LeGrand L. Baker

In the first two parts of this discussion I have shown that truth, light, and love all share the same properties, that the fullness of truth is equivalent to a fullness of light, which is equivalent to a fullness of love, so they are different ways the scriptures have of describing the same thing.

Here, I wish to show that a fullness of truth/light/love is equivalent to a fulness of joy which can only reach a fulness when it is reciprocated as eternal friendship.

The place to begin our discussion must be the most inclusive statement of all. There is no equivocation in Lehi’s declaration that equates the purpose of the fall, the purpose of the Atonement, and joy as the purpose of our lives,

25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.
26 And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall (2 Nephi 2:5-26a).

No doubt, Nephi understood the full ramifications of his father’s utterance. An angel had also taught him the relationship between joy, the Savior’s Atonement, and the power of the ordinances that give us access to them.

18 And he said unto me: Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh.
19 And it came to pass that I beheld that she was carried away in the Spirit; and after she had been carried away in the Spirit for the space of a time the angel spake unto me, saying: Look!
20 And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms.
21 And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father! Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw?
22 And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things.
23 And he spake unto me, saying: Yea, and the most joyous to the soul.
24 And after he had said these words, he said unto me: Look! And I looked, and I beheld the Son of God going forth among the children of men; and I saw many fall down at his feet and worship him.
25 And it came to pass that I beheld that the rod of iron, which my father had seen, was the word of God, which led to the fountain of living waters, or to the tree of life; which waters are a representation of the love of God; and I also beheld that the tree of life was a representation of the love of God.
26 And the angel said unto me again: Look and behold the condescension of God!
27 And I looked and beheld the Redeemer of the world, of whom my father had spoken; and I also beheld the prophet who should prepare the way before him. And the Lamb of God went forth and was baptized of him; and after he was baptized, I beheld the heavens open, and the Holy Ghost come down out of heaven and abide upon him in the form of a dove (1 Nephi 11:1-36).

As with all else in this mortal world, one must learn to recognize and appreciate that kind of love/ joy and its source. The Lord promised the Prophet Joseph’s brother Hyrum,

12 And now, verily, verily, I say unto thee, put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good—yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously; and this is my Spirit.
13 Verily, verily, I say unto you, I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy (D&C 11:12-30).

When Mormon described the Ammon’s experience with the Lamanite king and queen, he equated God’s light with the joy which was “infused into his soul.”

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 (Alma 19:6).

The Lamanite king and queen were “overpowered with joy,” sank to the earth, and received marvelous visions (Alma 17-19 and 27:17).

Again, when Mormon told us about Nephi and Lehi’s experience in the Lamanite prison, he described their “joy which is unspeakable” when they were “in the midst of a flaming fire” The fire is the shechinah which is the light of Christ made visible to spiritual eyes. {1}

44 And Nephi and Lehi were in the midst of them; yea, they were encircled about; yea, they were as if in the midst of a flaming fire, yet it did harm them not, neither did it take hold upon the walls of the prison; and they were filled with that joy which is unspeakable and full of glory.
45 And behold, the Holy Spirit of God did come down from heaven, and did enter into their hearts, and they were filled as if with fire, and they could speak forth marvelous words (Helaman 5:44-45).

Peter taught the Saints that their persecutions were only temporary. Then told them of the promises that were theirs if they kept their covenants. “Unspeakable joy” is one of the steps that leads to “the salvation of your souls.”

7 That the trial of your faith [pistis = covenants], being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
9 Receiving the end [the object or conclusion] of your faith [pistis = covenants], even the salvation of your souls (1 Peter 1:7-9).

Joseph Smith used that same phrase when he described his reaction to the First Vision. There are four accounts of the First Vision that can be attributed directly to the Prophet. Here are excerpts from two of them.

I kneeled again, my mouth was opened and my tongue loosed; I called on the Lord in mighty prayer. A pillar of fire appeared above my head; which presently rested down upon me, and filled me with unspeakable joy. A personage appeared in the midst of this pillar of flame, which was spread all around and yet nothing consumed. Another personage soon appeared like unto the first: he said unto me, “Thy sins are forgiven thee.” He testified also unto me that Jesus Christ is the son of God. I saw many angels in this vision. I was about 14 years old when I received this first communication.

In another account the Prophet adds,

And my soul was filled with love, and for many days I could rejoice with great joy, and the Lord was with me but I could find none that would believe the heavenly vision. {2}

The quality of the joy we experience and radiate is determined by the quality of the truth/love/light that defines who we are. Joy is contagious and can infect the people around us. It can influence and enhance the quality of truth/love/light of the people with whom we associate. People who exude the light of joy gravitate to their same kind of people. That is an eternal principle (D&C 88:40). For that reason, the joy of the gospel is a very powerful missionary tool. In Who Shall Ascend into the Hill of the Lord, we observed,

Our very lives testify that this is true. As we acknowledge the eternal reality of a dear friend we become more alive. We begin to rediscover the eternal truth of who and what that friend was, is, and will be. That recognition opens a window through which we can get a glimpse of our own eternal Self. The light that emanates from the soul of one’s friend penetrates just a bit of the veil that clouds our memory of our own past eternal self. It reveals a shining new aspect of a forgotten portion of who and what we were before we came into this world. It does that by teaching us who our friend was and how dearly we loved him. As we re-experience the light that is his personality and goodness; we feel again the love we shared for each other before we came into mortality. The friendship brings more truth, light, and love that blend anew into a unity of joy. It gives new vibrance to our lives and helps us overcome the loneliness of this otherwise dreary world. Thus the friendship makes both beings more complete—more of what and who we were. The friend’s light seems also to extend a beckoning hand even beyond the veil of death that obscures the hope of our eternal future. {3}
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Friendships are the cohesive power that gives meaning to truth/light/love/joy. Love/charity is the light/power that exudes from righteous persons. But if one only sent out their love with nowhere for it to go it would ring hollow and be meaningless. It would be equally meaningless if one could not be the recipient of other people’s love.

Eternal life is about eternal relationships. We use the promise of the eternal continuity of our family togetherness as a way of describing celestial glory. However, that is not all. Salvation is also about an eternal duration of our appreciation of our Selves, and our relationships with our friends, as well as of our relationship with the Savior and his Father.

(Similarly, the limited nature of one’s relationship with family, friends, and God is also a valid way of describing the characteristics of those who inherit the terrestrial and telestial glories, or no glory at all.)

Absolute joy is celestial because there is no aloneness there. One of the great powers of God is his ability to love everyone, and to focus that love on just the one without diminishing his love for all the others. For us, that is the essence of parenthood, but it is also true friendship, because it is the ultimate description of charity. However, loving others is not enough. In all valid friendships, one must love and also be willing to be loved.

One of the great stumbling blocks that prevent us from loving is pride. Pride is our accepting an self-defined illusion as our reality. It is an unsubstantial mask behind which we hide our Self from our self as well as from others. Crouching behind that facade that only we perceive as real, we pretend we are invulnerable — and thereby we preclude both our ability to love and to be loved. Our reality can give and receive love, but a mask cannot.

For some it is difficult to be loved as our real Selves, because that requires our being real — exposed, vulnerable, and naked – not nude which means to be unclothed, but naked with means to be unmasked.

The scriptures focus on our willingness to accept love just as they do on our need to give love. A characteristic of this life is that receiving love seems dependent upon someone else giving it. Consequently, many feel lonely. However, as is well known, the best antidote for loneliness is to find someone to be nice to. For Latter-day Saints, that often translates into doing temple work or engaging in family history which can be done even at home.

Not long ago I wrote a short essay called “Ether 12:27 – weakness, strength, and humility; & pistis, hesed, and charity.” Its ideas belong as part of this one, so I invite you to read it. To find it search “Ether 12:27″ in this website.

There, I pointed out that in the scriptures God’s love for us is a covenant relationship, just as is our love for him. And that the scriptures also use that same language to describe our friendships with each others — as covenant relationships.

A New Testament word that gives a priesthood connotation to our friendship relationships, and that even transcends our mortal and post mortal veils, is “fellowship.” Paul spoke of the “fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.” The Greek word translated “mystery” was used by Paul to represent the early Christian temple service {4}

7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him (Ephesians 3:7-12).

In what is surely one of the most beautiful testimonies ever written, John the Beloved invited all the Saints to be a part of that eternal fellowship.

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin (1 John 1:1-7).

The Savior also invited his apostles — whom he called his friends — to be part of that eternal fellowship.

34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another (John 13:34-35).
…..
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you (John 15:1-27).

Those words, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends,” are usually read as a prophecy and an explanation of the Savior’s impending death, but they may have had a double meaning, one that applied to the apostles. Another valid reading “lay down his life” might be “to commit one’s life to serving his friends (Strong # 5087).”

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FOOTNOTES

{1} See shechinah in the LDS Bible Dictionary.

{2} Both quotes are from Dean C. Jessee, “The Early Accounts of Joseph Smith’s First Vision” (BYU Studies, Spring, 1969, 275-96), 287-91. I have quoted all four in Joseph and Moroni, pages 4-8. You will find it under “published books” in this website.

{3} Who Shall Ascend into the Hill of the Lord, First edition, 802-03; paperback 565-66.

{4} Strong # 3466. “musterion, ‘mystery’ (through the idea of silence imposed by initiation into religious rites).” I use the old first edition of Strong because some of the newer versions tend to be too politically correct.

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I believe that to understand the first 4 verses of John (whether in the King James Version or Joseph Smith’s Inspired Translation) one must recognize the relationships of Truth, Light, and Love. I have discussed their relationship in several places, and while I am aware that this post will be redundant to some readers, I would like to pull all of the previous discussions together into one place. So this is that place.

1. I summed it up several years ago in Who Shall Ascend into the Hill of the Lord.

2. In my last week’s post I discussed the relationship of truth and light. I showed that truth has the qualities of both information and energy. When the information/energy is assimilated by an intelligent entity, it causes that entity to emit light. The Savior is the Spirit of Truth and has all truth. His light fills the immensity of space and is the power by which all things are created and his light is the basic energy “substance” from which all matter is formed.

3. In another post, I showed that light and love are also equivalents. That creates a wonderful scenario. If truth is information/energy that causes intelligent beings to radiate light; and if light is energy whose product is matter; and if love is the personal expressions of that light that radiates from each of us. Then love/charity is as substantial as light/matter. Therefore, truth, light, love are all the same thing. Together they are an expression of the power and the glory of the Savior and his father.

4. The Savior’s light is much more than the small spectrum of photons that our eyes see. It is sometimes called the “glory of God” and is the veil that separates us from God. Consequently, it is the first thing the prophets see before they see God. I have discussed that in some detail in “Ether 2 & 3 — veil of light, of fire, of cloud, shechinah – LeGrand Baker.” However, it is 8 pages long, so I have decided not to reproduced here. You can find it quickly by searching “Ether 2 & 3.”

If all matter is made of the Savior’s light, that would include our spirit bodies, as well as physical and resurrected bodies. However, each of us also assimilate truth’s information/energy. Therefore, each of us also emits his own light which is a perfect expression of our Selves. That ‘fingerprint” of truth/light/ love is an exact definition of who and what each one of us is. I will discuss that more fully in part 3 of this series. My post called “John 1=1-4 & Alma 13=1-20 — ‘in the beginning’ — ‘Orders’ of Premortal Priesthood – LeGrand Baker” is intended to be an introduction to that idea, but is not reproduced here.

Now, here is the composite of essays which provides the rationale that supports the above conclusions.
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1. The following is from Who Shall Ascend into the Hill of the Lord, 801-02 (paperback edition, 564-65).

The resurrection of the earth—and all else the Lord has made—is a gift of the Savior’s Atonement. However, the quality of one’s resurrection is conditional upon the spiritual truth, light, and love one has chosen to assimilate along the way.
It appears that love, light, and truth are equivalents—they come from God and are expressions of his glory. The conclusion that they are actually the same thing is easy to come by. Truth is knowledge of eternal reality—“of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come.” That is, truth is knowledge of all reality in sacred time and space. The Savior is the Spirit of Truth, and “he comprehended all things, that he might be in all and through all things, the light of truth; Which truth shineth. This is the light of Christ …which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space” (D&C 88:7-12, 93:24-26). Thus, both truth and light permeate and sustain everything in the universe. The fact that God’s love is also everywhere is a given that needs no proof. Since his light, truth, and love are everywhere and in every individual, they either occupy the same space at the same time, or else they are the same thing. If the latter is correct, then the differences we perceive are simply ways we have of describing the multiple effects of the power of his godliness. Joy is the product of truth/light/love. It is most meaningful when it is shared. The more we recognize and assimilate the truth/light/love of others, the greater the joy we and they experience.

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2. The following is a excerpt from the discussion in part 1. It shows that truth is the source of the light with which living entities shine.

John 1:1-4– (part 1) TRUTH — ‘In the beginning was the gospel preached through the Son’ — LeGrand Baker

Just as scientists say visible light has properties of both waves and particles, something like seems to be true of “truth.” We just read that truth is information. Information does not shine, however, when truth is assimilated by an intelligent entity, that entity emits light. So truth seems also to have the properties of energy that produces light. We have also learned that an intelligence is “the light of truth,” suggesting that truth is the source of the light with which an intelligence shines.

Section 88 explains that in terms that are not too big to contemplate, but much too big to understand. It says that the Savior “ascended up on high, as also he descended below all things, in that he comprehended all things, that he might be in all and through all things, the light of truth; Which truth shineth. This is the light of Christ. … The light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things.” The full statement reads as follows:

1 Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you who have assembled yourselves together to receive his will concerning you:
2 Behold, this is pleasing unto your Lord, and the angels rejoice over you; the alms of your prayers have come up into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, and are recorded in the book of the names of the sanctified, even them of the celestial world.
3 Wherefore, I now send upon you another Comforter, even upon you my friends, that it may abide in your hearts, even the Holy Spirit of promise; which other Comforter is the same that I promised unto my disciples, as is recorded in the testimony of John.
4 This Comforter is the promise which I give unto you of eternal life, even the glory of the celestial kingdom;
5 Which glory is that of the church of the Firstborn, even of God, the holiest of all, through Jesus Christ his Son—
6 He that ascended up on high, as also he descended below all things, in that he comprehended all things, that he might be in all and through all things, the light of truth;
7 Which truth shineth. This is the light of Christ. As also he is in the sun, and the light of the sun, and the power thereof by which it was made.
8 As also he is in the moon, and is the light of the moon, and the power thereof by which it was made;
9 As also the light of the stars, and the power thereof by which they were made;
10 And the earth also, and the power thereof, even the earth upon which you stand.
11 And the light which shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understandings;
12 Which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space—
13 The light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things (D&C 88:1-13).

That explanation may have arisen from questions generated from a previous revelation where the word of God is equated with truth, which is equated with light, which is equated with Spirit, which is equated with our having the necessary knowledge and power to fulfill our eternal covenants.

44 For you shall live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God.
45 For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
46 And the Spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world; and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit.
47 And every one that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit cometh unto God, even the Father.
48 And the Father teacheth him of the covenant which he has renewed and confirmed upon you, which is confirmed upon you for your sakes, and not for your sakes only, but for the sake of the whole world (D&C 84:44-48).

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3. The following essay asserts that charity is light, and just as light has physical properties, so love also has those same physical properties. That means that love is tangible in the same way that light is a tangible part of what we are.

Moroni 7:45-48 — Charity, our only way to the presence of God — LeGrand Baker

I wish to address the question, What is charity on the inside? And why is it the final, and therefore the definitive quality that enables one to belong to an eternal Celestial society? Like Nephi, I will call it “love.” I will not discuss love as an emotion, but rather as the not-quite-intangible manifestation of the inmost part of our eternal being. To recognize charity/love as the “definitive quality” that leads to eternal life presupposes, as Mormon does, that it is a gift of the Spirit and is only taught by the Holy Ghost to those who have accepted, and are fulfilling, their premortal and earthly covenants.

I have written elsewhere that truth, light, and love are different names we have to describe the same thing and that their product is peace and joy. The rationale behind their sameness is quite simple:

Truth is information. It is knowledge of reality in sacred time— past, present, and future. Truth shines, but as raw information it does not shine. When truth becomes knowledge, the entity who knows shines with “light and truth.” The Savior shines with an enormous light (shechinah) that fills the immensity of space. {4} The revelations say:

11 And the light which shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understandings.
12 Which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space—
13 The light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things (D&C 88:11-13).

10 The worlds were made by him; men were made by him; all things were made by him, and through him, and OF him (D&C 93:10). {5}

Of course, all things were not made of the Savior’s person, but of that light that surrounds and defines him, and fills “the immensity of space.”

There is nothing at all farfetched about the idea that all things are made of the light that radiates from the Savior’s person. That revelation is essentially substantiated by modern science. In theoretical physics, matter is energy. Whether we use Einstein’s famous formula that showed mass-energy equivalence, or the string theory that holds that all matter is made of little wiggles of energy. Energy is light and scientists have shown that matter can actually be “created” from light. {6}

The Savior acquired that light in the only way one can: by assimilating truth. He testifies,

26 The Spirit of truth is of God. I am the Spirit of truth, and John bore record of me, saying: He received a fulness of truth, yea, even of all truth (D&C 93:26).

If the Savior’s light fills “the immensity of space” so does his truth. So does his love. His love is also in all things and sustains all things. His truth/light/love “giveth life to all things”

The Savior’s truth, light, and love either occupy the same space at the same time, or they are equivalents. The latter is true. The words are simply different ways we have of describing the same thing. As we begin to understand this eternal triumvirate of truth/light/love, we begin to know something of the eternal majesty of Christ and his Father. However, it is also true that as we learn about that triumvirate, we learn more about our own eternal Self, and the path we must follow to become like them. {7}

In our primal state, as intelligences, we are “the light of truth.”

29 Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be (D&C 93:29).

An intelligence is an entity that assimilates truth and shines. The more truth it assimilates into it’s Self, the greater its light. That process most assuridly continues throughout our existence unless we choose to curtail it. As humans, that truth/light/love expands or contracts depending on how we use our agency. President McKay described it as the “radiation” that is the defining part of one’s Self.

Every man and every person who lives in this world wields an influence, whether for good or for evil. It is not what he says alone; it is not alone what he does. It is what he is. Every man, every person radiates what he or she really is. Every person is a recipient of radiation. The Saviour was conscious of that. Whenever He came into the presence of an individual, He sensed that radiation — whether it was the woman of Samaria with her past life: whether it was the woman who was to be stoned, or the men who were to stone her; whether it was the statesman, Nicodemus, or one of the lepers. He was conscious of the radiation from the individual. And to a degree so are you. and so am I. It is what we are and what we radiate that affects the people around us. {8}

When we meet a friend, and perceive the light that is in him, we love him. The lights merge and the love is reciprocated. For both persons, the products of truth/light/love are joy and peace, which are the essence of a full life. There can be no fullness of joy if we are alone. In the Celestial Kingdom people are sealed together in an eternal bond, and therefore, in the Celestial Kingdom their joy is complete. The Prophet Joseph explained,

1 When the Savior shall appear we shall see him as he is. We shall see that he is a man like ourselves.
2 And that same sociality which exists among us here will exist among us there, only it will be coupled with eternal glory, which glory we do not now enjoy (D&C 130:1-2).

Little wonder he also said,

Friendship is the grand fundamental principle of Mormonism, to revolution civilize the world—pour forth love. {9}

It is impossible to distinguish between the quality of the light we radiate from the quality of the love we radiate.

A beautiful description of the attraction such people have for each other was written by Apostle Parley P. Pratt as part of his explanation about the cleansing power of the Holy Ghost.

In the presence of such persons, the light of their countenances, as the genial rays of a sunbeam. Their very atmosphere diffuses a thrill, a warm glow of pure gladness and sympathy, to the heart and nerves of others who have kindred feelings, or sympathy of spirit.{10}

We are most comfortable among people who are like ourselves. The Lord put that fact in an eternal perspective when he said,

40 For intelligence cleaveth unto intelligence; wisdom receiveth wisdom; truth embraceth truth; virtue loveth virtue; light cleaveth unto light; mercy hath compassion on mercy and claimeth her own; justice continueth its course and claimeth its own; judgment goeth before the face of him who sitteth upon the throne and governeth and executeth all things (D&C 88:40).

We all radiate something, but not everyone radiates truth/light/love. Some people ooze contempt and darkness. {11} The Savior explained:

34 The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of li ght; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.
35 Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.
36 If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light (Luke 11:34-36).

Another equivalence of the Savior’s light is his law. In a description of the expansive power and extent of his light, he included this observation:

13 The light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God (D&C 88:13).

A little further on in that revelation he explained that the law of our own beings is the criteria that will determine our resurrected glory. The quality of our spirit — the truth/light/love/joy/peace that defines each person and radiates from us — also defines our eternal nature, and will ultimately determine the quality of our resurrected body. I understand this next scripture to say that just as earthly matter can be created from light, so pure truth/light/love becomes the stuff our resurrected body will be made of. Therefore, the quality of one’s truth/light/love is the defining characteristic of one’s eternal resurrected Self.

28 They who are of a celestial spirit shall receive the same body which was a natural body; even ye shall receive your bodies, and your glory shall be that glory by which your bodies are quickened.
29 Ye who are quickened by a portion of the celestial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fulness.
30 And they who are quickened by a portion of the terrestrial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fulness.
31 And also they who are quickened by a portion of the telestial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fulness.
32 And they who remain shall also be quickened; nevertheless, they shall return again to their own place, to enjoy that which they are willing to receive, because they were not willing to enjoy that which they might have received (D&C 88:27-29).

What I am suggesting is that charity is not simply an emotion, or an attitude of empathy, but it is a state of being, and that humans exude its warmth in a form of light/love that is perceptible, if not actually visible and tangible in the same way that light may be tangible. It is, in fact, the essence of one’s mortal and eternal being.

Mormon began his sermon by identifying his audience as peacemakers. He commended them with these words:

3 Wherefore, I would speak unto you that are of the church, that are the peaceable followers of Christ, and that have obtained a sufficient hope by which ye can enter into the rest of the Lord, from this time henceforth until ye shall rest with him in heaven.
4 And now my brethren, I judge these things of you because of your peaceable walk with the children of men (Moroni 7:3-4).

A peacemaker is one who loves others and therefore knows his place in the cosmos; he is comfortable with who he is, and spreads that comfort to those around him so they may feel at peace also. Mormon taught that the personal and extended power of that peace is magnified as charity is perfected. He explained,

45 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things (Moroni 7:45).

Paul also understood charity to be “the greatest of all” human attributes.

4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity (1 Corinthians 13:4-13).

Like Paul who wrote “the greatest of these is charity,” Mormon also taught that charity was the ultimate reach of personal human perfection, so also of personal priesthood power. Remember, this was a priesthood meeting, so priesthood responsibility is the unspoken thread that ties all of the ideas together. Mormon said,

46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—
47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him (Moroni 7:46-47).

When his son Moroni closed the Book of Mormon, it was with that same admonition, except he used different words: “come unto Christ, and be perfected in him …. and love God with all your might, mind and strength …. that ye become holy, without spot (Moroni 10:32-33).”

When one’s person is “holy, without spot,” he is “quickened by a portion of the celestial glory.” Only such persons can receive a celestial body.

I believe love is also the ultimate sealing power. The priesthood ordinances are absolutely necessary to preserve order, justice, and continuity, and to validate the covenants, but without charity those ordinances and covenants have little meaning. Without charity we are sealed to neither family nor friends. In that aloneness we become, in terms of Mormon’s understanding, simply a “nothing.”

Mormon words, “But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him,” introduces us to the conclusion of his sermon. That conclusion, like his beginning, is the same as the Savior’s Beatitude:

9 And blessed are all the peacemakers, for they shall be called [that is, given a new covenant/royal name] the children of God (3 Nephi 12:9).

Mormon brings his sermon to a crescendo with that same new covenant king-name, but rather than citing it as a name, he makes it a reality.

48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen (Moroni 7:48).

Section 76 explains what that means:

92 And thus we saw the glory of the celestial, which excels in all things—where God, even the Father, reigns upon his throne forever and ever;
93 Before whose throne all things bow in humble reverence, and give him glory forever and ever.
94 They who dwell in his presence are the church of the Firstborn; and they see as they are seen, and know as they are known, having received of his fulness and of his grace;
95 And he makes them equal in power, and in might, and in dominion.
96 And the glory of the celestial is one, even as the glory of the sun is one (D&C 76:92-96).

Charity (the truth/light/love/joy/peace we radiate) is the only self-power that can prepare a person to live in such an environment.
——————

FOOTNOTES

{1} Chauncey C. Riddle,“A BYU for Zion,” BYU Studies, vol. 16 (1975-1976), Number 4 – Summer 1976, 491. Chauncey’s other writings can be found on his website: “Chauncey Riddle, The Life’s work of a Latter-day Philosopher,” address: chaunceyriddle.com

{2} See our discussion of the Law of Consecration in Who Shall Ascend into the Hill of the Lord, first edition, 252-53; paperback edition, 180.

{3}Mormon shows the importance of peace at the very beginning of this sermon and as the Savior did in the Beatitudes. The Savior said,
8 And blessed are all the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 And blessed are all the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God (3 Nephi 12:8-9).
Elsewhere he adds,
Therefore, verily, thus saith the Lord, let Zion rejoice, for this is Zion—THE PURE IN HEART; therefore, let Zion rejoice, while all the wicked shall mourn (D&C 97:21).
In this sequence, as in Moroni 7:2-4, peacemakers are those who have been redeemed and therefore are the personification of both charity and peace.

{4} Who Shall Ascend into the Hill of the Lord, first edition, 1034-41; paperback edition, 716-21. Some parts of this essay are lifted from those pages.

{5} In Joseph Smith’s poem A Vision, he wrote:

And I heard a great voice bearing record from heav’n,
He’s the Saviour and only begotten of God;
By him, of him, and through him, the worlds were all made,
Even all that careen in the heavens so broad.

Whose inhabitants, too, from the first to the last,
Are sav’d by the very same Saviour of ours;
And, of course, are begotten God’s daughters and sons
By the very same truths and the very same powers.

(The poem was published in the Times and Seasons, February 1, 1843.)

{6} For an interesting read, Google “making matter from light” and read articles about how scientists can “create” matter from light.

{7} We explained more fully the eternal grandeur of the triumvirate of truth/light/love in Who Shall Ascend into the Hill of the Lord, 1034-37; paperback edition, 716-18. Some evidence that truth, light, love. and life are the same things are in D&C 88:4-7,11-13; D&C 93:8-10, 24-28; D&C 84:45; JST John 1:1-21.

D&C 88:4-7,11-13
4 This Comforter is the promise which I give unto you of eternal life, even the glory of the celestial kingdom;
5 Which glory is that of the church of the Firstborn, even of God, the holiest of all, through Jesus Christ his Son—
6 He that ascended up on high, as also he descended below all things, in that he comprehended all things, that he might be in all and through all things, the light of truth;
7 Which truth shineth. This is the light of Christ. …
11 And the light which shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understandings;
12 Which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space—
13 The light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God.

D&C 93:8-10, 24-28.
8 Therefore, in the beginning the Word was, for he was the Word, even the messenger of salvation—
9 The light and the Redeemer of the world; the Spirit of truth, who came into the world, because the world was made by him, and in him was the life of men and the light of men.
10 The worlds were made by him; men were made by him; all things were made by him, and through him, and of him. …

24 And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come;
25 And whatsoever is more or less than this is the spirit of that wicked one who was a liar from the beginning.
26 The Spirit of truth is of God. I am the Spirit of truth, and John bore record of me, saying: He received a fulness of truth, yea, even of all truth;
27 And no man receiveth a fulness unless he keepeth his commandments.
28 He that keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things.

{8}President David O. McKay, “Radiation of the Individual,” The Instructor, October, 1964, p. 373-374.

{9} 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), 234.

{10} Parley P. Pratt, Key to the Science of Theology/A Voice of Warning (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1965), 101 – 102.)

In its context, that statement reads:

The gift of the Holy Spirit adapts itself to all these organs or attributes. It quickens all the intellectual faculties, increases, enlarges, expands and purifies all the natural passions and affections; and adapts them, by the gift of wisdom, to their lawful use. It inspires, develops, cultivates and matures all the fine-toned sympathies, joys, tastes, kindred feelings and affections of our nature. It inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tenderness, gentleness and charity. It develops beauty of person, form and features. It tends to health, vigor, animation and social feeling. It develops and invigorates all the faculties of the physical and intellectual man. It strengthens, invigorates, and gives tone to the nerves. In short, it is, as it were, marrow to the bone, joy to the heart, light to the eyes, music to the ears, and life to the whole being.

In the presence of such persons, the light of their countenances, as the genial rays of a sunbeam. Their very atmosphere diffuses a thrill, a warm glow of pure gladness and sympathy, to the heart and nerves of others who have kindred feelings, or sympathy of spirit. No matter if the parties are strangers, entirely unknown to each other in person or character; no matter if they have never spoken to each other, each will be apt to remark in his own mind, and perhaps exclaim, when referring to the interview—”O what an atmosphere encircles that stranger! How my heart thrilled with pure and holy feelings in his presence! What confidence and sympathy he inspired! his countenance and spirit gave me more assurance, than a thousand written recommendations, or introductory letters.” Such is the gift of the Holy Spirit, and such are its operations, when received through the lawful channel—the divine, eternal Priesthood.

{11} In theory, charity means loving everyone. In practice the definition of love has to be qualified to make the theory workable. We cannot learn to love everyone until after we learn to love just the one. The guy who said, “I love mankind, its people I can’t stand,” got it all wrong. But I think J. Golden Kimball got it right when he said, “The Lord said we should love everyone, and I do, but I love some a damnsight more than I love others.” His point is, I think, that there is a difference between loving someone and liking them. So how do you love someone you don’t even like. On its fringes, love also includes empathy, kindness, and even service. We can feel that kind of love toward people we may not feel comfortable being around, the kind of people we would not take into our confidence and certainly would not want to be our bosom friends. We can share a much richer love with people we actually like, and more especially with people we trust. That richer love includes devotion, loyalty, affection, and intimacy. With very special people that includes physical intimacy, however, with other friends it would include emotional, spiritual, and even academic intimacy.

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The first words of the Gospel of John personifies Jehovah as “the Word.”

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.

That may be difficult for us to understand, but it was not difficult for the Greek-speaking audience to whom John wrote.

The Greek word translated as “word” is logos (Strong #3056 ). It has many shades of meaning: it is both the words spoken and the system of thought behind those words; the subject under discussion or the speech used in the conversation; ideas in a questions of law, reasoning, and rationale. It is the reflections of one’s own mind; speech, treaties, utterance, etc. Even though “Word” does not have as comprehensive a meaning as logos, “Word” is still a valid translation.

The Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible does not change that meaning, but it makes it easier for us to understand.

1 In the beginning was the gospel preached through the Son. And the gospel was the word, and the word was with the Son, and the Son was with God, and the Son was of God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God (JST john 1:1-2).

The Savior further clarified John’s personification of “the Word” in a revelation to the Prophet Joseph when he said,

26 The Spirit of truth is of God. I am the Spirit of truth, and John bore record of me, saying: He received a fulness of truth, yea, even of all truth (D&C 93:26).

All three versions combine to help us to understand that by virtue of the eternal sweep of his Atonement, the Savior is the personification of the gospel and the source of the teachings.

Earlier in Section 93 John’s testimony is quoted more fully.

6 And John saw and bore record of the fulness of my glory, and the fulness of John’s record is hereafter to be revealed.
7 And he bore record, saying: I saw his glory, that he was in the beginning, before the world was;
8 Therefore, in the beginning the Word was, for he was the Word, even the messenger of salvation—
9 The light and the Redeemer of the world; the Spirit of truth, who came into the world, because the world was made by him, and in him was the life of men and the light of men.
10 The worlds were made by him; men were made by him; all things were made by him, and through him, and of him (D&C 93:6-10).

If I understand those statements correctly, they mean that the Savior, the Firstborn and Only Begotten Son of the Father, taught us the gospel from the very earliest beginnings of our cognizance. That concept acknowledges that the Savior has had a pivotal role in every phase of our very early and continued maturation.

One’s having truth presupposes one’s having priesthood, for there are some truths that one cannot understand unless one is “authorize us to believe.”

George A. Smith, while serving in the First Presidency, reported: “Joseph Smith taught that every man and woman should seek the Lord for wisdom, that they might get knowledge from Him who is the fountain of knowledge; and the promises of the gospel, as revealed, were such as to authorize us to believe, that by taking this course we should gain the object of our pursuit.” {1}

That same doctrine is taught in the scriptures. Two examples are:

27 And no man receiveth a fulness [of truth] unless he keepeth his commandments.
28 He that keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things (D&C 93:27-28).

Of course, one cannot keep all the commandments unless they are available to us through the priesthood and its attendant covenants and ordinances. So, to be authorized to believe, one must first have the necessary priesthood authority to be able to know what to believe.

19 And this greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God.
20 Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest (D&C 84:19-20).

Some priesthood blessings are tied to one’s birthright. (That is why the birthright blessings of Abraham are so important to Latter-day Saints.) When the Lord explained the rights of bishopric to the Prophet Joseph, he said,

17 For the firstborn holds the right of the presidency over this priesthood, and the keys or authority of the same (D&C 68:17).

The same is, no doubt, true of the eternal priesthood. Therefore, in another place, the Savior explained,

21 And now, verily I say unto you, I was in the beginning with the Father, and am the Firstborn;
22 And all those who are begotten through me are partakers of the glory of the same, and are the church of the Firstborn.
23 Ye were also in the beginning with the Father; that which is Spirit, even the Spirit of truth;
24 And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are come;
25 And whatsoever is more or less than this is the spirit of that wicked one who was a liar from the beginning.
26 The Spirit of truth is of God. I am the Spirit of truth, and John bore record of me, saying: He received a fulness of truth, yea, even of all truth;
27 And no man receiveth a fulness unless he keepeth his commandments (D&C 93:21-27).

These scriptures teach us a great deal about the premortal Savior. He is the personification of truth by virtue of his birthright as the Firstborn Son of the Father. Now we are left with this most important of questions: Did Jehovah hold the rights of priesthood because he happened to be the first one born, or was he the Firstborn because he had already earned those rights? In my last post I discussed the orders of premortal priesthood described in Alma 13. Alma calls the priesthood held by the intelligences “the order of the Son.” He teaches that both the gospel and the priesthood that enabled its covenants were ascribed to the Savior before intelligences were born into the spirit world. Using Alma 13 as evidence, the answer to our questions must be that the Savior had already earned the right to be the First Born and Only Begotten Son of the Father.

In John the Beloved’s Revelation, he uses an intriguing description of the Savior and makes it more intriguing by the challenge that follows it.

8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
9 If any man have an ear, let him hear (Revelation 13:8-9).

The phrase, “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” is not found elsewhere in the Bible, but we can know from the Book of Moses that it had once been in the Hebrew scriptures. The context is this:

45 And it came to pass that Enoch looked; and from Noah, he beheld all the families of the earth; and he cried unto the Lord, saying: When shall the day of the Lord come? When shall the blood of the Righteous be shed, that all they that mourn may be sanctified and have eternal life?
46 And the Lord said: It shall be in the meridian of time, in the days of wickedness and vengeance.
47 And behold, Enoch saw the day of the coming of the Son of Man, even in the flesh; and his soul rejoiced, saying: The Righteous is lifted up, and the Lamb is slain from the foundation of the world; and through faith I am in the bosom of the Father, and behold, Zion is with me (Moses 7:45-47).

The Savior suggested that same idea when he introduced himself to the Nephites. First the Father spoke to them and said,

7 Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name—hear ye him.

Then the Savior appeared.

9 And it came to pass that he stretched forth his hand and spake unto the people, saying:
10 Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world.
11 And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning (3 Nephi 11:5-11).

I do not pretend to understand the eternal ramifications of the Atonement, but perhaps part of the question was clarified when the Savior introduced himself to the brother of Jared.

14 Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters (Ether 3:14).

It is further clarified by this explanation given to the Prophet Joseph.

40 For intelligence cleaveth unto intelligence; wisdom receiveth wisdom; truth embraceth truth; virtue loveth virtue; light cleaveth unto light; mercy hath compassion on mercy and claimeth her own; justice continueth its course and claimeth its own; judgment goeth before the face of him who sitteth upon the throne and governeth and executeth all things.
41 He comprehendeth all things, and all things are before him, and all things are round about him; and he is above all things, and in all things, and is through all things, and is round about all things; and all things are by him, and of him, even God, forever and ever (D&C 88:33-45).

It is appropriate to conclude this discussion with two testimonies written by the Prophet Joseph Smith. The first was dictated by him as he and Sidney Rigdon received the revelation that is section 76 of the Doctrine and Covenants.

22 And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!
23 For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—
24 That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God (D&C 76:22-24).

The second is somewhat similar, but more personal and more explicit. It is a few stanzas from a poem called “A Vision,” by the Prophet, published on February 1, 1843, in the Times and Seasons.

And now after all of the proofs made of him,
By witnesses truly, by whom he was known,
This is mine, last of all, that he lives; yea, he lives!
And sits at the right hand of God on his throne.

And I heard a great voice bearing record from heav’n,
He’s the Saviour and only begotten of God;
By him, of him, and through him, the worlds were all made,
Even all that careen in the heavens so broad.

Whose inhabitants, too, from the first to the last,
Are sav’d by the very same Saviour of ours;
And, of course, are begotten God’s daughters and sons
By the very same truths and the very same powers. {2}

John’s introduction saying that the Savior is the very personification the truth that is the gospel, is only that, an introduction. It provides a background from which to consider what else he is going to tell us about the Savior’s eternal nature. The profundity of this and the rest of John’s testimony is beyond my understanding, but it is wonderful to contemplate.

——————————–
FOOTNOTES

{1} Joseph Smith [Melchizedek Priesthood manual], (Salt Lake City, Utah, published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2007), 266.

{2} The eternal and universal sweep of the Savior’s knowledge and powers is suggested by the following.

Apostle John Taylor wrote an editorial called “Origin, Object, and Destiny of Women.” It was published in The Mormon, New York, New York, August 29, 1857. The following is only part of one paragraph, but it should really be read in context. You will find the entire editorial in “Favorite Quotes” in this website. Part of the editorial reads:

Knowest thou not that eternities ago, thy spirit, pure and holy, dwelt in thy Heavenly Father’s bosom, and in his presence, and with thy mother, one of the Queens of heaven, surrounded by thy brother and sister spirts in the spirit world, among the Gods. That as thy spirit beheld the scenes transpiring there, and thou growing in intelligence, thou sawest worlds upon worlds organized and peopled with thy kindred spirits, took upon them tabernacles, died, were resurrected, and received their exaltation on the redeemed worlds they once dwelt upon. Thou being willing and anxious to imitate them, waiting and desirous to obtain a body, a resurrection and exaltation also….

The other interesting statement is from the Book of the Secrets of Enoch. The following is from Who Shall Ascend into the Hill of the Lord, 142-47. The part of the quote that relates to our question is in 24:1, “I tell to thee even before the very beginning, all that I created from non-being, and visible things from invisible.” Two accounts that appear to be similar to the events described by Enoch are, Revelation 12:1-9; 1 Nephi 1:8-15.

I have a very simple rule for judging the value of the apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha. The rule is this. If it is apparent that the author knew the ancient temple drama, I give his writings serious consideration. If it is apparent that he did not, I treat is as fiction. Using that criterion, I have great respect for the writings of Enoch. (see footnote B).

The full quote from Who Shall Ascend into the Hill of the Lord reads as follows:

——————————–
The most complete description of a sode experience found in the non-canonical works is in one of the books of Enoch. It reads:

24:1 And the Lord summoned me, and said to me: Enoch, sit down on my left with Gabriel.’ And I bowed down to the Lord, and the Lord spoke
2 to me: Enoch, beloved, all thou seest, all things that are standing finished I tell to thee even before the very beginning, all that I created from non-being, and visible things from invisible.
3 Hear, Enoch, and take in these my words, for not to My angels have I told my secret, and I have not told them their rise, nor my endless realm, nor have they understood my creating,
4 which I tell thee to-day. For before all things were visible, I alone used to go about in the invisible things, like the sun from east to west, and west to from west to east. But even the sun has peace in itself, while I found no peace, because I was creating all things, and I conceived the thought of placing foundations, and of creating visible creation.
25:1 I commanded in the very lowest parts, that visible things should come down from invisible, and Adoil [the footnote reads Adoil. is from Hebrew roots that mean ‘the hand of God.’ ] came down very great, and I beheld
2 him, and lo! he had a belly of great light. And I said to him: ‘Become undone, Adoil, and let
3 the visible come out of thee.’ And he came undone, and a great light came out. And I was in the midst of the great light, and as there is born light from light, there came forth a great age, and showed all creation, which I had thought to
4 create. And I saw that it was good. And I placed for myself a throne, and took my seat on it, and said to the light: ‘Go thou up higher and fix thyself high above the throne, and be
5 a foundation to the highest things.’ And above the light there is nothing else, and then I bent up and looked up from my throne.
26:1 And I summoned the very lowest a second time, and said: Let Archas come forth hard, and he came forth hard from the invisible.
2 And Archas came forth, hard, heavy, and very red.
3 And I said: Be opened, Archas, and let there be born from you, and he came undone, an age came forth, very great and very dark, bearing the creation of all lower things, and I saw that it was good and said to him:
4 Go thence down below, and make yourself firm, and be a foundation for the lower things, and it happened and he went down and fixed himself, and became the foundation for the lower things, and below the darkness there is nothing else. {A}

In this vision, Enoch {B} reports that God had created a perfect balance between good and evil, providing the full spectrum of options for each of his children. In the vision, God is represented as sitting on his throne below the light and above the darkness—that is, in the center—where he and his temple always are. {C}
———————

FOOTNOTES from Who Shall Ascend into the Hill of the Lord

{A} Book of the Secrets of Enoch, in The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament in English, 2 vols. Translated and edited by R. H. Charles. 2: 431-69. Oxford: Clarendon, 1976. 2:442-45.

{B} Early Jews and Christians considered the books of Enoch as an important part of their most sacred literature. For example, compare Jude 1:14-16 with 1 Enoch 1:9.

14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage (Jude 1:14-16).

And behold! He cometh with ten thousands of His holy ones
To execute judgement upon all,
And to destroy all the ungodly:
And to convict all flesh
Of all the works of their ungodliness which they have ungodly committed,
And of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him (1 Enoch 1:9).
(The Book of Enoch, tras. R. H. Charles, The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament in English, 2 vols. (Oxford: Clarendon, 1976), 2: 189.)

{C} When the Prophet Joseph wrote a poetic version of his vision, he made its meaning even more clear.

I’ll surely reveal all my myst’ries to them—
The great hidden myst’ries in my kingdom stor’d;
From the council in Kolob, to time on the earth,
(Joseph Smith, “A Vision,” in Times and Seasons, February 1, 1843).

Abraham 3:3-4 reads:

3 And the Lord said unto me: These are the governing ones; and the name of the great one is Kolob, because it is near unto me, for I am the Lord thy God: I have set this one to govern all those which belong to the same order as that upon which thou standest.
4 And the Lord said unto me, by the Urim and Thummim, that Kolob was after the manner of the Lord, according to its times and seasons in the revolutions thereof; that one revolution was a day unto the Lord, after his manner of reckoning, it being one thousand years according to the time appointed unto that whereon thou standest. This is the reckoning of the Lord’s time, according to the reckoning of Kolob.

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1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men (John 1:1-4).

Wilfred Griggs once told me that he asked Hugh Nibley if he had ever considered writing a commentary on the gospel of John. Nibley’s response was something like this: “No, I haven’t. It would take 300 or 400 pages, then I would be to verse 5.”

That seems reasonable to me, but I don’t intend to write anywhere near that much. I think the best place to start would be to discuss eternal priesthood in light of the Savior’s Atonement and the place to begin to do that is to review Alma 13:1-21.

Like everything else I write, this is only my opinion, but like my other opinions, I like this one a lot.

Alma’s words to Zeezrom are organized as follows:

Verse 1 — ORDINATION OF MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL IN HEAVEN. This maps to Abraham 3:23.

Verses 2-5 — FLASHBACK: PRIESTHOOD OF INTELLIGENCES. This maps to Abraham 3:22.

Verses 6-9 — RELATIONSHIP OF THE TWO PREMORTAL PRIESTHOODS

Verses 10-20 — THE MORTAL PRIESTHOOD

In the following quotes, I have put the word “order” in all caps to facilitate reading the texts as a discussion of priesthood orders.

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Verse 1 — ORDINATION OF MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL IN HEAVEN. This maps to Abraham 3:23.

23 And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born.

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1 And again, my brethren, I would cite your minds forward to the time when the Lord God gave these commandments unto his children

In these passages, the word “forward” has two different and opposite meanings. The meanings are made apparent by their contexts. The first “forward” projects our thinking to the distant past, “forward to the time when the Lord God gave [past tense] these commandments unto his children .” The second meaning projects our minds to the future, “in a manner that thereby the people might know in what manner to look forward to his Son for redemption.”

In order to make the first “forward” fit with the past tense “gave,” all we have to do is read the world’s best English dictionary to discover that Joseph used precisely the right word if he intended to project our thinking toward the very beginning of time. The first definition of “forward” in the Oxford English Dictionary is an absolute vindication of the use of that word with a past tense verb. It reads,

1. In OE [Old English] used in partitive concord: The front part of (any thing material); the first or earliest part of (a period of time, etc.).

Discovering the time frame of the story as “the first or earliest part of time, when the Lord God [Heavenly Father] gave these commandments unto his children” is the key to our understand the rest of the verse, as well as to our understanding the entire chapter.

to the time when the Lord God [Heavenly Father] gave these commandments unto his children [his spirit children];

Before their birth in the spirit world they had been the noble and great intelligences who were organized, probably in priesthood quorums as is suggested further on in chapter 13. They are now his spirit children who were members of the Council in Heaven

“After” is another word that has different meanings and both meanings are used in this chapter. As with forward, the meaning of “after” has to be determined by its context. The usual meaning of after is following — “subsequent to in time, or behind in place.” The other meaning is “in the characteristic manner of.” There is nothing unusual about using the same word with different meanings. After I wrote the sentence about this being my opinion, I was amused to notice that I had used the word “like” three times and with two entirely different meanings.

and I would that ye should remember that the Lord God ordained priests, after [in the manner of] his holy ORDER, which was after [following] the ORDER of his Son,

The context insists on those two meanings of “after” The first one clearly says that they were ordained to the priesthood ORDER of the Father. The second “after” has to be a statement of sequence because it would make no sense at all for the Father’s priesthood to be a subset of the ORDER of the Son. So that “after” has to mean “following.”

to teach these things unto the people

Immediately before this, Alma had walked Zeezrom through the steps of the Nephite temple service (Alma 12:28-34). Here, as elsewhere in the Book of Mormon, “these things” is code for that temple drama. However, in this context it is a premortal temple drama (probably the same one Paul describes in Ephesians 1). The Father ordains his “children” to teach to the “people.” “People” and “children” are not the same I thing. At the Council in Heaven, “Children” would be his spirit children and “people” would be those intelligences who had not yet been born into a spirit body. As far as I can tell, this is the same event as is described in Abraham 3:23. The stories are different because in Abraham 3:22 – 4:1 the noble and great ones create the spirit world, while in Alma 13 they are ordained to teach the intelligences how to prepare to inherit that spirit world. (For a discussion of why I think the world described there is the spirit world, go to the scriptures section of this website, then Pearl of Great Price, then Abraham 3:22.)

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Verses 2-5 — FLASHBACK: PRIESTHOOD OF INTELLIGENCES. This maps to Abraham 3:22.

22 Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized [into priesthood quorums] before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones;

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2 And those priests [the children] were ordained after [in the manner of] the ORDER of his Son, in a manner that thereby the people [intelligences] might know in what manner to look forward to his Son for redemption.

Their object is to teach the people how to come into the presence of God. That’s what “redemption” means in Ether 3:10-13; 2 Nephi 1:15, 2:3-4; Alma 58:41; Helaman 14:16-18.

3 And this is the manner after which they [the children] were ordained—being called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works; in the first place [I do not believe that “first place” here is a colloquialism. I read it as meaning FIRST PLACE — that is, when they were intelligences] being left to choose good or evil; therefore they having chosen good, and exercising exceedingly great faith [pistis — “great faith” would be keeping those covenants with diligence], are called with a holy calling, yea, with that holy calling which was prepared with, and according to, a preparatory redemption for such.

We learned in verse 2 that “those priests were ordained after the ORDER of his Son, in a manner that thereby the people might know in what manner to look forward to his Son for redemption.” Here we are told the purpose of the priesthood to which they were ordained when they were intelligences. This priesthood, after the ORDER of the Son, “was prepared with, and according to, a preparatory redemption for such.” As intelligences they have not yet been born as spirit children of our heavenly parents. This priesthood after the ORDER of the Son is to enable them to do that. Their being born into God’s presence as his children was a “preparatory redemption” rather than the final one. The final redemption will come after their resurrection, when they will enter the presence of God and be able to remain there.

4 And thus they have been called to this holy calling on account of their faith [if faith is pistis, as it is elsewhere in the Book of Mormon, then what Alma says is that their calling came because they had kept their covenants], while others would reject the Spirit of God on account of the hardness of their hearts and blindness of their minds [Alma had just defined a hardness of heart as choosing not to know the “mysteries of God” (Alma 12:9-11)], while, if it had not been for this they might have had as great privilege as their brethren.

This statement, and the explanation that follows express one of the most fundamental and most important principles of the gospel. It reaches back into eternity to the origin of our free agency at the very beginning of our cognizance.

5 Or in fine, in the first place they were on the same standing with their brethren;

If, in the first place they were on the same standing of those who eventually became the noble and great ones, and if they might have had as great privilege as their brethren had they not hardened their hearts, then we must conclude that any differences that developed between them and the noble and great ones were the products of their own choices. That would be equally true for the noble and great as well as for those who were not.

At this juncture Alma calls our minds back to the Council in Heaven in verse 1, where those noble and great ones, who were now spirits, were ordained after the ORDER of the Father.

In the story told by Abraham, that same juncture is tucked away between verses 22 and 23. (Abraham 3:22-23)

22 Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized [into priesthood quorums] before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones;

There is a spirit birth between these two verses. The noble and great intelligences are next described as “for he stood among those that were spirits.” Spirits are intelligences who now inhabit spirit bodies, just as mortals are intelligences who inhabit both spirit and mortal bodies (see the explanations by B. H. Roberts in this website under “favorite quotes”).

23 And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born. [Which “born”? I suspect “both” would be the correct answer.]

Alma continues by merging the qualifications of the earlier priesthood with the qualifications of the order of the Father. The qualifications are “for such as would not harden their hearts.”

The definition of “this holy calling” is “being in and through the atonement of the Only Begotten Son.”

thus this holy calling being prepared from the foundation of the world for such as would not harden their hearts, being in and through the atonement of the Only Begotten Son, who was prepared—

This new definition brings the meaning of priesthood into sharp focus. It says that the eternal priesthood given to us in various stages is virtually a subset of the Savior’s Atonement. That is easy to understand. The purposes of the Savior’s Atonement and the purposes of priesthood are the same. The object of each is to invite people to “come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and …. if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot (Moroni 10:32-33).”

Having returned us to the Council in Heaven where he began in verse 1, Alma teaches the responsibility of the holy ORDER of God.

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Verses 6-9 — RELATIONSHIP OF THE TWO PREMORTAL PRIESTHOODS
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6 And thus being called by this holy calling, and ordained unto the high priesthood of the holy ORDER of God, to teach his commandments unto the children of men, that they also might enter into his rest—

In verses 1-3 we learned that the ORDER of the Son was to teach intelligences how to receive a preparatory redemption. Here we learn that the ORDER of the Father is to “to teach his commandments unto the children of men, that they also might enter into his rest.” So the priesthood they received at the Council extended their responsibility to teach “the children of men” in this world, and with the same purpose: that they also might be redeemed.

We can understand that continuum between premortal and mortal priesthood more easily if we read it in light of Abraham 3: where we learn that Abraham was one who was chosen at the Council to be one of God’s rulers. Later in this chapter Alma tells us that Melchizedek was another.

While Alma draws a distinction between the ORDER of the Son and the ORDER of the Father, he also wants to make sure Zeezrom understands that they are both one eternal priesthood. It is useful for us to understand this relationship by remembering that the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthood are the same, yet different. Or a better example is that the offices of elder and high priest in the Melchizedek priesthood are the same, yet different. So in the next three verses Alma calls attention to that intertwined relationship.

7 This high priesthood [ORDER of the Father] being after [following] the ORDER of his Son, which ORDER [of the Father] was from the foundation of the world [when the spirit children, who were members of the Council, created the world]; or in other words, [these two priesthoods] being without beginning of days or end of years, being prepared from eternity to all eternity, according to his foreknowledge of all things—

8 Now they [the ‘children’ whom the Father ordained at the Council] were ordained after this manner—being called with a holy calling, and ordained with a holy ordinance, and taking upon them the high priesthood of the holy ORDER, which calling, and ordinance, and high priesthood, is without beginning or end—

9 Thus they become high priests forever, after [following] the ORDER of the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father, who is without beginning of days or end of years, who is full of grace, equity, and truth. And thus it is. Amen.

The “Amen” is significant because it is the transition between our premortal priesthood and its continuation into this world where those high priests are to teach “the children of men.” as he mentioned in verse 6.

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Verses 10-20 — THE MORTAL PRIESTHOOD
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10 Now, as I said concerning the holy ORDER, or this high priesthood, there were many who were ordained and became high priests of God; and it was on account of their exceeding faith and repentance, and their righteousness before God, they choosing to repent and work righteousness rather than to perish;

11 Therefore they were called after this holy ORDER, and were sanctified, and their garments were washed white through the blood of the Lamb.

12 Now they, after being sanctified by the Holy Ghost, having their garments made white, being pure and spotless before God, could not look upon sin save it were with abhorrence; and there were many, exceedingly great many, who were made pure and entered into the rest of the Lord their God.

13 And now, my brethren, I would that ye should humble yourselves before God, and bring forth fruit meet for repentance, that ye may also enter into that rest.

14 Yea, humble yourselves even as the people in the days of Melchizedek, who was also a high priest after [in the manner of] this same ORDER which I have spoken, who also took upon him the high priesthood forever.

15 And it was this same Melchizedek to whom Abraham paid tithes; yea, even our father Abraham paid tithes of one-tenth part of all he possessed.

In the next verses, Alma points out that the priesthood we have in this world is the same priesthood we had before, even though we can no longer function in the fullness of that priesthood. A way to understand this is that we have moved out of the time and place where it was appropriate for us to exercise the fullness of our priesthood. Like a bishop who is released from serving in his ward. He is still a bishop but he cannot function in that office. Or like a patriarch who moves from his stake. He is still a patriarch but is not called to give blessings in his new stake. We come into this world as innocent children who have to be nurtured and taught, step by step, how to function here with that priesthood that is appropriate to this time and place.

16 Now these ordinances were given after this manner, that thereby the people might look forward on the Son of God, it [the earthly Melchizedek priesthood] being a type of his ORDER, or it being his ORDER, and this that they might look forward to him for a remission of their sins, that they might enter into the rest of the Lord.

17 Now this Melchizedek was a king over the land of Salem; and his people had waxed strong in iniquity and abomination; yea, they had all gone astray; they were full of all manner of wickedness;

18 But Melchizedek having exercised mighty faith, and received the office of the high priesthood according to the holy ORDER of God, did preach repentance unto his people. And behold, they did repent; and Melchizedek did establish peace in the land in his days; therefore he was called the prince of peace, for he was the king of Salem; and he did reign under his father.

19 Now, there were many before him, and also there were many afterwards, but none were greater; therefore, of him they have more particularly made mention.

20 Now I need not rehearse the matter; what I have said may suffice. Behold, the scriptures are before you; if ye will wrest them it shall be to your own destruction.

From this analysis of the scriptures we have learned the following: The Covenant is between the Father, his Son, and ourselves. The Savior’s is the validation and the fulfillment of that covenant. His Atonement defines the terms. The object is our redemption — to bring as many as will come back into the presence of God. The hope is a product of our own righteousness. It is the assurance we receive that the covenant is real and its object is attainable. The fulfillment of the covenant comes after we have endured to the end.

The priesthood is a gift from God that is, for us, the enabling power by which we can bless others and be blessed by them, with the intent that they and we will enjoy the fulness of the blessings of the Gospel from the beginning of our cognizance, to our resurrection, and beyond.

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