Come,
Follow Me
D&C
129-132
Quotations
Intended For Use In The Lesson
[Not All May Have
Been Used For Lack of Time]
A D&C
129:1-3
President George Q. Cannon of the
First Presidency explained,
“In the broadest sense, any being
who acts as a messenger for our Heavenly Father is an angel, be he a God, a
resurrected man, or the spirit of a just man” (“Editorial Thoughts,” The Juvenile Instructor, Jan. 15,
1891, 53).
B
D&C 130:1-3
The Prophet Joseph Smith added a
very important doctrine to these verses, The Second Comforter:
“After a person hath faith in
Christ, repents of his sins, and is baptized for the remission of his sins, and
receives the Holy Ghost (by the laying on of hands) which is the first
Comforter, then let him continue to humble himself before God, hungering and
thirsting after Righteousness, and living by every word of God, and the Lord
will soon say unto him, Son thou shalt be exalted. …
“When the Lord has [thoroughly]
proved him, and finds that the man is determined to serve him at all hazard,
then the man will find his calling and Election made sure, then it will be his
privilege to receive the other Comforter which the Lord hath promised the
Saints, as is recorded in [John 14:12–27]. …
“Now what is this other Comforter?
It is no more nor less than the Lord Jesus Christ himself, and this is the sum
and substance of the whole matter, that when any man obtains this last
Comforter he will have the personage of Jesus Christ to attend him or appear
unto him from time to time, and even he will manifest the Father unto him, and
they will take up their abode with him” (in Manuscript History of the Church, vol. C-1 addenda, pages 8–9,
josephsmithpapers.org)
C
D&C 130:4
Elder Neal A. Maxwell:
“God does not live in the dimension
of time as do we. Moreover, since ‘all things are present with’ God [Moses
1:6],. . . In ways which are not clear
to us, he actually sees, rather than foresees, the future—because all things
are, at once, present, before him! …
“… He is the living God who is, at once, in the dimensions of the past and present and future, while we labor constrained by the limitations of time itself” (“A More Determined Discipleship,” Ensign, Feb. 1979, 72–73).
D
D&C 130:5
President Joseph F. Smith:
“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. … 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 Fielding Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed. [1939],
435–36).
E
D&C 130:8–9
Elder Mark E. Peterson of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles testified:
“This earth was not designed merely
as a home for mortals. … It has a greater destiny than that. This earth will
not remain in its present condition. It is to become immortal. It will pass
through a refining process by which it will become a celestial globe and be
like a Urim and Thummim in the skies. (See D&C 130:9.) That will require
further acts of divine creation. …
“The Savior will reside here when
earth is celestialized, and His Father will visit it from time to time. It then
will be the eternal home of those who achieve celestial glory in the kingdom of
God.
“Such is the final destiny of the
earth. Such was the purpose God had in mind in creating it, for He planned it
so in the beginning” (“Creator
and Savior,” Ensign, May 1983, 63–64).
F D&C 130:18-19
Elder Neal A. Maxwell:
“If we ponder just what it is that
will rise with us in the resurrection, it seems clear that our intelligence
will rise with us, meaning not simply our IQ, but also our capacity to receive
and apply truth. Our talents, attributes, and skills will rise with us;
certainly also our capacity to learn, our degree of self-discipline, and our
capacity to work” (We Will
Prove Them Herewith [1982], 12).
In his book “Doctrine and
Covenants Made Easier” Bro David J
Ridges commented:
“I was once chatting with an
elderly sister in her early 80s when she expressed her concern about continuing
to study the scriptures. Her problem was that the next day, she couldn't even
remember what she had been reading the day before. She was somewhat comforted
when I pointed out that verses 18 and 19
(Section 130) say nothing about when we rise in the “morning”, rather,
in the “resurrection.”
G
D&C 130:20–21.
The Prophet Joseph Smith taught:
“God himself, finding he was in the midst of spirits and
glory, because he was more intelligent, saw proper to institute laws whereby
the rest could have a privilege to advance like himself” (Teachings: Joseph
Smith, 210).
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf:
“Our Father in Heaven is an eternal being whose experience,
wisdom, and intelligence are infinitely greater than ours [see Isaiah 55:9].
Not only that, but He is also eternally loving, compassionate, and focused on
one blessed goal: to bring to pass our immortality and eternal life [see Moses
1:39].
“In other words, He not only knows what is best for you; He
also anxiously wants you to choose what is best for you.
“If you believe this in your hearts—if you truly believe the
great mission of our Heavenly Father is to exalt and glorify His children and
that He knows best how to do it—doesn’t it make sense to embrace and follow His
commandments, even the ones that appear difficult? (“Living the Gospel Joyful,”
Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2014, 121–22).
H D&C 130:22
The Prophet Joseph Smith explained
the importance of understanding the nature and character of God:
“If men do not comprehend the
character of God, they do not comprehend themselves. I want to go back to the
beginning, and so lift your minds into more lofty spheres and a more exalted
understanding than what the human mind generally aspires to. …
“God Himself was once as we are
now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens! That is the
great secret. . . . —I say, if you were
to see Him today, you would see Him like a man in form—like yourselves in all
the person, image, and very form as a man” (Teachings: Joseph Smith, 40).
Referring to the Prophet’s teachings, Elder Dallin H. Oaks
taught:
“This belief does not mean that we claim sufficient
spiritual maturity to comprehend God. Nor do we equate our imperfect mortal
bodies to his immortal, glorified being. But we can comprehend the fundamentals
he has revealed about himself and the other members of the Godhead. And that
knowledge is essential to our understanding of the purpose of mortal life and
of our eternal destiny as resurrected beings after mortal life” (“Apostasy and Restoration,” Ensign,
May 1995, 85–86).
I D&C 130:23
Elder David A. Bednar:
“We should … endeavor to discern
when we ‘withdraw [ourselves] from the Spirit of the Lord, that it may have no
place in [us] to guide [us] in wisdom’s paths that [we] may be blessed,
prospered, and preserved . . .
“I recognize we are fallen men and
women living in a mortal world and that we might not have the presence of the
Holy Ghost with us every second of every minute of every hour of every day.
However, the Holy Ghost can tarry with us much, if not most, of the time—and
certainly the Spirit can be with us more than it is not with us. As we become
ever more immersed in the Spirit of the Lord, we should strive to recognize
impressions when they come and the influences or events that cause us to
withdraw ourselves from the Holy Ghost” (“That We May Always Have His Spirit to Be with Us,” Ensign
or Liahona, May 2006, 30).
J Section 131
Elder Marcus B. Nash of the Seventy explained the difference
between “a new and … everlasting covenant” (D&C 132:4) and “the new and everlasting covenant”
(D&C 132:6):
“The new and everlasting covenant
‘is the sum total of all gospel covenants and obligations’ [Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of
Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie (1955), 1:156] given anciently [see Jeremiah
32:40; D&C 22:1] . . . restored to the earth in these latter days. …
Because the covenant has been restored in the last dispensation of time, it is
‘new,’ and because it spans all eternity, it is ‘everlasting.’
“In the scriptures the Lord speaks
of both ‘the’ new and everlasting covenant and ‘a’ new and everlasting
covenant. For example, in Doctrine and Covenants 22:1, He refers to baptism as
‘a new and an everlasting covenant, even that which was from the beginning.’ In
D&C 132:4, He likewise refers to eternal marriage as ‘a new and an
everlasting covenant.’ When He speaks of ‘a’ new and everlasting covenant, He
is speaking of one of the many covenants encompassed by His gospel.
“When the Lord speaks generally of
‘the’ new and everlasting covenant, He is speaking of the fulness of the gospel
of Jesus Christ, which embraces all ordinances and covenants necessary for the
salvation and exaltation of mankind. Neither baptism nor eternal marriage is
‘the’ new and everlasting covenant; rather, they are each parts of the whole” (“The New and Everlasting Covenant,”
Ensign, Dec. 2015, 42–43).
J+
D&C 131:1-4
The Prophet Joseph Smith and
the Saints learned about the requirements for receiving exaltation in the
celestial kingdom gradually as the Restoration unfolded.
D&C 14:7 - Those who “keep
[God’s] commandments and endure to the end … shall have eternal life, which
gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God”.
Moses 6:52, 57 - Those who “hearken unto [the Lord’s] voice,
and believe, and repent … and [are] baptized, even in water. … shall receive
the gift of the Holy Ghost,” and they will be worthy to “inherit the kingdom of
God”
D&C 59:23 - Those who “doeth
the works of righteousness shall receive … eternal life in the world to come”.
D&C 76:53, 65, 70. - Those who
do all these things and “overcome by faith, and are sealed by the Holy Spirit
of promise, … are they who shall come forth in the resurrection of the just. …
These are they whose bodies are celestial, whose glory is that of the sun, even
the glory of God, the highest of all”
K
D&C 131:4
The Prophet Joseph Smith:
“Except a man and his wife enter
into an everlasting covenant and be married for eternity, while in this
probation; by the power and authority of the Holy Priesthood; they will cease
to increase when they die, that is, that they will not have any children after
the resurrection; but those who are married by the power and authority of the
Priesthood in this life, and continue without committing the sin against the
Holy Ghost, will continue to increase and have children in the celestial glory”
(in Manuscript History of the
Church, vol. D-1, page 1551, josephsmithpapers.org).
L D&C 131:5
Elder Bruce
R. McConkie:
“To have one’s calling and election
made sure is to be sealed up unto eternal life; it is to have the unconditional
guarantee of exaltation in the highest heaven of the celestial world; it is to
receive the assurance of godhood; it is, in effect, to have the day of judgment
advanced, so that an inheritance of all the glory and honor of the Father’s
kingdom is assured prior to the day when the faithful actually enter into the
divine presence to sit with Christ in his throne, even as he is ‘set down’ with
his ‘Father in his throne.’ (Rev. 3:21.)” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary [1973], 3:330–31; see
also the commentary for Doctrine and Covenants 132:49–50 in this manual).
M D&C 131:6
President Marion G. Romney:
The “knowledge of ‘the only true
God, and Jesus Christ is the most important knowledge in the universe; it is
the knowledge without which the Prophet Joseph Smith said no man could be
saved. The lack of it is the ignorance referred to in the revelation wherein it
is written: ‘It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance.’ (D&C
131:6.)” (“Except a Man Be Born
Again,” Ensign, Nov. 1981, 14).
N
D&C 131:7–8.
The Prophet Joseph Smith taught:
“We shall find a very material
difference between the body and the Spirit:—the body is supposed to be
organized matter, and the Spirit by many is thought to be immaterial, without
substance. With this latter statement we should beg leave to differ—and state
that Spirit is a substance; that it is material, but that it is more pure,
elastic, and refined matter than the body;—that it existed before the body, can
exist in the body, and will exist separate from the body, when the body will be
mouldering in the dust; and will in the resurrection be again united with it” (in Manuscript History of the Church,
vol. C-1, page 1307, josephsmithpapers.org).
O
D&C 132:3–6.
President Spencer W Kimball:
“Though relatively few people in
this world understand it, the new and everlasting covenant is the marriage
ordinance in the holy temple by the properly constituted leaders who hold the
genuine, authoritative keys. This glorious blessing is available to men and
women on this earth.” (Temples
and Eternal Marriage,” Ensign, Aug 1974, 5)
Elder Marcus B. Nash:
“Some people, including some Church
members, inaccurately read Doctrine and Covenants 132:4 to mean that plural
marriage is necessary for exaltation, leading them to believe that plural
marriage is a necessary prerequisite for exaltation in the eternal realm. This,
however, is not supported in the revelations. As recorded in D&C 131 and
132, the Lord introduced the law of eternal marriage by expressly referring to
the sealing of one man and one woman (see D&C 132:4–7, 15–25). “By setting
forth the law of eternal marriage in the context of a monogamous marriage, the
Lord makes plain that the blessings of exaltation, extended to each man and
each woman who worthily enters into the covenant of eternal marriage performed
by proper priesthood authority, are independent of whether that marriage is
plural or monogamous [see D&C 132:15–25]” (“The New and Everlasting Covenant,” Ensign, Dec. 2015, 44).
P
D&C 132:7 (first part).
Elder David A. Bednar:
“The Holy Spirit of Promise is the
ratifying power of the Holy Ghost. When sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise,
an ordinance, vow, or covenant is binding on earth and in heaven. Receiving
this ‘stamp of approval’ from the Holy Ghost is the result of faithfulness,
integrity, and steadfastness in honoring gospel covenants ‘in [the] process of
time.’ However, this sealing can be forfeited through unrighteousness and
transgression” (“Ye Must Be
Born Again,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2007, 22).
Q
D&C 132:15.
President Russell M. Nelson:
“To qualify for eternal life, we
must make an eternal and everlasting covenant with our Heavenly Father [see
D&C 132:19]. This means that a temple marriage is not only between husband
and wife; it embraces a partnership with God [see Matthew 19:6].
“… When a family is sealed in the
temple, that family may become as eternal as the kingdom of God itself.
“Such a reward requires more than a
hopeful wish. On occasion, I read in a newspaper obituary of an expectation
that a recent death has reunited that person with a deceased spouse, when, in
fact, they did not choose the eternal option. “Instead, they opted for a
marriage that was valid only as long as they both should live. Heavenly Father
had offered them a supernal gift, but they refused it. And in rejecting the
gift, they rejected the Giver of the gift” (“Celestial Marriage,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2008, 93).
R
D&C 132:16–17.
When
the Savior was asked by the Sadducees about the marital status after death of a
woman who had married, in turn, to seven brothers, Christ responded “In the resurrection they neither
marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as angels of God in heaven” (Matt 20:23)
“Some have mistakenly interpreted
this teaching to mean that marriage does not last beyond this life or that
those who do not have the opportunity to marry in this life will never receive
that blessing. However, the Lord’s words recorded in the D&C clarify that
His teachings recorded in the New Testament refer to those who choose not to
enter into the new and everlasting covenant of marriage or abide by the
conditions of the covenant. Those who choose not to enter into or honor the new
and everlasting covenant of marriage will “remain separately and singly,
without exaltation. (Institute
of Religion, 2018 D&C Student Manual, 776-778)
As we understand those who have
died without a knowledge of the Gospel but in the spirit world accept the
Gospel are then worthy of receiving ALL of the ordinances of salvation and
exaltation by proxy.
S
D&C 132:19–20
Elder Boyd
K Packer Marriage - Two Keys-A Parable
“Once
a man received as his inheritance two keys. The first key, he was told, would
open a vault which he must protect at all cost. The second key was to a safe
within the vault which contained a priceless treasure. He was to open this safe
and freely use the precious things which were stored therein. He was warned
that many would seek to rob him of his inheritance. He was promised that if he
used the treasure worthily, it would be replenished and never be diminished,
not in all eternity. He would be tested. If he used it to benefit others, his
own blessings and joy would increase.
“The
man went alone to the vault. His first key opened the door. He tried to unlock
the treasure with the other key, but he could not, for there were two locks on
the safe. His key alone would not open it. No matter how he tried, he could not
open it. He was puzzled. He had been given the keys. He knew the treasure was
rightfully his. He had obeyed instructions, but he could not open the safe.
“In
due time, there came a woman into the vault. She, too, held a key. It was
noticeably different from the key he held. Her key fit the other lock. It
humbled him to learn that he could not obtain his rightful inheritance without
her.
“They
made a covenant that together they would open the treasure and, as instructed,
he would watch over the vault and protect it; she would watch over the
treasure. She was not concerned that, as guardian of the vault, he held two
keys, for his full purpose was to see that she was safe as she watched over
that which was most precious to them both. Together they opened the safe and
partook of their inheritance. They rejoiced for, as promised, it replenished
itself.
“With
great joy they found that they could pass the treasure on to their children;
each could receive a full measure, undiminished to the last generation.
“Perhaps
some few of their posterity would not find a companion who possessed the
complementary key, or one worthy and willing to keep the covenants relating to
the treasure. Nevertheless, if they kept the commandments, they would not be
denied even the smallest blessing.
“Because
some tempted them to misuse their treasure, they were careful to teach their
children about keys and covenants.
“There
came, in due time, among their posterity some few who were deceived or jealous
or selfish because one was given two keys and another only one. “Why,” the
selfish ones reasoned, “cannot the treasure be mine alone to use as I desire?”
“Some
tried to reshape the key they had been given to resemble the other key.
Perhaps, they thought, it would then fit both locks. And so it was that the
safe was closed to them. Their reshaped keys were useless, and their
inheritance was lost.
“Those
who received the treasure with gratitude and obeyed the laws concerning it knew
joy without bounds through time and all eternity. (For Time and For All Eternity, Ensign, November 1993)
T
D&C 132:21–25.
Elder Bruce R. McConkie taught:
“To know God is to think what He
thinks, to feel what he feels, to have the power he possesses, to comprehend
the truths he understands, and to do what he does. Those who know God become
like him, and have his kind of life, which is eternal life” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary,
1:762).
U
D&C 132:26
Elder Joseph Fielding Smith:
“Verse 26, in Section 132, is the
most abused passage in any scripture. The Lord has never promised any soul that
he may be taken into exaltation without the spirit of repentance. While
repentance is not stated in this passage, yet it is, and must be, implied.
“It is strange to me that everyone
knows about verse 26, but it seems that they have never read or heard of
Matthew 12:31-32 where the Lord tells us the same thing in substance as we find
in verse 26, section 132 . . .
“So we must conclude that those
spoken of in verse 26 are those who, having sinned, have fully repented and are
willing to pay the price of their sinning, else the blessings of exaltation
will not follow. Repentance is absolutely necessary for the forgiveness, and
the person having sinned must be cleansed” (Doctrines of Salvation, 2:95-96)
V D&C 32:34-66
President Heber J. Grant:
“Celestial marriage—that is,
marriage for time and eternity—and polygamous or plural marriage are not
synonymous terms. Monogamous marriages for time and eternity, solemnized in our
temples in accordance with the word of the Lord and the laws of the Church, are
Celestial marriages” (in James R. Clark, comp., Messages of the First
Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints [1971], 5:329).
Elder Bruce R. McConkie:
“Plural marriage is not essential to salvation or exaltation.
Nephi and his people were denied the power to have more than one wife and yet
they could gain every blessing in eternity that the Lord ever offered to any
people. In our day, the Lord summarized by revelation the whole doctrine of
exaltation and predicated it upon the marriage of one man to one woman.
Thereafter he added the principles relative to plurality of wives with the
express stipulation that any such marriages would be valid only if authorized
by the President of the Church.” (Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed. [1966], 578–79).
Additional Information Not Included
For Use In Lesson
D&C 129:1-3
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve
Apostles taught,
“From the beginning down through the dispensations, God has
used angels as His emissaries in conveying love and concern for His children” (“The Ministry of Angels,” Ensign or
Liahona, Nov. 2008, 29).
D&C 129:4-9
Some may wonder why the devil or one of his agents would
“offer … his hand” (D&C 129:8), knowing that doing so would reveal his true
identity. Part of the answer may be found in the Prophet Joseph Smith’s
teaching that “wicked spirits have their bounds, limits, and laws, by which
they are governed” (“Try the
Spirits,” Times and Seasons, Apr. 1, 1842, 745).
Those who understand the laws that govern angels and spirits
can discern true messengers sent from God from false spirits seeking to
deceive.
D&C 130:1–3
In his April 2, 1843, sermon in Ramus, Illinois, Orson Hyde
used 1 John 3:2 and Revelation 19:11 to teach that when Jesus Christ comes
again, “he will appear on a white horse.—as a warrior.” Elder Hyde suggested
that Church members “shall be like [the Savior]” in this manner and that “may
be we shall have some of the same spirit.” He then quoted from John 14:23 and
taught that “it is our privilege to have the father [and] son dwelling in our
hearts.” (In The Joseph Smith
Papers, Journals, Volume 2: December 1841–April 1843, 323.)
The Prophet Joseph Smith corrected Elder Hyde’s
misinterpretation of the scriptures by teaching that “when the Savior shall
appear we shall see him as he is. We shall see that he is a man [in form and
feature] like ourselves” (D&C 130:1), except with a glorified, resurrected
body (see D&C 130:22). He further explained that the “same sociality
[social relationships] which exists among us here [as mortals on earth] will
exist among us there,” or when we are in the Lord’s presence, but “it will be coupled
with eternal glory, which glory we do not now enjoy” (D&C 130:2).
The Prophet Joseph Smith further taught that the promise
recorded in John 14:23 does not refer to “the Father and the Son [literally
dwelling] in [a person’s] heart” (D&C 130:3). This “old sectarian notion …
is false” (D&C 130:3) and assumes that God is a spirit. The Prophet
clarified that the Father and the Son have “bod[ies] of flesh and bones as
tangible as man’s” (D&C 130:22) and thus are glorified, resurrected Beings
with physical bodies. During a meeting with members of the Quorum of the Twelve
Apostles in the summer of 1839, the Prophet Joseph Smith (1805–1844) explained
that when the Savior taught that He and the Father would “come unto” those who
keep the commandments “and make [their] abode with [them]” (John 14:23), He was
referring to the gift of the Second Comforter: (in Manuscript History of the Church, vol. C-1 addenda, pages
8–9, josephsmithpapers.org; underlining in original; see also John 14:16–23;
D&C 88:68; 93:1).
D&C 130:4
In answer to a question that William Clayton asked relating
to time, the Prophet Joseph Smith confirmed that “the reckoning [calculation]
of God’s time, angel’s time, prophet’s time, and man’s time [is] according to
the planet on which they reside” (D&C 130:4). This teaching reaffirms what
is taught in the book of Abraham, which Joseph Smith began publishing
approximately one year earlier—in March 1842—in the Church’s newspaper Times
and Seasons (see “Historical
context and overview of Doctrine and Covenants 130,” in Largey and Dahl,
Doctrine and Covenants Reference Companion, 846).
The book of Abraham teaches that “one revolution,” or day,
on the planet Kolob is equivalent to “one thousand years according to the time
appointed” on earth (see Abraham 3:4).
D&C 130:5
The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that exalted, resurrected
angels “do not reside on a planet like this earth; but they reside in the
presence of God, on a globe [planet] 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” (D&C 130:6–7). (D&C 2018 Student Manual, 753)
D&C 130:8-9
Joseph Smith:
“This earth
will be rolled back into the presence of God, and crowned with celestial glory”
(Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 181)
Brigham
Young:
“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” (Journal
of Discourses, 9:87)
D&C 130:22
The Prophet Joseph Smith’s description of the Holy Ghost as
“a personage of Spirit” (D&C 130:22) indicates He is a person who is
separate and distinct from the Father and the Son, although “these three
persons are one in perfect unity and harmony of purpose and doctrine” (Guide to the Scriptures, “God,
Godhead,” scriptures.lds.org).
Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
taught:
“The Holy Ghost has a spirit body, unlike God the Father and
Jesus Christ, who have physical bodies. This truth clarifies other names given
to the Holy Ghost and familiar to us, including Holy Spirit, Spirit of God,
Spirit of the Lord, Holy Spirit of Promise, and Comforter” (“How Does the Holy Ghost Help
You?” Ensign or Liahona, May
2017, 118).
Elder David A Bednar:
“The standard is clear. If something we think, see, hear, or
do distances us from the Holy Ghost, then we should stop thinking, seeing,
hearing, or doing that thing. If that which is intended to entertain, for
example, alienates us from the Holy Spirit, then certainly that type of
entertainment is not for us. Because the Spirit cannot abide that which is
vulgar, crude, or immodest, then clearly such things are not for us. Because we
estrange the Spirit of the Lord when we engage in activities we know we should
shun, then such things definitely are not for us. (“That We May Always Have His Spirit to Be with Us,” Ensign
or Liahona, May 2006, 30).
Section
131 New and Everlasting Covenant
The Prophet Joseph Smith’s understanding of the vital role
of marriage in Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation developed gradually. As
early as March 1831 Joseph began received revelation and guidance concerning
eternal marriage.
On November 24, 1835, while performing a marriage ceremony,
the Prophet taught that marriage is “an institution of heaven first solemnized
in the garden of Eden by God himself, by the authority of the everlasting
priesthood” (“History,
1834–1836,” page 136, josephsmithpapers.org).
As early as 1840 records indicate that the Prophet Joseph
Smith privately taught the principle of eternal marriage to Parley P Pratt.
Elder Pratt recorded:
“It was from [Joseph Smith] that I learned that the wife of
my bosom might be secured to me for time and all eternity. . . It was from him
that I learned that we might cultivate these affections, and grow and increase
in the same for all eternity; while the result of our endless union would be an
offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven or the sands of the sea shore. . .
.
“I had loved before, but I knew not why. But now I
loved--with a pureness—an intensity of elevated, exalted feeling.” (see Autobiography of Parley Parker
Pratt, ed. Parley P. Pratt Jr. [1938], 297–98).
On May 16, 1843, the Prophet Joseph Smith and his scribe
William Clayton traveled to Ramus, Illinois, and stayed in the home of Benjamin
and Melissa Johnson. “The Johnsons had been married since Christmas Day 1841,
but Joseph told them he intended to marry them according to the law of the
Lord. … He taught that men and women needed to enter into the new and
everlasting covenant of marriage in order to obtain God’s highest blessings. He
then sealed Benjamin and Melissa for eternity” (Matthew McBride, “Our Hearts Rejoiced to Hear Him Speak,” in
Revelations in Context, ed. Matthew McBride and James Goldberg [2016], 279–80)
On May 28, 1843, in Nauvoo, Illinois soon after teaching
about the doctrine of eternal marriage in Ramus, Illinois, the Prophet Joseph
Smith and his wife, Emma, were sealed by the power of the priesthood, in the
upper room of Joseph’s Red Brick Store. Joseph and Emma Smith were sealed in
marriage for eternity. (Institute
2018 D&C Student Manual, 766)
D&C 131:1–4
The Prophet Joseph Smith and the Saints learned about the
requirements for receiving exaltation in the celestial kingdom gradually as the
Restoration unfolded. Examples of these truths came as part of revelations
beginning in 1829: Those who “keep [God’s] commandments and endure to the end …
shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God”
(D&C 14:7). Those who “hearken unto [the Lord’s] voice, and believe, and
repent … and [are] baptized, even in water. … shall receive the gift of the
Holy Ghost,” and they will be worthy to “inherit the kingdom of God” (Moses
6:52, 57). Those who “doeth the works of righteousness shall receive … eternal
life in the world to come” (D&C 59:23). And those who do all these things
and “overcome by faith, and are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, … are
they who shall come forth in the resurrection of the just. … These are they
whose bodies are celestial, whose glory is that of the sun, even the glory of
God, the highest of all” (D&C 76:53, 65, 70). (Institute 2018 D&C Student Manual, 765)
D&C 131:2.
President Russell M Nelson:
“Marriage between a man and a woman is fundamental to the Lord’s doctrine and crucial to God’s eternal plan. Marriage between a man and a woman is God’s pattern for a fulness of life on earth and in heaven. God’s marriage pattern cannot be abused, misunderstood, or misconstrued [see Matthew 19:4–6; Mosiah 29:26–27; Helaman 5:2]. Not if you want true joy. … “In our day civil governments have a vested interest in protecting marriage because strong families constitute the best way of providing for the health, education, welfare, and prosperity of rising generations. But civil governments are heavily influenced by social trends and secular philosophies as they write, rewrite, and enforce laws. Regardless of what civil legislation may be enacted, the doctrine of the Lord regarding marriage and morality cannot be changed” (“Decisions for Eternity,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2013, 108).
Section
132
Verse 1 is prompted by a question Joseph had regarding
plural marriage as practiced by Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, Solomon
and perhaps others.
As we will see, the Lord is willing to answer Joseph’s
question, BUT first He teaches Joseph about the foundational principle of
eternal marriage, BEFORE answering his question.
Generally speaking this revelation is divided into two main
sections:
Verses 2-33: The Lord explaining
the doctrine of celestial marriage, meaning eternal marriage, often referred to
as the “new and everlasting covenant of marriage.” and
Verses 34-66: Then the Lord
returns to Joseph’s original question about plural marriage.
NOTE: If we fail to understand these two general divisions
within this revelation, we can be caught up in some false doctrines and serious
misunderstandings. The key is understanding the correct interpretation of the
phrase “this law,” in verse 3 to mean the law of celestial marriage itself, and
to not mean plural marriage, which unfortunately some have taken it to mean.
The Lord uses the phrase “this law” or variants of it in
verses: 3, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19, 21, 24, 25, 27, 28, 31, 32, and 33. 17
times
132:19–20
Elder Cree-L Kofford of the Seventy explained that eternal
marriage requires commitment and obedience to God’s laws:
“Being married in the Lord’s way does not necessarily mean
there won’t be disagreements, arguments, moments of despair, and times of
trial. Being sealed in the temple is a great start, but it only works as long
as you’re both totally obedient to the covenants you make. …
“Your marriage, even though started in the sealing room of
the temple, will still require dedicated effort. It will require understanding,
love, forgiveness, patience, and every other virtue of which you can possibly
think. There may be days when you cry, and there may be disagreements. But
remember this—you are working and building a relationship that will live
through eternity. That can and will occur so long as you both love your
Heavenly Father and live His teachings” (“Marriage in the Lord’s Way, Part Two,” Ensign, July 1998,
22–23).
132:20
President Lorenzo Snow described this blessing:
“Think of the promises that are made to you in the beautiful
and glorious ceremony that is used in the marriage covenant in the temple. When
two Latter-day Saints are united together in marriage, promises are made to
them concerning their offspring, that reach from eternity to eternity. They are
promised that they shall have the power and the right to govern and control and
administer salvation and exaltation and glory to their offspring worlds without
end. And what offspring they do not have here, undoubtedly there will be
opportunities to have them hereafter” (The Teachings of Lorenzo Snow, ed. Clyde J. Williams [1996], 138).
132:21-25
President Joseph Fielding Smith taught:
“The term ‘deaths’ mentioned here has reference to the cutting off of all those who reject this eternal covenant of marriage and therefore they are denied the power of exaltation and the continuation of posterity. To be denied posterity and the family organization, leads to the ‘deaths,’ or the end of increase in the life to come” (Church History and Modern Revelation [1953], 2:360).
132:36.
President Harold B. Lee (1899–1973) taught:
“When there is to be anything different from that which the
Lord has told us already, He will reveal it to His prophet and no one else. Do
you suppose that when the Lord has a prophet on the earth, He is going to take
some round-about means of revealing things to His children? That is what He has
a prophet for, and when He has something to give to this church, He will give
it to the president, and the president will see that the presidents of stakes
and missions get it, along with the General Authorities, and they in turn will
see that the people are advised of any change” (Stand Ye in Holy Places [1974], 159).
President Thomas S. Monson taught,
“At times the wisdom of God appears as being foolish or just too difficult, but one of the greatest and most valuable lessons we can learn in mortality is that when God speaks and a man obeys, that man will always be right” (“Willing and Worthy to Serve,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2012, 67).
D&C 132:34–66
Eliza R. Snow, who was sealed in marriage to Joseph Smith,
recorded teachings on plural marriage that the Prophet gave to her brother
Lorenzo Snow:
“The Prophet Joseph … described the trying mental ordeal he experienced in overcoming the repugnance of his feelings, the natural result of the force of education and social custom, relative to the introduction of plural marriage. … He knew that he had not only his own prejudices and prepossessions to combat and to overcome, but those of the whole Christian world stared him in the face; but God, who is above all, had given the commandment, and He must be obeyed. Yet the Prophet hesitated and deferred from time to time, until an angel of God stood by him with a drawn sword, and told him that, unless he moved forward and established plural marriage, his Priesthood would be taken from him and he should be destroyed [or cut off from God]!” (Eliza R. Snow Smith, Biography and Family Record of Lorenzo Snow [1884], 69–70).
“This principle was among the most challenging aspects of
the Restoration—for Joseph personally and for other Church members. Plural
marriage tested faith and provoked controversy and opposition. Few Latter-day
Saints initially welcomed the restoration of a biblical practice entirely
foreign to their sensibilities. …
“… For Joseph Smith’s wife Emma, it was an excruciating
ordeal. …
“… She vacillated in her view of plural marriage, at some
points supporting it and at other times denouncing it” (“Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo,”
topics.lds.org).
Lucy Walker spoke about her struggle to accept this
principle:
“When the Prophet Joseph Smith first mentioned the principle
of plural marriage to me I felt indignant and so expressed myself to him,
because my feelings and education were averse to [against] anything of that
nature. But he assured me that this doctrine had been revealed to him of the
Lord, and that I was entitled to receive a testimony of its divine origin for
myself” (Lucy Walker Kimball, affidavit, December 17, 1902, Church History
Library, Salt Lake City, Utah).
Lucy agonized over this decision. As recorded in a
biographical sketch, she later told Joseph, “I have tried to pray but received
no comfort, no light.” She then explained:
“He … said, ‘God Almighty bless you. You shall have a
manifestation of the will of God concerning you; a testimony that you can never
deny. . . .
“The words of the Prophet were indeed fulfilled. My soul was
filled with a calm sweet peace that I never knew. Supreme happiness took
possession of my whole being and I received a powerful and irresistible
testimony of the truth of … plural marriage. Which has been like an anchor to
the soul through all the temptations and trials of life” (Lucy Walker Kimball, biographical sketch, pages
10–11, Church History Library, Salt Lake City).
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