1 WHEN the Savior shall appear we shall see him as he is. We shall see that he is a man like ourselves.

2 And that same sociality [ Discourse, 5 January 1841, as Reported by William Clayton, p. 7, JSP. (Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, “sociality,”). The Prophet’s vision of the afterlife. At times the popular conception of heaven comes across as stale and boring. We imagine beings on clouds, playing harps and singing praises to God, but no kind of dynamic action or growth. Heaven must be more than that to be a meaningful, eternal home. One non–Latter-day Saint author captured this sentiment: “Heaven is not dull; it is not static; it is not monochrome. It is an endless dynamic of joy in which one is ever more oneself as one was meant to be, in which one increasingly realizes one’s potential in understanding as well as love and is filled with more and more with wisdom. It is the discovery, sometimes unexpected, of one’s deepest self. Heaven is reality itself; what is not heaven is less real.” (Jeffrey Burton Russell, A History of Heaven, 1997, 3–4.). ] which exists among us here will exist among us there, [ Joseph Smith believed that in heaven the most real things in this life— our connections to the ones we love— endure and become even stronger than they were on earth. Parley P. Pratt captured this sentiment when he wrote, “It was Joseph Smith who taught me how to prize the endearing relationships of father, mother, husband, wife, brother, sister, son and daughter. It was from him I learned of marriage for eternity, that the refined sympathies and affections which endeared us to each other emanated from the fountain of divine eternal love. I had loved before[,] but I knew not why. But now I loved with the pureness and intensity of elevated, exalted feeling which would lift my soul from the transitory things of this groveling sphere and expand it as the ocean.” (The Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, 1874, 297–98.). ] only it will be coupled with eternal glory, which glory we do not now enjoy.

3  John 14:23—The appearing of the Father and the son, in that verse, is a personal appearance; and the idea that the Father and the son dwell in a man’s heart is an old sectarian notion, and is false. [ In this case Joseph Smith was addressing or following up on some remarks made earlier by Orson Hyde in a conference. During lunch of the conference as they were eating the prophet said to Orson would you object to me given some corrections to some of the things you said and Orson Hyde said no I would appreciate it. Orson Hyde in the morning sermon you taught based on revelation 19:11-12; 1 John 3:2 and John 14:23 that the Savior will appear on a white horse as a warrior and maybe we shall have some of the same spirit then. Orson Hyde had also said our God is a warrior it is our privilege to have the father and son dwelling in our hearts. However; Joseph Smith corrected Orson Hyde. What Orson had said was a little ambiguous and could have easily been misinterpreted by audience members so as to forward the commonly held view among sectarians that the Father and son dwell in our hearts. Joseph like any good priesthood leader is just setting the record straight. the Father and the son are physical beings. The scriptures clarify that when Jesus was resurrected, He inhabited a body of flesh and bones (Luke 24:39). To say that Jesus is now some kind of disembodied, ethereal being is to take away His body and confine Him to a second death. Joseph Smith’s teachings on this matter are clear. In a discourse on January 5, 1842, Joseph taught, “That which is without body or parts is nothing. There is no other God in heaven but that God who has flesh and bones. John 5:26, ‘As the father hath life in himself, even so hath he given the son to have life in himself.’ God the Father took life unto himself precisely as Jesus did.” (Discourse, 5 January 1841, as Reported by William Clayton, p. 7, JSP.). ]

4 In answer to the question—Is not the reckoning of God’s time, [ Ps. 90:4; 2 Pet. 3:8; Abr. 3:4 ] angel’s time, prophet’s time, and man’s time, according to the planet on which they reside? [ The answer here is based on a question from Wiliam Clayton about time. The response is one that demonstrates that through revelarion Joseph brought for the theory of relativity long before Einstien. This scripture suggests that the nature of time on earth is different than the nature of godly time. In an 1832 revelation Joseph Smith prophesied that after the Savior’s return, the people of Zion would declare, “Satan is bound and time is no longer” (D&C 84:100) These words suggest that time will be perceived differently after the Savior’s arrival. Alma declared simply, “all is as one day with God, and time is measured only unto men” (Alma 40:8). Here the prophet Joseph taught that time is relative to the place in the universe where a being lives. God’s attempts to describe the nature of time to mortals can be likened to a person attempting to describe color to someone who is blind. Time is vital and vibrant, and just because we in our present state cannot perceive all its hues and tones does not mean they are not there. ]

5 I answer, Yes. But there are no angels who minister to this earth but those who do belong or have belonged to it. [ This connects to the doctrine that angels are men and women in different stages of their eternal development. The angels who minister to us undoubtedly have personal connections to us. President Joseph F. Smith taught: When messengers are sent to minister to the inhabitants of this earth, they are not strangers, but from the ranks of our kindred, friends, and fellow-beings and fellow servants. The ancient prophets who died were those who came to visit their fellow creatures upon the earth. They came to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob . . . In like manner our fathers and mothers, brothers, sisters and friends who have passed away from this earth, having been faithful, and worthy to enjoy these rights and privileges, may have a mission given them to visit their relatives and friends upon the earth again, bringing from the divine Presence messages of love, of warning, or reproof and instruction, to those whom they had learned to love in the flesh. (Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 1970, 435–36.). ]

6 The angels do not reside on a planet like this earth;

7 But they reside in the presence of God, on a globe like a sea of glass and fire, where all things for their glory are manifest, past, present, and future, and are continually before the Lord. [ Or in a glory beyond your wildest imagination. Some how a resurrected planet allows you to see that planet from the past , present and future *or you can look into the entire history of the planet somehow. Drawn from John’s Revelation, which is largely based upon the text in Ezekiel 1, 10 discussing the “merkabah”, or chariot throne of the Lord. Thus, the language is very symbolic, and is not to be taken literally. In general, the symbolism employed is intended to present the presence of God as being glorious, sanctified, and transcendent. ]

8 The place where God resides is a great Urim and Thummim. [ Which embodies all truth and light. The earliest mention of a Urim and Thummim comes from Abraham, who had one in his possession but did not describe its form or purpose (Abraham 3:1). The Urim and Thummim are also mentioned in the Old Testament as revelatory instruments worn by the high priest of Israel (Exodus 28:30; Leviticus 8:8). We do not know the precise nature of the instruments used in the time of Moses, only that they were small enough to fit in the breastplate of the high priest. During Joseph Smith’s time, the term Urim and Thummim appears to have broadly described physical objects used to provide revelation. Joseph Smith wrote in his 1842 history that he translated the Book of Mormon “by means of the Urim and Thummim.” (Times and Seasons, 2 May 1842, p. 772, JSP.). The Urim and Thummim, which will be given to each person who enters the celestial kingdom, not only functions as a divine instrument of revelation but as a symbol of purity and overcoming sin. some scholars have pointed out that the white stone may also be symbolic of a custom in ancient Greece and Rome: victors of athletic contests were given white stones. According to the Apostle John and Joseph Smith, this symbol of victory also carries a new name, signifying the victor’s readiness to begin a new life in celestial glory. (Nelson Study Bible: New King James Version, 1997, 2168.). President Brigham Young taught in an 1861 discourse, “This earth, when it becomes purified and sanctified, or celestialized, will become like a sea of glass; and a person, by looking into it, can know things past, present, and to come; though none but celestialized beings can enjoy this privilege. They will look into the earth, and the things they desire to know will be exhibited to them, the same as the face is seen by looking into a mirror.” (Brigham Young, in Journal of Discourses, 9:87). ]

9  This earth, in its sanctified and immortal state, [ Here's what Orson Pratt said about the next TWO physical changes of the earth-- one at the beginning of the millennium, one after it's end. --------- when the more perfect temporal condition shall be restored again, in the last of his work, and the Lord shall begin to remodel this earth, to transfigure it, and get it prepared for the righteous, the veil will be taken away, in a measure; we shall behold the face of the Lord again; D&C 101:23 we shall be able to associate with immortal beings again; and we shall be able to enjoy a great many blessings that were introduced in the beginning, which were lost through the fall. The Lord Jesus Christ will be here, a part of the time, to instruct us, and those ancient patriarchs, Adam included, will come down out of their ancient celestial world, where they were first made spiritual. They are coming upon this creation; and they will have their homesteads here; and they will frequently, no doubt, take great joy in gathering together their faithful children, from the day of their own probation [p. 204a]to the one hundredth generation. It will be some pleasure for one of our ancestors that was born a hundred generations ago to say, “Come, my children, you that are here in the flesh that have not as yet become immortal, you that dwell upon the face of this earth, partially redeemed—come, I have some glorious tidings to communicate to you. I have something that you are not in possession of, knowledge you have not gained, because we have been up in yonder celestial world; we have been dwelling in the presence of our Father and God. We were restored there in the dispensation in which we died and in which we were translated, and we have learned a great many things that the children of mortality do not know anything about. Come, gather yourselves together, that you may behold your former fathers, your fathers' fathers and so on, until you extend back for a hundred generations. Hear the instructions that they shall impart to you. They will tell you about the celestial kingdom, and the higher glory thereof, and the blessings that are to be enjoyed by those that attain to the fulness of that kingdom.” Will not this be encouraging to those that are yet mortal, during the millennium? I think it will. Then will the knowledge of the fathers, the knowledge of the earth, and of the things of God, and the knowledge of that which is celestial, and great, and glorious, and far beyond the comprehension of imperfect beings as we now are in our fallen state—then that knowledge will be opened up to the minds of the children of men, during their respective generations here upon the earth, during the great sabbath of creation. What is all this for? It is to prepare their children, during the millennium that [p. 204b] they may have this earth made celestial, like unto the more ancient one, that they, with this creation, may be crowned with the presence of God the Father, and his son Jesus Christ. We gain this knowledge and information by degrees. Our children are educated and taught, until the heavens become familiar with them; the Lord becomes familiar with them; his countenance becomes familiar to all the righteous of the earth. Before we can fully understand the nature of a still greater change than that which has been wrought upon the temporal creation, during the millennium, we begin to expect it, and look for it, and by and by, when evil fruit again appears in the Lord's vineyard, and the earth is corrupted by the sons of perdition, and some of his people begin to reject the heavenly light, and deny their God—when this period of time shall come the earth will be spared only for a little season, Rev. 20:3 D&C 29:22 D&C 88:110-111 and the end will come, and the great white throne will appear, and God will sit upon the throne, and utter forth his voice and our temporal heaven will flee away; Rev. 20:11 and this earth although it will be so greatly blessed, although it is so far redeemed, although it is inhabited by the righteous for a thousand years, yet, because it will become contaminated, and because it has been so corrupted in the past, in consequence of the fall of man, it will have to die and undergo a greater change, than all these changes of which I have spoken. But what says the revelation, called the “Olive Leaf,” given Dec. 27th, 1832, on this subject? We are told in this that the earth shall die, and pass away, but it shall be quickened again, for God shall quicken the earth upon which we live. D&C 88:25-27 It will become a new earth; Isa. 65:17 Isa. 66:22 Luke 17:39 (JST) 2 Pet. 3:13 Rev. 21:1 Ether 13:9 D&C 29:23-24 [p. 205a]but will be prepared more perfectly than it was under the three other conditions in which it was placed; first its spiritual creation, secondly its temporal, in which its spiritual and temporal were combined. The next condition is that of restoring it from the fall back to a temporal condition, and then a still greater change, like unto the death of our bodies, when our bodies crumble back to mother earth and pass themselves among the elements. D&C 29:32 So it will be with this earth. It will crumble, or in other words, the elements will be separated asunder, and the world will pass away from his presence. What next? Another great change to be wrought. The same elements, constituting the earth, and the atmosphere will be brought together again, in such a manner and way, that the new earth will look like unto a sea of glass, Rev. 4:6 D&C 77:1 D&C 130:6-7 and those who are worthy of the celestial glory will inhabit it forever. Prov. 10:30 Luke 17:39-40 (JST) D&C 88:20 D&C 130:9 What will be the condition of the people who dwell upon that glorious celestial world? They will have the presence of God the Father with them. D&C 76:62 They will be permitted to dwell where he is. He will light up that world; they will have no need of the rays of the sun, as we now have, neither of the moon, nor stars, so far as light is concerned, for the Lord God will be their light and their glory from that time henceforth and forever. Isa. 60:19-20 Rev. 21:23 Rev. 22:5 In this new creation the tree of life will flourish and grow. Rev. 2:7 Rev. 22:2 All beings that partake of the fruit of the tree of life will be constituted, so that they will live forever and ever. Gen. 3:22 Rev. 22:14 1 Ne. 11:25 ------ Journal of Discourses 21:203-205 https://scriptures.byu.edu/#:t33467:j21 ] will be made like unto crystal and will be a Urim and Thummim to the inhabitants who dwell thereon, whereby all things pertaining to an inferior kingdom, or all kingdoms of a lower order, will be manifest to those who dwell on it; and this earth will be Christ’s.

10 Then the white stone mentioned in Revelation 2:17, will become a Urim and Thummim [ The source of all truth and light. ] to each individual who receives one, whereby things pertaining to a higher order of kingdoms will be made known;

11 And a white stone [ Rev 2:17. “A white stone”The book of Revelation in the New Testament is a record of the Lord’s revelation to the Apostle John. The revelation contains a message of hope and encouragement to the faithful members of the Church who lived at a time of intense trial and persecution. The Lord promised great blessings, including exaltation and “a crown of [eternal] life,” to those who overcome the wickedness of the world (see Revelation 2:7, 10), meaning those who receive eternal life in the celestial kingdom of God. The revelation also teaches that each person who “overcometh” the world will each be given “a white stone” (Revelation 2:17). In his teachings recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 130, the Prophet Joseph Smith explained that each white stone will function as a personal Urim and Thummim (see D&C 130:10). Whereas the celestial earth will reveal “all things pertaining to an inferior kingdom, or all kingdoms of a lower order,” the white stone will reveal “things pertaining to a higher order of kingdoms” (see D&C 130:9–10)." Chapter 50: Doctrine and Covenants 129–30 https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/.../chapter-50... ] is given to each of those who come into the celestial kingdom, whereon is a new name written, [ drawn from Rev. 2:17 and Isa. 56:5, Isa. 62:2, Isa. 65:15. The new name is intended to be symbolic of the true, spiritual, or final nature of the person and has its origin in the accounts of the early patriarchs in Genesis. That the new name is only known by the Lord indicates only the Lord can truly perceive the nature of one’s heart. ] which no man knoweth save he that receiveth it. The new name is the key word. [ This is NOT the new name given in the temple. ]

12 I prophesy, in the name of the Lord God, [ Hebrew - Yahweh ( or Jehovah which means "to become" or "to exist") translated as Lord; Elohim translated as God ("the Gods") which together the words mean "He will cause Gods to be". ] , that the commencement of the difficulties which will cause much bloodshed previous to the coming of the son of Man will be in south Carolina. [ Restatement of D&C 87. which according to William Claytons journals was of great concern to Joseph Smith at the time. The prophecy of the American Civil War given to Joseph Smith on December 25, 1832, was fulfilled to the letter. The war began in south Carolina on April 12, 1861—twenty-nine years after the prophecy was given—when Confederate forces fired on the Union installation of Fort Sumter (D&C 87:1–3). ]

13 It may probably arise through the slave question. This a voice declared to me, while I was praying earnestly on the subject, December 25th, 1832. [ (D&C 87) ]

14 I was once praying very earnestly to know the time of the coming of the son of Man, [ The earliest use of this title "Son of Man" (man here means "King") that I can find in the scriptures comes from the Book Of Enoch(Enoch 46:1-3). Other references to that title include Daniel(), Abraham() and Christ himself() and all of them would have had available the Book Of Enoch. Enoch was given the title Son of Man as a descriptor for Jesus Christ. We find in written in the Book of Enoch 46:1-3 “And I asked the angel who went with me and showed me all the hidden things, concerning that Son of Man, who He was, and whence He was, (and) why he went with the Head of Days? And he answered and said unto me: This is the Son of Man who hath righteousness, with whom dwelleth righteousness, and who revealeth all the treasures of that which is hidden, because the Lord of Spirits hath chosen Him, and whose lot hath the pre-eminence before the Lord of Spirits in uprightness forever. (BoE 46:1-3)” So from these verses we can see that Enoch's angelic guide has declared that "the Son Of Man" is another name for Jesus Christ. This phrase is used by Daniel when he likens the person that he saw in his vision "like the Son of Man" (Daniel 7:13-14) as does Abraham when he described the individual who volunteered Himself to do the will of the Father as being “like unto the Son of Man.”  Therefore the phrase “like the Son of Man” or “like unto the Son of Man,” (Abr 3:27) used in these two examples promote the familiarity through an external source to which both prophets would have had access to that being the Book of Enoch. (Abr 1:31) This is also why Christ would have referred to himself as "the Son Of Man" because it was the messianic title that embodied the works and mission that would be preformed creation, example, atonement, resurrection, judgement(John 5:22-23,27) are all responsibilities that were given to the Son Of Man. Christ seems to use this title to place specific importance upon the subject matter He was teaching at the time, because the use of that title by Christ typically focuses on the prophecies of the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord and His latter-day responsibilities. There is no reason to belive otherwise than those Jews who heard Christ use this title would have been fully aware the title’s source and the bold declaration represented by the messianic prophecies for him as described in the Book of Enoch. ] , when I heard a voice repeat the following:

15 Joseph, my son, if thou livest until thou art eighty-five years old, thou shalt see the face of the son of Man; therefore let this suffice, and trouble me no more on this matter. [ Or in otherwords I will not tell you. Interesting here is that The Lord tells Jospeh he will not tell him 2) Joseph then just tells it like it is - he could have made something up but he got the answer that he would not be told so be fine with that. Rather than offer a definitive interpretation of what this revelation meant, Joseph acknowledged that this prophecy could be fulfilled in multiple ways. Joseph received revelations about the signs of the times (D&C 38, 45, 133), but he never claimed to know the precise time of the Savior’s return to earth. One of his revelations declared that “the hour and the day [of the Second Coming] no man knoweth, neither the angels in heaven, nor shall they know until he comes” (D&C 49:7). In a discourse from the final months of his life, Joseph declared, “Jesus Christ never did reveal to any man the precise time that he would come. Go and read the scriptures and you cannot find anything that specifies the exact [time] he would come, and all that say so are false teachers.” (Discourse, 10 March 1844, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff, p. 212, JSP). ]

16 I was left thus, without being able to decide whether this coming referred to [ Joseph Smith said that he did not know what it meant. So I think that is reason that we should not try to interrupt it further either. ] the beginning of the millennium or to some previous appearing, or whether I should die and thus see his face.

17 I believe the coming of the son of Man will not be any sooner than that time. [ "Jesus Christ never did reveal to any man the precise time that he would come go and read the scriptures that's an indictment on us you cannot find anything that specifies the exact hour he would come and all that say so are false teachers" (Teachings of Joseph Smith page 341). ]

[ These are popular and well known verses 18-21. However, they are used out of context to say academic learning or secular knowledge of the sciences is what is being referred to. This is not the case. ]

18 Whatever principle of intelligence [ “intelligence” is “light and truth” (cf. D&C 93:36); intelligence is the righteous application of knowledge, or what we know in our heads to be true, and understanding which is the principles that are taught us by the spirit. Joseph Smith taught that intelligence is something to be sought after and developed during our time on earth. The revelations given to Joseph Smith contain numerous references to the importance of education (D&C 88:79–80, 118; 93:36, 53). Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf aptly summarized this emphasis on education when he said, “For members of the Church, education is not merely a good idea—it’s a commandment.” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Two Principles for Any Economy,” October 2009 General Conference. ) Joseph suggested that intelligence is gained not only through education but through “diligence and obedience” (D&C 130:19). some lessons are learned in classrooms, and others are learned through the labor of keeping the commandments and enduring to the end. The pursuit of intelligence will also be a primary pursuit in the next life. On another occasion, Joseph taught: “When you climb a ladder[,] you must begin at the bottom, and ascend step by step until you arrive at the top, and so it is with the principles of the Gospel you must begin with the first and go on until you learn all the principles of exaltation; but it will be a great while after you have passed through the vail [sic] before you will have learned them. It is not all to be comprehended in this world; it will be a great work to learn our salvation and exaltation even beyond the grave.” (JS History, 1838–1856, volume E-1 [1 July 1843–30 April 1844], p. 1970, JSP.). Compare to Abr 3:19: “there are two spirits, one being more intelligent than another, there shall be one more intelligent than they...” This same principle exists on earth as it did in the pre-earth world of spirits. If we seek for light and truth here more diligently than another seeks for light and truth, so much greater will be the advantage on the earth side. What was going on before is still going on, and it is always connected to acquiring light and truth. ] we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection.

19 And if a person gains more knowledge [ “knowledge” comes to “every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments” (cf. D&C 93:1, also cp. D&C 132:22-23) ] and intelligence in this life [ Mortality. The intelligence of our spirit is connected to its propensity, or susceptibility, to receiving and being obedient to the light and truth it seeks. Our progression is measured by our obedience to light and truth. ] through his diligence and obedience [ So again what is the principle upon which this particular knowledge is gained? Obedience and dilgence Diligence to what? The commandments our ability to change our character to be likes Gods character. Obedience to what? The commandments. So what is he saying here? The better we can learn to live and leep the laws of God the greater our knowledge of him will be - in essence is it not because we are becoming like him - it is the way that the Savior grew so it is with us. Elder Dallin Oaks said What is meant by intelligence is not merely knowledge by whatever means it is acquired this is evident from the following sentence and if a person gains more knowledge quoting verse 19. Note that intelligence is something more than knowledge. Note also the implication that knowledge is obtained by diligence and intelligence is obtained by obedience. Admittedly the two methods are not mutually exclusive but we come close to an important mystery in the gospel when we understand that the intelligence God desires us to obtain is much more than knowledge and it cannot be obtained without obedience and revelation that is the lord's way and it is far beyond the ways of the world. (Dallin Oaks The Lord's Way page 43)] than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come. [ So if we learn in this life to have a character like Gods then we will be further ahead in the next life. ]

20 There is a law, [ That law states - D&C 82:10”10  I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.” God governs the universe through Eternal law - laws such as "No unclean thing can enter into the presence of God and dwell there". There are moral laws as unbreakable as the laws of physics. God’s laws govern everything from the motion of the planets (Alma 30:44; D&C 88:42) to the deliverance of His children (2 Nephi 9:25). Every kingdom God has created is given a law (D&C 88:38), and the blessings we receive come in response to our obedience to this law. However, our relationship to God is not merely transactional. While it is true that when we obey God’s law we receive blessings, as a loving Father, God also goes to great lengths to provide us with gifts that are acts of mercy. He arranged for the sacrifice of His Only Begotten son to “answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit” (2 Nephi 2:7). The Father and the son carried out the atonement “to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also” (Alma 42:15). God found a way to perfectly obey the law but also extend mercy to His children. He asks us to adhere to the laws He has given, and in response to our obedience He provides us blessings. But He also asks us to look beyond the purpose of the law to see the character of the Lawgiver and the mercy and love He shows to us. God respects the laws of the universe as their Author and Creator. God is not the servant of the law. The law originated with Him and is thus governed by Him. In an 1834 letter to the Church, Joseph Smith and other Church leaders taught: Can we suppose that he has a kingdom without laws? Or do we believe that it is composed of an innumerable company of beings who are entirely beyond all law? [and who] Consequently have need of nothing to govern or regulate them? Would not such ideas be reproachful to our Great Parent, and an attempt to cast a stigma upon his glorious character! Would it not be asserting, that we had found out a secret beyond Deity? that we had learned that it was good to have laws, and yet He, after existing from eternity, and having power to create man, had not found out the fact, that it was proper to have laws for his government! We admit that God is the great source and fountain from whence proceeds all good; that he is perfect intelligence, and that his wisdom is alone sufficient. (Letter to the Church, circa February 1834, p. 136, JSP.) On another occasion, Joseph Smith taught that God is the Author of the law. He stated, “God has made certain decrees which are fixed, and immovable, for instance; God set the sun, the moon, and the stars in the heavens; and gave them their laws, conditions and bounds which they cannot pass, except by his commandments; they all move in perfect harmony in their sphere, and order, and are as lights, wonders, and signs unto us.” (JS History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 [2 November 1838–31 July 1842], p. 1296, JSP; see Joseph Fielding McConkie, Answers: Straightforward Answers to Tough Gospel Questions, 1998, 166–67.) . (Dan 10:11-12; Isaiah 48:16-20) ] irrevocably decreed [ Not capable of being changed : impossible to revoke ] in heaven [ Where did this all take place? ] before the foundations of this world, [ When? What does it mean before the foundations of this world? Eph 1:4; 1 Peter 1:20 ] upon which all blessings are predicated— [ SO these are the laws to which God is held accountable too. These verses presents standard covenant theology, when you do what you’ve entered into a contract with God to do He blesses you, cf. Lev. 26, Deut. 28. This verse is talking about deliberate and specific covenants, such as baptism and the New and Everlasting Covenant of Marriage. Unfortunately, it is commonly used out of context and taken to be referring to any kind of blessings at all. Compare D&C 132:4-5, 10-11, and 28: 4 For behold, I reveal unto you a new and an everlasting covenant; and if ye abide not that covenant, then are ye damned; for no one can reject this covenant and be permitted to enter into my glory. 5 For all who will have a blessing at my hands shall abide the law which was appointed for that blessing, and the conditions thereof, as were instituted from before the foundation of the world.... 10 Or will I receive at your hands that which I have not appointed? 11 And will I appoint unto you, saith the Lord, except it be by law, even as I and my Father ordained unto you, before the world was? ... 28 I am the Lord thy God, and will give unto thee the law of my Holy Priesthood, as was ordained by me and my Father before the world was. Here is the same language being applied to a specific covenant, that of Eternal Marriage. When speaking of specific covenants, it is plain what v. 20-21 means. However, taken out of this context, v. 20-21 can only be taken to be referring to general corporate level covenants and blessings as those described in Lev. 26 because those are the overarching covenants that govern people in general. The covenants that govern the details of our particular lives are those we deliberately engage in, such as baptism, the Priesthood, Eternal Marriage, and so on. The reference to the “law” in these two verses is in the context of us invoking the law by covenant in order to obtain the blessing, as is made clear in the D&C 132 quote. Certain laws have specific covenants which have certain blessings associated with them. Now if I understand these verses correctly we are talking about covenant theology. That is; when you enter into a covenant with God such as we do at baptism and with the new and everlasting covenant of marriage. You are then entitled to the promised blessing associated with the covenant that you made. The reference to the “law” in these verses implies invoking the law by binding ourselves with a covenant in order to obtain the blessing. Certain laws have specific covenants and certain blessings associated with them. So without a covenant, there is no law, and without the law there is no associated promised blessing. In other words; you want the blessing, you have to engage in the covenant associated with that law. These sections are often taken out of context and applied to all kinds of things that have nothing to do with specific covenants. The result is people think they earn every blessing through obedience and if they are not getting some specific blessing it is because they are not being obedient to the right law. Now why is this important to understand? Because too often we as a church and more often as individuals believe that if every blessing we get is from God then the inverse must also be true. We imply that every time we hit a bump in the road it is because God is cursing us; punishing us for something we did wrong. We think that every time that we have a trail or an obstacle in our life it is because of disobedience. This is not true. ]

21 And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated. [ "It" being the blessing. There are three great intelligent powers in the universe: God, man, and Satan. There is no question about which of those powers is the greatest. God has all power and therefore no one has greater power than He. But of these, who has greater power—man or Satan? Before answering, read the following scriptures, thinking in terms of power. Man’s Power. Read D&C 10:5; Ephesians 6:10–13; Romans 8:35–39. Satan’s Power. Read Moses 4:4; 2 Nephi 2:29; 28:22–23; Alma 34:35. Whether man’s power is greater than Satan’s depends on man’s willingness to bind himself to God and draw on His power. If he does not, then he comes increasingly under Satan’s power and dominion. Man’s choice could be diagramed in this way. Either man binds himself to God and draws on His power. OR he comes under the power of Satan. Joseph Smith stated this truth in these words: “The devil has no power over us only as we permit him. The moment we revolt at anything which comes from God, the devil takes power.” (Teachings, p. 181.) What is the means of binding oneself to God? Read D&C 82:4–10; 54:3–6. That means, when you ask God for a blessing in your prayers, it's not coming unless you are obedient to the law upon which that blessing is predicated. Maybe you don't need to ask for a blessing in your prayers if you are obedient anyway—it’s predicated. That blessing is coming no matter what. Any blessing from God has to be – has to be – predicated upon obedience to law. If we obtain light and truth by our obedience, we can also lose light and truth by our disobedience to the same. It's connected. Just as one spirit is more intelligent than another before we came here, when we leave here (on the other side), one spirit will likewise be more intelligent than another. ]

22 The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; [ One of the primary doctrines that differeniates our church from the other christian churchs. Note also that there is a distinct contrast here between the physiacl body that Heavenly Father has and the spiritual personage that the Holy Ghost has - calling attention specifically to the differences in this verse. Contrasted against John 4:24 ] the son also; [ So we have Heavenly Father who has a physical body; the son who has been resurrected has a body like Heavenly Father showing the phiciallity of the body after resurrection. In one of his final sermons, Joseph Smith taught of the connection God and Jesus Christ have to mortal men and women. While angels are humans in different stages of their eternal development, God and Jesus Christ are realizations of the full potential of every human being. In a sermon recorded by Wilford Woodruff, Joseph taught: God who sits in yonder heavens is a man like yourselves That GOD[,] if you were to see him today that holds the worlds[,] you would see him like a man in form, like yourselves. Adam was made in his image and talked with him, walk[ed] with him . . . As the Father hath power in himself so hath the son power in himself to do what the Father did[,] even to lay down [his] body and take it up again . . . And you have got to learn how to make yourselves God, king and priest, by going from a small capacity to a great capacity to the resurrection of the dead, to dwelling in everlasting burnings, I want you to know the first principle of this law, how consoling to the mourner when they part with a friend to know that though they lay down this body[,] it will rise & dwell with everlasting burnings to be an heir of God and joint-heir of Jesus Christ[,] enjoying the same rise[,] exaltation[,] and glory until you arrive at the station of a God. Discourse, 7 April 1844, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff, p. 135, JSP, emphasis in original. ] but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us. [ (Moses 7:35) The Holy Ghost cannot then have a body in order to “dwell in us”, which enables him to have contact with our individual spirits, resulting in various spiritual manifestation (cf. Moroni 10:8-17), without our physical body being a barrier to him. As was noted in D&C 129:5, a resurrected body would able to do this in the same manner. Since the Father and son possess physical bodies, it is natural to ask, will the Holy Ghost ever receive a body? Joseph Smith addressed the question in two discourses in Nauvoo. Franklin D. Richards recorded the first discourse , which was given by the Prophet on August 27, 1843. Richards noted, “Joseph also said that the Holy Ghost is now in a state of Probation[,] which if he should perform in righteousness[,] he may pass through the same on a similar course of things that the son has.” (Discourse, 27 August 1843, as Reported by Franklin D. Richards, p. 32, JSP.) In another discourse recorded on June 16, 1844, Joseph taught, “But the Holy Ghost is yet a spiritual body, and waiting to take to himself a body as the Savior did or as God did or the Gods before them took bodies.” (Discourse, 16 June 1844–A, as Reported by George Laub, p. 30, JSP.). ]

23 A man may receive the Holy Ghost, and it may descend upon him and not tarry with him. [ The presence of the Holy Ghost is not a permanent endowment, but can be transient. implies that given his being a personage of spirit per v. 22 and not some essence or energy field, he has agency as well and when he sees fit to leave or attend he does so. We need to diligently seek the Holy Ghost. (1 Ne. 10:17) ]