THE DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS
SECTION 138
A vision, given to President Joseph F. Smith in Salt Lake City, Utah, on October 3, 1918. In his opening address at the eighty-ninth Semiannual General Conference of the Church, on October 4, 1918, President Smith declared that he had received several divine communications during the previous months. One of these, concerning the Savior’s visit to the spirits of the dead while his body was in the tomb, he had received the previous day. It was written immediately following the close of the conference; on October 31, 1918, it was submitted to the counselors in the First Presidency, the Council of the Twelve, and the Patriarch, and it was unanimously accepted by them.
1—10, President Joseph F. Smith ponders upon the writings of Peter and our Lord’s visit to the spirit world; 11—24, He sees the righteous dead assembled in paradise and Christ’s ministry among them; 25—37, How the preaching of the gospel was organized among the spirits; 38—52, President Smith sees Adam, Eve, and many of the holy prophets in the spirit world who considered their spirit state before their resurrection as a bondage; 53—60, The righteous dead of this day continue their labors in the world of spirits.
1 ON the third of October, in the year nineteen hundred and eighteen, I sat in my room pondering [All this happened while he was pondering the scriptures, What is the purpose of pondering and how does it work?
How is the information that we have in the 138th section of the D&C important to our salvation?
What difference does it make to us to know about the premortal world? Alma 13:3 ] over the scriptures;
2 And reflecting upon the great atoning sacrifice [ To sacrifice is to give up something valuable or precious, often with the intent of accomplishing a greater purpose or goal. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is the great and eternal sacrifice at the center of the gospel (see Alma 34:8-16). Before the Savior carried out the Atonement, His covenant people sacrificed animals as a symbol of His sacrifice. This practice helped them look ahead to the Atonement (see Moses 5:4-8). The command to offer animal sacrifices ended with the death of Jesus Christ. In the Church today, the ordinance of the sacrament is a reminder of the Savior's atoning sacrifice. To atone is to suffer the penalty for sins, thereby removing the effects of sin from the repentant sinner and allowing him or her to be reconciled to God. ] that was made by the son of God, [ He is not the son of Joseph. He is not the son of a man. This title the son Of God means that his Father is literally God our Father in Heaven ] for the redemption of the world; [ 1. Repurchase of captured goods or prisoners; the act of procuring the deliverance of persons or things from the possession and power of captors by the payment of an equivalent; ransom; release; as the redemption of prisoners taken in war; the redemption of a ship and cargo.
2. Deliverance from bondage, distress, or from liability to any evil or forfeiture, either by money, labor or other means.
3. Repurchase, as of lands alienated. Leviticus 25:24. Jeremiah 32:7.
4. The liberation of an estate from a mortgage; or the purchase of the right to re-enter upon it by paying the principal sum for which it was mortgaged with interest and cost; also, the right of redeeming and re-entering.
5. Repurchase of notes, bills or other evidence of debt by paying their value in specie to their holders.
6. In theology, the purchase of God's favor by the death and sufferings of Christ; the ransom or deliverance of sinners from the bondage of sin and the penalties of God's violated law by the atonement of Christ. ]
3 And the great and wonderful love made manifest by the Father [ I think that quite often we overlook the amount of pain that this ordeal had to bring upon the Father. As any parent will tell you, and as a Bishop in a YSA ward who saw so many young men and women try to express their agony for their sins and what they had done. some were able to change and others the struggle would continue months into years in some cases. Yet you love them, your heart goes out to them as you know there is only so much that you can do, the rest they have to do on their own, But that does not lessen the pain to any degree, you hurt for them. So I am convinced more than ever before that along with the sacrifice of the son so to it is with us, there is not any trial, heartache or sin that does not cause our Father in Heaven to suffer along with us. He truely loves us more than we will ever comprehend. ] and the son in the coming of the Redeemer into the world; [ Here we are talking about the Savior being willing to condescend to earth in a body, to live a perfect life and submit to the will of the Father in all things. He could only complete the atonement if he had a physical body. ]
4 That through his atonement,[ Russell M. Nelson said: “In the English language, the components are at-one-meant, suggesting that a person is at one with another. Other languages employ words that connote either expiation or reconciliation. Expiation means ‘to atone for.’ Reconciliation comes from Latin roots re, meaning ‘again’; con, meaning ‘with’; and sella, meaning ‘seat.’ Reconciliation, therefore, literally means ‘to sit again with.’…In Hebrew, the basic word for atonement is kaphar, a verb that means ‘to cover’ or ‘to forgive.’ Closely related is the Aramaic and Arabic word kafat, meaning ‘a close embrace’—no doubt related to the Egyptian ritual embrace….While the words atone or atonement, in any of their forms, appear only once in the King James translation of the New Testament, they appear 35 times in the Book of Mormon. As another testament of Jesus Christ, it sheds precious light on His Atonement.” (Ensign, Nov. 1996, pp.34-5 as taken from Latter-day Commentary on the Book of Mormon compiled by K. Douglas Bassett, p. 85)) ], and by obedience to the principles of the gospel, [ The first principles and ordinances of the gospel are "first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost" (A of F 4). The resurrected Savior taught that these principles constitute his "gospel": "Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day. Verily, verily, I say unto you, this is my gospel" (3 Ne. 27:20-21; cf. Acts 2:37-38). These four principles prepare one to enter the "strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life" (2 Ne. 31:17-18).
First, faith in Jesus Christ often begins with a desire to believe (Alma 32:26-28), which may be kindled by hearing or reading others' true testimonies of Christ and his Atonement. One nourishes faith by patient obedience to God's commandments. Faith then grows through a process that includes repentance, baptism for remission of sins, increased confidence in Christ, and eventually a Christlike nature (Hafen, pp. 141-200).
Repentance involves (1) realization of guilt; (2) godly sorrow and suffering; (3) confession for relief from the hurtful effects of sin; (4) restitution, as far as it is possible; (5) replacement of sin with obedience to God's requirements; and (6) acceptance of Christ's atoning sacrifice. Through the Atonement, if one repents, Christ's mercy satisfies the demands of justice.
Baptism, the third principle and first essential ordinance, is the fruit of repentance and is required of all who would be saved in the kingdom of God (John 3:3-5; cf. 2 Ne. 9:23). Baptism has several purposes. It is a symbolic washing and cleansing of sins and is prerequisite to membership in the Church. When followed by the reception of the Holy Ghost, it is the doorway to personal sanctification (Moro. 6:1-4). The prescribed method of baptism is by immersion in water by a priest in the Aaronic Priesthood or by one who holds the Melchizedek Priesthood. "The symbolism of the rite is preserved in no other form" (AF, p. 137).
Being "born of the Spirit," or receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, entitles one to the continual help, guidance, and comfort of the Holy Ghost. "The special office of the Holy Ghost is to enlighten and ennoble the mind, to purify and sanctify the soul, to incite to good works, and to reveal the things of God" (AF, p. 167). When asked how the Church differed from the other religions of the day, Joseph Smith replied that "we differed in mode of baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost…[and] that all other considerations [of differences from other churches] were contained in the gift of the Holy Ghost" (HC 4:42). The gift of the Holy Ghost is conferred by the laying-on of hands by a holder of the Melchizedek Priesthood.
Summarizing the process from faith and repentance to sanctification, the Book of Mormon prophet Mormon stated, "And the first fruits of repentance is baptism; and baptism cometh by faith unto the fulfilling the commandments; and the fulfilling the commandments bringeth remission of sins; and the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart; and because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love, which love endureth by diligence unto prayer, until the end shall come, when all the saints shall dwell with God" (Moro. 8:25-26).
These four principles and ordinances of the gospel are "first" because they both initiate and enable the process of development from a spiritual rebirth to a divine nature. ] mankind might be saved.
5 While I was thus engaged, my mind reverted to the writings of the apostle Peter, to the primitive saints scattered abroad throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, and other parts of Asia, where the gospel had been preached after the crucifixion of the Lord.
6 I opened the Bible and read the third and fourth chapters of the first epistle of Peter, and as I read I was greatly impressed, more than I had ever been before, with the following passages:
7 “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
9 “Which sometime were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight [ The number eight always points to a new beginning, purification, or the Atonement. It is found in association with temples, ordinances, or other holy themes. To help illustrate this, it helps if we first understand that the symbolism of eight is directly related to the symbolism of seven. In Genesis, we read:
“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished . . . And on the seventh day, God ended his work which he had made” (Gen. 2: 1-2).
Seven, therefore, in the Hebrew tradition means finished, whole, or complete. What then becomes of the eighth day? The eighth day then becomes the first day of a new period. In other words, not the beginning, but a new beginning. By exploring a few scriptures, we see that this new beginnings represents purification the Atonement of Christ.
For example, animals used for sacrifices stayed with the mother seven days, and then were slain on the eigth day. These animals were symbolic of Christ as an eternal sacrifice. Similarly, the priests of Aaron under Moses were to purge seven days, and on the eighth day they could enter the tabernacle, being purified, and make an atoning sacrifice.
We learn in Ezekial that “upon the eighth day, and so forward, the priests shall make your burnt offerings upon the altar and your peace offerings; and I will accept you, saith the Lord” (Ezekiel 43:26-27). ] souls were saved by water.” (1 Peter 3:18—20.)
10 “For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.” (1 Peter 4:6.)
11 As I pondered over these things which are written, the eyes of my understanding were opened, and the Spirit of the Lord rested upon me, and I saw the hosts of the dead, both small and great.
12 And there were gathered together [ They were called to a meeting. Where was the meeting held? Who took the minutes of the meeting? ] in one place an innumerable company [ Large number so big the you cannot count them – this shows that our Father in Heavens’ plan works. ] of the spirits of the just, who had been faithful in the testimony of Jesus while they lived in mortality; [ Righteous members of the church. ]
13 And who had [ Those that had paid a price. In a way we are all tested during this life to see what we really believe. ] offered sacrifice [ root: sacer: sacred, holy + facere: to make or to do | so it means to make or to do something holy or sacred. ] in the similitude of the great sacrifice of the son of God, and had suffered tribulation [ Members of the church that have sufferred heartaches, trials and tests in mortality and had remainded faithful. ] in their Redeemer’s name. [ Did you note that there were three attributes or accomplishments?
1) They had been faithful in the testimony of Jesus while they lived in this life.
2) They had offered
sacrifice in the similitude of the great sacrifice of the son of God.
3) And they had suffered tribulation in their Redeemer's name.
How could anyone offer sacrifice that would be in similitude of His great sacrifice? Could they have survived Gethsemane as He did? They could not! Were they crucified? Certainly not. Then how could they offer a sacrifice that would be in similitude of His great sacrifice? See Mosiah 15:6-7
]
14 All these had departed the mortal life, firm in the hope of a glorious resurrection, [ What does that tell us about them? That they believed in God, which is the first tenant of the gospel. If we do not believe in God then he cannot save us. ] through the grace of God the Father and his Only Begotten son, Jesus Christ.
15 I beheld that they were filled with joy and gladness, and were rejoicing together because the day of their deliverance was at hand. [ The resurrection. ]
16 They were assembled awaiting the advent of the son of God into the spirit world, [they have gathered in the spirit world - and the atonement is under way. it has started and they are there to watch. something to remember: There will be no victims in the Spirit World! Victims do not progress. As long as a victim can point a finger to someone else, they avoid taking responsibility for their own behavior. No matter what has happened to you, either physically, mentally, or temporally, the Gospel of Jesus Christ eliminates victims by releasing us from the external controls of this world. Whatever physical weaknesses or genetic defects we may have while in this physical body will be eliminated in the Spirit World. You will have a spirit that recognizes the power of its own agency. That spirit will be unfettered to learn and grasp things of a much higher or expanded order. Thus there will be no victims or those who cannot progress. Can you imagine? Not that Jesus is suffering but the anticipation that he will shortly come to the world of spirits. ] to declare their redemption from the bands of death.
17 Their [ Suggesting that the dust belongs to them, there is an association between the two after this life. ] sleeping [ The state of resting ] dust [ 1. Fine dry particles of earth or other matter, so attenuated that it may be raised and wafted by the wind; powder; as clouds of dust and seas of blood;.
2. Fine dry particles of earth; fine earth.;
3. Earth; unorganized earthy matter.
DUST thou art, and to dust shalt thou return. Genesis 3:14;
4. The grave.
For now shall I sleep in the dust Job 7:5;
5. A low condition. ] was to be restored unto its perfect frame, bone to his bone, and the sinews and the flesh upon them, the spirit and the body to be united never again to be divided, that they might receive a fulness of joy. [ to have a fullness of joy you must be a resurrected being. ]
18 While this vast multitude waited and conversed, rejoicing in the hour of their deliverance from the chains of death, the son of God appeared, declaring liberty to the captives who had been faithful; [ Isaiah 61:1 so what does that mean? That he would appear to the righteous members of his church. Notice they are not prisoners they are captives. They are held in the spirit world until Christ works out the resurrection. From the days of Adam to the meridian of time, temple ordinances were performed for the living only. Ordinances for the dead had to await the Atonement and postmortal ministry of the Savior. There was no provision for baptism for the dead when the Kirtland Temple was designed. Yet it served an important preparatory purpose. One week after its dedication, the Lord came personally to the temple to accept it.18 Then, under His direction, Moses, Elias, and Elijah restored specific keys of priesthood authority. Five years later, the Saints were in Nauvoo, Illinois. There the Lord again commanded them to build a temple this time with additional facilities because, He said, D&C 124:29 30 a baptismal font there is not upon the earth, that they, my saints, may be baptized for those who are dead For this ordinance belongeth to my house. D&C 124:32 Then, to make certain that there could be no misunderstanding, He issued a solemn word of warning: If you do not these [baptisms for the dead] ye shall be rejected as a church, with your dead, saith the Lord. Though the Nauvoo Temple was destroyed by fire, it served its sacred purposes. ]
19 And there he [ Jesus Christ. ] preached to them the everlasting gospel, the doctrine of the resurrection [ He has just completed the atonement and the ressurrection, and now he is there telling them about it. Can you imagine the experience? Now we might ask ourselves why would he bother to go an teach them the gospel if there was not a way prepared for them to be able to be redeemed? We know that in John 3:5 it says "except a man be born of the water and of the spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven". 1 Cor. 15 and Paul suggested the idea of Baptism for the dead. ] and the redemption of mankind from the fall, and from individual sins on conditions of repentance.
20 But unto the wicked he [ Christ. ] did not go, [ Why? The answer us found in verse 37 because he could not go there. ] and among the ungodly and the unrepentant who had defiled themselves while in the flesh, his voice was not raised;
21 Neither did the rebellious who rejected the testimonies and the warnings of the ancient prophets behold his presence, nor look upon his face.
22 Where these were, darkness reigned, [ Why does darkiness reign? Because darkiness is the absence of light, these are the ones who rejected the light on their own, so they are there without any light. ] but among the righteous there was peace; [ Their souls rested in the knowledge of who they where, they were repentant and humble, God fearing and trying to do what theLord asked of them. While they were not perfect they were attempting to apply the atonement in their lives to be able to stand with God at some point see verse 24. ]
23 And the saints rejoiced in their redemption, and bowed the knee and acknowledged the son of God as their Redeemer and Deliverer from death and the chains of hell. [ Those bound by the power of Satan because they have hardened their hearts, they are given a lesser part of the word, which causes them to harden their hearts even more - receiving even less... see Alma 12: 11 ]
24 Their countenances shone, and the radiance from the presence of the Lord rested upon them, and they sang praises unto his holy name.
25 I marveled, for I understood that the Savior spent about three years in his ministry among the Jews and those of the house of Israel, endeavoring to teach them the everlasting gospel and call them unto repentance;
26 And yet, notwithstanding his mighty works, and miracles, and proclamation of the truth, in great power and authority, there were but few who hearkened [ Hebrew "Shema" is translated here as hearkened which means "listened to" and "obeyed". ] to his voice, and rejoiced in his presence, and received salvation at his hands.
27 But his ministry among those who were dead was limited to the brief time intervening between the crucifixion and his resurrection;
28 And I wondered at the words of Peter—wherein he said that the son of God preached unto the spirits in prison, who sometime were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah—and how it was possible for him to preach to those spirits and perform the necessary labor among them in so short a time.
29 And as I wondered, my eyes were opened, and my understanding quickened, and I perceived that the Lord went not in person [ He could not go because in doing so he would cause them to burn up - be consumed by his power, he did not go- out of his love, so that they would not be caused to shrink at his persence. ] among the wicked and the disobedient who had rejected the truth, to teach them;
30 But behold, from among the righteous, [ Who are the righteous? They are those who have entered into a covenant with him. New and everlasting covenant - Temple ordinances; Joseph Smith said only those who have had their temple work done will be doing the work. ] he [ Christ ] organized his forces [ What does he do? How does he organize them? ] and appointed messengers, [ Authorized them - they had the priesthood if they were going to preach. ] clothed with power [ Priesthood. ] and authority, [ Under the direction of Jesus Christ. ] and commissioned them to go forth [ What does commissioned mean? he gave them a charge with the authority to carry it out. ] and carry the light of the gospel to them that were in darkness, even to all the spirits of men; and thus was the gospel preached to the dead. [ What would it have been like at the point where these men first entered the spirit prison? Virgin territory for those missionaries. Why you might say? Well if you wound up in the Telestial Kingdom due to ignorance, your agency would have been compromised and your judgment would be unjust. That's why the spirit world is the spirit world. Those in the spirit world are learning the Gospel. They are learning it perfectly so that their agency cannot be compromised. They will choose to follow the Gospel plan, or not, just as Adam's posterity did (We are also among Adam's posterity). No one is going to slip through the cracks. We do the best we can here on earth, but life just gets in the way. The time will come that everyone must choose, by their own agency, to follow the Plan or not. They will receive the whisperings of the Holy Ghost, and they will either knowingly choose it, or knowingly reject it once they understand it. For agency to function properly, you have to have knowledge. Knowledge is the Key to Agency! ]
31 And the chosen messengers went forth to declare the acceptable day of the Lord and proclaim liberty to the captives who were bound, even unto all who would repent of their sins and receive the gospel.
32 Thus was the gospel preached to those who had died in their sins, without a knowledge of the truth, [ 1) Those that died without knowing any better. ] or in transgression, having rejected the prophets. [ 2) Those that rejected the plea from the Lords ambassador's to repent. ]
33 These [ Those that were unrighteous, or in other words those that meet the qualifications just outlined. ] were taught faith in God, [ Note that these are exactly the first principles of the gospel - starting with faith in God. Why is is so importnat to start with faith in God? If we do not have faith in God then he cannot save us, he will not override our agency, if we do not believe in him then since we have to have faith in God for the process to work, so that without faith what God can do in our behalf is very limited. ] repentance from sin, vicarious baptism for the remission of sins, the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands,
34 And all other principles of the gospel that were necessary for them to know in order to qualify themselves that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.
35 And so it was made known among the dead, both small and great, the unrighteous as well as the faithful, that redemption had been wrought through the sacrifice of the son of God upon the cross.
36 Thus was it made known that our Redeemer spent his time during his sojourn in the world of spirits, instructing and preparing the faithful spirits of the prophets who had testified of him in the flesh; [ Kind of like a great big missionary training meeting with the Savior leading the discussion. ]
37 That they [ Those that were in the missionary training meeting, the righteous, or those that had already accepted and were living the gospel principles. ] might carry the message of redemption unto all the dead, unto whom he [ Jesus Christ ] could not go personally, [ Why could he not there personally? because God cannot dwell in unholy places, in essence he did that to protect them, for if he went there they would be destroyed. The light would purge them so that they could not stand it. ] because of their rebellion and transgression, that they through the ministration of his servants might also hear his words.
38 Among the great and mighty ones who were assembled in this vast congregation of the righteous were Father Adam, the Ancient of Days and father of all,
39 And our glorious Mother Eve, with many of her faithful daughters who had lived through the ages and worshiped the true and living God.
40 Abel, the first martyr, was there, and his brother Seth, one of the mighty ones, who was in the express image of his father, Adam.
41 Noah[ Since Noah is listed here by name as will be Elias latter in verse 45. From this I conclude that Noah is NOT ELIAS the person, whom some suggest was on the other person with Moses on the mount of transfiguration. ], who gave warning of the flood; Shem, the great high priest; [ "THE great high priest" same title given by Alma 13:19 "none was greater" This refers back to Alma 13 where Melchizedek reigned under his father and he was also know as a great high priest. Melchizedek was the King of Peace. It was his title, not his name. Melchizedek. In construct form, melek (king) tzadek (righteousness) means King of Peace or King of Righteousness, thus ... Alma 13:17 "Now this Melchizedek was a king over the land of Salem;" Why not Melchizedek? Shem = Melchizedek? Possible reason why they might be...(D&C 84:13-14)
1) Shem was given as an inheritance the land of Salem..
2) Shem reigned in righteousness and the priesthood came through him, Melchizedek's name means "King of righteousness"
3) Shem was the great high priest of his day(Alma says in Alma 13:19 none were greater than Melchizedek). Abraham sought his blessings from the Great high priest Melchizedek
4) In the patriarchal order of the Priesthood Abraham stands next to Shem...but we know that he got the preiesthood from Melchizedek.
5) Jewish tradition identifies Shem as Melchizedek
6) In Joseph F. Smiths vision he names Shem amoung the great patriarchs, and doesn't mention Melchizedek.
7) Times and Seasons Dec 15, 1844 says Shem is Melchizedek. 8) Shem and Melchizedek are never mentioned together, and they would have been contemporaries.] Abraham, the father of the faithful; Isaac, Jacob, and Moses, the great law-giver of Israel;
1) Shem was given as an inheritance the land of Salem..
2) Shem reigned in righteousness and the priesthood came through him, Melchizedek's name means "King of righteousness"
3) Shem was the great high priest of his day(Alma says in Alma 13:19 none were greater than Melchizedek). Abraham sought his blessings from the Great high priest Melchizedek
4) In the patriarchal order of the Priesthood Abraham stands next to Shem...but we know that he got the preiesthood from Melchizedek.
5) Jewish tradition identifies Shem as Melchizedek
6) In Joseph F. Smiths vision he names Shem amoung the great patriarchs, and doesn't mention Melchizedek.
7) Times and Seasons Dec 15, 1844 says Shem is Melchizedek. 8) Shem and Melchizedek are never mentioned together, and they would have been contemporaries.] Abraham, the father of the faithful; Isaac, Jacob, and Moses, the great law-giver of Israel;
42 And Isaiah, who declared by prophecy that the Redeemer was anointed to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that were bound, were also there.
43 Moreover, Ezekiel, who was shown in vision the great valley of dry bones, which were to be clothed upon with flesh, to come forth again in the resurrection of the dead, living souls;
44 Daniel, who foresaw and foretold the establishment of the kingdom of God in the latter days, never again to be destroyed nor given to other people;
45 Elias,[ Who is this Elias? Well it may have been Joseph - the very one who is sold into Egypt. Remember in Gen 50:20 he Joseph says this to his brother's after they are aware of who he is. What Joseph is saying is I that he was sent as a forerunner into Egypt to be there in order for your temporal salvation. Or in order to save you. So he is saying is that I was sent as a forerunner I was sent as an Elias. It is possible that this Elias(Joseph of Egypt) is the Elias that's talked about here in the Kirtland Temple. Could it be that he(Joseph) is the Elias that commits, and gives the keys of the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham. After all he was the last of the Abrahamic dispensation. So as the last worthy pillar of that dispensation, who would not have been a better forerunner or a better person to prepare the way for the salvation of Israel? No one would be better than Joseph himself. And and those are the keys I think that we see being passed here from a resurrected being passing the keys that Joseph of Egypt held to the Prophet Joseph in the Kirtland Temple. It even makes more sense in light of the Book of Mormon, and where it comes from and the legacy that is in there. Those two tribes Manasseh and Ephraim go back to Joseph, and it's then the legacy of Joseph who I think has a lot to do with the brass plates but it's it's then the legacy of Joseph that is the one that is preserving the gospel and in a sense preparing the way even in this dispensation to be able to gather Israel with the Book of Mormon. If you think of what the dispensation of the Gospel of Abraham gives us. It's the covenant of Abraham that has to come forward. And that's talked about in the very in the second paragraph of the title page of the Book of Mormon. Yeah That second paragraph is talking about those covenants the blessings of the fathers, it's establishing the covenant of Abraham and and that's who's bringing the keys from the covenant of Abraham into our dispensation because it's the last person of that dispensation of Abraham who was a forerunner for the temporal salvation that are now being given to Joseph Smith to be the forerunner for the spiritual salvation before Christ comes the second time. According to D&C 77:9&14, the question was also answered by the Lord. It tells us that John the Revelator’s mission is to be the Elias who comes to restore all things.
9 Q. What are we to understand by the angel ascending from the east, Revelation 7th chapter and 2nd verse?
A. We are to understand that the angel ascending from the east is he to whom is given the seal of the living God over the twelve tribes of Israel; wherefore, he crieth unto the four angels having the everlasting gospel, saying: Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And, if you will receive it, this is Elias which was to come to gather together the tribes of Israel and restore all things.
14 Q. What are we to understand by the little book which was eaten by John, as mentioned in the 10th chapter of Revelation?
A. We are to understand that it was a mission, and an ordinance, for him to gather the tribes of Israel; behold, this is Elias, who, as it is written, must come and restore all things. ] who was with Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration;
46 And Malachi, the prophet who testified of the coming of Elijah— [ Or as if to say that Elijah will act as an Elias. ] of whom also Moroni spake to the Prophet Joseph Smith, declaring that he should come before the ushering in of the great and dreadful day of the Lord—were also there.
47 The Prophet Elijah [ Elijah's mission is proclaimed - acting as an Elias. So here we have Joseph Smith making a distinction between the calling and person of Elias and the prophet. Elijah and Elias are seen in this vision as two seperate and distinct persons as see by him in the spirit world. ] was to plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to their fathers,
48 Foreshadowing the great work to be done in the temples of the Lord in the dispensation of the fulness of times, for the redemption of the dead, and the sealing of the children to their parents, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse and utterly wasted at his coming.
49 All these and many more, even the prophets who dwelt among the Nephites and testified of the coming of the son of God, mingled in the vast assembly and waited for their deliverance,
51 These the Lord taught, and gave them power to come forth, after his resurrection from the dead, to enter into his Father’s kingdom, there to be crowned with immortality and eternal life,
52 And continue thenceforth their labor as had been promised by the Lord, and be partakers of all blessings which were held in reserve for them that love him.
53 The Prophet Joseph Smith, and my father, Hyrum Smith, Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, and other choice spirits who were reserved to come forth in the fulness of times to take part in laying the foundations of the great latter-day work,
54 Including the building of the temples and the performance of ordinances therein for the redemption of the dead, were also in the spirit world.
55 I observed that they were also among the noble and great ones who were chosen in the beginning to be rulers in the Church of God.
56 Even before they were born, they, with many others, received their first lessons in the world of spirits and were prepared to come forth in the due time of the Lord to labor in his vineyard for the salvation of the souls of men.
57 I beheld that the faithful elders of
this dispensation, when they depart from mortal life, continue their labors in the preaching of the gospel of repentance and redemption, through the sacrifice of the Only Begotten son of God, among those who are in darkness and under the bondage of sin in the great world of the spirits of the dead.