LeGrand L. Baker

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  • Helaman 10:16 – LeGrand Baker – Nephi’s escape

    Helaman 10:16 – LeGrand Baker – Nephi’s escape

    Helaman 10:16
    16 But behold, the power of God was with him, and they could not take him to cast him into prison, for he was taken by the Spirit and conveyed away out of the midst of them.

    Mormon’s account of this event is very brief. For we who live when such magic happens all the time on TV, it is easy for us to immagine that Alma was somehow swooped away of the euilivent of some sort of magic carpet. However, God doesn’t work that way.

    There are two other examples of this same sort of experience. From these, we may learn that Alma’s experience was miraculous, but not quite like a magic carpet.

    The best example is when the Savior was speaking to the people in Nazareth. He read them some prophecies about himself, and they refused to believe.

    28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
    29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.
    30 But he passing through the midst of them went his way (Luke 4:28-30).

    The second example is from the life of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Apostates from Kirtland, Ohio, formed a mob and threatened the lives of Joseph and his faithful friends. When the faithful fled Kirtland and headed for Far West, Missouri, the mob followed them. This is what happened:

    The weather was extremely cold, we were obliged to secrete ourselves in our wagons, sometimes, to elude the grasp of our pursuers, who continued their pursuit of us more than two hundred miles from Kirtland, armed with pistols and guns, seeking our lives. They frequently crossed our track, twice they were in the houses where we stopped, once we tarried all night in the same house with them, with only a partition between us and them; and heard their oaths and imprecations, and threats concerning us, if they could catch us; and late in the evening they came in to our room and examined us, but decided we were not the men. At other times we passed them in the streets, and gazed upon them, and they on us, but they knew us not. One Lyons was one of our pursuers.

    (Joseph Smith, History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 7 vols., introduction and notes by B. H. Roberts [Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1932-1951], 3: 2 – 3.)

    I suppose that Nephi’s experience was much like that.

  • Helaman 10:6-7, LeGrand Baker, Sealing Power

    Helaman 10:6-7, LeGrand Baker, Sealing Power

    6 Behold, thou art Nephi, and I am God. Behold, I declare it unto thee in the presence of mine angels, that ye shall have power over this people, and shall smite the earth with famine, and with pestilence, and destruction, according to the wickedness of this people.
    7 Behold, I give unto you power, that whatsoever ye shall seal on earth shall be sealed in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven; and thus shall ye have power among this people (Helaman 10:6-7).

    This is an interesting scripture — and a bit perplexing. Lehi, Nephi, and Jacob saw God. So did Alma, Helaman, and Captain Moroni — so there can be no question about whether the Nephites had and exercised the Melchizedek priesthood. They also enjoyed the fullness of the temple experience. I cannot recall any strong evidence before 3 Nephi that the Nephites enjoyed the sealing ordinances of the temple, but 3Nephi 12:4 shows that they did understand the doctrine (otherwise Jesus wouldn’t have referenced it), and Moroni 10:31 clearly indicates that it was part of the Nephite temple covenants (see Who Shall Ascend into the Hill of the Lord).

    Elijah is the prophet whom we most often associate with this sealing power. From the Bible we learn virtually nothing about who he was. He suddenly appears with only this introduction:

    1 And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word (1 Kings 17:1) .

    No one knows what a Tishbite was or anything else about Elijah’s early life. But in that brief introductory verse we suddenly find him in the same place as Nephi, with the Lord giving him power to control the elements. It would be interesting to know about his relationship with God before that day, but that is another of those sacred stories we are not told.

    Elijah was taken up into heaven without tasting death (as was Alma and Moses). He was with the Savior on the Mount of Transfiguration and he restored the sealing power to the Prophet Joseph.

    Even though Nephi lived on a different continent from Elijah, and did not have the same post-translation priesthood responsibilities as Elijah, from what we know, it is difficult to conclude that Nephi was a lesser prophet, with lesser priesthood powers than Elijah.

    I do not call attention to their similarities and differences to stir up any conjectures about priesthood power, but only to point out again that it is sometimes as important for us to know just which things we don’t know, as it is important to know what we do know.

    The Prophet Joseph made some intriguing observations about the sealing power. In the Teachings of the Prophet Joseph it is reported this way:

          How shall God come to the rescue of this generation? He will send Elijah the prophet. The law revealed to Moses in Horeb never was revealed to the children of Israel as a nation.
    Elijah shall reveal the covenants to seal the hearts of the fathers to the children. and the children to the fathers.
    The anointing and sealing is to be called. elected and made sure
    “Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like unto the Son of God, abideth a priest continually.” The Melchizedek Priesthood holds the right from the eternal God, and not by descent from father and mother; and that priesthood is as eternal as God Himself, having neither beginning of days nor end of life.
    The 2nd Priesthood is Patriarchal authority. Go to and finish the temple, and God will fill it with power, and you will then receive more knowledge concerning this priesthood (TPJS 323).

    That statement is expanded and clarified from the Prophet’s diary kept by Franklin D. Richards. The diary entry reads much more a student’s class lecture notes, and in that form focuses on different aspects of the Prophet’s teachings. It reads:

          how shall god come to the rescue of this generation. he shall send Elijah law revealed to Moses in Horeb — never was revealed to the C. of Israel and he shall reveal the covenants to seal the hearts of the fathers to the children and the children to the fathers. — anointing & sealing — called, elected, and made sure without father &c. a priesthood which holds the priesthood by right from the Eternal Gods. — and not by descent from father and mother. (Franklin D. Richards, 27 Aug 1843 in : Joseph Smith, The Words of Joseph Smith: The Contemporary Accounts of the Nauvoo Discourses of the Prophet Joseph, compiled and edited by Andrew F. Ehat and Lyndon W. Cook [Provo: BYU Religious Studies Center, 1980], 244.)

  • Helaman 5:23-24, LeGrand Baker – veil of light

    Helaman 5:23-24, LeGrand Baker – veil of light

    Helaman 5:23-24
    23 And it came to pass that Nephi and Lehi were encircled about as if by fire, even insomuch that they durst not lay their hands upon them for fear lest they should be burned. Nevertheless, Nephi and Lehi were not burned; and they were as standing in the midst of fire and were not burned.
    24 And when they saw that they were encircled about with a pillar of fire, and that it burned them not, their hearts did take courage.

    From the LDS Bible Dictionary we read:

    Shechinah. The Presence. A word used by the later Jews (and borrowed from them by the Christians) to denote the cloud of brightness and glory that marked the presence of the Lord, as spoken of in Ex. 3: 1-6; 24: 16; 1 Kgs. 8: 10; Isa. 6: 1-3; Matt. 17: 5; Acts 7: 55. The Prophet Joseph Smith described this phenomenon in connection with his first vision, as a “light.. .above the brightness of the sun,” and said that he saw two Personages whose “brightness and glory defy all description,” standing “in the light” (JS-H 1: 16-18).

    When a prophet writes that he has seen God, he often tells us that he saw the light before he saw God. Here that light is described as being “encircled about with a pillar of fire.” The shechinah is described differently by different prophets. For example: as a fire (Lehi), a cloud (brother of Jared), a light (Joseph Smith), smoke (Isaiah), and glory (Stephen).

    The shechinah is the veil of light that separates us from God. In Solomon’s temple it was represented by the veil that separated the rest of the Temple from the Holy of Holies and God’s throne.

    For that reason, understanding what the shechinah is and what its purpose is, is significant for Latter-day Saints.

    I have gathered up some of the scriptural references to the veil of light. Each talks about the shechinah in a different way. That variety helps one recognize the shechinah when we encounter it in the scriptures, and helps us understand how important it is. The list, including the ones mentioned in the Bible dictionary, is: Genesis 3:23-24, Exodus 3:1-6, Exodus 13:21-22, Exodus 24:15-18, Exodus 40:34-38, Numbers 9:15-17, Numbers 14:14, 1 Kings 8:10-11, Psalms 78:14, Psalms 104:1-6, Isaiah 6:1-4, Matthew 17:1-9, Mark 9:2-9, Luke 9:28-36, Acts 1:6-12, Acts 6:8, 7:55-56, Revelation 15:8, 1 Nephi 1:5-6, 1 Nephi 15:27-30, Alma 19:6, 3 Nephi 18:36-39, Ether 2:4-5, Ether 2:14, Ether 3:1-11 , Moses 1:1-12, Moses 4:29-31. Also accounts of the First Vision and the testimony of the Three Witnesses.

    If you wish to read them without bothering to look them all up, they are all quoted in the attachment.

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    Genesis 3:23-24

    23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

    24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

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    Exodus 3:1-6

    1 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.

    2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

    3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.

    4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.

    5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

    6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

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    Exodus 13:21-22

    21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:

    22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.

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    Exodus 24:15-18

    15 And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount.

    16 And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.

    17 And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.

    18 And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.

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    Exodus 40:34-38

    34 Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

    35 And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

    36 And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys:

    37 But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up.

    38 For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.

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    Numbers 9:15-17

    15 And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony: and at even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning.

    16 So it was alway: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.

    17 And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents.

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    Numbers 14:14

    14 And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that thou LORD art among this people, that thou LORD art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night.

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    1 Kings 8:10-11

    10 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD,

    11 So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD.

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    Psalms 78:14

    14 In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.

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    Psalms 104:1-6.)

    1 Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.

    2 Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:

    3 Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind:

    4 Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:

    5 Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.

    6 Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains.

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    Isaiah 6:1-4

    1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

    2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

    3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

    4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

    Ezekiel 1:4.

    For Ezekiel, it was like a tornado:

    4 I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.

    Matthew 17:1-9

    1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,

    2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.

    3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.

    4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

    5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

    6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.

    7 And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.

    8 And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.

    9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.

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    Mark 9:2-9

    2 And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.

    3 And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.

    4 And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.

    5 And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

    6 For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid.

    7 And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.

    8 And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves.

    9 And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.

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    Luke 9:28-36

    28 And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray.

    29 And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.

    30 And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias:

    31 Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.

    32 But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him.

    33 And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said.

    34 While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud.

    35 And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.

    36 And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen.

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    Acts 1:6-12

    6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

    7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

    8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

    9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

    10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

    11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

    12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey.

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    Acts 6:8, 7:55-56

    8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people

    55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

    56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

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    Revelation 15:8

    8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

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    1 Nephi 1:5-6

    5 Wherefore it came to pass that my father, Lehi, as he went forth prayed unto the Lord, yea, even with all his heart, in behalf of his people.

    6 And it came to pass as he prayed unto the Lord, there came a pillar of fire and dwelt upon a rock before him; and he saw and heard much; and because of the things which he saw and heard he did quake and tremble exceedingly.

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    1 Nephi 15:27-30

    27 And I said unto them that the water which my father saw was filthiness; and so much was his mind swallowed up in other things that he beheld not the filthiness of the water.

    28 And I said unto them that it was an awful gulf, which separated the wicked from the tree of life, and also from the saints of God.

    29 And I said unto them that it was a representation of that awful hell, which the angel said unto me was prepared for the wicked.

    30 And I said unto them that our father also saw that the justice of God did also divide the wicked from the righteous; and the brightness thereof was like unto the brightness of a flaming fire, which ascendeth up unto God forever and ever, and hath no end.

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    Alma 19:6

    6 Now, this was what Ammon desired, for he knew that king Lamoni was under the power of God; he knew that the dark veil of unbelief was being cast away from his mind, and the light which did light up his mind, which was the light of the glory of God, which was a marvelous light of his goodness—yea, this light had infused such joy into his soul, the cloud of darkness having been dispelled, and that the light of everlasting life was lit up in his soul, yea, he knew that this had overcome his natural frame, and he was carried away in God—

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    3 Nephi 18:36-39

    36 And it came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of these sayings, he touched with his hand the disciples whom he had chosen, one by one, even until he had touched them all, and spake unto them as he touched them.

    37 And the multitude heard not the words which he spake, therefore they did not bear record; but the disciples bare record that he gave them power to give the Holy Ghost. And I will show unto you hereafter that this record is true.

    38 And it came to pass that when Jesus had touched them all, there came a cloud and overshadowed the multitude that they could not see Jesus.

    39 And while they were overshadowed he departed from them, and ascended into heaven. And the disciples saw and did bear record that he ascended again into heaven.

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    Ether 2:4-5

    4 And it came to pass that when they had come down into the valley of Nimrod the Lord came down and talked with the brother of Jared; and he was in a cloud, and the brother of Jared saw him not.

    5 And it came to pass that the Lord commanded them that they should go forth into the wilderness, yea, into that quarter where there never had man been. And it came to pass that the Lord did go before them, and did talk with them as he stood in a cloud, and gave directions whither they should travel.

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    Ether 2:14

    14 And it came to pass at the end of four years that the Lord came again unto the brother of Jared, and stood in a cloud and talked with him. And for the space of three hours did the Lord talk with the brother of Jared, and chastened him because he remembered not to call upon the name of the Lord.

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    Ether 3:1-11

    1 And it came to pass that the brother of Jared, (now the number of the vessels which had been prepared was eight) went forth unto the mount, which they called the mount Shelem, because of its exceeding height, and did molten out of a rock sixteen small stones; and they were white and clear, even as transparent glass; and he did carry them in his hands upon the top of the mount, and cried again unto the Lord, saying:

    2 O Lord, thou hast said that we must be encompassed about by the floods. Now behold, O Lord, and do not be angry with thy servant because of his weakness before thee; for we know that thou art holy and dwellest in the heavens, and that we are unworthy before thee; because of the fall our natures have become evil continually; nevertheless, O Lord, thou hast given us a commandment that we must call upon thee, that from thee we may receive according to our desires.

    3 Behold, O Lord, thou hast smitten us because of our iniquity, and hast driven us forth, and for these many years we have been in the wilderness; nevertheless, thou hast been merciful unto us. O Lord, look upon me in pity, and turn away thine anger from this thy people, and suffer not that they shall go forth across this raging deep in darkness; but behold these things which I have molten out of the rock.

    4 And I know, O Lord, that thou hast all power, and can do whatsoever thou wilt for the benefit of man; therefore touch these stones, O Lord, with thy finger, and prepare them that they may shine forth in darkness; and they shall shine forth unto us in the vessels which we have prepared, that we may have light while we shall cross the sea.

    5 Behold, O Lord, thou canst do this. We know that thou art able to show forth great power, which looks small unto the understanding of men.

    6 And it came to pass that when the brother of Jared had said these words, behold, the Lord stretched forth his hand and touched the stones one by one with his finger. And the veil was taken from off the eyes of the brother of Jared, and he saw the finger of the Lord; and it was as the finger of a man, like unto flesh and blood; and the brother of Jared fell down before the Lord, for he was struck with fear.

    7 And the Lord saw that the brother of Jared had fallen to the earth; and the Lord said unto him: Arise, why hast thou fallen?

    8 And he saith unto the Lord: I saw the finger of the Lord, and I feared lest he should smite me; for I knew not that the Lord had flesh and blood.

    9 And the Lord said unto him: Because of thy faith thou hast seen that I shall take upon me flesh and blood; and never has man come before me with such exceeding faith as thou hast; for were it not so ye could not have seen my finger. Sawest thou more than this?

    10 And he answered: Nay; Lord, show thyself unto me.

    11 And the Lord said unto him: Believest thou the words which I shall speak?

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    Moses 1:1-12

    1 The words of God, which he spake unto Moses at a time when Moses was caught up into an exceedingly high mountain,

    2 And he saw God face to face, and he talked with him, and the glory of God was upon Moses; therefore Moses could endure his presence.

    3 And God spake unto Moses, saying: Behold, I am the Lord God Almighty, and Endless is my name; for I am without beginning of days or end of years; and is not this endless?

    4 And, behold, thou art my son; wherefore look, and I will show thee the workmanship of mine hands; but not all, for my works are without end, and also my words, for they never cease.

    5 Wherefore, no man can behold all my works, except he behold all my glory; and no man can behold all my glory, and afterwards remain in the flesh on the earth.

    6 And I have a work for thee, Moses, my son; and thou art in the similitude of mine Only Begotten; and mine Only Begotten is and shall be the Savior, for he is full of grace and truth; but there is no God beside me, and all things are present with me, for I know them all.

    7 And now, behold, this one thing I show unto thee, Moses, my son, for thou art in the world, and now I show it unto thee.

    8 And it came to pass that Moses looked, and beheld the world upon which he was created; and Moses beheld the world and the ends thereof, and all the children of men which are, and which were created; of the same he greatly marveled and wondered.

    9 And the presence of God withdrew from Moses, that his glory was not upon Moses; and Moses was left unto himself. And as he was left unto himself, he fell unto the earth.

    10 And it came to pass that it was for the space of many hours before Moses did again receive his natural strength like unto man; and he said unto himself: Now, for this cause I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed.

    11 But now mine own eyes have beheld God; but not my natural, but my spiritual eyes, for my natural eyes could not have beheld; for I should have withered and died in his presence; but his glory was upon me; and I beheld his face, for I was transfigured before him.

    12 And it came to pass that when Moses had said these words, behold, Satan came tempting him, saying: Moses, son of man, worship me.

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    Moses 4:29-31

    29 Therefore I, the Lord God, will send him forth from the Garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken;

    30 For as I, the Lord God, liveth, even so my words cannot return void, for as they go forth out of my mouth they must be fulfilled.

    31 So I drove out the man, and I placed at the east of the Garden of Eden, cherubim and a flaming sword, which turned every way to keep the way of the tree of life.

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    J.S.-History:16

    16. …. I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.

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    Another version reads:

    and I was enwrapped in a heavenly vision and saw two glorious personages who exactly resembled each other in features, and likeness, surrounded with a brilliant light which eclipsed the sun at noon-day.

    {Jessee, Dean C., “The Early Accounts of Joseph Smith’s First Vision,” BYU Studies, Spring, 1969, 295. (This is the Wentworth letter in which the Prophet Joseph first wrote the Articles of Faith.)}

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    A pillar of light above the brightness of the sun at noon day came down from above and rested upon me and I was filled with the spirit of God; and the Lord opened the heavens upon me and I saw the Lord and he spake unto me saying .

    {Frederick G. Williams, the scribe who wrote this account, wrote “a pillar of fire” then crossed out the word “fire” and replaced it with “light.” Punctuation is added to this quote because there is none in the original, spelling has been modernized.}

    {Jessee, “ Early Accounts,” 287-91.}

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    J.S.-History 1:68.

    On another occasion the young prophet described a “cloud of light” in connection with the visit of John the Baptist, again conveying a sense of peace more than of wonder: “a messenger from heaven descended in a cloud of light.”

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    Joseph Smith’s account of the experience of the Three Witnesses reads as follows:

    Not many days after the above commandment was given, we four, viz., Martin Harris, David Whitmer, Oliver Cowdery and myself, agreed to retire into the woods, and try to obtain, by fervent and humble prayer, the fulfilment of the promises given in the above revelation—that they should have a view of the plates. We accordingly made choice of a piece of woods convenient to Mr. Whitmer’s house, to which we retired, and having knelt down, we began to pray in much faith to Almighty God to bestow upon us a realization of these promises.

    According to previous arrangement, I commenced prayer to our Heavenly Father, and was followed by each of the others in succession. We did not at the first trial, however, obtain any answer or manifestation of divine favor in our behalf. We again observed the same order of prayer, each calling on and praying fervently to God in rotation, but with the same result as before.

    Upon this, our second failure, Martin Harris proposed that he should withdraw himself from us, believing, as he expressed himself, that his presence was the cause of our not obtaining what we wished for. He accordingly withdrew from us, and we knelt down again, and had not been many minutes engaged in prayer, when presently we beheld a light above us in the air, of exceeding brightness; and behold, an angel stood before us. In his hands he held the plates which we had been praying for these to have a view of. He turned over the leaves one by one, so that we could see them, and discern the engravings thereon distinctly. He then addressed himself to David Whitmer, and said, “David, blessed is the Lord, and he that keeps His commandments;” when, immediately afterwards, we heard a voice from out of the bright light above us, saying, “These plates have been revealed by the power of God, and they have been translated by the power of God. The translation of them which you have seen is correct, and I command you to bear record of what you now see and hear.”

    I now left David and Oliver, and went in pursuit of Martin Harris, whom I found at a considerable distance, fervently engaged in prayer. He soon told me, however, that he had not yet prevailed with the Lord, and earnestly requested me to join him in prayer, that he also might realize the same blessings which we had just received. We accordingly joined in prayer, and ultimately obtained our desires, for before we had yet finished, the same vision was opened to our view, at least it was again opened to me, and I once more beheld and heard the same things; whilst at the same moment, Martin Harris cried out, apparently in an ecstasy of joy, “‘Tis enough; ‘tis enough; mine eyes have beheld; mine eyes have beheld;” and jumping up, he shouted, “Hosanna,” blessing God, and otherwise rejoiced exceedingly.

    {Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 1:54-55.}

    —————————————————————

    Even though David Whitmer was an old man when he was interviewed by Orson Pratt, he described his experience with vivid memory.

    It was in June, 1829, the latter part of the month, and the Eight Witnesses saw them, I think, the next day or the day after (i.e. one or two days after). Joseph showed them the plates himself, but the angel showed us (the Three Witnesses) the plates, as I suppose to fulfill the words of the book itself. Martin Harris was not with us at this time; he obtained a view of them afterwards (the same day). Joseph, Oliver and myself were together when I saw them. We not only saw the plates of the Book of Mormon, but also the brass plates, the plates of the Book of Ether, the plates containing the records of the wickedness and secret combinations of the people of the world down to the time of their being engraved, and many other plates. The fact is, it was just as though Joseph, Oliver and I were sitting just here on a log, when we were overshadowed by a light. It was not like the light of the sun, nor like that of a fire, but more glorious and beautiful. It extended away round us, I cannot tell how far, but in the midst of this light about as far off as he sits (pointing to John C. Whitmer, sitting a few feet from him), there appeared, as it were, a table with many records or plates upon it, besides the plates of the Book of Mormon, also the sword of Laban, the directors (i.e., the ball which Lehi had) and the interpreters. I saw them just as plain as I see this bed (striking the bed beside him with his hand), and I heard the voice of the Lord, as distinctly as I ever heard anything in my life, declaring that the records of the plates of the Book of Mormon were translated by the gift and power of God.

    Pratt: Did you see the angel at this time?

    Whitmer: “Yes; he stood before us. Our testimony as recorded in the Book of Mormon is strictly and absolutely true, just as it is there written.

    {Jensen, Andrew, Latter-day Saints Biographical Encyclopedia, 4 vols. (Salt Lake City, Andrew Jensen Memorial Association, 1901-1936).

    Cannon, George Q. “Visit to David Whitmer,” in Preston Nibley, L.D.S. Adventure Stories (Salt Lake City, 1953), 93-97.}

    —————————————————————

    Martin Harris was not present when David and Oliver saw Moroni and the plates, but his account, also given in an interview, was essentially the same as David’s.

    Brother Harris said that the angel stood on the opposite side of the table on which were the plates, the interpreters, etc., and took the plates in his hand and turned them over. To more fully illustrate this to them, Brother Martin took up a book and turned the leaves over one by one. The angel declared that the Book of Mormon was correctly translated by the power of God and not of man, and that it contained the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Nephites, who were a branch of the lost sheep of the House of Israel, and had come from the land of Jerusalem to America. The witnesses were required to bear their testimony of these things, and of this open vision to all people, and he (Harris) testified, not only to those present, but to all the world, that these things were true, and before God whom he expected to meet in the day of Judgment he lied not.

    {Jensen, Biographical Encyclopedia, 1:275.}

  • Helaman 10:7-11, 11:3-5; & Enos — LeGrand Baker — How Prophets Pray

    Helaman 10:7-11, 11:3-5 — LeGrand Baker — How Prophets Pray

    Helaman 10:7-11
    7 Behold, I give unto you power, that whatsoever ye shall seal on earth shall be sealed in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven; and thus shall ye have power among this people.
    8 And thus, if ye shall say unto this temple it shall be rent in twain, it shall be done.
    9 And if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou cast down and become smooth, it shall be done.
    10 And behold, if ye shall say that God shall smite this people, it shall come to pass.
    11 And now behold, I command you, that ye shall go and declare unto this people, that thus saith the Lord God, who is the Almighty: Except ye repent ye shall be smitten, even unto destruction.

    ——————————

    Helaman 11:3—5
    3 And it came to pass that in this year Nephi did cry unto the Lord, saying:
    4 O Lord, do not suffer that this people shall be destroyed by the sword; but O Lord, rather let there be a famine in the land, to stir them up in remembrance of the Lord their God, and perhaps they will repent and turn unto thee.
    5 And so it was done, according to the words of Nephi. And there was a great famine upon the land, among all the people of Nephi. And thus in the seventy and fourth year the famine did continue, and the work of destruction did cease by the sword but became sore by famine.

    When I was a boy I was taught that said that the Lord had so much confidence in Nephi that he would let the prophet have his own way in whatever he wanted. I have since learned that is a very simplistic way of reading that scripture. If we assume we have every relevant detail about the story, then we might also assume the famine was entirely Nephi’s idea. The problem is that is not what it says and that is not what the story implies.

    As soon as the Lord gave him that promise, he follows it up with instructions about what Nephi should do next. He did not leave it up to Nephi to decide what he wanted to do.

    The next part of the story simply tells us that Nephi observed the situation, prayed and asked the Lord to cause “a famine in the land.” And it happened. The implication we often read into the story is that this was entirely Nephi’s idea, but there is no evidence that is so. We are told nothing except what Nephi said in his prayer. The conversation between Nephi and the Lord that resulted in the prayer, we are not told, but I suppose were expected to know the essence of it anyway.

    There are two things about this story that intrigue me. The first is I wonder how unique the promise really is — the sealing power is, of course, very extraordinary, but not the promise that the prophet can have anything he asks for. When we check, we find that the promise is not at all unique — but in most example it is entirely conditional!

    As I understand it, that conditional promise is extended to all of us: If we pray with faith (pistis), listen to the spirit, and ask only what we are instructed to ask, then that prayer will surely be answered in the affirmative. Here are a few examples of that promise:

    John 14:12—14
    12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
    13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
    14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

    ——————————

    John 15:16—17
    16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
    17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.

    ——————————

    John 16:22—27
    22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.
    23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.
    24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
    25 These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father.
    26 At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:
    27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.

    ——————————

    3 Nephi 17:3
    3 Therefore, go ye unto your homes, and ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand, and prepare your minds for the morrow, and I come unto you again.

    ——————————

    3 Nephi 18:17—20
    17 And it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words unto his disciples, he turned again unto the multitude and said unto them:
    18 Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always lest ye enter into temptation; for Satan desireth to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.
    19 Therefore ye must always pray unto the Father in my name;
    20 And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you.

    ——————————

    3 Nephi 27:27—29
    27 And know ye that ye shall be judges of this people, according to the judgment which I shall give unto you, which shall be just. Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am.
    28 And now I go unto the Father. And verily I say unto you, whatsoever things ye shall ask the Father in my name shall be given unto you.
    29 Therefore, ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; for he that asketh, receiveth; and unto him that knocketh, it shall be opened.

    ——————————

    Moroni 7:26
    26 And after that he came men also were saved by faith in his name; and by faith, they become the sons of God. And as surely as Christ liveth he spake these words unto our fathers, saying: Whatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in faith believing that ye shall receive, behold, it shall be done unto you.

    ——————————

    D&C 88:64—65
    64 Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name it shall be given unto you, that is expedient for you;
    65 And if ye ask anything that is not expedient for you, it shall turn unto your condemnation.

  • D&C 20: 77-79 — LeGrand Baker — Sacrament as Covenant

    D&C 20: 77-79 — LeGrand Baker — Sacrament as Covenant

    Alma 22:15-30 tells a story that can help us understand the sacramental covenant.

    15 And it came to pass that after Aaron had expounded these things unto him, the king said: What shall I do that I may have this eternal life of which thou hast spoken? Yea, what shall I do that I may be born of God, having this wicked spirit rooted out of my breast, and receive his Spirit, that I may be filled with joy, that I may not be cast off at the last day? Behold, said he, I will give up all that I possess, yea, I will forsake my kingdom, that I may receive this great joy.
    16 But Aaron said unto him: If thou desirest this thing, if thou wilt bow down before God, yea, if thou wilt repent of all thy sins, and will bow down before God, and call on his name in faith, believing that ye shall receive, then shalt thou receive the hope which thou desirest.
    17 And it came to pass that when Aaron had said these words, the king did bow down before the Lord, upon his knees; yea, even he did prostrate himself upon the earth, and cried mightily, saying:
    18 O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day. And now when the king had said these words, he was struck as if he were dead. (Alma 22:15-18. Italics added)

    It is apparent to me that to “give up” and to “give away” are not the same things. To “give up” is a passive approach. It is to abandon, to surrender, to desist from, to discontinue.

    It may require some effort. It can be difficult, but the difficulty is to achieve the passivity. For example if one gives up smoking one may have to exercise a good deal of willpower in order to discontinue, but the willpower is directed toward inactivity. Another example: To give up telling lies is not the same as to seek to tell the truth, because not telling a lie does not impose the burden of saying anything at all. (If one determines to tell the truth, that would be a major change for the better, but it is also something different from simply giving up the habit of telling lies.)

    Repentance is “giving away” one’s sins. The sins are forever there and they carry consequences. But both the sin and the consequence can be “given away” to the Saviour who will accept their burden and pay their price.

    To give away is never passive, but always active. If you and I are sitting by a desk and my dollar bill is on the desk, and you take it, that’s stealing. If I proffer it to you and you don’t accept it, but I give it anyway, that’s throwing it at you, not giving it to you. If you do not accept I cannot give away, because throwing it at you is not the same as giving.

    To give away requires action on the part of both persons, and that action always presupposes a written, spoken, implied or symbolic contract or covenant. An example of an implied covenant is that if you invite me to lunch (give me food), I could not accept your invitation without also accepting the implied covenant that you would pay for it and I won’t have to. An example of a written covenant is that if I wish to give you my car, I must go to the court house and fill out the necessary paper work. If you accept, you also accept the burden of paying the future taxes on the car.

    As I understand it, The ordinance of baptism functions like that paper work in the courthouse. It is the formality of giving our sins to the Saviour. For us the meaning of the contract is that our sins may go into remission. It evokes the blessings of the atonement to put the sins in remission. The word initially meant a diminution of force or effect, a slackening of energy— like putting cancer in remission— and therefore making the sins inoperative. -The Saviour accepts the burden of the sins so that it will not weight us down as we seek to turn our lives around. “Repent” literally means to turn around and go the other way. To use the example above: repentance not only means that we stop telling falsehoods, but also to begin telling the truth and testify of it.

    Repentance is giving one’s sins to the Saviour. The ordinance of baptism is literally a transfer of ownership.

    Repentance is a maturation process. It requires persistence, refining, and re-refining. It requires both the gift of the atonement, and a knowing response on our part to the tutoring of the Holy Ghost. The Spirit teaches us how to repent and it cleanses us from those sins, then teaches us more and cleanses, and teaches and cleanses, ad infinitum. Thus, by the Spirit, our spirits are refined. As Moroni explained,

    And after they had been received unto baptism, and were wrought upon and cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost… (Moroni 6:4)

    That principle is taught to us weekly in the covenant of these words:

    O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it, that they may eat inremembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and [willing to] always remember him and [willing to] keep his commandments which he has given them; that [to the end that:] they may always have his Spirit to be with them. Amen. (D&C 20:77 bold added)

    Being thus committed by covenant, our cleansing is again renewed by water that represents the Saviour’s blood— the cleansing waters of life.

    O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this wine to the souls of all those who drink of it, that they may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy Son, which was shed for them; that they may witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they do always remember him, that they may have his Spirit to be with them. Amen. (D&C 20:79 bold and italics added)

    I suppose that to understand this whole principle most clearly, one must simply take the Saviour at his word when he summed up it up to the Nephites. There, the first Beatitude (the one that is left out of the New Testament) might be translated into today’s terms as simply, “Blessed are those who follow the Prophet and the Brethren.” It reads,

    1 …. Blessed are ye if ye shall give heed unto the words of these twelve whom I have chosen from among you to minister unto you, and to be your servants; and unto them I have given power that they may baptize you with water; and after that ye are baptized with water, behold, I will baptize you with fire and with the Holy Ghost; therefore blessed are ye if ye shall believe in me and be baptized, after that ye have seen me and know that I am.
    2 And again, more blessed are they who shall believe in your words because that ye shall testify that ye have seen me, and that ye know that I am. Yea, blessed are they who shall believe in your words, and come down into the depths of humility and be baptized, for they shall be visited with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and shall receive a remission of their sins. (3 Nephi 12:1-2)

  • Psalm 21, LeGrand Baker, the song of redeeming love

    Psalm 21, LeGrand Baker, the song of redeeming love

    Alma references the “song of redeeming love” twice in chapter 5, then again in chapter 26.

    13 Behold, how many thousands of our brethren has he loosed from the pains of hell; and they are brought to sing redeeming love, and this because of the power of his word which is in us, therefore have we not great reason to rejoice? (Alma 26:13)

    This is one of three references in the Book of Mormon to the song of redeeming love. The other two are in Alma 5 which is a powerful reminder of the ancient Israelite temple drama. One of the best examples is verse 19 where Alma asks: “Can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands? [a reference to Psalm 24 which was sung as the people approached the Temple.] I say unto you, can you look up, having the image of God engraven upon your countenances? [Interestingly, if that is was in a Psalm, we no longer have it. But the idea is found in the more ancient Hymn of the Pearl. “And the likeness of the king of kings was completely embroidered all over it (his robe).” One wonders if that poem is what Alma was referring to.]

    Alma reminded his listeners of the faith of those who were baptized in the waters of Mormon, lived the law of consecration in the wilderness, and eventually joined the Nephites at Zarahemla. He described the power of their conversion this way: “Their souls did expand, and they did sing redeeming love. And I say unto you that they are saved. (v. 9)

    Later in his sermon, Alma will ask:

    26 And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?

    There is a Psalm — one of the most important and beautiful of the ancient temple rites — that might actually be identified as a “song of redeeming love.” It is Psalm 21.

    First, a quick review of the meaning of “redeem” may be useful. In the Greek, the word translated redeem means to purchase or ransom. The Hebrew word translated redeem means the same thing except in the Hebrew it is done by a member of one’s family. In the story of Ruth, Boaz is described as Naomi’s “kinsman”; and Job testified, “I know that my Redeemer liveth.” Both “kinsman” and “redeemer” are translated from the same Hebrew word. (Strong # 1350)

    The oldest of all the biblical uses of that word is Job’s. It reads,

    25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

    26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. (Job 19:25-26)

    The connotation of Job’s testimony — that to be redeemed is to see God — is the usual meaning of that “redeem” in the Book of Mormon. Here are four quick examples:

    The Saviour said to the Brother of Jared:

    13b. Because thou knowest these things ye are redeemed [present tense] from the fall; therefore ye are brought back into my presence; therefore I show myself unto you. (Ether 3:14)

    Lehi said to his son Jacob:

    3b-4a. Wherefore, I know that thou art redeemed [present tense], because of the righteousness of thy Redeemer; for thou hast beheld that in the fulness of time he cometh to bring salvation unto men. And thou hast beheld in thy youth his glory.(2 Nephi 2:3b-4a)

    Lehi testified of himself:

    15. But behold, the Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell [past tense]; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love. (2 Nephi 1:15)

    Samuel the Lamanite used “redeem” to describe the final judgement.

    16. Yea, behold, this death bringeth to pass the resurrection, and redeemeth all mankind from the first death—that spiritual death; for all mankind, by the fall of Adam being cut off from the presence of the Lord, are considered as dead, both as to things temporal and to things spiritual.
    17. But behold, the resurrection of Christ redeemeth mankind, yea, even all mankind, and bringeth them back into the presence of the Lord. (Helaman 14:16-17)

    Applying that definition of redeem as used by Job and the prophets of the Book of Mormon, now let’s ask what might be the “song of redeeming love.” If to redeem, means to be brought into the presence of God, then I suspect the song may be the psalm that celebrates one who stands at the beautiful veil of Solomon’s Temple and asks to be invited within.

    This was a participatory drama in which all played an important part, for what the king and queen were doing, symbolically the members of the audience were doing also. We do not know the extent of their participation, but one may surmise that parts or all of the audience sang many, if not most, of the Psalms as a part of the ceremonies.

    In ancient Israel, a king was, by definition, one who had been foreordained in the Council in Heaven, and anointed to rule in this life. In Psalm 21, as in many of the others, the words are spoken by different voices. There are no stage directions, as there are in modern plays, so one has to pay attention to the words in order to know who is speaking. Our psalm begins by describing the action on the stage. This may have been sung a chorus as in a Greek play, or it might have been a narrator, or it may be that the entire audience sang this part. Psalm 21 reads:

    1. The king shall joy in thy strength,
    O Lord; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!

    2. Thou hast given him his heart’s desire,
    And hast not withholden the request of his lips.

    So the king has asked the Lord for something, and the Lord has granted that request. In the next verse there is an unusual word, “preventest.” The footnote in the LDS Bible helps with that. It says that the words “thou preventest him” might be translated “thou wilt meet him.” Using that phrase, this is the Lord’s response to the king’s request:

    3. For thou wilt meet him with the blessings of goodness:
    thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head.

    This is the concluding scenes of a coronation as performed by God himself — it is the confirmation of one’s kingship and priesthood. (Psalms 110:4 says of the king: “The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.”) In the next verse we are to learn what blessing the king requested.

    4. He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him,
    even length of days for ever and ever. [i.e. through all eternity]

    5. His glory is great in thy salvation:
    honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him.

    “Honour and majesty” are the names of the clothing that represents his kingship and priesthood. “Majesty” clearly represents his kingship, just as it does elsewhere in the scriptures. In Psalm 45:3-4 the king is told by God: “Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty.” In Job 40:10 the fact that the Lord is talking about clothing is made even more clear: “Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty.” God is dressed the same way in Psalm 93:1-2 and 104:1-2. His clothing is described in Abraham Facsimile 2 # 3 where we learn that God is “clothed with power and authority; with a crown of eternal light upon his head; representing also the grand Key-words of the Holy Priesthood, as revealed to Adam … and all to whom the Priesthood was revealed.”

    In his sode experience, Enoch is dressed properly so he can be in the presence of God.

    8 And the Lord said to Michael: ‘Go and take Enoch from out his earthly garments, and anoint him with my sweet ointment, [Charles’ footnote reads: “oil” ] and put him into the garments of My glory.’
    9 And Michael did thus, as the Lord told him. He anointed me, and dressed me, and the appearance of that ointment is more than the great light, and his ointment is like sweet dew, and its’

    10 smell mild, shining like the sun’s ray, and I looked at myself, and was like one of his glorious ones. (“The Book of the Secrets of Enoch,” 22:8-10, in R. H. Charles, The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament, vol. II, (Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1976). The sode experience is in vol. 2:442_445.)

    In our psalm the words, “honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him” suggests that God himself has dressed the king in royal garments.

    6. For thou hast made him most blessed for ever:
    thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance.

    The king has received a blessing that reaches “for ever,” and now the king is “exceeding glad” because he has seen the countenance of God.

    7 For the king trusteth in the LORD,
    and through the mercy of the most High he shall not be moved.

    [i.e. the king will keep the covenants he has made with the Lord.]

    The next 5 verses in the psalm are spoken by God to the king. It is easy for us to read them in the context of our own time — and that without much understanding. In the context of our time, these words sound like a battle hymn, whose emphasis is victory in war. But when one recalls that they were written in a time very unlike our own, then they have a different ring altogether. In the days of ancient Israel, there were no police forces that kept one safe as he traveled. People built walls around cities, and the wealthy built fortifications on their own estates. The words in our psalm, and many like them in the psalms and in Isaiah, are promises of protection — of invulnerability — the same kind of invulnerability he promises us, if we keep his commandments.

    8 Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies:
    thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee.

    9. Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger:
    the LORD shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them.

    10. Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth,
    and their seed from among the children of men.

    11. For they intended evil against thee:
    they imagined a mischievous device, which they are not able to perform.

    12. Therefore shalt thou make them turn their back,
    when thou shalt make ready thine arrows upon thy strings against the face of them.

    The final verse is an anthem of praise, sung by the people who sang the first verses of the psalm.

    13. Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength:
    so will we sing and praise thy power. (Psalms 21:1-13)

    I do not know whether this psalm was Alma’s referent in his sermon when he said: “If ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?”

    In any case, the psalm provides a relevant context in which one might ask one’s Self that question.

    The consequences of one’s not knowing the mysteries of God, and of not keeping one’s eternal covenants, are very severe. Yet, we wander about in this world of darkness, going through life half awake, and uncertain about where and how to walk. After much thought and a good deal of watching other people, I have come to believe I have found the answer to the great question: “As one repents, what should one try to become?” I believe the answer is this: One should seek to be happy — that means to live according to the law of one’s own being – to become again one’s eternal Self and cover that Self with no facade that prevents family and friends from filling one’s life with companionship and joy. I believe that the object of this life is to demonstrate to one’s Self and to God, that what one was at the Council in Heaven, and what one is in this earthly environment are the same — and I believe that the major function of the Holy Ghost is to teach one the truth about who one is, and that the whole purpose of the principles and ordinances of the gospel is to give one the tools to be that.

  • Psalm 21 — LeGrand Baker — Covenant of Invulnerability in the Psalm’s veil ceremony

    Psalm 21 — LeGrand Baker — Covenant of Invulnerability in the Psalm’s veil ceremony

    The 21st Psalm describes the king’s request to enter the Holy of Holies through the veil. (In Alma 5 in the Book of Mormon, when Alma was asking the people in the congregation if they could still the song of redeeming love, as they had once sung it, it seems likely that the hymn he was referring to was the 21st Psalm.) The psalm begins by someone describing the action on the stage. It might have been a chorus, as in a Greek play, or a narrator, or it might have been the entire congregation who sang this part:

    1. The king shall joy in thy strength,
    O Lord; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!
    2. Thou hast given him his heart’s desire,
    and hast not withholden the request of his lips
    (Psalm 21:1-2).

    This is what we know about what has already happened on the stage: the king had asked the Lord for something, and the Lord had granted that request. In the next verse there is an unusual word, “preventest.” The footnote in the LDS Bible helps with that. It says that the words “thou preventest him” might be translated “thou wilt meet him.” When we use that phrase, this is the way the chorus described the Lord’s response to the king’s request:

    3. For thou wilt meet him with the blessings of goodness:
    thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head (Psalm 21:3).

    In the next verse we learn what the blessing was that the king had requested:

    4. He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him,
    even length of days for ever and ever. [i.e. through all eternity]
    5. His glory is great in thy salvation:
    honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him (Psalm 21:4-5).

    “Honour and majesty” are the names of the clothing that represents his kingship and priesthood: {1}

    6. For thou hast made him most blessed for ever:
    thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance (Psalm 21:6).

    The king had received a blessing that reached “for ever,” and now the king is “exceeding glad” because he had seen the countenance of God:

    7 For the king trusteth in the Lord,
    and through the mercy of the most High he shall not
    be moved (Psalm 21:7).{2}

    That he will not be moved indicates that the king will keep the covenants he has made with the Lord.

    The next five verses in the psalm are spoken by God to the king. It is easy for us to read them in the context of our own time—and that without much understanding, for they sound like a battle hymn whose emphasis is victory in war. But when one recalls that they were written in a time very unlike our own, then the words have a different ring altogether. In the days of ancient Israel, there were no police forces that kept one safe as he traveled. People built walls around cities, and the wealthy built fortifications on their own estates. The words in our psalm, and many like them in other psalms and in Isaiah, are promises of protection—of personal invulnerability—the same kind of invulnerability he promises all those who keep his commandments:

    8 Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies:
    thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee.
    9. Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger:
    the Lord shall swallow them up in his wrath,
    and the fire shall devour them.
    10. Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth,
    and their seed from among the children of men.
    11. For they intended evil against thee:
    they imagined a mischievous device,
    which they are not able to perform.
    12. Therefore shalt thou make them turn their back,
    when thou shalt make ready thine arrows upon thy
    strings against the face of them (Psalm 21:8-12).

    The final verse is an anthem of praise, sung by the people who sang the first verses of the psalm:

    13. Be thou exalted, Lord, in thine own strength:
    so will we sing and praise thy power (Psalm 21:13).

    About these events, Margaret Barker observes:

    “The rituals of the holy of holies were thus taking place outside time and matter, in the realm of the angels and the heavenly throne, and those who functioned in the holy of holies were more than human, being and seeing beyond time.” {3}

    The Covenant of Invulnerability is the covenant God made with us that if we would keep our eternal covenants he would remove all obsticles that might prevent us from doing so. It is taught throughout the scriptures. For example Ammon marveled at the Lord’s goodness with these words:

    1 And now, these are the words of Ammon to his brethren, which say thus: My brothers and my brethren, behold I say unto you, how great reason have we to rejoice; for could we have supposed when we started from the land of Zarahemla that God would have granted unto us such great blessings? (Alma 26:1)

    There may be no other scripture that so accurately express the sense of awe that the faithful feel as they watch the Lord fulfill the promises he has made to them. It is an echo of the much shorter, but equally profound question asked by Enos: “Lord, how is it done?”(Enos 1:7.)

    The answer, while unfathomable from our perspective, is very simple to say in words: At the Council in Heaven we made covenants with God. On our part, we promised what we would do when we came here; on his part, he promised he would make it possible for us to do it—not easy—not even safe—but possible (Paul explains that in the first chapter of Ephesians). However, like the Prophet Joseph, Peter, and Abinadi, it might appear to others that we had been prevented from achieving our objective; but like with them, the end cannot come until the Father has fulfilled his covenants to help us succeed—unless, of course, we have chosen to not fulfill our part.

    His promise is renewed here in this world as we are taught what we must do to return to him. His promise is virtually a guarantee of invulnerability—not against hurt or sorrow, but against failure if we do our part. The following are two excerpts from my forthcoming book on the Psalms, They discuss our of invulnerability. The first is from my discussion of Psalm 45 which portrays the king (and through him all the audience) receiving that promise during the proceedings of the Council in Heaven.

    In his blessing to the king, the Father promised that when all these conditions are met, “thy right hand shall teach thee awesome things.” {4} Then Elohim concludes his blessings to the future king of kingship and priesthood with this final promise.

    5. Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king’s enemies; whereby the people fall under thee (Psalm 45:5).

    Many of the psalms that contain blessings, conclude with similar promises of military invulnerability {5} as we move through linear time. {6} In ancient Israel there were two kinds of enemies. One challenged the king’s earthly responsibility for providing personal and national peace and security. The other (a holdover from the previous world) challenged his powers of one’s righteousness and priesthood. That is the context of these seeming military blessings in this and other psalms. They appear to suggest military conquest, but in fact they are reiterations of the assurance of the Lord’s guarantee that no power on earth or in hell could prevent one from keeping one’s premortal covenants, and from enjoying the blessings derived therefrom. It was a promise to the king who was newly dressed in sacred clothing; that by truth, meekness and righteousness; even though he found himself surrounded by enemies, he would remain invincible until his covenants were fulfilled and his mission accomplished.

    The promise of invulnerability is often found in psalms that speak of the king’s actually approaching God. It is a reminder of the promise received in the Council that God is the guarantor that one will have the power to fulfill one’s eternal covenants. That promise of invulnerability is important because, as is always so in the cosmic myth, the assignment is impossible and only the intercession of the heavens can make a path through the obstacles that would prevent its fulfillment. The obstacles and the impossibility of the task are ever-present but then so is the guarantee that the Father will fulfill his part of the covenant.

    It is the same guarantee as the prayer that concludes the first chapter of Ephesians, after Paul reminded his readers of their pre-mortal relationship with their Father in Heaven, and of the covenants and instructions they received before they left home. {6}

    With those definitions in mind, consider the impact of Elohim’s blessing to the king as a single, coherent promise:

    3 Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty. [names of sacred clothing: glory is priesthood, majesty is kingship]
    4 And in thy majesty ride prosperously [successfully] because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible [awesome] things. [Then follows the promise of invulnerability]
    5 Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king’s enemies; whereby the people fall under thee. (Psalm 45:3-4)

    Elohim’s blessing to the king was a comprehensive covenant, embracing all of the powers and authorities of sacral kingship and priesthood—there was nothing left to be added except the promise about his posterity, and that was reserved for the conclusion of the psalm.

    Two statements in the Doctrine and Covenants suggest that the powers of a king, as described in Psalm 45, closely parallel the powers of the Melchizedek priesthood. These passages are not the same as the statement in the psalm, but the messages seem to be the same. They emphasize the powers of the Melchizedek Priesthood in terms that sound very much like “truth, meekness, and righteousness.”

    “Truth” is defined as knowledge of reality in sacred time: “truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come” (D&C93:2.).

    “Meekness” is keeping the covenants we made at the Council and remake here:

    9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.
    10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. …
    14 The secret [sode, decisions of the Council in Heaven] of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant. (Psalms 25:9-10, 14)

    “Righteousness” is zedek – correctness in temple and priesthood things.

    The first of the D&C scripture reads:

    19 And this greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries [“Mysteries” would probably be the same as sode in the Old Testament] of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God [knowing the truth].
    20 Therefore, in the ordinances thereof [In Isaiah and the Psalms, the word “ordinances” would probably appear as the code words “way”or “path”], the power of godliness is manifest.
    21 And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh;
    22 For without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live [a sode experience].
    23 Now this Moses plainly taught to the children of Israel in the wilderness, and sought diligently to sanctify his people that they might behold the face of God (D&C 84:19-23).

    The second reads:

    18 The power and authority of the higher, or Melchizedek Priesthood, is to hold the keys of all the spiritual blessings of the church—
    19 To have the privilege of receiving the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven [truth], to have the heavens opened unto them [sode experience], to commune with the general assembly and church of the Firstborn [Council in Heaven], and to enjoy the communion and presence of God the Father, and Jesus the mediator of the new covenant (D&C 107:18-19).

    ==========

    ENDNOTES

    {1} “Majesty” clearly represents his kingship, just as it does elsewhere in the scriptures. In Job 40:10 the fact that the Lord is talking about clothing is made even more clear: “Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty.” In Moses 7:3-4, and in his sode experience, Enoch is dressed properly. One must be clean and properly clothed to come into the presence of God. In our psalm the phrase, “honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him” suggest that God himself has dressed the king in royal garments.

    {2} The prophet Enoch describes an experience in a similar sequence:

    3 And it came to pass that I turned and went up on the mount; and as I stood upon the mount, I beheld the heavens open, and I was clothed upon with glory;
    4 And I saw the Lord; and he stood before my face, and he talked with me, even as a man talketh one with another, face to face (Moses 7:3-4).

    {3} Barker, Great High Priest, 81
    {4} The Tanakh (official Jewish translation) uses “awesome” rather than “terrible.”

    {5} Some important examples are Psalms 2, 21, 110.

    {6} At the conclusion of Paul’s discussion of the covenants we made with God in the premortal world (Ephesians 1:1-14), Paul prays that his readers may know three things:

    First, “what is the hope of his calling.” Calling is a verb, thus it is God’s calling—his premortal assignment—to the Saints.

    Second, “and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.” That is, what great blessings await those who keep their covenants.

    Third, “And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead.” (v. 18-20 and on to v. 23)

    In other words, Paul’s prayer concludes with the hope that we will know that the Father has also promised us that he will enable us to fulfill our covenants if we are faithful to the instructions of the Holy Ghost.

  • Moroni 4 and 5 — LeGrand Baker — Sacrament as Covenant

    Moroni 4 and 5 — LeGrand Baker — Sacrament as Covenant

    Alma 22:15-30 tells a story that can help us understand the sacramental covenant.

    15 And it came to pass that after Aaron had expounded these things unto him, the king said: What shall I do that I may have this eternal life of which thou hast spoken? Yea, what shall I do that I may be born of God, having this wicked spirit rooted out of my breast, and receive his Spirit, that I may be filled with joy, that I may not be cast off at the last day? Behold, said he, I will give up all that I possess, yea, I will forsake my kingdom, that I may receive this great joy.
    16 But Aaron said unto him: If thou desirest this thing, if thou wilt bow down before God, yea, if thou wilt repent of all thy sins, and will bow down before God, and call on his name in faith, believing that ye shall receive, then shalt thou receive the hope which thou desirest.
    17 And it came to pass that when Aaron had said these words, the king did bow down before the Lord, upon his knees; yea, even he did prostrate himself upon the earth, and cried mightily, saying:
    18 O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day. And now when the king had said these words, he was struck as if he were dead. (Alma 22:15-18. Italics added)

    It is apparent to me that to “give up” and to “give away” are not the same things. To “give up” is a passive approach. It is to abandon, to surrender, to desist from, to discontinue.

    It may require some effort. It can be difficult, but the difficulty is to achieve the passivity. For example if one gives up smoking one may have to exercise a good deal of willpower in order to discontinue, but the willpower is directed toward inactivity. Another example: To give up telling lies is not the same as to seek to tell the truth, because not telling a lie does not impose the burden of saying anything at all. (If one determines to tell the truth, that would be a major change for the better, but it is also something different from simply giving up the habit of telling lies.)

    Repentance is “giving away” one’s sins. The sins are forever there and they carry consequences. But both the sin and the consequence can be “given away” to the Saviour who will accept their burden and pay their price.

    To give away is never passive, but always active. If you and I are sitting by a desk and my dollar bill is on the desk, and you take it, that’s stealing. If I proffer it to you and you don’t accept it, but I give it anyway, that’s throwing it at you, not giving it to you. If you do not accept I cannot give away, because throwing it at you is not the same as giving.

    To give away requires action on the part of both persons, and that action always presupposes a written, spoken, implied or symbolic contract or covenant. An example of an implied covenant is that if you invite me to lunch (give me food), I could not accept your invitation without also accepting the implied covenant that you would pay for it and I won’t have to. An example of a written covenant is that if I wish to give you my car, I must go to the court house and fill out the necessary paper work. If you accept, you also accept the burden of paying the future taxes on the car.

    As I understand it, The ordinance of baptism functions like that paper work in the courthouse. It is the formality of giving our sins to the Saviour. For us the meaning of the contract is that our sins may go into remission. It evokes the blessings of the atonement to put the sins in remission. The word initially meant a diminution of force or effect, a slackening of energy— like putting cancer in remission— and therefore making the sins inoperative. -The Saviour accepts the burden of the sins so that it will not weight us down as we seek to turn our lives around. “Repent” literally means to turn around and go the other way. To use the example above: repentance not only means that we stop telling falsehoods, but also to begin telling the truth and testify of it.

    Repentance is giving one’s sins to the Saviour. The ordinance of baptism is literally a transfer of ownership.

    Repentance is a maturation process. It requires persistence, refining, and re-refining. It requires both the gift of the atonement, and a knowing response on our part to the tutoring of the Holy Ghost. The Spirit teaches us how to repent and it cleanses us from those sins, then teaches us more and cleanses, and teaches and cleanses, ad infinitum. Thus, by the Spirit, our spirits are refined. As Moroni explained,

    And after they had been received unto baptism, and were wrought upon and cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost… (Moroni 6:4)

    That principle is taught to us weekly in the covenant of these words:

    O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it, that they may eat inremembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and [willing to] always remember him and [willing to] keep his commandments which he has given them; that [to the end that:] they may always have his Spirit to be with them. Amen. (D&C 20:77 bold added)

    Being thus committed by covenant, our cleansing is again renewed by water that represents the Saviour’s blood— the cleansing waters of life.

    O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this wine to the souls of all those who drink of it, that they may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy Son, which was shed for them; that they may witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they do always remember him, that they may have his Spirit to be with them. Amen. (D&C 20:79 bold and italics added)

    I suppose that to understand this whole principle most clearly, one must simply take the Saviour at his word when he summed up it up to the Nephites. There, the first Beatitude (the one that is left out of the New Testament) might be translated into today’s terms as simply, “Blessed are those who follow the Prophet and the Brethren.” It reads,

    1 …. Blessed are ye if ye shall give heed unto the words of these twelve whom I have chosen from among you to minister unto you, and to be your servants; and unto them I have given power that they may baptize you with water; and after that ye are baptized with water, behold, I will baptize you with fire and with the Holy Ghost; therefore blessed are ye if ye shall believe in me and be baptized, after that ye have seen me and know that I am.
    2 And again, more blessed are they who shall believe in your words because that ye shall testify that ye have seen me, and that ye know that I am. Yea, blessed are they who shall believe in your words, and come down into the depths of humility and be baptized, for they shall be visited with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and shall receive a remission of their sins. (3 Nephi 12:1-2)

  • Job, LeGrand Baker, the power of personal integrity

    Job, LeGrand Baker, the power of personal integrity

    Job’s integrity brought him into the presence of God.

    Alma 18:10-11
    10 Now when king Lamoni heard that Ammon was preparing his horses and his chariots he was more astonished, because of the faithfulness of Ammon, saying: Surely there has not been any servant among all my servants that has been so faithful as this man; for even he doth remember all my commandments to execute them.
    11 Now I surely know that this is the Great Spirit, and I would desire him that he come in unto me, but I durst not.

    Mormon is a superb and very candid historian. He has an agenda and he not only doesn’t try to hide it, he insists we know what it is. He frequently concludes his stories with the words “and thus we see” then he explains the principles we should have learned. But he does not always do that. Sometimes he just tells the story and leaves it to us to discover the principles. That is an easy task because the principles can usually be reduced to four basic ideas: To be happy (1) one must exercise faith in God, (2) one must be true to the eternal law on one’s own being, (3), one must obey instructions and teachings of the prophets, and (4) one must comport his life in the same way the prophets conduct theirs. This story focus on the second and fourth of those principles: have the integrity to be true to one’s eternal self, and achieve that by doing what Ammon did.

    Integrity is one of the most fundamental principles that leads to salvation. In my work at BYU, I once interviewed Arnold Friberg, who did the artwork for Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments. Friberg had great admiration for DeMille whom he described as having unbending integrity. Then Friberg defined the word: “Integrity is having no gap between what one says and what one does.” In gospel terms that simply translates to this: Integrity is having no gap between the covenants one makes and the life one lives.

    Elder Maxwell spoke of integrity in eternal terms, He used the word “unvaryingness ” to describe the integrity of God. He said,

    “We can serve others also by developing real integrity, which is more than being honest and true only until it becomes too expensive. In the crowds of chameleons in the world today, daring to be the same good self is being different. When our goodness is constant we are on the road, albeit only a short distance along, to the unvaryingness of Godlike love.” (Neal A. Maxwell, All These Things Shall Give Thee Experience [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1979], 62.)

    It is not surprising that President Monson equated faith in God with personal integrity. He said,

    “Today, in a quiet grove at Valley Forge, there is a heroicsized monument to Washington. He is depicted not astride a charging horse nor overlooking a battlefield of glory, but kneeling in humble prayer, calling upon the God of Heaven for divine help. To gaze upon the statue prompts the mind to remember the oft-heard expression, “A man stands tallest when upon his knees.
    “Men and women of integrity, character, and purpose have ever recognized a power higher than themselves and have sought through prayer to be guided by such power. Such has it ever been. So shall it ever be.” (Thomas S. Monson, Be Your Best Self [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1979], 24-25.)

    The book of Job, which is not only some of the most beautiful but also probably the oldest poetry in our Old Testament, is all about integrity. It begins in the Council in Heaven where Satan wishes to lay claim to the earth, but he can’t because Job is there.

    3 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. (Job 2:3)

    From that time, Job’s life begins to fall apart, until his wife can’t take it any more.

    9 Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.
    10 But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips. (Job 2:9-10)

    Job’s steadfastness was an evidence of his sure knowledge. He laments,

    23 Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!
    24 That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!
    25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
    26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. (Job 19:23-26)

    As seems often to be so, Job’s most intense trial comes from those who should have been his friends but were his accusers instead. They attack him with all the philosophical and academic weapons they can muster. To which Job responds,

    2 As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul;
    3 All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils;
    4 My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.
    5 God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.
    6 My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live. (Job 27:2-9)

    Later, he challenges his tormenters,

    6 Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity. (Job 31:6)

    In the end, God gives Job all that he requests, including the fulfillment of the ultimate promise. Job spoke in wonderment and said,

    5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. (Job 42:5)

    When the Prophet Joseph organized the Relief Society, he taught the sisters that each of our lives would be something like Job’s.

    “He spoke of delivering the keys of the Priesthood to the Church, and said that the faithful members of the Relief Society should receive them with their husbands, that the Saints whose integrity has been tried and proved faithful, might know how to ask the Lord and receive an answer; for according to his prayers, God had appointed him elsewhere.” ( Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, selected and arranged by Joseph Fielding Smith [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1976], 226.)

    The Psalms repeatedly say that we will be judged according to our personal integrity (Psalms 7, 25, 26, 41, 78). Brigham Young confirmed that. He said,

    “We have the principle within us, and so has every being on this earth, to increase and to continue to increase, to enlarge and receive and treasure up truth, until we become perfect. It is wisdom for us to be the friends of God; and unless we are filled with integrity and preserve ourselves in our integrity before our God, we actually lay the foundation for our destruction.” (Journal of Discourses, 5:54)

    The ultimate importance of personal integrity is found in the Saviour’s praise of Hyrum Smith. In a revelation given through the Prophet Joseph, the Saviour said,

    15 And again, verily I say unto you, blessed is my servant Hyrum Smith; for I, the Lord, love him because of the integrity of his heart, and because he loveth that which is right before me, saith the Lord. (D&C 124:15)

    As we approach judgement day, we will discover that one’s integrity is the final definition of one’s eternal Self. If that Self is the guileless personification of one’s love for God and for “that which is right,” then one is on the sure path that leads to eternal life.

  • Moroni 6:1-9 – policies and practices of the Nephite church – LeGrand Baker

    Mormon tells us almost nothing about the organization of the early Nephite church, and very little about how the church operated after the Savior came. Moroni does not tell us much more. Here he gives us only the barest of details. And even these tell us only about the policies and practices regarding the members of the church.

    The first thing he tells us appears to be about their practice of rebaptisms:

    1 And now I speak concerning baptism. Behold, elders, priests, and teachers were baptized; and they were not baptized save they brought forth fruit meet that they were worthy of it.
    2 Neither did they receive any unto baptism save they came forth with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, and witnessed unto the church that they truly repented of all their sins.
    3 And none were received unto baptism save they took upon them the name of Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end (Moroni 6:1-3).

    His statement about who was baptized is most interesting. Apparently he does not mention a person’s initial baptism, but rather reports, “elders, priests, and teachers were baptized.” Since he gives no explanation, we are left to only guess about what the policies were. My guess is that there was a formal re-commitment that was validated by a rebaptism whenever someone received an advancement in the priesthood. Rebaptisms seem to have been relatively common among the Nephites, {1} and they were also frequently performed in the early LDS church. {2}

    The reason baptism can be used to represent so many different milestones in our lives is that it can represent so many endings and new beginnings: Cleansing, remission of sins, burial and resurrection, born again, birth and death, entrance into the church, renewal of oneself (Romans 6:1-13; Mosiah 18:8-14; D&C 20:23-28; D&C 128:12-13; Moses 6:58-61).

    The rest of what Moroni tells us about the practices in the Nephite church is almost exactly like our own. The members were given the gift of the Holy Ghost and then looked after by other church members. Moroni describes what could easily be read as home teaching and Relief Society visiting teaching.

    4 And after they had been received unto baptism, and were wrought upon and cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost, they were numbered among the people of the church of Christ; and their names were taken, that they might be remembered and nourished by the good word of God, to keep them in the right way, to keep them continually watchful unto prayer, relying alone upon the merits of Christ, who was the author and the finisher of their faith.

    Doctrine and Covenants 20 places the same requirements on Latter-day Saints. For example, the duties of the Elders are:

    41 And to confirm those who are baptized into the church, by the laying on of hands for the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost, according to the scriptures;
    42 And to teach, expound, exhort, baptize, and watch over the church;
    46 The priest’s duty is to preach, teach, expound, exhort, and baptize, and administer the sacrament, ….
    47 And visit the house of each member, and exhort them to pray vocally and in secret and attend to all family duties…..
    51 And visit the house of each member, exhorting them to pray vocally and in secret and attend to all family duties. ….
    53 The teacher’s duty is to watch over the church always, and be with and strengthen them;
    54 And see that there is no iniquity in the church, neither hardness with each other, neither lying, backbiting, nor evil speaking;
    55 And see that the church meet together often, and also see that all the members do their duty (D&C 20:41-55).

    Their meetings were also similar to our own. Verse 5 could easily be a description of our own fast and testimony meetings:

    5 And the church did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls.

    They, like us, met often to partake of the sacrament:

    6 And they did meet together oft to partake of bread and wine, in remembrance of the Lord Jesus.

    For them, as for us, membership in the church was a privilege, not a right. The privilege was earned by obedience to the laws, covenants, and commandments of the gospel. Persons who were not willing to keep the commandments were excommunicated, but, just as in the present church, if they repented they were welcomed back into full fellowship.

    7 And they were strict to observe that there should be no iniquity among them; and whoso was found to commit iniquity, and three witnesses of the church did condemn them before the elders, and if they repented not, and confessed not, their names were blotted out, and they were not numbered among the people of Christ.
    8 But as oft as they repented and sought forgiveness, with real intent, they were forgiven.

    To Latter-day Saints who are accustomed to well structured meetings that are conducted the same way all over the world, Moroni’s description of their meetings might sound a bit chaotic, but that need not have been so. Moroni tells us:

    9 And their meetings were conducted by the church after the manner of the workings of the Spirit, and by the power of the Holy Ghost; for as the power of the Holy Ghost led them whether to preach, or to exhort, or to pray, or to supplicate, or to sing, even so it was done.

    The form of our meetings are now set by church policy. However, the content of our meeting is still “conducted by the church after the manner of the workings of the Spirit.”We expect that the person presiding will receive inspiration about who should speak about what, and who should pray. The speakers’ message, the selection of hymn, and the prayers are all expected to be under the inspiration of the th Holy Ghost. The Lord told the Prophet Joseph,

    2 But notwithstanding those things which are written, it always has been given to the elders of my church from the beginning, and ever shall be, to conduct all meetings as they are directed and guided by the Holy Spirit (D&C 62:2).

    The Church is, and has always been, a social and cultural organization whose ordinances and covenants are unchanging, but whose other policies and practices are consistent with the culture of its people. Everything that is not pure doctrine is, and has been subject to change. For example, in the Victorian Age long dresses were necessary because it was considered immoral for women to let their ankles show. Because it was equally immoral among Church members the women who crossed the plains did so in great, long skirts. Now, when culture has changed so that skirts are shorter and women can wear pants in the workplace, it is not immoral for Church members to wear short skirts and pants. Even the presentation of the temple drama has evolved along with American cultural tastes.

    Even though some definitions of right and wrong, and some policies and practices may be adapted to the culture of the people, others may not. Priesthood authority is eternal, and the ordinances and covenants remain constant because they relate to, and help define our present and eternal relationships with our Heavenly Father and the Savior.

    The reason to have a church organization is another of those constants. No matter what the time, place, or culture, the purposes of the church are to administer the sacred ordinances and covenants, and to bless the members and to give them opportunity to bless others, and to provide a social and sub-cultural bulwark to sustain the righteous. Those were the reasons for the Nephite church, the New Testament church, and for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
    —————–

    FOOTNOTES

    {1} I have written two short essays about that. You can find them using the search engine. They are: “Alma 7:14-16 – the many uses of re-baptism” and “Mosiah 18:9-30, The covenants of Baptism.”

    {2}The Encyclopedia of Mormonism explains:

    Rebaptism is rare among Latter-day Saints in modern times. Historically, however, many members were rebaptized as an act of rededication. This was first practiced in Nauvoo and was continued in the Utah Territory. Rebaptism served as a ritual of recommitment but was not viewed as essential to salvation. Members often sought rebaptism when called to assist in colonization or to participate in one of the united orders. On some occasions, the Saints were rebaptized as they prepared for marriage or entrance into the temple. Early members also rebaptized some of the sick among them as an act of healing. Because of misuse by some Church members, all such practices of rebaptism were discontinued in 1897. (“Rebaptism” in Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 1-4 vols., edited by Daniel H. Ludlow [New York: Macmillan, 1992], 1194.)

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