Doctrine and Covenants Week 16: D&C 76

1) Background a) [SLIDE 2] Were now up to February 1832. Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon and their families had been living at the home of John and Alice Johnson in Hiram, Ohio, since the previous September. b) Except for occasional breaks to preach or attend Church conferences,1 Joseph and Sidney had been hard at work on the new translation of the Bible for about six months. 2 c) [SLIDE 3] On 16 February 1832, while Joseph and Sidney were in an upstairs room of the Johnson farmhouse translating John 5:29, they received the remarkable vision now recorded as Doctrine and Covenants 76. d) This revelation was so magnificent in scope and restored such important information that for years afterward the Saints referred to it simply as the Vision. e) [SLIDE 4] Joseph Smiths own account of the Vision can be found in the heading for section 76:
Upon my return from Amherst [Ohio] conference, I resumed the translation of the Scriptures. From sundry revelations which had been received, it was apparent that many important points touching the salvation of man, had been taken from the Bible, or lost before it was compiled. It appeared self-evident from what truths were left, that if God rewarded every one according to the deeds done in the body the term Heaven, as intended for the Saints eternal home must include more kingdoms than one. Accordingly, on the 16th of February, 1832, while translating St. Johns Gospel, myself and Elder Rigdon saw the following vision.3

i) [SLIDE 5] At this point Joseph and Sidney had not yet reached the writings of Paul the apostle in their translation effort, so its unclear how familiar they were with Pauls description of the various degrees of glory of the bodies of resurrected persons (1 Corinthians 15:3544) and Pauls vision of the third heaven (2 Corinthians 12:2). These scriptures may have been part of the catalyst for this vision. f) Several other persons were present at the Johnson farm when Joseph and Sidney received this vision.

1 For example, see D&C 71:12, where Joseph and Sidney were commanded in early December 1831 to begin publicly rebutting the accusations of ex-Mormon apostates Ezra Booth and Simonds Ryder. See notes to lesson 14, footnotes 5 and 6 (https://sites.google.com/site/hwsarc/home/dc/week14). 2 For background on Josephs translation of the Bible, see notes to week 15, pages 18 (https://sites.google.com/site/hwsarc/home/dc/week15). 3 History of the Church 1:245 (http://byustudies.byu.edu/hc/1/20.html#245); Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith 11.

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i) [SLIDE 6] Philo Dibble4 later recalled his experience:

The vision which is recorded in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants was given at the house of Father Johnson in Hiram, Ohio, and during the time that Joseph and Sidney were in the spirit and saw the heavens open, there were other men in the room, perhaps twelve, among whom I was one during part of the timeprobably two-thirds of the time,I saw the glory and felt the power, but did not see the vision. The events and conversation, while they were seeing what is written (and many things were seen and related that are not written,) I will relate as minutely as is necessary. [SLIDE 7] Joseph would, at intervals, say: What do I see? as one might say while looking out the window and beholding what all in the room could not see. Then he would relate what he had seen or what he was looking at. Then Sidney replied, I see the same. Presently Sidney would say what do I see? and would repeat what he had seen or was seeing, and Joseph would reply, I see the same. This manner of conversation was repeated at short intervals to the end of the vision, and during the whole time not a word was spoken by any other person. Not a sound nor motion made by anyone but Joseph and Sidney, and it seemed to me that they never moved a joint or limb during the time I was there, which I think was over an hour, and to the end of the vision. [SLIDE 8] Joseph sat firmly and calmly all the time in the midst of a magnificent glory, but Sidney sat limp and pale, apparently as limber as a rag, observing which, Joseph remarked, smilingly, Sidney is not used to it as I am.5

g) [SLIDE 9] Joseph Smith said about the Vision:

Nothing could be more pleasing to the Saints upon the order of the kingdom of the Lord, than the light which burst upon the world through the foregoing vision. Every law, every commandment, every promise, every truth, and every point touching the destiny of man, from Genesis to Revelation, where the purity of the scriptures remains unsullied by the folly of men, go to show the perfection of the theory [of the degrees of glory] and witnesses the fact that that document is a transcript from the records of the eternal world. The sublimity of the ideas; the purity of the language; the scope for action; the continued duration for completion, in order that the heirs of salvation may confess the Lord and bow the knee; the rewards for faithfulness, and the punishments for sins, are so much beyond the narrow-mindedness of men, that every honest man is constrained to exclaim: It came from God.6

h) Surprisingly, the reactions to the Vision among the Saints were less than universally positive.

4 Philo Dibble (180695) was born in Peru, Pittsfield County, Massachusetts. He and his wife, Celia Kent, moved to King Street, Ohio (about five miles from Kirtland) when Dibble was 23 years old, where they encountered Oliver Cowdery, Ziba Peterson, Peter Whitmer, Jr., and Parley P. Pratt as they passed through on the Lamanite mission. Dibble was baptized on 16 November 1830. His autobiography, covering the years 180643, is available online at

http://www.hunterscastle.com/dibblesr.htm

5 Recollections of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Juvenile Instructor 27/10 (15 May 1892), 30304 (http://archive.org/stream/juvenileinstruct2710geor#page/302). 6 HC 1:25253 (http://byustudies.byu.edu/hc/1/20.html#252); TPJS 911.

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i) [SLIDE 10] Brigham Young:

When God revealed to Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon that there was a place prepared for all, according to the light they had received and their rejection of evil and practice of good, it was a great trial to many, and some apostatized because God was not going to send to everlasting punishment heathens and infants, but had a place of salvation, in due time, for all, and would bless the honest and virtuous and truthful, whether they ever belonged to any church or not. It was a new doctrine to this generation, and many stumbled at it, but Joseph continued to receive revelation upon revelation, ordinance upon ordinance, truth upon truth, until he obtained all that was necessary for the salvation of the human family.7

i) [SLIDE 11] Regarding the completeness of the recorded vision, Joseph Smith later said:
I could explain a hundred fold more than I ever have of the glories of the kingdoms manifested to me in the vision, were I permitted, and were the people prepared to receive them.8

i) I suspect Joseph was being hyperbolic in that statement. If he were to be taken literally, that additional revelation would be nearly three times the length of our current Doctrine and Covenants. 2) [SLIDE 12] Outline of the Vision. a) D&C 76 can be easily divided into sections: i) 76:110. Preface. ii) 76:1118. Introduction & setting. iii) 76:1927. Testimony of opposites: Jesus and Satan. iv) 76:2849. The sons of perdition. v) 76:5070, 9295. Heirs of celestial glory. vi) 76:7180. Heirs of terrestrial glory. vii) 76:8191, 96113. Heirs of telestial glory. viii) 76:114119. Conclusion. 3) Content of the Vision. a) [SLIDE 13] 76:110: Preface. i) 76:510 is one long thus saith the Lord quotation. (1) In this portion, the Lord promises to honor those who fear (i.e., respect) and serve him by revealing to them by the Holy Ghost all mysteries, the wonders of eternity, wisdom, understanding, and the secrets of [his] will. (2) 76:12 indicates that this promise was fulfilled for Joseph and Sidney through this revelation.
7 Brigham Young, 18 May 1873. Journal of Discourses 16:4243 (http://en.fairmormon.org/Journal_of_Discourses/16/7#42). 8 HC 5:402 (http://byustudies.byu.edu/hc/5/22.html#402); TPJS 305. The origin of this sentence is uncertain. The History of the Church places it within a 21 May 1843 sermon by the Prophet in the Nauvoo Temple, and identifies the source of the transcription as Willard Richards. However, Richards notes of that sermon do not include anything like this sentence, and neither do any of the other attendees notes (see Words of Joseph Smith 20409).

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b) [SLIDE 14] 76:1118. Introduction & setting. i) 76:13. Note here that Joseph and Sidneys vision wasnt just of the three degrees of glory; they saw those things which were from the beginningincluding the events of the premortal existence (76:25)down to the eternal state of mankind after the final judgment. (a) This grand tour vision of the beginning to the end has been given to many other prophets, including Enoch (Moses 7:67), the brother of Jared (Ether 3:2526), Moses (Moses 1), and Nephi (1 Nephi 14). ii) 76:14. This revelation included not just a vision of Jesus Christ, but a conversation with him. iii) 76:17. This version of John 5:29 is from the Joseph Smith Translation. c) [SLIDE 15] Testimony of opposites: Jesus and Satan (76:1927). i) 76:2224. The word last in verse 22 means latest. Joseph and Sidney were, at the time, the most recent witnesses of these things, but that is not to imply that there would be no testimonies to come after (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:8). ii) [SLIDE 16] 76:24. Joseph declared that the Apostle John, in his Revelation, saw
beings there [in heaven] of a thousand forms, that had been saved from ten thousand times ten thousand earths like this,strange beasts of which we have no conception. John learned that God glorified Himself by saving all that His hands had made, whether beasts, fowls, fishes or men; and He will glorify himself with them.9

iii) 76:24. Is Jesus Christ the Savior of all these worlds, or just ours? (1) [SLIDE 17] Joseph believed that Jesus was a universal Savior for all of the Fathers creations. In 1843 he penned a poetic version of D&C 76, a portion of which reads:
And I heard a great voice, bearing record from heavn, Hes the Saviour, and only begotten of God By him, of him, and through him, the worlds were all made, Even all that career in the heavens so broad, [17.1] Whose inhabitants, too, from the first to the last, Are savd by the very same Saviour of ours; And, of course, are begotten Gods daughters and sons, By the very same truths, and the very same powrs.10

10

(http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/utils/getfile/collection/NCMP1820-1846/id/9762/filename/4854.pdf). Josephs 78-stanza poem was a reply to a shorter poem on the afterlife, written by W.W. Phelps to Joseph Smith and published in the same issue of the Times and Seasons (8182). 2013, Mike Parker http://bit.ly/ldsarc For personal use only. Not a Church publication.

HC 5:343 (http://byustudies.byu.edu/hc/5/18.html#343); TPJS 291. Joseph Smith, A Vision, Times and Seasons 4/6 (1 February 1843), 8283, stanzas 1920

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(2) [SLIDE 18] Brigham Young, on the other hand, espoused a different view:
Let me open the eyes of your understanding. There has never been a time when the creations of worlds commenced. They are from eternity to eternity in their creations and redemption. After they are organized they experience the good and the evil, the light and the dark, the bitter and the sweet as you and I do. There never was a time when there were not worlds in existence as this world is, and they pass through similar changes in abiding their creation preparatory to exaltation. Worlds have always been in progress, and eternally will be. Every world has had an Adam and an Eve, named so simply because the first man is always called Adam and the first woman, Eve. And the oldest son has always had the privilege of being ordained, appointed and called to be the heir of the family if he does not rebel against the Father, and he is the Savior of the family. Every world that has been created has been created upon the same principle. They may vary in their varieties, yet the eternity is one: it is one eternal round.11

(3) Between these two opinions, I think the best answer to the question is that we have not received a definitive revelation on the subject, and, although Josephs view is clearly the prevailing one in the Church today,12 it is probably best to leave this question open until we do receive further light and knowledge.13 iv) [SLIDE 19] 76:25. Note that Satan was previously in authority in the presence of God and that his sin was rebellion, not just a difference of opinion. (1) D&C 29:36 explains that Satan demanded the Fathers honor, which is [his] power. Just as in mortal life, the root of Satans sin was pride and a lust for power. (Cf. Moses 4:3.) v) 76:2628. These verses use four of the most common names by which the Adversary is known. Lets examine their etymology: (1) The word perdition comes from the Latin word perdere, destroy or lose. It occurs eight times in the King James New Testament,14 where it is a translation of the Greek word (aplia), meaning destruction or ruin. In each of these cases it indicates the final state of ruin and punishment which forms the opposite to salvation. (a) This word perfectly describes Satan as those who follow him (the sons of perdition), for it is they who are subject to the second death (76:37).

11 Brigham Young, For This Is Life Eternal, General Conference, 8 October 1854. Brigham Young Addresses, Elden Watson, ed. (n/p, 1979), 2:230. 12 The mercy of the Atonement extends not only to an infinite number of people, but also to an infinite number of worlds created by Him. Elder Russell M. Nelson, The Atonement, General Conference, October 1996 (http://www.lds.org/ensign/1996/11/the-atonement). 13 For a further exploration of this issue, see http://en.fairmormon.org/Jesus_Christ/Savior_of_other_worlds 14 John 17:12; Philippians 1:28; 2 Thessalonians 2:3; 1 Timothy 6:9; Hebrews 10:39; 2 Peter 3:7; Revelation 17:11, 18.

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(2) Lucifer comes from the Latin lucis ferre, light-bringer. It is found only once in the Bible,15 in Isaiah 14:12,16 where it is a translation of the Hebrew (helel ben-shakhar)son of the morning, which is probably a name for Venus, the morning star. (a) The passage in Isaiah is directed to the king of Babylon. Isaiah called him son of the morning as something of an insult. In Canaanite mythology Helel, son of Shachar, was a minor god who tried to take over Zaphon, the mountain of the gods. His attempted coup failed and he was hurled down to the underworld. Isaiah taunted the king of Babylon for having similar delusions of grandeur. (b) During the Middle Ages, Christian thinkers made a connection between Isaiah 14:12 and Jesus statement that he beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven (Luke 10:18), which is what happened to Helel. It was at this point that the name-title Lucifer became attached to Satan.17 (c) Joseph Smiths revelation reaffirms the appropriateness of this title. (3) Satan is a word we get directly from Hebrew ( / ha-sawtahn).18 It means the accuser, and first appears in the story of Job, where the accuser something like a prosecuting attorneycomes before God and asks him to try Jobs faith and patience (Job 12).19 (4) Devil comes from the Greek (diabolos), which also means accuser.20 d) [SLIDE 20] The sons of perdition (76:2849). i) 76:3038. Description of the sons of perdition. (1) 76:30. Note that the sons of perdition were formerly saints [holy ones] of Godwith whom [Satan] made war and overcame. (a) When it says they were overcome, it does not mean they were simply taken prisoner: They knowingly changed sides, becoming traitors to their former allegiance to Jesus Christ. (b) Contrast this with the sons of God, who overcome Satan and the world (1 John 2:1314; 5:45; D&C 76:53, 60). (2) 76:31. Five requirements to become a son of perdition: (a) Those who know my power, and (b) Have been made partakers thereof, and
15 It also appears in 2 Nephi 24:12, which is a quote of Isaiah 14:12. These two passages and D&C 76:26 are the only three uses of Lucifer in scripture. 16 The King James Version of the Bible copies the Latin Vulgate word Lucifer directly in this passage. Modern Bible translations render the Hebrew phrase as Day Star, son of Dawn (NRSV), shining one, son of the dawn (NET), morning star, son of the dawn (NIV), star of the morning, son of the dawn (NASB), or something similar to these. 17 For more on this, see Old Testament lesson 19, pages 26 (https://sites.google.com/site/hwsarc/home/ot/week19 ). 18 This word went directly from Hebrew, to Greek ( / satanas), to Latin (satan), to English. 19 ( sawtahn), without the definite article ( ha) appears ten times in the Old Testament, where it represents a human being who accuses another. The King James Bible is inconsistent in its translation of these occurrences, rendering it adversary (Numbers 22:22; 1 Samuel 29:4; 2 Samuel 19:22; 1 Kings 5:4; 11:14, 23, 25), withstand (Numbers 22:32), and Satan (1 Chronicles 21:1; Psalms 109:6), even though the final two instances do not indicate a supernatural being. Where Satan does appear as divine being is in Job 1:62:7 and Zechariah 3:12, and the KJV translation is accurate in these instances. 20 The Greek diabolos became diabolus in Latin, then deofol in Old English, then devel in Middle English, and finally devil in Modern English.

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(i) These persons have experienced the highest blessings of the gospel and the strongest manifestation of Gods power and glory. (You shall see me and know that I amD&C 67:10.) (c) Suffered themselves through the power of the devil to be overcome, and (i) Suffered means they willingly allowed themselves to be overcome. They love Satan more than God (Moses 5:18) and deliberately choose to follow him. (d) [Suffered themselves] to deny the truth and (e) Defy my power. (i) This puts them in open rebellion against God, the very sin that got Satan cast out of heaven (76:25, 28). (3) [SLIDE 21] Joseph Smith taught:
All sins shall be forgiven, except the sin against the Holy Ghost; for Jesus will save all except the sons of perdition. What must a man do to commit the unpardonable sin? He must receive the Holy Ghost, have the heavens opened unto him, and know God, and then sin against him. After a man has sinned against the Holy Ghost, there is no repentance for him. He has got to say that the sun does not shine while he sees it; he has got to deny Jesus Christ when the heavens have been opened unto him, and to deny the plan of salvation with his eyes open to the truth of it; and from that time he begins to be an enemy.21

(4) [SLIDE 22] 76:32. In the Bible, the term sons of applies to both men and women, and would be better translated children of. (a) The children of perdition have made Satan their father by covenant, rather than Jesus Christ. (i) Instead of being sealed to Christ and becom[ing] his sons and his daughters (Mosiah 5:7) they have chosen to be child[ren] of the devil (Alma 5:3941). (ii) Instead of being sealed to Christ (Mosiah 5:15), they are sealed to the devil (Alma 34:35). (5) 76:33. A vessel is a container; the Lord calls the sons of perdition vessels of [Gods] wrath because they receive and retain Gods anger like a large bowl holds water.22 (6) 76:35. The sons of perdition crucified [Jesus] unto themselves and put him to an open shame, or, in other words, crucify the Son of God for themselves all over again and hold him up to contempt.23 They are doing, personally and individually, what the crucifiers of Jesus did publicly as a group. ii) [SLIDE 23] 76:3839. The sons of perdition are the only ones who shall not be redeemed in the due time of the Lordfor all the rest shall be brought forth by the resurrection of the dead.

Joseph Smith, discourse at the funeral of Elder King Follett at Nauvoo, 7 April 1844. HC 6:314 (http://byustudies.byu.edu/hc/6/15.html#314); TPJS 358; WJS 347, 353. 22 Cf. Romans 9:22. 23 Cf. Hebrews 6:6.
21

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(1) Some have misinterpreted verse 39 to mean that the sons of perdition will not be resurrected. However, D&C 88:32 indicates that they will be quickened, or made alive again. iii) 76:4448. The sons of perdition shall go away into everlasting punishment and their duration and location of their punishment no man knowsexcept to them who are made partakers thereof. (1) Brigham Young speculated that the sons of perdition might be thrown back to the native element from which they originated, to be worked over again, and be prepared to enjoy some sort of a kingdom.24 (2) However, the scriptures are emphatic that no one knows their fate: Never at any time have I declared from mine own mouth that they should return, for where I am they cannot come (D&C 29:29). (3) [SLIDE 24] Joseph Smith instructed in a letter:
Say to the brothers Hulet and to all others, that the Lord never authorized them to say that the devil, his angels, or the sons of perdition, should ever be restored; for their state of destiny was not revealed to man, is not revealed, nor ever shall be revealed, save to those who are made partakers thereof: consequently those who teach this doctrine have not received it of the Spirit of the Lord. Truly Brother Oliver declared it to be the doctrine of devils. We, therefore, command that this doctrine be taught no more in Zion [i.e., Missouri].25

e) [SLIDE 25] Heirs of celestial glory (76:5070, 9295). i) The word celestial appears in Pauls discourse on the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15:3544, where it means heavenly or of the heavens (i.e., the sky). ii) 76:5153. Five qualifications to enter the celestial kingdom. They are they who: (1) Received the testimony of Jesus, and (2) Believed on his name and (3) Were baptized after the manner of his burial, being buried in the water in his name, and this according to the commandment which he has givenThat by keeping the commandments they might be washed and cleansed from all their sins, and receive the Holy Spirit by the laying on of the hands of him who is ordained and sealed unto this power; and (a) The commandments in 76:52 directly refers to the commandment to be baptized in 76:51. (4) Who overcome by faith, and (a) Overcome what? Satan (1 John 2:1314) and the world (1 John 5:45; D&C 50:41; 63:47), just as Jesus did (John 16:33).26

24 Brigham Young, 17 April 1853. JD 2:124 (http://en.fairmormon.org/Journal_of_Discourses/2/24#124 ). Brigham based his conclusion on the allegory in Jeremiah 18:14. For more on this issue, see

http://en.fairmormon.org/Plan_of_salvation/Sons_of_Perdition/Eventual_fate

25 Joseph Smith, letter to Brother W.W. Phelps, and others in Zion, from Kirtland, 25 June 1833. HC 1:366 (http://byustudies.byu.edu/hc/1/28.html#366); TPJS 24. 26 Overcoming is also a major theme of Johns letters to the seven churches in Asia (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:12, 3:21)

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(5) Are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, which the Father sheds forth upon all those who are just and true. (a) [SLIDE 26] What is the Holy Spirit of Promise?
The Holy Spirit of Promise is one of many descriptive name-titles of the Holy Ghost and refers to a specific function of the Holy Ghost. [Compare John 14:16 with D&C 88:3.] . The Holy Spirit of Promise is the power by which ordinances and other righteous acts performed on this earth, such as baptism and eternal marriage, are ratified, validated, and sealed in heaven as well as on earth. The sealing of earthly covenants and performances is conditional and depends upon the recipients personal commitment and worthiness. If a person who has received the Holy Spirit of Promise subsequently becomes unrighteous, the seal is broken until full repentance and forgiveness occur.27 [SLIDE 27] Individuals are said to be sealed when they are promised a certain fate or destination, such as the celestial kingdom or exaltation in the kingdom. Whether Gods promises are conditional, as in the covenants of baptism or the endowment, or unconditional, as when ones calling and election are made sure, on either level it is the power of the Holy Ghost acting as the Holy Spirit of Promise that ratifies the contract, guarantees its terms, and testifies or promises that Gods word will be kept.28

(i) [SLIDE 28] To seal means not just to bind, but also to place a stamp of authenticity. In this case the seal of the Holy Spirit of Promise is spiritual stamp certifying the reality of Gods promise. (b) To be just is to be upright and honest, to be equitable in the distribution of justice. (c) To be true is to be faithful, steady, and loyal. iii) [SLIDE 29] 76:5470. A description of their heirs of celestial glory. (1) 76:54. They are the church of the Firstborn.
The Church of the Firstborn is Christs heavenly church, and its members are exalted beings who gain an inheritance in the highest heaven of the celestial world and for whom the family continues in eternity.29 They who dwell in his presence are the church of the Firstborn (76:94). And now, verily I say unto you, I was in the beginning with the Father, and am the Firstborn; and all those who are begotten through me are partakers of the glory of the same, and are the church of the Firstborn (93:2122).

(2) 76:56. They have received of his fulness, and of his glory. (a) Note that those who enter the terrestrial and telestial kingdoms receive of his glory, but not of his fulness (76:76, 86).
27 Encyclopedia of Mormonism (New York: Macmillan, 1992), s.v. Holy Spirit of Promise, 2:65152 (http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Holy_Spirit_of_Promise). 28 Stephen E. Robinson and H. Dean Garrett, A Commentary on the Doctrine and Covenants (Deseret Book, 2001), 2:305. 29 Ivan J. Barrett, Church of the Firstborn, EofM 1:276 (http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Church_of_the_Firstborn).

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(3) 76:57 directly connects exaltation to the office of high priest in the Melchizedek Priesthood, which is the priesthood order that Jesus himself holds (Hebrews 5; D&C 107:3). (4) 76:5859, 95. They are gods and all things are theirs. God makes them equal in power, and in might, and in dominion. (a) This is the first time in Josephs revelations that the promise of becoming like God the Father is made so explicit. Its a theme that will be developed in later sections (e.g., 84 and 88). (b) We take this for granted now, but consider what a radical idea this was in February 1832. (5) [SLIDE 30] 76:60. They shall overcome all things, as opposed to the sons of perdition, who allow themselves to be overcome by Satan (76:31). (6) 76:69. They are just men made perfect through Jesuswho wrought out this perfect atonement. (a) Note that the scripture does not say they were perfect men and women, but that they were just men [and women] made perfect through Jesus and his atonement. (b) Perfection is the required standard for entrance into the celestial kingdom. As mortal, fallible beings we cannot make ourselves perfect, but we can behave in a just mannerChrist, through his atonement, then makes us perfect. f) [SLIDE 31] Heirs of terrestrial glory (76:7180). i) The word terrestrial appears in Pauls discourse on the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15:3544, where it means of the earth. (1) However, the type of earth Paul was referring to was the one from which Adam was made (1 Corinthians 15:45, 47), which was Eden, or paradise. ii) Those who inherit the terrestrial kingdom fall into one of at least three groups: (1) 76:72. They who died without law. (a) There are many who have lived and died who did not receive the fulness of the gospel, nor the teachings of Christianity, nor even the law of Moses. They are the untold millions who never received any portion of Gods law, and are therefore unaccountable for those actions that dont defy the laws that are obvious to all men through conscience, or the Spirit of Christ, like murder and theft.30 (b) Many of these individuals will receive the fulness of the gospel in the spirit world and will be heirs of the celestial kingdom (D&C 137:7; see also 2 Nephi 9:26; Mosiah 3:11; D&C 45:54).

30 The apostle Paul remarked that the invisible things of [God] from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made [i.e., human beings], even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse (Romans 1:20). Christian author C.S. Lewis called it the Law of Nature because every man knows it by nature and does not need to be taught it. The virtues of selflessness, honesty, and fairness transcend cultural bounds and are universally admired, even if different cultures may apply them differently. (See chapter 1 of Lewis classic book Mere Christianity.) Latterday Saints understand that this universal conscience comes because of the Spirit of Christ which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed (D&C 88:13).

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(c) However, there will be many who inherit the terrestrial kingdom who were not wicked, but who also would not have accepted the gospel even if they had had the chance in this life, and who did not accept it in the spirit world. (2) 76:7375. Those who were given a full opportunity to accept the gospel in this life, but rejected it, and then later accepted it in the spirit world. (a) These are honorable, not wicked men. (3) 76:79. Finally, those who accepted the gospel in this life, but were not valiant in the testimony of Jesus. (a) They werent gross sinners, but those who wont keep the commandments in their personal lives, or dont accept callings and help build up the kingdom. Theyre good people, but they didnt make even a good faith attempt to live the gospel. (b) [SLIDE 32] Joseph Smith:
I do not believe the Methodist doctrine of sending honest men and nobleminded men to hell, along with the murderer and the adulterer. They may hurl all their hell and fiery billows upon me, for they will roll off me as fast as they come on. But I have an order of things to save the poor fellows at any rate, and get them saved; for I will send men to preach to them in prison and save them if I can. There are mansions for those who obey a celestial law, and there are other mansions for those who come short of the law, every man in his own order.31

g) [SLIDE 33] Heirs of telestial glory (76:8191, 96113). i) The word telestial is not found in Pauls resurrection discourse; it was introduced to the world in Joseph Smiths revelations.32 Its meaning is not known exactly, but there are at least two possibilities: (1) It could come from the Greek adverb (tele), which means at a distance, or far away. (Telephone means a faraway voice; television means distant viewing.) If that is the origin of telestial, then it is the farthest or most distant kingdom of glory.33 (2) Another possibility from Greek is (telos), a noun meaning end, purpose. The verb form (telein) means to bring to an end, to complete. If this is the origin, then the telestial kingdom would be the lowest of the Fathers kingdoms, one that has the purpose of being where the remainder of his children go. It completes and finishes his plans for mankind.34 ii) 76:82, 101. The one primary qualification for entry into the telestial kingdom is to reject the gospel, both in this life and in the spirit world.
Joseph Smith, sermon in the Nauvoo Temple, 12 May 1844; HC 6:365 (http://byustudies.byu.edu/hc/6/18.html#365); TPJS 366; WJS 368. 32 The Joseph Smith Translation adds telestial to 1 Corinthians 15:40. As we discussed last week in lesson 15, theres no reason to assume that word was original to Pauls letter and subsequently lostit could just as well be a latter-day insertion by Joseph Smith in order to harmonize 1 Corinthians 15 with D&C 76. 33 See Kevin Barney, The Etymology of Telestial, ByCommonConsent.com, 27 January 2010 (http://bycommonconsent.com/2010/01/27/the-etymology-of-telestial/). 34 See Russell M. Nelson, Perfection Pending, General Conference, October 1995 (http://www.lds.org/ensign/1995/11/perfection-pending).
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Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class

Doctrine and Covenants Section 76

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iii) 76:103. Also found there are those whose personal lives were so wicked that they rejected and defied whatever law they received in this life, and do not repent of their sins. (1) This includes those who commit murder or adultery, those who frequent with prostitutes (whoremongers), and those who lie (cf. 2 Nephi 9:3438). (2) 76:99100. It also includes those who refuse to follow Christ, but instead follow the philosophies and teachings of men, or of false Christs (cf. 2 Nephi 28:15). iv) Even though D&C 76 identifies the telestial kingdom as the Biblical post-Judgment hell (76:84, 106), we need to keep in mind that it is still one of the Fathers kingdoms of glory (76:81, 89, 91, 98, 109). (1) 76:88. One of the great blessings of the Restoration is the knowledge that God will eventually save all of his children in heaven (with the exception of the sons of perdition). Everyone will receive a fulness of divine glory suitable to their natures (D&C 88:2931). v) There is a persistent urban legend within the Church that Joseph Smith said something to the effect that if a person could see the glory of the telestial kingdom he would commit suicide to get there.35 The origin of the alleged statement is a diary entry by Charles Lowell Walker (18321904),36 quoting something he heard Wilford Woodruff tell him that Joseph Smith said. And the urban legend even badly garbles Walker:
[SLIDE 34] Br. Woodruff spoke. He refered to a saying of Joseph Smith which he heard him utter (like this) That if the People knew what was behind the vail, they would try by every means to commit suicide that they might get there, but the Lord in his wisdom had implanted the fear of death in every person that they might cling to life and thus accomplish the designs of their creator.37

(1) We should take this statement with a very large grain of salt. Its not something Joseph said, nor even something Wilford Woodruff claimed that Joseph said; its what Charles L. Walker wrote, based on what he heard Wilford Woodruff say that Woodruff remembered Joseph saying. Historians call this a late, third-hand account, which are among the least likely to be reliable. vi) [SLIDE 35] 76:110. Note that even the inhabitants of the telestial kingdom shall bow the knee, and every tongue shall confess: (1) That He is God (Mosiah 27:31), and (2) That his judgments are just (Mosiah 16:1), and (3) That Jesus is the Christ (Philippians 2:11). h) Conclusion (76:114119).

35 On this legend, Truman Madsen has written, If only we could get the fundamental doctrines across to Church members as rapidly as we get across rumors, everyone would be saved. The Radiant Life (Bookcraft, 1994), chap. 8 36 Charles L. Walker is perhaps best remembered for penning the lyrics to Dearest Children, God Is Near You. Hymns of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1985), 96. 37 Diary of Charles Lowell Walker, A. Karl Larson and Katherine M. Larson, eds. (Utah State University Press, 1980), 1:46566. Quoted in Studies in Scripture Vol. 1: The Doctrine and Covenants, edited by Robert L. Millet and Kent P. Jackson (Deseret Book, 1985), 30708, note 29.

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Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class

Doctrine and Covenants Section 76

Week 16, Page 13

i) Joseph and Sidney only reported a portion of what they saw in the Vision (76:114 116), but Joseph continued to receive further revelations expanding on the degrees of glory and the type of people we need to be to inherit the celestial kingdom. Well be examining these in the upcoming weeks. 4) [SLIDE 36] Next week: a) D&C 7883, 85, 92, 104.

2013, Mike Parker

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For personal use only. Not a Church publication.