D&C 77:1-15

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Home > Doctrine & Covenants > Section 77
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This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

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Historical setting[edit]

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  • Received:
  • Prior section in chronological order: D&C 76
  • Next section in chronological order: D&C 78

For a brief overview of D&C 77 in historical relation to the rest of the Doctrine & Covenants, see Historical Overview of the Restoration Scriptures. For a lengthier discussion of the historical setting, see Church History in the Fulness of Times, chapters 6-7. update link

Discussion[edit]

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  • Scope of page. Section 77 is a series of interpretive keys for understanding the book of Revelation. Most comments about D&C 77 should therefore be placed on the wiki pages that address Revelation, not on this page. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Revelation is on the wiki pages that directly address Revelation. Readers may therefore want to consult the wiki pages that address Revelation before reading this wiki page. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. This page should be limited to items that do not directly relate to Revelation.
  • D&C 77:6: 7,000 years. Some read D&C 77:6 literally as support for a 6,000 year age of the earth, including the creation. The contrary view of others is that the seven seals do not describe any events relating to the creation (see Rev 6:1-2 describing the events of the first seal), but describe events only during the time period since the Fall of Adam and Eve during which mankind has been upon the earth (see the discussion of what it means to be "mankind" at Gen 1:26); that D&C 77 was intended only as, and is expressed in language appropriate only for, an interpretation of Revelation; was not intended as, and was not expressed in language that is appropriate for, an interpretation of Genesis; and that the language of D&C 77:6 thus does not serve as a basis for interpreting the creation account of Genesis or for dating any age or event older than the appearance of mankind with Adam and Eve (also see the discussion of scriptural statements regarding the age of the earth at Genesis 1).
  • D&C 77:12: Sabbath day. This verse compares the Sabbath day to the Millennium. This suggests thinking of the Sabbath day not only as a short and recurring event in life, such as weekly Sabbaths, but rather as a lengthy culminating period of existence, such as a person's final retirement years spent serving missions and engaging in other service. Also see Col 2:16-17, which likewise suggests that the symbolism of the Sabbath day looks forward in history, and the discussion of Gen 2:1-3 regarding other symbolism of the Sabbath day.
  • D&C 77:15: Two witnesses. See this post by Julie M. Smith at the T&S blog which discusses a literal vs. symbolic reading of this verse.

Complete outline and page map[edit]

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Unanswered questions[edit]

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Prompts for life application[edit]

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Prompts for further study[edit]

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  • D&C 77:12. Does this verse tell us that God created man on the seventh day? If so, what is the significance of this difference from Gen 1, Moses 2?

Resources[edit]

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Previous editions.

  • The oldest surviving copy of D&C 77 is __.
  • D&C 77 was first published in __.
  • D&C 77 was first included in the Doctrine & Covenants in the 18__ edition.

Related passages that interpret or shed light on D&C 77.

Doctrinal references cited on this page.

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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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