D&C 131:0 Instructions by Joseph Smith the Prophet, given at Ramus, Illinois,
May 16 and 17, 1843. See History of the Church, vol. 5, pp. 392, 393.
--Degrees in the celestial glory--Significance of the new and everlasting
covenant of marriage--The more sure word of prophecy--Impossibility of a man
being saved in ignorance--Spirit is matter.
D&C 131:1 In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees;
D&C 131:2 And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this
order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of
marriage];
D&C 131:3 And if he does not, he cannot obtain it.
D&C 131:4 He may enter into the other, but that is the end of his kingdom; he
cannot have an increase.
D&C 131:5 (May 17, 1843.) The more sure word of prophecy means a man's
knowing that he is sealed up unto eternal life, by revelation and the spirit
of prophecy, through the power of the Holy Priesthood.
D&C 131:6 It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance.
D&C 131:7 There is no such thing as immaterial matter. All spirit is matter
but it is more fine or pure, and can only be discerned by purer eyes;
D&C 131:8 We cannot see it; but when our bodies are purified we shall see
that it is all matter.
D&C 132:0 Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Nauvoo,
Illinois, recorded July 12, 1843, relating to the new and everlasting
covenant, including the eternity of the marriage covenant, as also plurality
of wives. --The prophets inquiry of the Lord--He is told to prepare himself
to receive the new and everlasting covenant--Conditions of this law--The
power of the Holy Priesthood instituted by the Lord must be operative in
ordinances to be in effect beyond the grave--Marriage by secular authority is
of effect during mortality only--Though the form of marriage should make it
appear to be for time and eternity, the ordinance is not valid beyond the
grave unless solemnized by the authority of the Holy Priesthood as the Lord
directs--Marriage duly authorized for time and eternity to be attended by
surpassing blessings--Essentials for the attainment of the status of
godhood--The meaning of eternal lives--Plurality of wives acceptable only
when commanded by the Lord--The sin of adultery--Commandment to Emma Smith,
wife of the Prophet.
D&C 132:1 Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you my servant Joseph, that
inasmuch as you have inquired of my hand to know and understand wherein I,
the Lord, justified my servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as also Moses,
David and Solomon, my servants, as touching the principle and doctrine of
their having many wives and concubines--
D&C 132:2 Behold, and lo, I am the Lord thy God, and will answer thee as
touching this matter.
D&C 132:3 Therefore, prepare thy heart to receive and obey the instructions
which I am about to give unto you; for all those who have this law revealed
unto them must obey the same.
D&C 132:4 For behold, I reveal unto you a new and an everlasting covenant;
and if ye abide not that covenant, then are ye damned; for no one can reject
this covenant and be permitted to enter into my glory.
D&C 132:5 For all who will have a blessing at my hands shall abide the law
which was appointed for that blessing, and the conditions thereof, as were
instituted from before the foundation of the world.
D&C 132:6 And as pertaining to the new and everlasting covenant, it was
instituted for the fulness of my glory; and he that receiveth a fulness
thereof must and shall abide the law, or he shall be damned, saith the Lord
God.
D&C 132:7 And verily I say unto you, that the conditions of this law are
these: All covenants, contracts, bonds, obligations, oaths, vows,
performances, connections, associations, or expectations, that are not made
and entered into and sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, of him who is
anointed, both as well for time and for all eternity, and that too most holy,
by revelation and commandment through the medium of mine anointed, whom I
have appointed on the earth to hold this power (and I have appointed unto my
servant Joseph to hold this power in the last days, and there is never but
one on the earth at a time on whom this power and the keys of this priesthood
are conferred), are of no efficacy, virtue, or force in and after the
resurrection from the dead; for all contracts that are not made unto this end
have an end when men are dead.
D&C 132:8 Behold, mine house is a house of order, saith the Lord God, and not
a house of confusion.
D&C 132:9 Will I accept of an offering, saith the Lord, that is not made in
my name?
D&C 132:10 Or will I receive at your hands that which I have not appointed?
D&C 132:11 And will I appoint unto you, saith the Lord, except it be by law,
even as I and my Father ordained unto you, before the world was?
D&C 132:12 I am the Lord thy God; and I give unto you this commandment--that
no man shall come unto the Father but by me or by my word, which is my law,
saith the Lord.
D&C 132:13 And everything that is in the world, whether it be ordained of
men, by thrones, or principalities, or powers, or things of name, whatsoever
they may be, that are not by me or by my word, saith the Lord, shall be
thrown down, and shall not remain after men are dead, neither in nor after
the resurrection, saith the Lord your God.
D&C 132:14 For whatsoever things remain are by me; and whatsoever things are
not by me shall be shaken and destroyed.
D&C 132:15 Therefore, if a man marry him a wife in the world, and he marry
her not by me nor by my word, and he covenant with her so long as he is in
the world and she with him, their covenant and marriage are not of force when
they are dead, and when they are out of the world; therefore, they are not
bound by any law when they are out of the world.
D&C 132:16 Therefore, when they are out of the world they neither marry nor
are given in marriage; but are appointed angels in heaven, which angels are
ministering servants, to minister for those who are worthy of a far more, and
an exceeding, and an eternal weight of glory.
D&C 132:17 For these angels did not abide my law; therefore, they cannot be
enlarged, but remain separately and singly, without exaltation, in their
saved condition, to all eternity; and from henceforth are not gods, but are
angels of God forever and ever.
D&C 132:18 And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife, and make
a covenant with her for time and for all eternity, if that covenant is not by
me or by my word, which is my law, and is not sealed by the Holy Spirit of
promise, through him whom I have anointed and appointed unto this power, then
it is not valid neither of force when they are out of the world, because they
are not joined by me, saith the Lord, neither by my word; when they are out
of the world it cannot be received there, because the angels and the gods are
appointed there, by whom they cannot pass; they cannot, therefore, inherit my
glory; for my house is a house of order, saith the Lord God.
D&C 132:19 And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife by my
word, which is my law, and by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is
sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise, by him who is anointed, unto
whom I have appointed this power and the keys of this priesthood; and it
shall be said unto them--Ye shall come forth in the first resurrection; and
if it be after the first resurrection, in the next resurrection; and shall
inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights
and depths-- then shall it be written in the Lamb's Book of Life, that he
shall commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, and if ye abide in my
covenant, and commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, it shall be
done unto them in all things whatsoever my servant hath put upon them, in
time, and through all eternity; and shall be of full force when they are out
of the world; and they shall pass by the angels, and the gods, which are set
there, to their exaltation and glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon
their heads, which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds
forever and ever.
D&C 132:20 Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall
they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall
they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then shall they
be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them.
D&C 132:21 Verily, verily, I say unto you, except ye abide my law ye cannot
attain to this glory.
D&C 132:22 For strait is the gate, and narrow the way that leadeth unto the
exaltation and continuation of the lives, and few there be that find it,
because ye receive me not in the world neither do ye know me.
D&C 132:23 But if ye receive me in the world, then shall ye know me, and
shall receive your exaltation; that where I am ye shall be also.
D&C 132:24 This is eternal lives--to know the only wise and true God, and
Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent. I am he. Receive ye, therefore, my law.
D&C 132:25 Broad is the gate, and wide the way that leadeth to the deaths;
and many there are that go in there at, because they receive me not, neither
do they abide in my law.
D&C 132:26 Verily, verily, I say unto you, if a man marry a wife according to
my word, and they are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, according to mine
appointment, and he or she shall commit any sin or transgression of the new
and everlasting covenant whatever, and all manner of blasphemies, and if they
commit no murder wherein they shed innocent blood, yet they shall come forth
in the first resurrection, and enter into their exaltation; but they shall be
destroyed in the flesh, but shall be delivered unto the buffetings of Satan
unto the day of redemption, saith the Lord God.
D&C 132:27 The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, which shall not be forgiven
in the world nor out of the world, is in that ye commit murder wherein ye
shed innocent blood, and assent unto my death, after ye have received my new
and everlasting covenant, saith the Lord God; and he that abideth not this
law can in nowise enter into my glory, but shall be damned, saith the Lord.
D&C 132:28 I am the Lord thy God, and will give unto thee the law of my Holy
Priesthood, as was ordained by me and my Father before the world was.
D&C 132:29 Abraham received all things, whatsoever he received, by revelation
and commandment, by my word, saith the Lord, and hath entered into his
exaltation and sitteth upon his throne.
D&C 132:30 Abraham received promises concerning his seed, and of the fruit of
his loins--from whose loins ye are, namely, my servant Joseph--which were to
continue so long as they were in the world; and as touching Abraham and his
seed, out of the world they should continue; both in the world and out of the
world should they continue as innumerable as the stars; or, if ye were to
count the sand upon the seashore ye could not number them.
D&C 132:31 This promise is yours also, because ye are of Abraham, and the
promise was made unto Abraham; and by this law is the continuation of the
works of my Father, wherein he glorifieth himself.
D&C 132:32 Go ye, therefore, and do the works of Abraham; enter ye into my
law and ye shall be saved.
D&C 132:33 But if ye enter not into my law ye cannot receive the promise of
my Father, which he made unto Abraham.
D&C 132:34 God commanded Abraham, and Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham to wife.
And why did she do it? Because this was the law; and from Hagar sprang many
people. This, therefore, was fulfilling, among other things, the promises.
D&C 132:35 Was Abraham, therefore, under condemnation? Verily I say unto you,
Nay; for I, the Lord, commanded it.
D&C 132:36 Abraham was commanded to offer his son Isaac; nevertheless, it was
written: Thou shalt not kill. Abraham, however, did not refuse, and it was
accounted unto him for righteousness.
D&C 132:37 Abraham received concubines, and they bore him children; and it
was accounted unto him for righteousness, because they were given unto him,
and he abode in my law; as Isaac also and Jacob did none other things than
that which they were commanded; and because they did none other things than
which they were commanded, they have entered into their exaltation, according
to the promises, and sit upon thrones, and are not angels but gods.
D&C 132:38 David also received many wives and concubines, and also Solomon
and Moses my servants, as also many others of my servants, from the beginning
of creation until this time; and in nothing did they sin save in those things
which they received not of me.
D&C 132:39 David's wives and concubines were given unto him of me, by the
hand of Nathan, my servant, and others of the prophets who had the keys of
this power; and in none of these things did he sin against me save in the
case of Uriah and his wife; and, therefore he hath fallen from his
exaltation, and received his portion; and he shall not inherit them out of
the world, for I gave them unto another, saith the Lord.
D&C 132:40 I am the Lord thy God, and I gave unto thee, my servant Joseph, an
appointment, and restore all things. Ask what ye will, and it shall be given
unto you according to my word.
D&C 132:41 And as ye have asked concerning adultery, verily, verily, I say
unto you, if a man receiveth a wife in the new and everlasting covenant, and
if she be with another man, and I have not appointed unto her by the holy
anointing, she hath committed adultery and shall be destroyed.
D&C 132:42 If she be not in the new and everlasting covenant, and she be with
another man, she has committed adultery.
D&C 132:43 And if her husband be with another woman, and he was under a vow,
he hath broken his vow and hath committed adultery.
D&C 132:44 And if she hath not committed adultery, but is innocent and hath
not broken her vow, and she knoweth it, and I reveal it unto you, my servant
Joseph, then shall you have power, by the power of my Holy Priesthood, to
take her and give her unto him that hath not committed adultery but hath been
faithful; for he shall be made ruler over many.
D&C 132:45 For I have conferred upon you the keys and power of the
priesthood, wherein I restore all things, and make known unto you all things
in due time.
D&C 132:46 And verily, verily, I say unto you, that whatsoever you seal on
earth shall be sealed in heaven; and whatsoever you bind on earth, in my name
and by my word, saith the Lord, it shall be eternally bound in the heavens;
and whosoever sins you remit on earth shall be remitted eternally in the
heavens; and whosesoever sins you retain on earth shall be retained in
heaven.
D&C 132:47 And again, verily I say, whomsoever you bless I will bless, and
whomsoever you curse I will curse, saith the Lord; for I, the Lord, am thy
God.
D&C 132:48 And again, verily I say unto you, my servant Joseph, that
whatsoever you give on earth, and to whomsoever you give any one on earth, by
my word and according to my law, it shall be visisted with blessings and not
cursings, and with my power, saith the Lord, and shall be without
condemnation on earth and in heaven.
D&C 132:49 For I am the Lord thy God, and will be with thee even unto the end
of the world, and through all eternity; for verily I seal upon you your
exaltation, and prepare a throne for you in the kingdom of my Father, with
Abraham your father.
D&C 132:50 Behold, I have seen your sacrifices, and will forgive all your
sins; I have seen your sacrifices in obedience to that which I have told you.
Go, therefore, and I make a way for your escape, as I accepted the offering
of Abraham of his son Isaac.
D&C 132:51 Verily, I say unto you: A commandment I give unto mine handmaid,
Emma Smith, your wife, whom I have given unto you, that she stay herself and
partake not of that which I commanded you to offer unto her; for I did it,
saith the Lord, to prove you all, as I did Abraham, and that I might require
an offering at your hand, by covenant and sacrifice.
D&C 132:52 And let mine handmaid, Emma Smith, receive all those that have
been given unto my servant Joseph, and who are virtuous and pure before me;
and those who are not pure, and have said they were pure, shall be destroyed,
saith the Lord God.
D&C 132:53 For I am the Lord thy God, and ye shall obey my voice; and I give
unto my servant Joseph that he shall be made ruler over many things; for he
hath been faithful over a few things, and from henceforth I will strengthen
him.
D&C 132:54 And I command mine handmaid, Emma Smith, to abide and cleave unto
my servant Joseph, and to none else. But if she will not abide this
commandment she shall be destroyed, saith the Lord; for I am the Lord thy
God, and will destroy her if she abide not in my law.
D&C 132:55 But if she will not abide this commandment, then shall my servant
Joseph do all things for her, even as he hath said; and I will bless him and
multiply him and give unto him an hundredfold in this world, of fathers and
mothers, brothers and sisters, houses and land, wives and children, and
crowns of eternal lives in the eternal worlds.
D&C 132:56 And again, verily I say, let mine handmaid forgive my servant
Joseph his trespass; and then shall she be forgiven her trespasses, wherein
she has trespassed against me; and I; the Lord thy God, will bless her, and
multiply her, and make her heart to rejoice.
D&C 132:57 And again, I say, let not my servant Joseph put his property out
of his hands, lest an enemy come and destroy him; for Satan seeketh to
destroy; for I am the Lord thy God, and he is my servant; and behold, and lo,
I am with him, as I was with Abraham, thy father, even unto his exaltation
and glory.
D&C 132:58 Now, as touching the law of the priesthood, there are many things
pertaining thereunto.
D&C 132:59 Verily, if a man be called of my Father, as was Aaron, by mine own
voice, and by the voice of him that sent me, and I have endowed him with the
keys of the power of this priesthood, if he do anything in my name, and
according to my law and by my word, he will not commit sin, and I will
justify him.
D&C 132:60 Let no one, therefore, set on my servant Joseph; for I will
justify him; for he shall do the sacrifice which I require at his hands for
his transgressions, saith the Lord your God.
D&C 132:61 And again, as pertaining to the law of the priesthood--if any man
espouse a virgin, and desire to espouse another, and the first give her
consent, and if he espouse the second, and they are virgins, and have vowed
to no other man, then he is justified; he cannot commit adultery for they are
given unto him; for he cannot commit adultery with that that belongeth unto
him and to no one else.
D&C 132:62 And if he have ten virgins given unto him by this law, he cannot
commit adultery, for they belong to him, and they are given unto him;
therefore is he justified.
D&C 132:63 But if one or either of the ten virgins, after she is espoused,
shall be with another man, she has committed adultery, and shall be
destroyed; for they are given unto him to multiply and replenish the earth
according to my commandment, and to fulfil the promise which was given by my
Father before the foundation of the world, and for their exaltation in the
eternal worlds, that they may bear the souls of men; for herein is the work
of my Father continued, that he may be glorified.
D&C 132:64 And again, verily, verily, I say unto you, if any man have a wife,
who holds the keys of this power, and he teaches unto her the law of my
priesthood, as pertaining to these things, then shall she believe and
administer unto him, or she shall be destroyed, saith the Lord your God; for
I will destroy her; for I will magnify my name upon all those who receive and
abide in my law.
D&C 132:65 Therefore, it shall be lawful in me, if she receive not this law,
for him to receive all things whatsoever I, the Lord his God, will give unto
him, because she did not believe and administer unto him according to my
word; and she then becomes the transgressor; and he is exempt from the law of
Sarah, who administered to the law when I commanded Abraham to take Hagar to
wife.
D&C 132:66 And now, as pertaining to this law, verily, verily, I say unto
you, I will reveal more unto you, hereafter; therefore, let this suffice for
the present. Behold, I am Alpha and Omega. Amen.
D&C 133:0 Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Hiram, Ohio,
November 3, 1831. Prefacing this revelation the Prophet wrote: At this time
there were many things which the Elders desired to know, relative to
preaching the Gospel to the inhabitants of the earth, and concerning the
gathering; and in order to walk by the true light, and be instructed from on
high, on the 3rd of November, 1831, I inquired of the Lord and received the
following important revelation, which has since been added to the book of
Doctrine and Covenants and called the Appendix. --A proclamation to the
people of the Church to gather to Zion--This proclamation to be carried by
the Elders to the peoples of the world--Zion and Jerusalem both to be
established--The voice of the Lord to issue from each of these centers--The
Lost Tribes to be remembered by the Lord and to be brought forth from the
north countries--These to receive their blessings at the hand of
Ephraim--Graves of the Saints to be opened at the coming of the Lord--The
doom of those who reject the Lord's message.
D&C 133:1 Hearken, O ye people of my church, saith the Lord your God, and
hear the word of the Lord concerning you--
D&C 133:2 The Lord who shall suddenly come to his temple; the Lord who shall
come down upon the world with a curse to judgment; yea, upon all the nations
that forget God, and upon all the ungodly among you.
D&C 133:3 For he shall make bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations,
and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of their God.
D&C 133:4 Wherefore, prepare ye, prepare ye, O my people; sanctify
yourselves; gather ye together, O ye people of my church, upon the land of
Zion, all you that have not been commanded to tarry.
D&C 133:5 Go ye out from Babylon. Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the
Lord.
D&C 133:6 Call your solemn assemblies, and speak often one to another. And
let every man call upon the name of the Lord.
D&C 133:7 Yea, verily I say unto you again, the time has come when the voice
of the Lord is unto you: Go ye out of Babylon; gather ye out from among the
nations, from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
D&C 133:8 Send forth the elders of my church unto the nations which are afar
off; unto the islands of the sea; send forth unto foreign lands; call upon
all nations, first upon the Gentiles, and then upon the Jews.
D&C 133:9 And behold, and lo, this shall be their cry, and the voice of the
Lord unto all people; Go ye forth unto the land of Zion, that the borders of
my people may be enlarged, and that her stakes may be strengthened, and that
Zion may go forth unto the regions round about.
D&C 133:10 Yea, let the cry go forth among all people: Awake and arise and go
forth to meet the Bridegroom; behold and lo, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out
to meet him. Prepare yourselves for the great day of the Lord.
D&C 133:11 Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour.
D&C 133:12 Let them, therefore, who are among the Gentiles flee unto Zion.
D&C 133:13 And let them who be of Judah flee unto Jerusalem, unto the
mountains of the Lord's house.
D&C 133:14 Go ye out from among the nations, even from Babylon, from the
midst of wickedness, which is spiritual Babylon.
D&C 133:15 But verily, thus saith the Lord, let not your flight be in haste,
but let all things be prepared before you; and he that goeth, let him not
look back lest sudden destruction shall come upon him.
D&C 133:16 Hearken and hear, O ye inhabitants of the earth. Listen, ye elders
of my church together, and hear the voice of the Lord; for he calleth upon
all men, and he commandeth all men to repent.
D&C 133:17 For behold, the Lord God hath sent forth the angel crying through
the midst of heaven, saying: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, and make his
paths straight, for the hour of his coming is nigh--
D&C 133:18 When the Lamb shall stand upon Mount Zion, and with him a hundred
and forty-four thousand, having his Father's name written on their foreheads.
D&C 133:19 Wherefore, prepare ye for the coming of the Bridegroom; go ye, go
ye out to meet him.
D&C 133:20 For behold, he shall stand upon the mount of Olivet, and upon the
mighty ocean, even the great deep and upon the islands of the sea, and upon
the land of Zion.
D&C 133:21 And he shall utter his voice out of Zion, and he shall speak from
Jerusalem, and his voice shall be heard among all people;
D&C 133:22 And it shall be a voice as the voice of many waters, and as the
voice of a great thunder, which shall break down the mountains, and the
valleys shall not be found.
D&C 133:23 He shall command the great deep, and it shall be driven back into
the north countries and the islands shall become one land;
D&C 133:24 And the land of Jerusalem and the land of Zion shall be turned
back into their own place, and the earth shall be like as it was in the days
before it was divided.
D&C 133:25 And the Lord, even the Savior, shall stand in the midst of his
people, and shall reign over all flesh.
D&C 133:26 And they who are in the north countries shall come in remembrance
before the Lord; and their prophets shall hear his voice, and shall not
longer stay themselves; and they shall smite the rocks, and the ice shall
flow down at their presence.
D&C 133:27 And an highway shall be cast up in the midst of the great deep.
D&C 133:28 Their enemies shall become a prey unto them,
D&C 133:29 And in the barren deserts there shall come forth pools of living
water; and the parched ground shall no longer be a thirsty land.
D&C 133:30 And they shall bring forth their rich treasures unto the children
of Ephraim, my servants.
D&C 133:31 And the boundaries of the everlasting hills shall tremble at their
presence.
D&C 133:32 And there shall they fall down and be crowned with glory, even in
Zion, by the hands of the servants of the Lord, even the children of Ephraim.
D&C 133:33 And they shall be filled with songs of everlasting joy.
D&C 133:34 Behold, this is the blessing of the everlasting God upon the
tribes of Israel, and the richer blessing upon the head of Ephraim and his
fellows.
D&C 133:35 And they also of the tribe of Judah, after their pain, shall be
sanctified in holiness before the Lord, to dwell in his presence day and
night, forever and ever.
D&C 133:36 And now, verily saith the Lord, that these things might be known
among you, O inhabitants of the earth, I have sent forth mine angel flying
through the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel who hath appeared
unto some and hath committed it unto man, who shall appear unto many that
dwell on the earth.
D&C 133:37 And this gospel shall be preached unto every nation, and kindred
and tongue, and people.
D&C 133:38 And the servants of God shall go forth, saying with a loud voice:
Fear God and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment is come;
D&C 133:39 And worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the
fountains of waters--
D&C 133:40 Calling upon the name of the Lord day and night, saying: O that
thou wouldst rend the heavens, that thou wouldst come down, that the
mountains might flow down at they presence.
D&C 133:41 And it shall be answered upon their heads; for the presence of the
Lord shall be as melting fire that burneth, and as the fire which causeth the
waters to boil.
D&C 133:42 O Lord, thou shalt come down to make thy name known to thine
adversaries, and all nations shall tremble at thy presence--
D&C 133:43 When thou doest terrible things, things they look not for;
D&C 133:44 Yea, when thou comest down, and the mountains flow down at thy
presence, thou shalt meet him who rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, who
remembereth thee in thy ways.
D&C 133:45 For since the beginning of the world have not men heard nor
perceived by the ear, neither hath any eye seen, O God, besides thee, how
great things thou hast prepared for him that waiteth for thee.
D&C 133:46 And it shall be said: Who is this that cometh down from God in
heaven with dyed garments; yea from the regions which are not known, clothed
in his glorious apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength?
D&C 133:47 And he shall say: I am he who spake in righteousness, mighty to
save.
D&C 133:48 And the Lord shall be red in his apparel, and his garments like
him that treadeth in the wine- vat.
D&C 133:49 And so great shall be the glory of his presence that the sun shall
hide his face in shame, and the moon shall withhold its light, and the stars
shall be hurled from their places.
D&C 133:50 And his voice shall be heard: I have trodden the wine-press alone,
and have brought judgment upon all people; and none were with me;
D&C 133:60 And for this cause these commandments were given; they were
commanded to be kept from the world in the day that they were given, but now
are to go forth unto all flesh--
D&C 133:61 And this according to the mind and will of the Lord, who ruleth
over all flesh.
D&C 133:62 And unto him that repenteth and sanctifieth himself before the
Lord shall be given eternal life.
D&C 133:63 And upon them that hearken not to the voice of the Lord shall be
fulfilled that which was written by the prophet Moses, that they should be
cut off from among the people.
D&C 133:64 And also that which was written by the prophet Malachi: For,
behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea,
and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall
burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root
nor branch.
D&C 133:65 Wherefore, this shall be the answer of the Lord unto them:
D&C 133:66 In that day when I came unto mine own, no man among you received
me, and you were driven out.
D&C 133:67 When I called again there was none of you to answer; yet my arm
was not shortened at all that I could not redeem, neither my power to
deliver.
D&C 133:68 Behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea. I make the rivers a
wilderness; their fish stink, and die for thirst.
D&C 133:69 I clothe the heavens with blackness, and make sackcloth their
covering.
D&C 133:70 And this shall ye have of my hand--ye shall lie down in sorrow.
D&C 133:71 Behold, and lo, there are none to deliver you; for ye obeyed not
my voice when I called to you out of the heavens; ye believed not my
servants, and when they were sent unto you ye received them not.
D&C 133:72 Wherefore, they sealed up the testimony and bound up the law, and
ye were delivered over unto darkness.
D&C 133:73 These shall go away into outer darkness, where there is weeping,
and wailing, and gnashing of teeth.
D&C 133:74 Behold the Lord your God hath spoken it. Amen.
D&C 134:0 A Declaration of Belief regarding Governments and Laws in general,
adopted by unanimous vote at a general assembly of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints, held at Kirtland, Ohio, August 17, 1835, with the
following preamble: That our belief with regard to earthly governments and
laws in general may not be misinterpreted nor misunderstood, we have thought
proper to present at the close of this volume our opinion concerning the
same. --This was inserted near the end of the Book of Commandments, as
compiled at that time. See History of the Church, vol. 2, p. 247.
D&C 134:1 We believe that governments were instituted of God for the benefit
of man; and that he holds men accountable for their acts in relation to them,
both in making laws and administering them, for the good and safety of
society.
D&C 134:2 We believe that no government can exist in peace, except such laws
are framed and held inviolate as will secure to each individual the free
exercise of conscience, the right and control of property, and the protection
of life.
D&C 134:3 We believe that all governments necessarily require civil officers
and magistrates to enforce the laws of the same; and that such as will
administer the law in equity and justice should be sought for and upheld by
the voice of the people if a republic, or the will of the sovereign.
D&C 134:4 We believe that religion is instituted of God; and that men are
amenable to him, and to him only, for the exercise of it, unless their
religious opinions prompt them to infringe upon the rights and liberties of
others; but we do not believe that human law has a right to interfere in
prescribing rules of worship to bind the consciences of men, nor dictate
forms for public or private devotion; that the civil magistrate should
restrain crime, but never control conscience; should punish guilt, but never
suppress the freedom of the soul.
D&C 134:5 We believe that all men are bound to sustain and uphold the
respective governments in which they reside while protected in their inherent
and inalienable rights by the laws of such governments; and that sedition and
rebellion are unbecoming every citizen thus protected, and should be punished
accordingly; and that all governments have a right to enact such laws as in
their judgments are best calculated to secure the public interest; at the
same time, however, holding sacred the freedom of conscience.
D&C 134:6 We believe that every man should be honored in his station, rulers
and magistrates as such, being placed for the protection of the innocent and
the punishment of the guilty; and that to the laws all men show respect and
deference, as without them peace and harmony and would be supplanted by
anarchy and terror; human laws being instituted for the express purpose of
regulating our interests as individuals and nations, between man and man; and
divine laws given of heaven, prescribing rules on spiritual concerns, for
faith and worship, both to be answered by man to his Maker.
D&C 134:7 We believe that rulers, states, and governments have a right, and
are bound to enact laws for the protection of all citizens in the free
exercise of their religious belief; but we do not believe that they have a
right in justice to deprive citizens of this privilege, or proscribe them in
their opinions, so long as a regard and reverence are shown to the laws and
such religious opinions do not justify sedition nor conspiracy.
D&C 134:8 We believe that the commission of crime should be punished
according to the nature of the offense; that murder, treason, robbery, theft,
and the breach of the general peace, in all respects, should be punished
according to their criminality and their tendency to evil among men, by the
laws of that government in which the offense is committed; and for the public
peace and tranquility all men should step forward and use their ability in
bringing offenders against good laws to punishment.
D&C 134:9 We do not believe it just to mingle religious influence with civil
government, whereby one religious society is fostered and another proscribed
in its spiritual privileges, and the individual rights of its members, as
citizens, denied.
D&C 134:10 We believe that all religious societies have a right to deal with
their members for disorderly conduct, according to the rules and regulations
of such societies; provided that such dealings be for fellowship and good
standing; but we do not believe that any religious society has authority to
try men on the right of property or life, to take from them this world's
goods, or to put them in jeopardy of either life or limb, or to inflict any
physical punishment upon them. They can only excommunicate them from their
society, and withdraw from them their fellowship.
D&C 134:11 We believe that men should appeal to the civil law for redress of
all wrongs and grievances, where personal abuse is inflicted or the right of
property or character infringed, where such laws exist as will protect the
same; but we believe that all men are justified in defending themselves,
their friends and property, and the government, from the unlawful assaults of
all persons in times of exigency, where immediate appeal cannot be made to
the laws, and relief afforded.
D&C 134:12 We believe it just to preach the gospel to the nations of the
earth, and warn the righteous to save themselves from the corruption of the
world; but we do not believe it right to interfere with bond-servants,
neither preach the gospel to, nor baptize them contrary to the will and wish
of their masters, nor to meddle with or influence them in the least to cause
them to be dissatisfied with their situations in this life, thereby
jeopardizing the lives of men; such interference we believe to be unlawful
and unjust, and dangerous to the peace of every government allowing human
beings to be held in servitude.
D&C 135:0 Martyrdom of Joseph Smith the Prophet, and his brother, Hyrum Smith
the Patriarch, at Carthage, Illinois, June 27, 1844. See History of the
Church, vol. 6, p. 612.
D&C 135:1 To seal the testimony of this book and the Book of Mormon, we
announce the martyrdom of Joseph Smith the Prophet, and Hyrum Smith the
Patriarch. They were shot in Carthage jail, on the 27th of June, 1844, about
five o'clock p.m., by an armed mob--painted black--of from 150 to 200
persons. Hyrum was shot first and fell calmly, exclaiming: I am a dead man!
Joseph leaped from the window, and was shot dead in the attempt, exclaiming:
O Lord my God! They were both shot after they were dead, in a brutal manner,
and both received four balls.
D&C 135:2 John Taylor and Willard Richards, two of the Twelve, were the only
persons in the room at the time; the former was wounded in a savage manner
with four balls, but has since recovered; the latter, through the providence
of God, escaped, without even a hole in his robe.
D&C 135:3 Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save
Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that
ever lived in it. In the short space of twenty years, he has brought forth
the Book of Mormon, which he translated by the gift and power of God, and has
been the means of publishing it on two continents; has sent the fulness of
the everlasting gospel, which it contained to the four quarters of the earth;
has brought forth the revelations and commandments which compose this book of
Doctrine and Covenants, and many other wise documents and instructions for
the benefit of the children of men; gathered many thousands of the Latter-day
Saints, founded a great city, and left a fame and name that cannot be slain.
He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like
most of the Lord's anointed in ancient times, has sealed his mission and his
words with his own blood; and so has his brother Hyrum. In life they were not
divided, and in death they were not separated!
D&C 135:4 When Joseph went to Carthage to deliver himself up to the pretended
requirements of the law, two or three days previous to his assassination, he
said: "I am going like a lamb to the slaughter; but I am calm as a summer's
morning; I have a conscience void of offense towards God, and towards all
men. I SHALL DIE INNOCENT, AND IT SHALL YET BE SAID OF ME--HE WAS MURDERED IN
COLD BLOOD."--The same morning, after Hyrum had made ready to go--shall it be
said to the slaughter? yes, for so it was--he read the following paragraph,
near the close of the twelfth chapter of Ether, in the Book of Mormon, and
turned down the leaf upon it:
D&C 135:5 And it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord that he would give
unto the Gentiles grace, that they might have charity. And it came to pass
that the Lord said unto me: If they have not charity it mattereth not unto
thee, thou hast been faithful; wherefore thy garments shall be made clean.
And because thou hast seen thy weakness, thou shalt be made strong, even unto
the sitting down in the place which I have prepared in the mansions of my
Father. And now I...bid farewell unto the Gentiles; yea, and also unto my
brethren whom I love, until we shall meet before the judgment-seat of Christ,
where all men shall know that my garments are not spotted with your blood.
The testators are now dead, and their testament is in force.
D&C 135:6 Hyrum Smith was forty-four years old in February, 1844, and Joseph
Smith was thirty-eight in December, 1843; and henceforward their names will
be classed among the martyrs of religion; and the reader in every nation will
be reminded that the Book of Mormon, and this book of Doctrine and Covenants
of the church, cost the best blood of the nineteenth century to bring them
forth for the salvation of a ruined world; and that if the fire can scathe a
green tree for the glory of God, how easy it will burn up the dry trees to
purify the vineyard of corruption. They lived for glory; they died for glory;
and glory is their eternal reward. From age to age shall their names go down
to posterity as gems for the sanctified.
D&C 135:7 They were innocent of any crime, as they had often been proved
before and were only confined in jail by the conspiracy of traitors and
wicked men; and their innocent blood on the floor of Carthage jail is a broad
seal affixed to "Mormonism" that cannot be rejected by any court on earth,
and their innocent blood on the escutcheon of the State of Illinois, with the
broken faith of the State as pledged by the governor, is a witness to the
truth of the everlasting gospel that all the world cannot impeach; and their
innocent blood on the banner of liberty, and on the magna charta of the
United States, is an ambassador for the religion of Jesus Christ, that will
touch the hearts of honest men among all nations; and their innocent blood,
with the innocent blood of all the martyrs under the altar that John saw,
will cry unto the Lord of Hosts till he avenges that blood on the earth,
Amen.
D&C 136:0 The Word and Will of the Lord, given through President Brigham
Young, at the Winter Quarters of the Camp of Israel, Omaha Nation, West Bank
of Missouri River, near Council Bluffs, Iowa, January 14, 1847. --Plan of
organization for migration to the West--Admonitions to righteousness--The
Lord to be praised both in times of joy and of sorrow--Needful that Joseph
Smith the Prophet should have sealed his testimony with his blood.
D&C 136:1 The Word and Will of the Lord concerning the Camp of Israel in
their journeyings to the West:
D&C 136:2 Let all the people of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, and those who journey with them, be organized into companies, with a
covenant and promise to keep all the commandments and statutes of the Lord
our God.
D&C 136:3 Let the companies be organized with captains of hundreds, captains
of fifties, and captains of tens, with a president and his two counselors at
their head, under the direction of the Twelve Apostles.
D&C 136:4 And this shall be our covenant--that we will walk in all the
ordinances of the Lord.
D&C 136:5 Let each company provide themselves with all the teams, wagons,
provisions, clothing, and other necessaries for the journey, that they can.
D&C 136:6 When the companies are organized let them go with their might, to
prepare for those who are to tarry.
D&C 136:7 Let each company, with their captains and presidents, decide how
many can go next spring; then choose out a sufficient number of able-bodied
and expert men, to take teams, seeds, and farming utensils, to go as pioneers
to prepare for putting in spring crops.
D&C 136:8 Let each company bear an equal proportion, according to the
dividend of their property, in taking the poor, the widows, the fatherless,
and the families of those who have gone into the army, that the cries of the
widow and the fatherless come not up into the ears of the Lord against this
people.
D&C 136:9 Let each company prepare houses, and fields for raising grain, for
those who are to remain behind this season; and this is the will of the Lord
concerning this people.
D&C 136:10 Let every man use all his influence and property to remove this
people to the place where the Lord shall locate a stake of Zion.
D&C 136:11 And if ye do this with a pure heart, in all faithfulness, ye shall
be blessed; you shall be blessed in your flocks, and in your herds, and in
your fields, and in your houses, and in your families.
D&C 136:12 Let my servants Ezra T. Benson and Erastus Snow organize a
company.
D&C 136:13 And let my servants Orson Pratt and Wilford Woodruff organize a
company.
D&C 136:14 Also, let my servants Amasa Lyman and George A. Smith organize a
company.
D&C 136:15 And appoint presidents, and captains of hundreds, and of fifties
and of tens.
D&C 136:16 And let my servants that have been appointed go and teach this, my
will, to the saints, that they may be ready to go to a land of peace.
D&C 136:17 Go thy way and do as I have told you, and fear not thine enemies;
for they shall not have power to stop my work.
D&C 136:18 Zion shall be redeemed in mine own due time.
D&C 136:19 And if any man shall seek to build up himself, and seeketh not my
counsel, he shall have no power, and his folly shall be made manifest.
D&C 136:20 Seek ye; and keep all your pledges one with another; and covet not
that which is thy brother's.
D&C 136:21 Keep yourselves from evil to take the name of the Lord your God,
even the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob.
D&C 136:22 I am he who led the children out of the land of Egypt; and my arm
is stretched out in the last days, to save my people Israel.
D&C 136:23 Cease to contend one with another; cease to speak evil one of
another.
D&C 136:24 Cease drunkenness; and let your words tend to edifying one
another.
D&C 136:25 If thou borrowest of thy neighbor, thou shalt restore that which
thou has borrowed; and if thou canst not repay then go straightway and tell
thy neighbor, lest he condemn thee.
D&C 136:26 If thous shalt find that which thy neighbor has lost, thou shalt
make diligent search till thou shalt deliver it to him again.
D&C 136:27 Thou shalt be diligent in preserving what thou hast, that thou
mayest be a wise steward; for it is the free gift of the Lord thy God, and
thou art his steward.
D&C 136:28 If thou art merry, praise the Lord with singing, with music, with
dancing, and with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving.
D&C 136:29 If thou art sorrowful, call on the Lord thy God with supplication,
that your souls may be joyful.
D&C 136:30 Fear not thine enemies, for they are in mine hand and I will do my
pleasure with them.
D&C 136:31 My people must be tried in all things, that they may be prepared
to receive the glory that I have for them, even the glory of Zion; and he
will not bear chastisement is not worthy of my kingdom.
D&C 136:32 Let him that is ignorant learn wisdom by humbling himself and
calling upon the Lord his God, that his eyes may be opened that he may see,
and his ears opened that he may hear;
D&C 136:33 For my Spirit is sent forth into the world to enlighten the humble
and contrite, and to the condemnation of the ungodly.
D&C 136:34 Thy brethren have rejected you and your testimony, even the nation
that has driven you out;
D&C 136:35 And now cometh the day of their calamity, even the days of sorrow,
like a woman that is taken in travail; and their sorrow shall be great unless
they speedily repent, yea, very speedily.
D&C 136:36 For they killed the prophets and them that were sent unto them;
and they have shed innocent blood, which crieth from the ground against them.
D&C 136:37 Therefore, marvel not at these things, for ye are not yet pure; ye
can not yet bear my glory; but ye shall behold it if ye are faithful in
keeping all my words that I have gmven you, from the days of Adam to Abraham,
from Abraham to Moses, from Moses to Jesus and his apostles, and from Jesus
and his apostles to Joseph Smith, whom I did call upon by mine angels, my
ministering servants, and by mine own voice out of the heavens, to bring
forth my work;
D&C 136:38 Which foundation he did lay, and was faithful; and I took him to
myself.
D&C 136:39 Many have marveled because of his death; but it was needful that
he should seal his testimony with his blood, that he might be honored and the
wicked might be condemned.
D&C 136:40 Have I not delivered you from your enemies, only in that I have
left a witness of my name?
D&C 136:41 Now, therefore, hearken, O ye people of my church; and ye elders
listen together; you have received my kingdom.
D&C 136:42 Be diligent in keeping all my commandments, lest judgments come
upon you, and your faith fail you, and your enemies triumph over you. So no
more at present. Amen and Amen.
D&C 137:0 A Vision, given to Joseph Smith the Prophet, in the temple at
Kirtland, Ohio, January 21, 1836. The occasion was the administration of the
ordinances of the endowment as far as they had then been revealed. See
History of the Church, vol. 2, pp. 380-381. --Vision of the celestial
kingdom--Doctrine of salvation for the dead revealed--All children saved in
the celestial kingdom.
D&C 137:1 The heavens were opened upon us, and I behold the celestial kingdom
of God, and the glory thereof, whether in the body or out I cannot tell.
D&C 137:2 I saw the transcendent beauty of the gate through which the heirs
of that kingdom will enter, which was like unto circling flames of fire;
D&C 137:3 Also the blazing throne of God, whereon was seated the Father and
the Son.
D&C 137:4 I saw the beautiful streets of that kingdom, which had the
appearance of being paved with gold.
D&C 137:5 I saw Father Adam and Abraham; and my father and my mother; my
brother Alvin, that has long since slept;
D&C 137:6 And marveled how it was that he had obtained an inheritance in that
kingdom, seeing that he had departed this life before the Lord had set his
hand to gather Israel the second time, and had not been baptized for the
remission of sins.
D&C 137:7 Thus came the voice of the Lord unto me saying: All who have died
without a knowledge of this gospel, who would have received it if they had
been permitted to tarry, shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of God;
D&C 137:8 Also all that shall die henceforth without a knowledge of it, who
would have received it with all their hearts, shall be heirs of that kingdom;
D&C 137:9 For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works,
according to the desire of their hearts.
D&C 137:10 And I also beheld that all children who die before they arrive at
the years of accountability are saved in the celestial kingdom of heaven.
D&C 138:0 A Vision, given to President Joseph F. Smith, in Salt Lake City,
Utah, on October 3, 1918, showing the visit of the Lord Jesus Christ in the
spirit world, and setting forth the doctrine of the redemption of the dead.
--President Joseph F. Smith ponders upon the writings of Peter and our Lord's
visit to the spirit world--He sees the righteous dead assembled in paradise
and Christ's ministry among them--Preaching of the gospel organized among the
spirits--Righteous dead of this day continue their labors in the spirit
world.
D&C 138:1 On the third of October, in the year nineteen hundred and eighteen,
I sat in my room pondering over the scriptures;
D&C 138:2 And reflecting upon the great atoning sacrifice that was made by
the Son of God, for the redemption of the world;
D&C 138:3 And the great and wonderful love made manifest by the Father and
the Son in the coming of the Redeemer into the world;
D&C 138:4 That through his atonement, and by obedience to the principles of
the gospel, mankind might be saved.
D&C 138:5 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 the other parts of Asia, where the gospel had been
preached after the crucifixion of the Lord.
D&C 138:6 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:
D&C 138:7 "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:
D&C 138:8 "By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
D&C 138:9 "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 souls were saved by water." (1 Peter 3:18-20.)
D&C 138:10 "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.)
D&C 138:11 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.
D&C 138:12 And there were gathered together in one place an innumerable
company of the spirits of the just, who had been faithful in the testimony of
Jesus while they lived in mortality;
D&C 138:13 And who had offered sacrifice in the similitude of the great
sacrifice of the Son of God, and had suffered tribulation in their Redeemer's
name.
D&C 138:14 All these had departed the mortal life, firm in the hope of a
glorious resurrection, through the grace of God the Father and his Only
Begotten Son, Jesus Christ.
D&C 138:15 I beheld that they were filled with joy and gladness, and were
rejoicing together because the day of their deliverance was at hand.
D&C 138:16 They were assembled awaiting the advent of the Son of God into the
spirit world, to declare their redemption from the bands of death.
D&C 138:17 Their sleeping dust 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.
D&C 138:18 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;
D&C 138:19 And there he preached to them the everlasting gospel, the doctrine
of the resurrection and the redemption of mankind from the fall, and from
individual sins on conditions of repentance.
D&C 138:20 But unto the wicked he did not go, and among the ungodly and the
unrepentant who had defiled themselves while in the flesh, his voice was not
raised;
D&C 138:21 Neither did the rebellious who rejected the testimonies and the
warnings of the ancient prophets behold his presence, nor look upon his face.
D&C 138:22 Where these were, darkness reigned, but among the righteous there
was peace;
D&C 138:23 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.
D&C 138:24 Their countenances shone, and the radiance from the presence of
the Lord rested upon them, and they sang praises unto his holy name.
D&C 138:25 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;
D&C 138:26 And yet, notwithstanding the mighty works, and miracles, and
proclamation of the truth, in great power and authority, there were but few
who hearkened to his voice, and rejoiced in his presence, and received
salvation at his hands.
D&C 138:27 But his ministry among those who were dead was limited to the
brief time intervening between the crucifixion and his resurrection;
D&C 138:28 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.
D&C 138:29 And as I wondered, my eyes were opened, and my understanding
quickened, and I perceived that the Lord went not in person among the wicked
and the disobedient who had rejected the truth, to teach them;
D&C 138:30 But behold, from among the righteous, he organized his forces and
appointed messengers, clothed with power and authority, and commissioned them
to go forth 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.
D&C 138:31 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.
D&C 138:32 Thus was the gospel preached to those who had died in their sins,
without a knowledge of the truth, or in transgression, having rejected the
prophets.
D&C 138:33 These were taught faith in God, repentance from sin, vicarious
baptism for the remission of sins, the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying
on of hands.
D&C 138:34 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.
D&C 138:35 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.
D&C 138:36 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;
D&C 138:37 That they might carry the message of redemption unto all the dead,
unto whom he could not go personally, because of their rebellion and
transgression, that they through the ministration of his servants might also
hear his words.
D&C 138:38 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,
D&C 138:39 And our glorious Mother Eve, with many of her faithful daughters
who had lived through the ages and worshiped the true and living God.
D&C 138:40 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.
D&C 138:41 Noah, who gave warning of the flood; Shem, the great high priest;
Abraham, the father of the faithful; Isaac, Jacob, and Moses, the great law-
giver of Israel;
D&C 138:42 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.
D&C 138:43 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;
D&C 138:44 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;
D&C 138:45 Elias, who was with Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration;
D&C 138:46 And Malachi, the prophet who testified of the coming of Elijah--of
whom also Moroni spake to the Prophet Joseph Smith, declaring that he should
come before the great and dreadful day of the Lord--were also there.
D&C 138:47 The Prophet Elijah was to plant in the hearts of the children the
promises made to their fathers,
D&C 138:48 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.
D&C 138:49 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,
D&C 138:50 For the dead had looked upon the long absence of their spirits
from their bodies as a bondage.
D&C 138:51 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,
D&C 138:52 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.
D&C 138:53 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,
D&C 138:54 Including the building of the temples and the performance of
ordinances therein for the redemption of the dead, were also in the spirit
world.
D&C 138:55 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.
D&C 138:56 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.
D&C 138:57 I behold 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.
D&C 138:58 The dead who repent will be redeemed, through obedience to the
ordinances of the house of God,
D&C 138:59 And after they have paid the penalty of their transgressions, and
are washed clean, shall receive a reward according to their works, for they
are heirs of salvation.
D&C 138:60 Thus was the vision of the redemption of the dead revealed to me,
and I bear record, and I know that this record is true, through the blessing
of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, even so. Amen.
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