I hope you enjoy some insights from my Come, Follow Me for Doctrine and Covenants 129–132. If you missed last week’s insight, for Doctrine and Covenants 124-128 click here for it. Please share this with your friends or use this picture to save this pin to read later:
The Endowment and Section 129.
“When a messenger comes saying he has a message from God, offer him your hand and request him to shake hands with you.”
Doctrine and Covenants 129:4
Often when people read section 129 they are thinking about an angel appearing in their bedroom like Angel Moroni did to Joseph Smith. But this is not simply about random info about angles, this section is teaching us the same doctrines that are taught in the Endowment.
When you perform an endowment, you watch a movie (or in a live season you watch actors) portraying the creation story. When the story reaches the point where an angle appears to Adam and Eve (See Moses 5:6) you will see Adam using the doctrines taught in section 129 as the method to confirm the identity of heavenly messengers. When my Institute teacher pointed this out my mind was just blown! It was amazing to see the doctrines that I thought were unique to the temple taught outside openly. So I figured I would share it with y’all. Also, once you understand this, the following quote from Brigham Young makes much more sense:
“Your endowment is, to receive all those ordinances in the house of the Lord, which are necessary for you, after you have departed this life, to enable you to walk back to the presence of the Father, passing the angels who stand as sentinels, being enabled to give them the key words, the signs and tokens, pertaining to the holy Priesthood, and gain your eternal exaltation in spite of earth and hell.”
We Can See God
“John 14:23—The appearing of the Father and the Son, in that verse, is a personal appearance; and the idea that the Father and the Son dwell in a man’s heart is an old sectarian notion, and is false.”
Doctrine and Covenants 130:3
One of the grand doctrines of the restoration is the fact you can see Deity. In this life. No other Christian Church claims this. Even though Jesus Christ, Himself declared that Life Eternal is to know God. In the words of Bruce R. McConkie, “The fire of testimony which burns in our hearts was not lighted at ancient altars… There is no room for contention or debate. We are not quoting the Bible to prove what happened any more than Peter turned to the writings of Isaiah to prove he had felt the nail marks in the hands and feet of the risen Lord. We are saying with words of soberness that men in our day have heard the voice of God and seen the visions of eternity, and that the power of God whereby salvation comes is once more held by living apostles and prophets.” (Conference Report October 1970 page 127-128).
Joseph Smith taught: “No one can truly say he knows God until he has handled something, and this can only be done in the Holiest of Holies” One of the reasons we build temples is to provide dedicated places where Jesus Christ can come to earth. For more about the Holy of Holies and how this is the place dedicated for Christ to appear on the earth see this article: Blackmail, Washing Of Feet, And The Holy Of Holies.
One of the roles of the Holy Ghost is to lead us to Christ, who then, in turn, leads us to the Father. Joseph Smith taught: “Now what is this other Comforter? It is no more nor less than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself; and this is the sum and substance of the whole matter; that when any man obtains this last Comforter, he will have the personage of Jesus Christ to attend him, or appear unto him from time to time, and even He will manifest the Father unto him…” (History of the Church 3: 381.)
The simple reality is that God lives. We don’t take our witness from the scriptures alone. As McConkie said, we do not rely only on the fires of ancient alters. We, if we live worthy, can see Him for ourselves. In this life. Consider the two following quotes where this doctrine is tough boldly and powerlfy.
“If the children of the Lord, which includes all who are upon this earth, regardless of nationality, color, or creed, will heed the call of the true messenger of the gospel of Jesus Christ … each may in time see the Lord and know that he is, as the Lord has promised, then their calling and election will be made sure.“
Harold B. Lee (Conference Report, October 1970 Page 116)
“I have learned that where there is a prayerful heart, a hungering after righteousness, a forsaking of sins, and obedience to the commandments of God, the Lord pours out more and more light until there is finally power to pierce the heavenly veil and to know more than man knows. A person of such righteousness has the priceless promise that one day he shall see the Lord’s face and know that he is”
Spencer W. Kimball (March 1980 First Presidency Message)
Works, Trust, And Exaltation.
“1 In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees;
2 And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage];
3 And if he does not, he cannot obtain it.”
Doctrine and Covenants 131:1-3
Something most members do not realize is that all our works, covenants, and efforts are not for salvation but for exaltation. With our works, we enter into covenants with the Father and if we prove trustworthy we shall gain the reward promised to the faithful.
When sin you break those covenants you have made. And when you “repent” of your sins by confessing and forsaking them you receive forgiveness. But to rebuild those covenants you must earn back the Lord’s trust, this is the reason you meet with the Bishop, not for the forgiveness of sins but for the rebuilding of covenants.
Think about it, your Bishop does NOT have the power to forgive sins, but he DOES have the power to administer the sacrament which renews your covenants.
With that understanding we go to the temple, we enter into covenants and if we but are true and faithful the promised blessing is not salvation which is a byproduct of grace, we have been promised exaltation, which is a byproduct of kept temple covenants. In the words of Russell M. Nelson, “Temple ordinance enables eventual exaltation.”
Making One’s Calling and Election Sure.
“For I am the Lord thy God, and will be with thee even unto the end of the world, and through all eternity; for verily I seal upon you your exaltation, and prepare a throne for you in the kingdom of my Father, with Abraham your father.” Doctrine and Covenants 132:49
In Doctrine and Covenants 132:49 The Lord sealed Joseph Smith’s exaltation upon him, this is also known as receiving one’s calling and election. Everyone who will be exalted when they are told by the Lord that is their reward has received their calling and election made sure.
It is vital to remember that this happens both in this life and the next. But it will happen to everyone who is exalted. When we talk about “working out our salvation” it would be better said, “working to make one’s calling and election sure.” For that is not salvation but exaltation. Of making one’s calling and election sure Joseph Smith taught.
“After a person has faith in Christ, repents of his sins, and is baptized for the remission of his sins and receives the Holy Ghost, (by the laying on of hands) … then let him continue to humble himself before God, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, and living by every word of God, and the Lord will soon say unto him, Son, thou shalt be exalted. When the Lord has thoroughly proved him, and finds that the man is determined to serve Him at all hazards, then the man will find his calling and his election made sure, then it will be his privilege to receive the other Comforter, which the Lord hath promised the Saints, as is recorded in the testimony of St. John.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 150.)
Every member should have a goal of working towards making one’s calling and election sure. This is NOT reserved only for the Holy Apostleship, it is for everyone. President Ezra Taft Benson taught. “Now there is a lifetime goal—to walk in his steps, to perfect ourselves in every virtue as he has done, to seek his face, and to work to make our calling and election sure.”
See also 13+ Quotes From General Authorities on the Nature of Making Your Calling and Election Sure.