesthood. Though this revelation comes early in the year, all of these events form a sort of aura around it.
Perhaps still more significant is the immediate textual setting: what follows not only marks a sort of "departure" from previous revelations on the priesthood, it makes a "departure"--as it were--from the characterization of the priesthood offered in the previous twenty verses! But this very fact ensures that what follows is not, strictly speaking, a departure. Rather, something is being added--by the Lord, it must be remembered--to the priesthood ("added" might be the best word to be used here: the governmental structure of the priesthood does not appear to be "eternal"; cf. D&C 84:29-30, D&C 107:5). Government for the Church, in other words, is a duty the Lord decided to assign to the priesthood (which, in and of itself, was not of governmental function). All these details, it should be hoped, establish the absolute importance of what begins with verse 21.
  • D&C 107:21. So radical a shift in the role of the priesthood begins with two vital words: "Of necessity...."
  • D&C 107:22. This verse marks the first instance of the word "quorum" in scripture. Besides its numerous appearances in the following verses, it only shows up elsewhere in D&C 124:62 and 117ff. The institutional importance of a word so seldomly used in scripture suggests that these two revelations are vital for understanding the role and development of the structure of the priesthood in terms of government. (If a broad characterization of section 107 as over and against section 124 is justified: section 107 deals with the introduction and grounding of quorums, while section 124 basically only mentions quorums because the revelation provides names for some specific positions in those quorums. In other words, section 107 is "theoretical," whereas section 124 is "practical." However, it should not be missed how much the "practicality" of section 124 establishes the vitality of more "theoretical" section 107: the institutional importance of the quorums of the priesthood is not a late phenomenon, but something that developed rather quickly--within the lifetime of the prophet Joseph.
It is vital to note that in this passage (as it extends through to verse 37), however, the quorums that are discussed are only the quorums that govern the Church in the broadest sense. The word "quorum," then, appears to have been understood in its more "official" sense. In fact, by 1835, the less official senses of the word were mostly obselete (see the OED entry on "quorum"), and the 1828 Webster's dictionary lists only meanings that bear on official practices (all implying, interestingly, a situation of judgment or justice). The establishment at work in these verses is not, it must be understood, the establishment of the hierarchical quorums of the priesthood. Rather, it is the establishment of a governing system of quorums/councils who have the authority to conduct the business of the entire Church. Verse 32 is perhaps the clearest confirmation of this point: these several quorums (apparently meaning only the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve, and the Quorum of the Seventy) "constitute the spiritual authorities of the church." In short, this first instance of "quorums" in scripture is an establishment, not of the quorums of the priesthood, but of the quorums of general authorities in the several and balancing levels of authority. Hence when, later in the revelation, the Lord discusses the "quorums" of the priests, teachers, and deacons, He never uses the term "quorum" at all (see verses 85-90, a series of verses quoted there from an otherwise unpublished revelation of November 1831). (It might be noted further that even in D&C 124, there is never mention of a quorum in the Aaronic Priesthood. Though there is some discussion there of the quorum of the elders, the wording is complex, and this might be only a reference to the quorum of the seventy. The implication seems to be that, at least at first, quorums were only a question of the High Priesthood.)

Unanswered questions[edit]

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Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 107:23. What does it mean to be a witness of the name of Christ?
  • D&C 107:23. What does it mean to be a special witness of that name?
  • D&C 107:23. Which authorities are special witnesses of Christ?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Verses 107:1-20                      Next page: Verses 107:33-39

D&C 107:31-35

Home > Doctrine & Covenants > Section 107 > Verses 107:21-32
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Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Relationship to Section 107. The relationship of Verses 107:21-32 to the rest of Section 107 is discussed at D&C 107.

Story.

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Verses 107:21-32 include:

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 107:21-32: Beyond characterizing the priesthoods in general. Beginning with verse 21, this revelation radically altered the saints' understanding of the priesthood, systematizing and organizing it so that it might function as a form of government, in addition to its "cultic" role, dwelt upon in the previous verses. Each verse that follows in this revelation is worth very careful consideration: each has had a major impact on the structure of the Church, as well as on the understanding of the priesthood.
The setting is significant. 1835 marks the establishment of church government--an incredibly controversial moment in LDS history now and then ("apostasy" from the Church's organization--as opposed to apostasy from the Church's moral standards or from the contents of a particular revelation--might well be said to center on this very moment of institutionalization, both in Joseph's day and even now). The same year also marks the supersecion of the "Book of Commandments" by the "Doctrine and Covenants," the latter text radically altering the former--most obviously in focus and function, but also in actual wording. More still, 1835 is also marked by the acceleration of the work on the Kirtland House of the Lord, with its accompanying emphasis on priesthood. Though this revelation comes early in the year, all of these events form a sort of aura around it.
Perhaps still more significant is the immediate textual setting: what follows not only marks a sort of "departure" from previous revelations on the priesthood, it makes a "departure"--as it were--from the characterization of the priesthood offered in the previous twenty verses! But this very fact ensures that what follows is not, strictly speaking, a departure. Rather, something is being added--by the Lord, it must be remembered--to the priesthood ("added" might be the best word to be used here: the governmental structure of the priesthood does not appear to be "eternal"; cf. D&C 84:29-30, D&C 107:5). Government for the Church, in other words, is a duty the Lord decided to assign to the priesthood (which, in and of itself, was not of governmental function). All these details, it should be hoped, establish the absolute importance of what begins with verse 21.
  • D&C 107:21. So radical a shift in the role of the priesthood begins with two vital words: "Of necessity...."
  • D&C 107:22. This verse marks the first instance of the word "quorum" in scripture. Besides its numerous appearances in the following verses, it only shows up elsewhere in D&C 124:62 and 117ff. The institutional importance of a word so seldomly used in scripture suggests that these two revelations are vital for understanding the role and development of the structure of the priesthood in terms of government. (If a broad characterization of section 107 as over and against section 124 is justified: section 107 deals with the introduction and grounding of quorums, while section 124 basically only mentions quorums because the revelation provides names for some specific positions in those quorums. In other words, section 107 is "theoretical," whereas section 124 is "practical." However, it should not be missed how much the "practicality" of section 124 establishes the vitality of more "theoretical" section 107: the institutional importance of the quorums of the priesthood is not a late phenomenon, but something that developed rather quickly--within the lifetime of the prophet Joseph.
It is vital to note that in this passage (as it extends through to verse 37), however, the quorums that are discussed are only the quorums that govern the Church in the broadest sense. The word "quorum," then, appears to have been understood in its more "official" sense. In fact, by 1835, the less official senses of the word were mostly obselete (see the OED entry on "quorum"), and the 1828 Webster's dictionary lists only meanings that bear on official practices (all implying, interestingly, a situation of judgment or justice). The establishment at work in these verses is not, it must be understood, the establishment of the hierarchical quorums of the priesthood. Rather, it is the establishment of a governing system of quorums/councils who have the authority to conduct the business of the entire Church. Verse 32 is perhaps the clearest confirmation of this point: these several quorums (apparently meaning only the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve, and the Quorum of the Seventy) "constitute the spiritual authorities of the church." In short, this first instance of "quorums" in scripture is an establishment, not of the quorums of the priesthood, but of the quorums of general authorities in the several and balancing levels of authority. Hence when, later in the revelation, the Lord discusses the "quorums" of the priests, teachers, and deacons, He never uses the term "quorum" at all (see verses 85-90, a series of verses quoted there from an otherwise unpublished revelation of November 1831). (It might be noted further that even in D&C 124, there is never mention of a quorum in the Aaronic Priesthood. Though there is some discussion there of the quorum of the elders, the wording is complex, and this might be only a reference to the quorum of the seventy. The implication seems to be that, at least at first, quorums were only a question of the High Priesthood.)

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  • D&C 107:23. What does it mean to be a witness of the name of Christ?
  • D&C 107:23. What does it mean to be a special witness of that name?
  • D&C 107:23. Which authorities are special witnesses of Christ?

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Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



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D&C 124:36-40

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  • D&C 124:26. This verse is a revelation about how to go about building a temple. Temples should be permanent, timeless edifices. "Knowledge of antiquity" could be seen to have three values: (1) How temples were used; (2) Artistic and architectural symbolism in temples; and (3) The use of timeless styles that avoid current architectural fads.
  • D&C 124:138-140. These verses resolve an ambiguity that develops in the course of the Doctrine and Covenants. Before the reception of D&C 84:111, the elders are always understood as the ruling authority in local "churches" (an understanding the first part of the D&C shared with the Old and New Testaments, as well as with the Book of Mormon). In fact, it is only with D&C 84:29 that the office of an elder is specifically connected with the higher priesthood (references in D&C 20 that suggest this connection were added in 1835). Beginning with D&C 84, there is a sort of shift in the meaning and function of the office of an elder: suddenly the elders are essentially traveling missionaries. This new meaning completely overshadows the old one until the present passage, where these duties are finally clarified.
Here the distinction is drawn between the two types of elder: there are elders to be sent traveling, and there are elders who are meant to preside over the "churches." The former are here clarified as "seventies," the latter as simply "elders." Both, of course, are elders, and the ambiguity becomes clear.

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  • D&C 124:14. What is the stewardship that the Lord requires of Robert B. Thompson?
  • D&C 124:37-39. What do these verses teach us about the purposes of temples?
  • D&C 124:40. What does it mean to build a house to the name of the Lord?
  • D&C 124:40. Why must it be built to his name if he is to reveal his ordinances therein?
  • D&C 124:41. What is the significance of the promise made in this verse?
  • D&C 124:41. Compare this verse with verse 38. What is the same in each? What does that say about temple ordinances?

Resources[edit]

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  • The oldest surviving copy of D&C 124 is __.
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Related passages that interpret or shed light on D&C 124.

Doctrinal references cited on this page.

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Other resources.

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



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D&C 124:41-45

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  • D&C 124:26. This verse is a revelation about how to go about building a temple. Temples should be permanent, timeless edifices. "Knowledge of antiquity" could be seen to have three values: (1) How temples were used; (2) Artistic and architectural symbolism in temples; and (3) The use of timeless styles that avoid current architectural fads.
  • D&C 124:138-140. These verses resolve an ambiguity that develops in the course of the Doctrine and Covenants. Before the reception of D&C 84:111, the elders are always understood as the ruling authority in local "churches" (an understanding the first part of the D&C shared with the Old and New Testaments, as well as with the Book of Mormon). In fact, it is only with D&C 84:29 that the office of an elder is specifically connected with the higher priesthood (references in D&C 20 that suggest this connection were added in 1835). Beginning with D&C 84, there is a sort of shift in the meaning and function of the office of an elder: suddenly the elders are essentially traveling missionaries. This new meaning completely overshadows the old one until the present passage, where these duties are finally clarified.
Here the distinction is drawn between the two types of elder: there are elders to be sent traveling, and there are elders who are meant to preside over the "churches." The former are here clarified as "seventies," the latter as simply "elders." Both, of course, are elders, and the ambiguity becomes clear.

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Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • D&C 124:14. What is the stewardship that the Lord requires of Robert B. Thompson?
  • D&C 124:37-39. What do these verses teach us about the purposes of temples?
  • D&C 124:40. What does it mean to build a house to the name of the Lord?
  • D&C 124:40. Why must it be built to his name if he is to reveal his ordinances therein?
  • D&C 124:41. What is the significance of the promise made in this verse?
  • D&C 124:41. Compare this verse with verse 38. What is the same in each? What does that say about temple ordinances?

Resources[edit]

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Previous editions.

  • The oldest surviving copy of D&C 124 is __.
  • D&C 124 was first published in __.
  • D&C 124 was first included in the Doctrine & Covenants in the 18__ edition.
  • Changes to the text of D&C 124:

Related passages that interpret or shed light on D&C 124.

Doctrinal references cited on this page.

Historical references cited on this page.

Other resources.

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



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D&C 128:16-20

Home > Doctrine & Covenants > Section 128 > Verses 128:6-18
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Relationship to Section 128. The relationship of Verses 128:6-18 to the rest of Section 128 is discussed at D&C 128.

Story.

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Verses 128:6-18 include:

Discussion[edit]

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  • D&C 128:6. This verse builds on the ideas introduced in verse 5, and so some of the ambiguity of the previous verse is retained here. Is "this very subject" referring specifically to the salvation of those who "should die without a knowledge of the gospel" or more generally to the salvation of the dead and perhaps how this relates to "the book of life"?
The situation, apparently, in Rev 20 is the final judgment, after the wrapping up of the earthly events, at the time of a new heaven and a new earth, etc., etc. It is specifically the dead who stand before God while "books" are opened. At the same time, another "book" is opened, namely, the "book of life." There seems quite clearly to be here a reference to the one record versus the many records: the one book corresponding to the general book, while the books being opened--not the book of life, but these other books--correspond to the many books in which so many records are kept.
When John says that "the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books," it is not obvious whether books here should be read to include the book of life or not. On the one hand, it may be that the "the book of life" has no direct bearing on the judgment of the dead, but pertains only to the living. In other words, "the book of life" might be taken as a book for the living--at the time of the wrapping up of all things, while the books (many records) are the books that contain "the record of their works," the works of the dead. In short, at the judgment, there may be two separate kind of books for the judgment to be performed: there will be a "book of life" for the living, and so many "books" for the dead, and the judgment will proceed with them. On other hand, the gathering of the many books into the one book described above (cf. verse 4) suggests some sort of important relationship between the many books and the single book (the book of life in this case). Joseph elaborates on this in the subsequent verses.
  • D&C 128:7. Joseph points out explicitly that "the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books" rather than "the book of life," emphasized by the word "but." He explains matter-of-factly: "consequently, the books spoken of must be the books which contained the record of their works, and refer to the records which are kept on the earth. In other words, so many books are precisely earthly books, and the earthly books are tied to the dead. He goes on to explain that there is also "the book which was the book of life," and that it "is kept in heaven." The idea of the one book is that it is not an earthly record at all, but a record kept in heaven. And now there seems to be a clue given as to why Revelation has been quoted: so many books, with their records, must have their legitimate records transfered into the heavenly book, into the book of life, so that the dead might be saved from death. The contrast between the judgment of the dead with the book of life suggests that resurrection seems has something to do with what is written in the book of life. Once the records are transfered, there seems to be the implication that the dead will no longer be dead, no longer be without their names in the "book of life," or the "book of the living."
Joseph then goes on to point out that all of this agrees precisely with what he had written in section 127: "that in all your recordings it may be recorded in heaven." The particularity with which the ordinances must be performed and recorded has something to do with this ability to transfer the records from the books of the dead on earth into the book of the living in heaven, and all of this precisely for the resurrection of the dead. All of this seems to reflect back onto verse 5 a resolution of the ambiguities there: the ordinance prepared from the foundation of the world seems precisely to be the ordinance of recording on earth and so recording in heaven. But, again, this is still rather vague: that there is simply an ordinance of writing in two places or witnesses testifying that something has been performed does not seem to be such a shocking thing. If the dead are judged by the "records which are kept on earth," then the book in heaven might be taken as somewhat superfluous, at least without further explanation.
  • D&C 128:8. Joseph explains quite clearly that the nature of the ordinance is a question of the priesthood, or at least of its power--and that by the revelation of Jesus Christ. This power is "that whatsoever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven" and vice versa. Joseph then offers a different "translation," substituting "record" for "bind." It should be noted that Joseph does not offer a corrected translation here, but "a different view of the translation." That is, he suggests that "to bind" might just be "to record," or that the two are somehow intertwined or connected. This explicit connection between writing and priesthood at once simplifies and complicates things greatly. On the one hand, the question becomes far simpler: the possibility of transferring a record from the books to the book is a question of the priesthood, the binding power that allows for the books to be tied together with the book. On the other hand, it seems a strange thing to suggest that the power of the priesthood is itself confined to the act of writing, rather than to acting (since the ordinance is performed by the speaker, not by the one who takes down a record of the event).
This growing difficulty becomes still more difficult with the latter part of the verse. It seems simple enough that the dead are to be judged according to their works whether they have performed them or some other, but now when Joseph mentions "the ordinance which God has prepared for their salvation from before the foundation of the world," the reference does not seem to be the book/books business, but rather the ordinance of baptism for the dead. That is, since Joseph explicitly mentions the distinction between attending to ordinances on one's own and receiving them by proxy, it seems clear that the ordinance being referred to in the final phrase is the ordinance of baptism for the dead. But then it is not quite clear that that is what is referred to: any ordinance performed in proxy is going to require the same transfer or translation as does the tying together of the books and the book. That is, what seems to be at the root of both questions, whether of work for the dead or of transferring records, is the ability to transfer or translate. At this point, the apparent equivalence between "bind" and "record" becomes somewhat more curious: might the baptism of someone living as effected for someone dead be called a sort of translation or a transfer? The ordinance and preparation set up before the foundation of the world for the salvation of the dead seem to have been more directly tied with this business of translation or transfer, with this question of binding through recording or recording through binding that is at work in these verses. One must admit that the language is rather difficult to work through.
The relationship between the several books and the single book of life which began in verse 6 here begins to be fleshed out more carefully. In verse 7, the relationship was merely claimed, and by a reference to a rather vague phrase in the previous letter/section: "that in all your recordings it may be recorded in heaven." The "it may be recorded" of this earlier statement is now strengthened: "whatsoever you bind[/record] on earth shall be bound[/recorded] in heaven." The relationship, then, between the many books on earth and the single book in heaven seems, through the priesthood, to be absolute. Thus, although it might seem to be a bit unnecessary to have the book in heaven open if judgment is based on the books on earth, in fact it seems this relationship between heaven and earth is key to what Joseph is saying in this letter.
If the book of life is only written upon or altered by power of the priesthood, an implicit question to consider might be whether sins are recorded in the book of heaven. Ordinances are the only thing that seem to be discussed in terms of what is written in the book of life, so perhaps we are only justified in thinking about something like a list of names being written in the book of life of those who have received ordinances by the power of the priesthood. If this is the case, then perhaps the description of the book in heaven as the "book of life" is telling: it only records the names of those who will be granted life in heaven.
  • D&C 128:9. The next verse only complicates things more, since the priesthood becomes there a question of doing something "in authority, in the name of the Lord." In other words, it is to write (to be an author or to have author-ity), and to do it "in the name of the Lord," that is, apparently, as the Lord, or as a proxy for Him. There seems to be at work in every priesthood ordinance a sort of translation: the person performing the ordinance is transcribed as Christ, as the Lord, acting and speaking in His name, and hence, acting as if Him. What makes it a law (a lex, a written or read thing) is precisely this translation of oneself and the fact that there is "kept a proper and faithful record of the same." There seems to be a proliferation of writing references throughout this business, and it becomes more and more complex--even as it becomes simpler and simpler--with every word.
However, the point of verse 9 is not to explicate the priesthood further so much as it is to lessen the shock of the doctrine: this "may seem to some to be a very bold doctrine that we talk of," but it is the same thing ever given when the priesthood is given. And it is "according to the decrees of the great Jehovah." The language is quite clear that this is as shocking as can be, but it perhaps should not be. In other words, this all amounts to a complete rereading of the scriptures, and that is why it is as familiar as possible and yet the most shocking thing of all. Verse 10 will offer just such a rereading explicitly.
  • D&C 128:12. This verse seems to state that "the ordinance of baptism for the dead" existed before the "ordinance of baptism by water" for the living, which was then later "instituted to form a relationship" with the previously existing baptism for the dead. This adds even more detail to D&C 128:5, where we read that baptism for the dead was ordained before the foundations of the world. As baptism symbolizes death and rebirth, baptism for the dead is an ordinance created to both makes possible and forshadows the resurrection of those who die without hearing the gospel. According to the timeline given here, baptism for the living would have been instigated at a later date to allow the living to also receive this foreshadowing. Baptism for the living and the dead are not the only priesthood ordinances that serves as a physical foreshadowing of future events and blessings (cf. Alma 13:2).
  • D&C 128:15. This verse makes it clear that fathers and children cannot be saved without each other, and that this ordinance of baptism for the dead was instigated to allow children to save their fathers, and perhaps for fathers to also save their dead children. The themes outlined in this section clearly relate baptism for the dead to other patriarchal priesthood practices outlined in Moses 6:1-5.
  • D&C 128:17: Heart of the fathers. The earliest quotation of this scripture is in Malachi 4:6. There, as here, the word "heart" is singular. The scripture is also referred to in 3 Nephi 25:6, where "heart" is also singular: "the heart of the fathers." On the other hand, in Luke 1:17 and D&C 27:9, 98:16, and 110:15, the quotation is plural: "the hearts of the fathers."

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  • D&C 128:12: This ordinance? Two ordinances are mentioned at the beginning of this verse--baptism by water and resurrection (for more info on resurrection as a priesthood ordinance, see below). Which of these ordinances is the one that was "instituted to form a relationship with the ordinance of baptism for the dead?
  • Form a relationship? What might the Lord mean when he says that the ordinance of baptism by water (or resurrection?) was instituted to "form a relationship" with the ordinance of baptism for the dead? Does this indicate that baptism for the dead (or resurrection) existed before baptism for the living? Why might such a relationship have been desirable?
  • D&C 128:14: Key of knowledge. What does the phrase "key of knowledge" mean here? In what sense is knowledge related to the sealing power? How does this help us understand the nature of knowledge?
  • D&C 128:17. Is it significant that Malachi refers to the heart (singular) of the fathers rather than the hearts (plural) of the fathers? (See the lexical notes for this verse, below.)
  • D&C 128:18. There must be a welding link between the fathers and the children or the earth will be cursed. Given what the scriptures teach about binding, record, priesthood, etc., what might one say about the nature of that welding link?
  • D&C 128:18. If we understand the nature of that welding link, what might that say about our relations to our children and our parents? to our history? to our culture?

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  • Resurrection is a Priesthood Ordinance. This was taught by President Brigham Young (Journal of Discourses, 15:137-139) and then reaffirmed by President Spencer W. Kimball in an April 1977 General Conference Talk.

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



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D&C 130:21-23

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  • D&C 130:8. In verse 8 we learn that God dwells on a giant Urim and Thummim. Verse 9 tells us that our own earth will become a Urim and Thummim to those who live on it when it becomes glorified. It will allow the inhabitants to see the knowledge and truths of the lower kingdoms: the telestial and terrestrial.
  • D&C 130:11. Verse 11 tells us that each person who comes to the celestial kingdom will receive a white stone. This stone will allow them (as indicated in verse 10) to learn things "pertaining to a higher order of kingdoms." Some have interpreted this to mean that it is through this stone that they will learn how to become as God is.
  • D&C 130:16. Joseph is "left ... without being able to decide." This curious experience deserves close attention, perhaps provides a kind of model for doing theology in the face of revelation. What, then, is at stake here?
  • D&C 130:20-21: Law. What is the "law" mentioned in verse 20? I have at times heard people discuss verses 20-21 as though it describes a set of laws which correspond in some cause-and-effect fashion to the various blessing people receive. Yet these verses (or at least verse 20) seem to talk of only a singular "law." So what is the law? Who irrevocably decreed it? God? Somebody else? A group of beings? Nobody at all? And what is meant by irrevocably? Does it mean that this particular law is going remain in force through all the eternities? Why is that so? How is that so? Could "irrevocably decreed" imply that this law was not pronounced by a particular being, but in some way stands above and apart from human and divine action and intentionality? Perhaps that is why the verse begins rather straightforwardly "there is a law." It is simply there, and there isn't much anybody can do about it. Another possibility; does "irrevocably" simply mean that the decreeing of the law is now a past event that can no longer be undone?
Moving on, what about the mention of "this" as opposed to "the" world? Often in scripture, "the world" is mentioned, but "this world" seems to mean something different. Mother Earth, that particular celestial sphere we're all on right now. Does it follow that perhaps this law upon which all blessings are predicated was decreed before the foundation of this world but after the foundation of other worlds? Is it a law specific to this world alone? If so, what on earth does that mean?
Now, what about the relationship between this law and blessings? First, we know that blessings (in fact, all blessings) are "predicated on" the law. But it's not at all clear what "predicated" means here. But verse 21 complicates the picture quite a bit: whatever the relationship between the law and the blessings, it appears that we only obtain those blessings from God by obedience to the law. It remains unclear whether we can receive those same blessings from some source other than God, whether or not we are obedient (and of course, it is another question entirely whether it makes sense to talk of receiving a blessing or being blessed in a way that is disconnected from God's grace). So then, given that these verses don't give any content to this law, what does it mean to be obedient to it? Does the law have multiple parts? Can it be partly obeyed? Can the law and its predicated blessings be charted out on a diagram, as though there are one-to-one correspondences to some divine sets of rules and rewards? Is the law the same thing as the sum total of all of God's directives to us, is it equivalent to God's law, or is it something else?
It is also worth noting that these verses don't in any way guarantee that obedient people will actually receive blessings of any kind. Verse 21 merely lays out a general condition: when we obtain a blessing from God, it is always by at least some measure of obedience to this practically indefinable law. The first question that arises is whether us obtaining a blessing from God is the same as God giving us a blessing. At first blush, the verse seems to suggest that God is in some way confined to blessing us only in proportion to how obedient we are to the irrevocable law. When we are blessed, it must have been preceded by some kind of obedience. However, is this the only reading? Obtaining something and simply being given something are two different things. Obtaining something involves seeking after it. Being given something requires no such thing. The verse may only be saying that when we actively seek a particular blessing from God, we only obtain it from God if we have been obedient to the law on which the blessing was predicated. But that is an entirely different proposition than saying that blessings only come as the result of obedience. Just as the verse doesn't seem to bind God to not bless when there is no obedience, it equally doesn't seem to bind God to bless when there is obedience. The verse merely says that when blessings are obtained from God, it is by obedience, but it doesn't say that such obtaining ever necessarily will happen, no matter how much obedience is going on.
  • D&C 130:22: Personage. Webster's 1828 definition for personage lists three definitions. The first one is "exterior appearance; stature; air." Based on this definition, we might think that the "exterior appearance" of a spirit is the shape and form that a spirit takes on when it "appears." So we might think of a spirit as having a material body, though of “a finer matter,” matter that can be seen by spiritual eyes. The other two definitions for personage in Webster's are "character assumed" and "character represented." The definition for "character" in Webster's 1828 Dictionary is given here. If character is taken to refer to qualities or properties that are being represent or assumed, then the Spirit in this verse might be thought in terms of representing or assuming the qualities of God.
  • D&C 130:22. Verse 22 is the only scriptural source that clearly teaches that the Holy Ghost is a personage. It also purports to give a reason why a member of the Godhead does not have a body of flesh and bones, so the the Holy Ghost can "dwell in us". However, the source of this teaching is not only not from a prophet, but actually contradicts the prophetic teaching that the rest of the scriptural passage is based on.
The source of this teaching is Joseph Smith's corrections to a talk by Elder Orson Hyde at a conference in Ramus, Illinois on April 2, 1843. In the morning, Elder Hyde had preached that "it is our privilege to have the father & son dwelling in our hearts." After the morning meeting, at Joseph's sister Sophronia's house for dinner, Joseph indicated that he would correct Elder Hyde, who indicated his willingness to accept correction. Joseph then taught what we have in D&C 130:1-3, that "the idea that the Father and the Son dwell in a man's heart is an old sectarian notion, and is false."
When they returned for the evening session of the meeting, Joseph referred the congregation back to Elder Hyde's statement to give them the correction as well. This time he additionally taught (emphasis added):
The Father has a body of flesh & bones as tangible as mans the Son also, but the Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit. --and a person cannot have the personage of the H G in his heart he may receive the gift of the holy Ghost. it may descend upon him but not to tarry with him (Joseph Smith diary as recorded by Willard Richards)
The Holy Ghost is a personage, and a person cannot have the personage of the Holy Ghost in his heart. A man receive the gifts of the H. G., and the H. G. may descend upon a man but not to tarry with him. (William Clayton diary)
(Source for these documents is The Parallel Joseph; see the April 2, 1843 link below, footnote 1.)
Joseph's teachings as recorded by Willard Richards and William Clayton that the personage of the Holy Ghost cannot dwell in us are changed in the Doctrine & Covenants to state that he is a personage of spirit precisely so that he can dwell in us. This came about as follows:
Orson Pratt was given the assignment to select teachings of Joseph Smith for inclusion in the 1876 edition of the Doctrine & Covenants (see the December 1984 Ensign article The Story of the Doctrine & Covenants). In doing so, he relied on the compilations of Joseph's diaries and teachings by church historians (see link below) for details on who these historians were and when they wrote). Joseph himself wrote very little of his diary; it was actually kept by various people assigned to do so. Church historians compiled these various accounts into a cohesive whole (changing the text to the first person to appear as though Joseph had written it) and it formed the basis of the volumes of History of Church eventually edited by B.H. Roberts -- the ones most of us are familiar with.
Leo Hawkins was the historian who compiled the account that includes this scriptural passage from D&C 130. He added the sentence in question about the Holy Ghost dwelling in us, which contradicts what Joseph taught as recorded contemporaneously by his secretary.
Further sources for this information:
  • Scott H. Faulring, An American Prophet's Record: The Diaries and Journals of Joseph Smith, p.341
  • George D. Smith, An Intimate Chronicle; The Journals of William Clayton, p. 97
  • The Words of Joseph Smith: The Contemporary Accounts of the Nauvoo Discourses of the Prophet Joseph, compiled and edited by Andrew F. Ehat and Lyndon W. Cook [Provo: BYU Religious Studies Center, 1980], entries for 2 April 1843 (see particularly footnote 5)

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  • D&C 130:7. What might it mean for "all things...past, present, and future" to be "continually before the Lord"? Does that place God outside of time?
  • D&C 130:10. What kingdoms might be "higher" than the Celestial Kingdom--or at least the celestialized earth? Why don't we know more about these kingdoms?
  • D&C 130:18. What can "principle" mean? What of "intelligence"? How would such a principle of such intelligence rise with us (does this imply objectivation?)?
  • D&C 130:22: Flesh and bones. Do Old Testament scriptures such as Gen 2:23, 2 Sam 19:12 and 1 Chr 11:1 suggest this description is not just about the composition of God's physical body, but also an expression of his kinship with humans?
  • D&C 130:22: Tangible. If one of the definitions of this word is "capable of being handled or touched or felt," then why does this verse depart from the Mormon tradition of privileging the visual sense when it comes to personally interacting with God (e.g., Job 19:26 and 1 Jn 3:2)?
  • D&C 130:22. Why do you think this verse emphasizes the tangibility of the Father's body rather than, perhaps, its visibility?
  • D&C 130:22: Dwell. Is this a poetic way of saying that the Holy Ghost can take up residence in our body if we treat it like a temple?

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  • The oldest surviving copy of D&C 130 is __.
  • D&C 130 was first published in __.
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Related passages that interpret or shed light on D&C 130.

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Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



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Moses 1:36-42

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Summary[edit]

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Relationship to Genesis and Moses. Moses 1 consists entirely of new content added by the Joseph Smith Translation that does not appear in Genesis. It can be understood as a preface to Genesis relating Moses's call to be a prophet. The relationship of Chapter 1 to the rest of Moses is discussed at Moses.

Story. Moses 1 relates three episodes:

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Chapter 1 include:

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Moses 1[edit]

Moses 1:1-11: Moses's first vision of God[edit]

  • Moses 1:2: Therefore. The word therefore suggests that there is something about God's glory being upon Moses that allowed Moses to endure God's presence, and that Moses couldn't have endured God's presence otherwise. Compare this to verse 14 where Moses says to Satan "I can look upon thee in the natural man."
  • Moses 1:3: Names of God. Almighty and Endless may be names God chooses to set up as a contrast to Satan who will soon appear (verse 12ff). God is almighty whereas Satan has very limited power (and glory). God is endless in that he has eternal increase and declares lasting truths whereas Satan cannot have eternal increase and declares lies that do not last.
  • Moses 1:6: Full of grace and truth. The phrase "grace and truth" in the scriptures is only used to describe God (the Father or the Son). Grace and truth are set up in contrast to the law which was given by Moses in John 1:17.
  • Moses 1:6: But there is no God beside me. Although it seems the Father and the Son are being described here as distinct personages, perhaps God is concurrently making it clear that the Father and the Son are one God, perhaps in anticipation of the problems the children of Israel would face in worshiping other gods (e.g. Ex 32:1-6). See more on Jesus Christ as Jehovah and Father here on RobertC's subpage.
  • Moses 1:7: One thing. If the "one thing" that God shows Moses is the world that Moses is in, then this stands in contrast to all the works of God (v. 5), and in contrast to the numberless worlds mentioned in verse 33. The "one thing" also clarifies "the workmanship" that God promises to show in verse 4. By focusing on "one thing" and later clarifying "for thou art in the world," the work that God says he has for Moses (in v. 6) may be alluded to: rather than showing Moses other things, God will focus on the "one thing" that is most needful (cf. Luke 10:42), namely this world that Moses is reminded (later in v. 7) that he is in. This shift from the many works of God ("works without end" in v. 4; "all my works" in v. 5; "all things" in v. 6) to "one thing" seems also to function as a means of setting up the epiphany that Moses has in verse 10 that "man is nothing." By getting only a glimpse of the many glorious works of God, Moses seems to be overwhelmed in verse 9 and then, when he comes to, Moses then realizes the (relative?) nothingness of man in (at least) a way that he had never before supposed.
  • Moses 1:7: My son. The addition of the phrase "my son" may be a way of reassuring Moses that the reason Moses will be shown only one thing, is not because God is not a loving father or that Moses is an ontologically inferior being to God, but rather because Moses has a work to do (v. 6) and this work pertains to the world that Moses is in.
  • Moses 1:7: For thou art in the world. After stating that God has a work for Moses (v. 6) and that God will only show Moses "one thing," an additional phrase of seeming explanation is added: "for thou art in the world." This may be giving an explanation for why God is not revealing things about other worlds to Moses. It may also be emphasizing the work mentioned in verse 6 that Moses has to perform.
  • Moses 1:11: Natural. Natural is used here in a way similar to 1 Cor 2:14 and Mosiah 3:19. It stands in contrasts to what is spiritual. The fact that natural is used in the phrase natural man in verse 14 is especially suggestive of Mosiah 3:19 where we are told that the natural man is an "enemy to God." There the natural man is described as the person who is not yet willing to submit to the Lord.

Moses 1:12-23: Moses is confronted by Satan[edit]

  • Moses 1:11: Son of man. The term "son of man" as used in Ezekiel (see Ezek 21:2) is used to emphasize our mortalness and lowliness. Satan seems to be doing the same thing here. Interestingly Jesus also uses this title to refer to himself, see Matt 26:2 possibly also to emphasize his own lowliness. (Note that Jesus uses this title for himself but none of his disciples use it for him.)
  • Moses 1:14: Look. Note that "look" is used here in the case of looking upon God and looking upon Satan. This suggests that although Moses was transfigured when seeing God, he still saw God in some sense that is comparable to his seeing of Satan. This suggests that if one is to interpret Moses' vision of God as "in the mind only", it would also have to apply to the vision of Satan. Such an interpretation begs the question of why the word "look" is used in these verses without modification if in either case it does not carry the typical connotation (which is not "in the mind only").

Moses 1:24-42: Moses's second vision of God[edit]

  • Moses 1:31: God's purpose. Clearly there is more to God's purpose than simply what is implicity in verse 39, for the Lord states here that he will not reveal his purpose. (At least, not at that time.)
  • Moses 1:39: Work and glory. Here God explains that "this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." This can be fruitfully compared with Alma 29:9 where Alma the Younger states that "this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy."
  • Moses 1:42. This verse picks up on the theme of Moses speaking to the Lord matching verse 1 of this chapter. Chapter 4 similarly begins by reverting from the narrative in order to refer to the fact that the narrative is coming from the Lord to Moses. And just as this verse ends a segment of narrative giving specific instruction as to who can see the record, chapter 4 ends with a similar parenthetical restriction sandwiching the chapter with the theme of the Lord speaking to Moses.

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Prompts for life application[edit]

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  • Verses 1:16-22: Telling Satan to depart. Moses tells Satan three times to depart. Have we made the commitment to sincerely do that in our own lives? But Satan does not leave until Moses calls upon the name of Christ. Do we sometimes try to overcome relying only upon our own strength?
  • Verse 1:39: God's work and glory. Here God says that his work and glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of mankind. Alma the Younger says in Alma 29:9 that his joy and glory is to be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance. As indoor plumbing frees us from the necessity of retrieving water every day from the river, and as other modern conveniences and wealth increase the amount of time and resources that we can choose how to spend, do we choose to spend them on the same things as God and Alma, or do we choose to work at and seek happiness in other things? What do our choices say about what we really want to do for the rest of eternity compared to what God does?

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Moses 1:1. How does the phrase "words of God," which appears in this verse, differ from "word of God"? Is this first phrase, which occurs much less frequently in scripture, linked to rebellion against God, as suggested by Ps 107:11, Alma 1:7 and Alma 3:18? Does that make it appropriate for this passage about the premortal Satan?
  • Moses 1:1. Was God starting a conversation with Moses about the plan of salvation, as was his custom at the beginning of each dispensation? Does Alma 12:30 suggest this pattern started soon after Adam and Eve left the garden of Eden?
  • Moses 1:1. If God "spake unto Moses," who exactly was the audience for this message? Why does the final verse of this visionary chapter contain a comment in parentheses, presumably to Joseph Smith, that says "Show them not unto any except them that believe" (Moses 1:42)?
  • Moses 1:1. Did Moses approach God "at a time when" he was ready to reveal? Was David talking about the importance of timing when his psalm to God said "every one that is godly" shall "pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found" (Ps 32:6)?
  • Moses 1:1. If "Moses was caught up," which senses of the words "catch" and "caught" are at work in this chapter? Does it echo the language about being lifted up at the last day and suggest a invisible hand will "catch" the righteous and carry them to some heavenly destination? Was Moses about to learn that standing in the presence of God was like "catching" on fire and that only the righteous could endure his presence?
  • Moses 1:1. If Nephi was the only other prophet who used identical language to describe his time around "exceedingly high mountain(s)" (1 Ne 11:1 and 2 Ne 4:25), what parallels can we draw between the experiences of Nephi and Moses? How does Nephi's description of how his body was "carried away" on "the wings of his Spirit," as well as his explanation that as he "sat pondering" he "was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord," echo the language used by Moses? Could Moses relate to Nephi's exclamation that the words he received from God were "too great for man; therefore I was bidden that I should not write them"?
  • Moses 1:1. Was the preposition intentional when Moses said he went "into" and not "onto" a mountain to talk with God? Do we find confirmation of this language and visionary pattern, if not exactly the same participants, during the temptation of Christ, when "the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them" (Matt 4:8)?
  • Moses 1:1. Of what significance are mountains in scripture? For example, why do revelations so often occur on mountains?
It is my understanding that prior to Moses building the Tabernacle, and after that prior to the Temple being built, and again after the desecration of the Temple, the only place the Lord could appear to his servants that had not been completely desecrated was the top of the mountains. In other words the mountains were Holy Places.
  • Moses 1:2. Why is it important that we know Moses spoke with God face to face?
  • Moses 1:2. What does it mean to say “the glory of God was upon Moses”? What is his glory? What does verse 5 tell us about what we read here? How about verse 39? Do D&C 29:36 or D&C 88:19 help us understand these verses?
Moses had received the Holy Ghost, and was transformed, or purified by the power of the Holy Ghost, until he was able to endure the presence of the Lord. Once in that state, God being a perfect glorified man spoke to Moses, the same way that any man speaks to another man who is in his presence. When we read or hear the Glory of God is on someone it means that that person has been transformed, or purified by the Holy Ghost, so they can endure the presence of deity.
In verse 5 God is about to show Moses a portion of his work and how he is going to accomplish it. Especially as it pertains to Moses, and what Moses’ roll in that portion of his work will be. God is also telling Moses, that this is a small portion of what his work is. It is sufficient for Moses to know at this time. He is also explaining to Moses, that to know all that God knows, would make him a glorified being like unto God, and that giving him that much knowledge would be more than he Moses, could endure.
  • Moses 1:3. Why does God tell Moses his name? He has many names, why does he here use this particular name, Endless?
  • Moses 1:4-5. In what sense or senses are the works of God without end? In what sense or senses are his words without end?
The Lord all ways uses titles that are descriptive of Himself. The name Endless fits in well with an understanding of the eternal and things without end that God is showing to Moses.His words are eternal as they are truth and truth is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.
  • Moses 1:6. This verse suggests that God the Father is speaking to Moses, since he refers to "mine Only Begotten". However, Jesus Christ has stated that he was the God of Abraham (John 8:58), and gave the law to Israel (3 Ne 15:5). Who is talking to Moses, God the Father, or Jehovah? Does it matter?
  • Moses 1:6. Why does God tell Moses that Moses is in the similitude of the Only Begotten? In what way or ways is he in that similitude? Why does God say that the Only Begotten is and shall be the Savior? God says that the Only Begotten is and will be the Savior because he is full of grace and truth. How can we explain that? What does it mean to be full of grace and truth? Why does being full of them make one the Savior?
  • Moses 1:6. Why does the Father add “but there is no God beside me” immediately after telling Moses of the Savior?
  • Moses 1:6. What does it mean to say that all things are present? What does it mean for something to be present? The last clause of the verse says that Father’s knowledge makes all things present to him. To say that knowledge is what makes things present is an unusual way to speak. What can we make of that? Does it suggest anything about how things are present before God?
  • Moses 1:7. What is the “one thing” that God shows Moses? Why does he explain what he shows Moses by saying, “For thou art in the world”?
  • Moses 1:7. The 'one thing' that God shew to Moses was the Mission and Sacrifice of Jesus Christ; event that would occur in the distant future. And showed to Moses because he 'was in the world' in which such event will take place. [[email protected]]
  • Moses 1:8. The word “end” can mean “final point” and it can also mean “purpose.” Which meaning do you think is used here when the scripture says that Moses beheld the ends of the world? The meaning here is 'final point' Moses was able to see the end of the earth and its civilization beyond the Second Coming of the Lord. [[email protected]]
  • Moses 1:9. What does it mean to say that Moses was left to himself?
A: natural man, in other words, God glory was withdrew from him and Moses was left only with the power(strength) of a human man.
  • Moses 1:10. What does Moses mean when, having had this vision of the ends of the world and all the children of men, he says, “Now, for this cause I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed”?
  • Moses 1:32: Which is mine Only Begotten. What does the word which refer to in this phrase? The "word"? "my power"? "the word of my power" (in toto)? something else?
  • Moses 1:39. My glory. Is God possessive about his glory or can it found throughout the earth (see Isa 6:3) and within human intelligence (see D&C 93:36)?
  • Moses 1:39. To pass. If one of the definitions of this phrase is "to accomplish, to complete, to decide," then why should there be any completion to life in an everlasting state of goodness and perfection?
  • Moses 1:41. Is the Lord speaking of a time when actual words will be removed from the Bible or of the loss of his teachings, whether that involves removing words or just losing the understanding of them?
  • Moses 1:41. Brigham Young is frequently compared to Moses, but here the Lord compares Joseph Smith to him. How was Joseph Smith like Moses? (See also 2 Ne 3:7-9)
  • Moses 1:42. Did Moses write this verse or is this an editor's note?
  • Moses 1:42. Why are the words of Moses to be shown only unto them that believe?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



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