Receiving the Blessings We Desire Most

For about a week each February, a waterfall in Yosemite National Park turns into a cascade of fire. It's a rare sight that only happens when it's wet enough, warm enough and clear enough to have winter waterfalls and a view of the setting sun. The Yosemite Firefall is, of course, an optical illusion, but people travel from all over the world to see the wonder of Horsetail Fall appearing like a pillar of fire.

We all have things we want to see with our own eyes. For some of us it may be natural wonders; for others, it might be an incredible feat or a rare collectors item or a prayed-for event.

For Martin Harris in March of 1829, the thing he wanted to see most was the gold plates Joseph Smith was translating into what we now call The Book of Mormon. He had invested considerable time and money in the translation and his wife was increasingly upset with his involvement. Lucy Harris thought her husband had been deceived and even filed a legal complaint against Joseph Smith and gathered a number of people willing to testify that he had lied about the plates. She told Martin he would join Joseph in jail if he did not also testify of Joseph Smith's deception and fraud.

Martin believed the plates were real, but he decided to travel from his home in upstate New York to Harmony, Pennsylvania, to ask Joseph if he could see the plates. Perhaps he thought that seeing the plates would justify his involvement with the work of translation and avoid further conflict with Lucy.

When Martin arrived in Pennsylvania, Joseph took Martin's question to the Lord and received a revelation now canonized as Doctrine and Covenants Section 5. In this revelation, the Lord gives two answers to Martin's question. First, he directs Joseph:

And now, behold, this shall you say unto him...: I, the Lord, am God, and have given these things [the plates] unto you, my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and have commanded you that you should stand as a witness of these things; And I have caused you that you should enter into a covenant with me, that you should not show them except to those persons to whom I commanded you; and you have no power over them except I grant it unto you (v. 2-3).

Martin was not allowed to see the plates at that time. Instead, the Lord affirmed that it was Joseph Smith's role to witness the plates were real. Martin would be required to walk by faith a little longer, even and perhaps especially in face of opposition to his belief.

More than 120 years later, President Joseph Fielding Smith shared that he had often observed similar inquiries:

Frequently when [people] … hear the story of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, they ask if the plates are in some museum where they may be seen. Some of them with some scientific training, [suggest] that if the scholars could see and examine the plates and learn to read them, they would then bear witness to the truth of the Book of Mormon and the veracity of Joseph Smith, and the whole world would then be converted (Church History and Modern Revelation, 2 vols. [1953], 1:40).

The Lord's ways are not our ways however, and on this occasion there is more to the explanation. The Lord continued the revelation:

If they will not believe my words, they would not believe you, my servant Joseph, if it were possible that you should show them all these things which I have committed unto you... I have reserved those things which I have entrusted unto you, my servant Joseph, for a wise purpose in me, and it shall be made known unto future generations; But this generation shall have my word through you (v. 7, 9-10).

Had Martin Harris, or anyone else, seen the plates; or if we could see the plates in a museum somewhere; he or she or we still may not believe. Certainly those inclined not to believe could dispute the translation and origins even with the plates right before their eyes. So the Lord reserved the plates to emphasize Joseph Smith's unique calling and for "a wise purpose" he didn't immediately elaborate.

Rather than relying on our senses alone, the Lord teaches that it is crucial for each of us, as it was important for Martin Harris, to have a testimony of his gospel and the great work of restoration. A testimony is a divine witness or evidence that is impressed upon our hearts and minds. Its effects are often deeper and more profound than what we learn from our senses.

When we come to really believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet called of God to translate the Book of Mormon and restore the priesthood and organization of Christ's church upon the earth, we can know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ's church upon the earth today. This testimony guides us to the covenant blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ, ordinances that can be performed by proper authority and ultimately, if we are faithful, salvation from sin and death through the Atonement of Jesus Christ and eternal life in the celestial kingdom of God.

Of course, none of us need take the word of Joseph Smith alone. We have the testimony of the Book of Mormon. We can read it, ponder the words it teaches and ask God if they are true. He has promised that if we "ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost" (Moroni 10:4). Millions of people have had this experience and can add their testimonies to the witness of Joseph Smith.

Among the millions, three men in addition to Joseph Smith were called to be witnesses of the plates themselves. The Lord taught Joseph Smith on that day in March 1829:

And in addition to [the testimony of Joseph Smith], the testimony of three of my servants, whom I shall call and ordain, unto whom I will show these things, and they shall go forth with my words that are given through you. Yea, they shall know of a surety that these things are true, for from heaven will I declare it unto them. I will give them power that they may behold and view these things as they are; And to none else will I grant this power, to receive this same testimony among this generation.... And the testimony of three witnesses will I send forth of my word (v. 11-15).

Each copy of the Book of Mormon begins with a title page, introduction and a copy of the written testimony of Three Witnesses, which stands as another evidence of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. The Lord continued:

And behold, whosoever believeth on my words, them will I visit with the manifestation of my Spirit; and they shall be born of me, even of water and of the Spirit... And their testimony shall also go forth unto the condemnation of this generation if they harden their hearts against them (v. 16, 18).

President Ezra Taft Benson taught that "we each need to get our own testimony of the Book of Mormon through the Holy Ghost. Then our testimony, coupled with the Book of Mormon, should be shared with others so that they, too, can know through the Holy Ghost of its truthfulness" (“The Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants,” Ensign, May 1987, 84).

After admonishing Joseph Smith to "walk more uprightly" and "yield to the persuasions of men no more", the Lord provides the second answer to Martin Harris' question:

And now, again, I speak unto you, my servant Joseph, concerning the man that desires the witness-- Behold, I say unto him, he exalts himself and does not humble himself sufficiently before me; but if he will bow down before me, and humble himself in mighty prayer and faith, in the sincerity of his heart, then will I grant unto him a view of the things which he desires to see (v. 23-24).

Through a multi-step process, the Lord offered Martin Harris the opportunity to become one of the Three Witnesses. As with the first answer, the Lord provided more explanation of this promise, including an admonition to testify to the world of what he saw and a warning that failure to be sufficiently humble and obedient would result in not seeing the plates and Martin's condemnation and destruction.

Often the Lord responds to us the way he responded here to Martin Harris. He doesn't usually give us what we want outright, but he provides a way for us to receive the blessings we desire. We don't usually have to travel the world to find them, but the Lord does require us to pursue our desires with humble and sincere prayers and acts of faith. Along the way, he provides guidance and commandments that protect us from the obstacles, including sometimes those we love, who would take us off the path and lead us another way toward worldly approval and the destruction of our souls.

Three months after the Lord's responses to Martin's question, Martin Harris was one of three men who saw the plates and testified to the world of their reality. Likewise, if we walk the path the Lord lays out for us, he will send the proverbial rain and part the clouds so we can receive the blessings we desire.

Keys of the Kingdom

Years ago I accepted a position with a small swimming pool supply store in Salt Lake City. I was 18 at the time and ready to make the jump from mall retail to the grey area between management and indentured servitude. I was grateful to have some additional responsibility in my new job and for the support of a good store manager with whom I became fast friends.

After a few weeks in my new position, the store manager gave me a key to the store. He wanted me to open the store several days a week and run things until he could get there.

This felt like a major promotion. I remember setting multiple alarm clocks to make absolutely certain that I would wake up with enough time to stock the shelves, turn all the merchandise so it faced forward and prepare the registers for the day. The key to the store in my pocket and the trust it represented were sources of professional pride that elevated all aspects of my performance.

Two thousand years before I started stocking chlorine tablets and inflatable lounge chairs on long retail shelves, Christ had a similar conversation with his disciples. To Peter he said:

Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church... And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (Matthew 16:18-19).

The keys to which Christ referred were not physical keys to a store, a chapel or even a temple. Instead Christ referred to priesthood keys that would authorize Peter and the other apostles to lead the church in Christ's absence. It is only by virtue of priesthood keys that divine authority can be accessed to perform saving ordinances and enter the kingdom of God. Though the keys themselves are not tangible, they are literally the 'keys of the kingdom'.

President Joseph Fielding Smith taught:

[Priesthood] keys are the right of presidency; they are the power and authority to govern and direct all of the Lord’s affairs on earth. Those who hold them have power to govern and control the manner in which all others may serve in the priesthood.

Elder Dale G. Renlund adds:

Some priesthood keys are given to all priesthood holders, and some priesthood keys are given only to leaders. Except in the case of Apostles, priesthood keys of leadership are held only temporarily and are relinquished upon a release. Priesthood keys are the mechanism by which the Lord organizes His priesthood on the earth. A man with priesthood keys has specific and special responsibilities in addition to those that accompany his ordination to an office in the priesthood (Renlund, Dale G. and Ruth Lybbert Renlund. The Melchizedek Priesthood. Deseret Book. 2018. 176.).

Ultimately, all priesthood authority belongs to the Lord, Jesus Christ. He has commissioned prophets and apostles in every dispensation and given them the keys necessary for their time. Moses was given stewardship over the keys of the gathering of Israel; Elias (possibly Melchezidek) held the keys for the dispensation of Abraham; and Elijah was responsible for the keys of sealing power, or the priesthood power to validate ordinances on earth and in heaven. These are just a few priesthood keys that have been entrusted to mankind; and still others, such as the keys to the powers of creation or resurrection, the Lord retains for himself.

Many of those who have received priesthood keys from the Lord, including Moses, Elias and Elijah, have appeared in modern times to restore those keys to the earth. Restored priesthood keys have, in turn, been passed down through ordinations performed by the laying on of hands. In this way, the same way the Savior himself gave the keys of the kingdom to his twelve apostles, each generation has been called to serve as prophets, apostles, bishops and quorum presidents. Only those who have been ordained in this way and by one holding the requisite priesthood keys are divinely authorized to act in the Lord's name for the salvation of His children.

Technology is now changing the way we understand keys. Fundamentally, keys are still needed to gain access to a facility, resources or functionality, but tangible keys are disappearing. Instead, digital keys are embedded in your new car fob, your nametag at work, the online password to your bank account and your favorite hotel chain app.

We cannot see priesthood keys, but that doesn't take away from their authority or their absolute necessity to gain access to the powers of heaven required to perform sacred saving ordinances. Those who hold priesthood keys have a solemn duty to be as diligent as I was on my first day opening the small swimming pool supply store in Salt Lake City. With worthy striving, the Lord promises that the work that is done to benefit His children on earth will be acknowledged in heaven-- that through His priesthood keys we may all gain access to the Kingdom of Heaven.

An Offering Unto the Lord in Righteousness: A Prophecy Fulfilled

 An ancient prophecy was fulfilled with an announcement made, and largely missed, in December of 2017. Like so many other Bible prophecies, its fulfillment foretells the Second Coming of Jesus Christ in the same way that new leaves on a fig tree foretell the coming of summer (Mark 13:28-29).

Around 445 B.C., the Lord spoke through the prophet Malachi:

Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple... And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness (Malachi 3:1-3).

There are several parts to this particular prophecy: the messenger, the Lord coming to his temple, the purification of the sons of Levi and the offering unto the Lord in righteousness. Each part is connected to the others and has occurred in its own time over the last 190 years. The final piece was made possible just two months ago.

First, the Lord sent his messenger to prepare the way before him in the spring of 1829. Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were prayerfully engaged in the work of translating what we now know as the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ when they came across a passage they did not understand. As they often did, they went into the woods to pray for the greater light and knowledge the needed. Joseph recorded that as they did so,  "a messenger from heaven descended in a cloud of light, and having laid his hands upon us, he ordained us, saying:

Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken again from the earth, until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness" (D&C 13, JSH 1:68-72).

The messenger introduced himself as, "John, the same that is called John the Baptist in the New Testament". It is particularly fitting that the man who was called to prepare the way for Christ's earthy ministry would also have a key role, now as a resurrected heavenly messenger, in the restoration of the priesthood preparatory to the Second Coming. It is equally appropriate that John would echo the prophecy of Malachi he was sent to fulfill.

Restoration of the Priesthood of Aaron was soon followed by the restoration of the Melchizedek Priesthood and then the doctrines related to temple worship. After building the first temple of our dispensation in Kirtland, Ohio, Jesus Christ appeared suddenly on April 3, 1836. Joseph and Oliver testified:

We saw the Lord standing upon the breastwork of the pulpit, before us... His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun; and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah, saying: 'I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father' (D&C 110).

To understand the remaining parts of this prophecy, we first need to understand who the sons of Levi are who are to be purified and offer an offering in righteousness. In the Old Testament, the Levites performed sacrifices in the tabernacle, which was essentially a portable temple. Those sacrifices were offered on behalf of the Israelites requesting forgiveness of sin, as a sign of personal commitment to God, in gratitude for one's blessings or to continue to be at peace with the Lord. Each of these offerings were intended to point the minds of the people to the Messiah who would one day come to free them from their sins. These sacrifices were only to be done by ordained priests in the Levitical Priesthood-- and only the male descendants of Moses' brother Aaron, a Levite, were permitted to be ordained priests. The Levitical Priesthood is also known as the lesser, the preparatory or the Aaronic Priesthood.

Beginning with John the Baptist's ordination of Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, the sons of Levi are once again called to do the work of the Priesthood of Aaron. The Lord has taught:

Therefore, as I said concerning the sons of Moses-- for the sons of Moses and also the sons of Aaron shall offer an acceptable offering and sacrifice in the house of the Lord, which house shall be built unto the Lord in this generation, upon the consecrated spot as I have appointed... whose sons are ye; and also many whom I have called and sent forth to build up my church. For whoso is faithful unto the obtaining these two priesthoods of which I have spoken... become the sons of Moses and of Aaron (D&C 84:31-34).

The sons of Levi in our day are those who have inherited his priesthood as restored by John the Baptist. Over the last several decades, there has been a renewed emphasis on purity among these modern-day priests of the Aaronic Priesthood. Whether "raising the bar" or lowering the age for missionary service, these young men have risen to the challenges of modern prophets to live with greater purity and devotion than generations past. There can be no question the Lord has been purifying the sons of Levi, and continues to purify them, in our day.

Finally, we can turn our attention to the nature of the offering to be given in preparation for the Second Coming of Christ. Clearly, it cannot be a blood sacrifice in the way the ancient Levites offered animals. Amulek, an ancient American missionary, explained:

Therefore, it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice, and then shall there be, or it is expedient there should be, a stop to the shedding of blood; then shall the law of Moses be fulfilled; yea, it shall be all fulfilled, every jot and tittle, and none shall have passed away.

And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal (Alma 34:13-14).

In modern temples, just as in Solomon's temple, there are baptismal fonts where the living may act as proxies in performing baptisms for the dead. This principle of the gospel has been present whenever there have been temples on the earth. "Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead," wrote the Apostle Paul in one sermon about resurrection, "if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?" (1 Corinthians 15:29).

In December 2017, the First Presidency of the Church announced that, under the direction of the temple presidency, ordained priests in the Aaronic or Levitical Priesthood may be asked to officiate in baptisms for the dead, including performing baptisms and serving as witnesses. This is a change from the last 180 years, when only those who were ordained to the higher or Melchizedek Priesthood could officiate. Now in more than 150 temples around the world, priests are once again performing sacred ordinances on behalf of those in need of repentance, divine covenants and the peace of God.

Echoing Malachi in an 1842 letter to the Saints, the Prophet Joseph Smith wrote:

Behold, the great day of the Lord is at hand; and who can abide the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appeareth? For he is like a refiner's fire, and like a fuller's soap; and he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. Let us, therefore, as a church and a people, and as Latter-day Saints, offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness; and let us present in his holy temple, when it is finished, a book containing the records of our dead, which shall be worthy of all acceptation (D&C 128:24).

With a simple announcement that went unnoticed by most of the world, the Lord is fulfilling the prophecies of all the ancient prophets and preparing the world for his eventual return. It is as Christ has said; and today there is another leaf on the fig tree warning us of the approaching summer.

Upon This Rock

Not long after the death of John the Baptist, Christ led his disciples to the base of Mount Hermon in the northern reaches of Galilee. Soon he would ascend that mountain with Peter, James, and John and be transfigured before them. God the Father would be present to testify of His Beloved Son. Moses, Elijah and John the Baptist would appear to relay priesthood authority and keys. In short, the Church of Christ and the power to administer the ordinances thereof would be restored. Before the Church could be built however, the Savior sought an opportunity to lay the foundation.

At the base of the mountain was the city of Caesarea Phillipi. Though proximate to Israel, this was a Gentile resort city in the same vein as a modern Las Vegas. Since the time of Alexander the great several hundred years earlier, it had also become a place dedicated to the worship of Pan, the faun-like Greek god of nature and the wild often associated with sexuality. Unlike other Greek gods, Pan was worshiped almost exclusively in natural settings such as the hot springs present at Caesarea Phillipi. The springs at this site were so warm that they emitted a constant wave of steam through the entrance gates, which became known locally as the "Gates of Hades".

Had the disciples been aware of what was about to occur, they might have recognized the similarities between their setting in Caesarea Phillipi and their Israelite ancestors that worshiped a golden calf at the base of Mount Sinai. It was on Mount Sinai that God revealed himself to Moses. Now that same God sought to reveal himself to his disciples.

"Whom do men say that I the Son of man am," he asked. In that worldly setting, his disciples responded with worldly speculations. Then the Savior asked, "But whom say ye that I am?"

Peter responded resolutely, "Thou are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

It is worth remembering that some time just prior to the 16-mile journey to Caesarea Phillipi, Peter had a life-changing spiritual experience. In the dark of night, exhausted from more than nine hours of rowing in a storm and surrounded by the fears of his peers, Peter had hearkened to the voice of the Lord to leave the boat and walk on water. Somewhere along the way, or perhaps gradually all along the way, Peter had prepared himself to receive and follow spiritual promptings. Now his confidence in those promptings allowed him to answer the Lord's inquiry with conviction.

The Lord commended Peter for his answer and emphasized that "flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven." Christ continued:

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (Matthew 16:18-19).

What was the rock that Christ would use to build his church? What was the foundation that had to be laid for the pending restoration to succeed?

Was it Peter himself, whose name means "small rock" in Greek? They were, after all, in a Greek city; but if Peter were the foundation wouldn't it be the Church of Peter rather than the Church of Christ?

Or did Christ mean the rock of the mountain where he would soon ascend with Peter, James and John to restore priesthood authority and keys? Certainly it would be hard to miss the large rock face that was the strength of Caesarea Phillipi. Was Christ simply hinting that his church would be restored on that mountain and that Peter would be present?

Or did Christ refer to the city built into the rock? Didn't the apostles build the church of Christ largely upon similar Gentile cities in Turkey, Greece and Syria after the ascension of Christ?

All of these theories and many more have been debated by scripture scholars for hundreds if not thousands of years. Perhaps all of them have some merit. Thankfully, the Lord taught the Prophet Joseph Smith the primary intention of this expression. He explained, "Jesus in His teachings says, 'Upon this rock I will build my Church...' What rock? Revelation" (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 195. emphasis added). 

Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. This is the rock emphasized by the Savior as the foundation of His Church. It was His Church. Peter would be chosen to serve as Christ's mouthpiece on the earth for a time, but the Savior himself would continue to lead the Church by revelation just as he had periodically revealed his will to Moses on Mount Sinai. 

Christ leads his restored church today through revelation to prophets, just as he has always done. As Joseph Smith testified, "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was founded upon direct revelation, as the true Church of God has ever been, according to the Scriptures" (TPC: JS, 195). This distinguishes the Church from all other religious sects.

Likewise, we have the promise of our Creator and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, that if we will rely on the foundation of revelation in our lives the world will not prevail against us. Even if it seems as though we stand at the gates of hell, if we are prepared and willing to follow the promptings we receive the best is yet to come. There is a glorious experience for each of us at the top of the mountain.

Twice each year, living prophets address the Church to share the mind and will of the Lord as it has been revealed to them. If we are prepared and willing to follow the promptings we receive, the Lord will teach us what we need to do to get out of the boat, to be protected from the evils of the world and to see his plan from a higher altitude. As we are all children of God, we are all encouraged to listen to what the Lord has to say. Archived messages and information about how to view these messages live can be found at lds.org.

Reasons for Everything

It is sometimes very easy to believe that life, and by association the God that oversees all life, is random. Oh, sure, we may not say it quite that way-- we might just say that we ran into some extra income this month because of our "good luck". Or maybe something difficult, like the loss of a home or a tragedy within our family, is "just how life goes sometimes". If we do recognize our blessings or our burdens as such, we will often generalize them as something that will "bless us" or "make us stronger"-- somehow, some way, some day.

The house of God is a house of order; His plan for each of us was established well before we were wildly successful, before we were laid off from work, and before we were ever overwhelmed with unexpected financial obligations. Though he operates on a higher level (see Isaiah 55:8-9), we can take comfort in the organization and reasoning behind divine action. There is always a reason.

The Lord outlines his reasoning for the timing and methods for the Restoration in Doctrine and Covenants section 1. Here we can see how intentional the Lord is about what He does. The solution of the Restoration began with a problem:

For [the people] have strayed from mine ordinances, and have broken mine everlasting covenant; They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great, which shall fall (D&C 1:15-16).

The Lord responded to the apostasy and idolatry mentioned by calling upon Joseph Smith, speaking to him and giving him commandments that would lead to the full restoration of the gospel. The Lord doesn't stop there. In a unique way, the Lord goes on to explain in this introductory section of the Doctrine and Covenants why he spoke to Joseph Smith and gave him commandments. He gives at least these five reasons: 1) so the words of the prophets might be fulfilled; 2) so every man may speak in the authority of Christ; 3) to increase faith in the earth; 4) to establish the everlasting covenant; and 5) so the fulness of the gospel may be proclaimed to the ends of the world (D&C 1:17-23).

As if that weren't enough explanation, the Lord further explains his methodology of using the weak to teach the strong. The weak are previously mentioned as the ones that will fulfill prophecy and the ones that will proclaim the gospel to the ends of the world and before kings and rulers; the Lord explains why in verses 24-28. Again, there are five reasons: 1) so they might come to understanding; 2) to allow their errors to be known; 3) so they may be instructed; 4) so they may be chastened to repentance; and 5) so they can be made strong and be blessed according to their own humility.

In a single page of scripture, the Lord explains his reasons and methodologies for the Restoration on a relatively deep level. He called upon Joseph Smith to fulfill prophecy, to return the faith, covenants and authority to the earth that would allow each of us to overcome the problems of the world around us, and to spread knowledge of all these things around the world. He chose Joseph Smith and others because of their weakness; the mold-ability of the humble through understanding, instruction and some chastisement allows them to become strong, blessed of heaven and forever learning and progressing.

There is a reason for everything. Though we may not always know why things happen the way they do, we can have faith that the Lord knows why things happen as they do. Because everything happens for a reason, we may know even in uncertain times that all things will give us experience and be for our good (D&C 122:8). As Joseph Smith, if we will remain humble, the Lord will use our circumstances to make us strong, blessed of heaven and able to learn and progress forever (Ether 12:27).

Your Personal Restoration

In 1820, the young Joseph Smith saw God, our Heavenly Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ, starting a domino chain of events that would lead to the restoration of the organization, doctrine and authority of Christ's ancient church. This restoration brought back the gospel in its purity, filling in gaps and correcting popular theologies in a way only achievable by the divine. Once completed, the modern gospel looks exactly like the old one, and is a vibrant, living pattern of revelation and salvation.

Likewise, Alma teaches that each of us will be restored: "Behold, it is requisite and just, according to the power and resurrection of Christ, that the soul of man should be restored to its body, and that every part of the body should be restored to itself" (Alma 41:2). He continues: "Therefore, all things shall be restored to their proper order, every thing to its natural frame-- mortality raised to immortality, corruption to incorruption" (Alma 41:4).

Alma is, of course, speaking of the resurrection. Thought of, as Alma teaches, as a restoration, we can compare our resurrection to the restoration of an old car.

The rusted frame of the old car might catch a skilled mechanic's eye as he wonders through a junkyard or drives down a lonely country road. Carefully, the mechanic will transport the old car to his garage and go to work. He will search for engine parts, a new dash, tires, seats, and mirrors. Over time, he will return the pieces of the engine to their proper places to make it run; he will install floorboards, upholstery, windows and a radio; he will sand and paint the frame-- usually with flames-- and shine chrome bumpers and hubcaps. When it is finished, the master mechanic will have restored the car to its new condition-- sometimes better than new.

So it is with us. Christ, our creator and master mechanic, has made possible our restoration through his atonement and resurrection. He wants to restore us to the presence of our Heavenly Father (Alma 42:23). But just as a mechanic cannot restore a '59 Chevy into anything other than a '59 Chevy, however, Christ cannot restore us into something we are not.

Alma explains: "The meaning of the word restoration is to bring back again evil for evil, or carnal for carnal, or devilish for devilish-- good for that which is good; righteous for that which is righteous; just for that which is just; merciful for that which is merciful" (Alma 41:13). We could continue that list: lust for lust; joy for joy; appetite for appetite; friendship for friendship; grudge for grudge; thought for thought; etc. "And that same sociality which exists among us here will exist among us there..." (D&C 130:2).

If we will be restored to the same creatures we turn ourselves into, the call to action is clear. Again, Alma teaches: "Therefore... see that you are merciful unto your brethren; deal justly, judge righteously, and do good continually; and if ye do all these things then shall ye receive your reward; yea, ye shall have mercy restored unto you again; ye shall have justice restored unto you again; ye shall have a righteous judgment restored unto you again; and ye shall have good rewarded unto you again. For that which ye do send out shall return to you again, and be restored" (Alma 41:14-15, emphasis added).

Like it or not, we all live the golden rule. As we do unto others, even so will God, who owns all vengeance, all mercy and all that is, restore likewise unto us. And so we become our own judges, in a way, and decide our own fate. Let us choose the fate of kindness, of long-suffering, of generosity and goodness. Let us choose to be the kind of people we want to be when we're resurrected, for "all things shall be restored to their proper order, every thing to its natural frame--mortality raised to immortality, corruption to incorruption-- raised to endless happiness to inherit the kingdom of God, or to endless misery to inherit the kingdom of the devil" (Alma 41:4). Let us then choose to behave as though the kingdom of God were already here; for only then can we assure that we'll be here when it arrives.

Apocalyptic Revelation, Jewish Symbolism and the Revelation of St. John the Divine

Originally published on my family blog on April 10, 2008; introduction updated for context.

Several years ago, while an undergraduate student at BYU, I took a New Testament class from Dr. Steven Robinson. Dr. Robinson was a doctor of biblical studies who had worked with the Dead Sea Scrolls, led religion departments at two Christian universities and was a widely read author with many publications.

One particular class was titled, "Apocalyptic Revelation, Jewish Symbolism and the Revelation of St. John the Divine." What follows are my notes from that class on the final book of the New Testament.

First, the Revelation of St. John the Divine is like a play. Whether played out on Broadway, in community theatre, or at the local high school, a play does not change. The actors may change, but the characters do not, nor do the events of the play.

In a similar fashion, many of the same events occur in each dispensation. For example, Revelation 11:8, speaking of a prophecy that refers to two prophets lying dead in the street, reads, "And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified." Sodom, Egypt and Jerusalem have a very striking similarity: Each was the Babylon of its dispensation. In theatrical terms, these three cities were the actors that played the role of "Babylon" in the play.

The important point to understand is that the events described in Revelation don't necessarily refer to one particular event, but rather describe a recurring cycle that plays itself out in each dispensation.

Viewed from this perspective, we can see additional characters in our play include Zion, the woman, the deliverer, the whore, and others. As with Babylon, each of these and the other characters is played by a different actor in each dispensation-- Zion, as a second example, has been the cities of Enoch, Jerusalem, and Independence. The actors are new, but the story is still much the same in each dispensation.

John writes by way of introduction in Revelation 1:3, "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand." We might say, "The time is now," or, "Hey, Stupid, this is what is happening right now all around you." This, along with the apocalyptic nature of the revelation described, suggest there is much more symbolic than concrete, and present than future being explained.

For a final example of the grand play, Revelation 11 contains the prophecy of the two prophets that will die in the streets and rise after 3 1/2 days. But pay close attention to how these prophets are described in Revelation 11:6, "These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will." Sound familiar? Keeping the Jewish context in mind, didn't Elijah have power to shut heaven so it didn't rain? Didn't Moses turn water to blood and smite the earth with numerous plagues?

Interestingly, Moses and Elijah often appear together, most often symbolizing the Aaronic and Mechizedek priesthoods, respectively. In addition, 3 1/2 is a symbolic number that represents a time when Satan has power to reign on Earth. Using these symbols, we could also read that the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods will die, leaving a period of time when the devil will rule.

If you need a smack on the forehead here, this sounds a lot like an apostasy. And, as the two prophets rise after 3 1/2 days, each apostasy ends with the return of priesthood keys and authority to the earth. In a final return to the theatre analogy, though the story is often the same, there have been repeated apostasies and restorations throughout time-- none exactly the same, but always very similar.

Here's a few other notes on Hebraic symbolism-- freebies, if you will. I'll try to keep this part brief, but I'm interested to hear what anyone thinks about the book Joseph Smith once called the easiest to understand.

Eyes = Wisdom
Horns = Power
Wings = Mobility
12 = Priesthood or Power
24 = 2 x 12, or two powerful beings/persons (Revelation 4:4, 11:16)
144,000 = 12 x 12 x 12 a whole lot of times…. A lot of people, God’s elect
7 = Perfection
6 = Satan, Imperfection
666 = Antichrist-- almost but not 7
40 = Purification/Preparation (How many people spent 40 days in the wilderness....)
3 ½ = A time when Satan is in charge, his reign

See also: http://farms.byu.edu/display.php?table=transcripts&id=90