D&C 129 - 131

These three sections are very interesting in that they are inspired instructions given by the Prophet on various topics. I acknowledge that I am not familiar with all the history behind these three sections, but it seems logical that the Prophet must be in conversation with a few of the saints and he is addressing questions or there is a general discussion taking place and the Prophet responds with truth of the matter.

One of those truths taught by the Prophet was -

"1 THERE are two kinds of beings in heaven, namely: Angels, who are resurrected personages, having bodies of flesh and bones—
3 Secondly: the spirits of just men made perfect, they who are not resurrected, but inherit the same glory." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 129:1 - 3)

I spoke this past Sunday on the topic of the importance of becoming sanctified. As I read Section 76:21, I too noticed there were two types of being in heaven, one being "...them who are sanctified..."(Doctrine and Covenants Section 76:21) which goes right along with those who are resurrected personages.

What what its worth, I just decided I should include that talk in today's blog:

Becoming Santified

Regarding our modern-day revelations, the Lord said,

“These words are not of men nor of man…For it is my voice which speaketh them unto you; for they are given by my Spirit unto you, and by my power you can read them one to another…Wherefore, you can testify that you have heard my voice and know my words.

(Doctrine and Covenants Section 18:36)

In my recent study of the scriptures, there is a topic that has weighed heavily on my mind. As I prepared my thoughts for today, I felt that I should focus more on the Savior’s revealed words, and in so doing, I should read many of them to you this morning, so that in this way we can testify together that we have heard his voice and know his words.

After the Prophet Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon had resumed the work of the translation of the Bible, the Prophet wrote “From sundry revelations which had been received, it was apparent that many important points touching the salvation of man had been taken from the Bible, or lost before it was compiled. It appeared self–evident from what truths were left, that if God rewarded every one according to the deeds done in the body, the term `Heaven,' as intended for the Saints' eternal home, must include more kingdoms than one .(Doctrine and Covenants Section 76:Heading)

And as these men were thus engaged in doubtless meditation on the matter, they saw the heavens open and “…beheld the glory of the Son, on the right hand of the Father…”
(Doctrine and Covenants Section 76:20)

And as this vision was opened they also saw two types of beings before the throne of God, one being –

“...holy angels, and [the other], them who are sanctified…

And they were –

“…worshiping God, and the Lamb…

It is those sanctified I would like to focus on this morning.

For these are they “…who worship him forever and ever….”

(Doctrine and Covenants Section 76:21)

As this great vision unfolded, the Prophet and Sidney Rigdon also .".. saw…an angel of God who was in authority in the presence of God, who rebelled against the Only Begotten Son … [and]was thrust down from the presence of God…he was Lucifer, a son of the morning." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 76:25 - 26) and he became Satan "...that old serpent, even the devil, who rebelled against God, and sought to take the kingdom of our God and his Christ—
And he “…was called Perdition, for the heavens wept over him…”
And his sole work is nothing else but to –

“…maketh war with the saints of God, and encompasseth them round about." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 76:28 - 29)

And in the vision the Prophet "... saw… the sufferings of those with whom he made war and overcame…” And amongst those Satan overcame, there were a few whom the Lord describes as "...who know my power, and have been made partakers thereof, and suffered themselves through the power of the devil to be overcome, and to deny the truth and defy my power—He further describes that these are they -"…who are the sons of perdition, of whom … it had been better for them never to have been born; For they are vessels of wrath, doomed to suffer the wrath of God, with the devil and his angels in eternity; ...Having denied the Holy Spirit after having received it, and having denied the Only Begotten Son of the Father, having crucified him unto themselves and put him to an open shame.

And -

…they…shall go away into the lake of fire and brimstone, with the devil and his angels—" Doctrine and Covenants Section 76:30 - 36)

And so terrible is their fate that the Lord said –

“…I the Lord, show it by vision unto many, but straightway shut it up again…”(Doctrine and Covenants Section 76:47)

Because of –

“…the misery thereof, they understand not, neither any man except those who are ordained unto this condemnation.”

(Doctrine and Covenants Section 76:48)

It is of these, the Sons of Perdition, the Lord said - "...there is no forgiveness in this world nor in the world to come—(Doctrine and Covenants Section 76:34)
As I read these verses, I wondered why the Lord had provided this terrible glimpse of the justice that was to befall the sons of Perdition. But as I continued my reading, my eyes were opened as the Lord revealed that these are –
"...the only ones on whom the second death shall have any power;38 Yea, verily, the only ones who shall not be redeemed in the due time of the Lord, after the sufferings of his wrath."(Doctrine and Covenants Section 76:37 - 38)

If the Sons of Perdition are the only ones not redeemed, then with some deductive reasoning, it would also mean everyone else will be redeemed. As the vision continues, we learn that all (except the Sons of Perdition) are redeemed to various levels of glory and resurrected bodies for as the Apostle Paul wrote –

"All flesh is not the same flesh…”

40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead..." (New Testament 1 Corinthians 15:39 - 42)

Even though all will be redeemed, for many it will only come "after the sufferings of his wrath".
And all "...shall come forth; they who have done good in the resurrection of the just; and they who have done evil, in the resurrection of the unjust." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 76:17)

And this redemption is made possible "...through Jesus [Christ] … who wrought out this perfect atonement through the shedding of his own blood." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 76:69)
Oh! How wonderful and glorious is the atonement of Jesus Christ.

But as I read some of the verses over and over, I came to realize that even though all will be redeemed, not all will be sanctified.

It is only those sanctified that will be will kneel before his throne, worshiping God, and the Lamb…forever and ever.

(Doctrine and Covenants Section 76:21)
A
nd we read that this is only –
“…they recorded in the dbook of the names of the sanctified, even them of the celestial world.
(Doctrine and Covenants Section 88:2)

For we “…must needs be sanctified from all unrighteousness, that [we] may be prepared for the celestial glory;

(Doctrine and Covenants Section 88:18)

And they who are not sanctified … must inherit canother kingdom, even that of a terrestrial kingdom, or that of a telestial kingdom.

How then do we become “them who are sanctified”? We are –

“…sanctified through the law … even the law of Christ..." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 88:21)

For –

…he who is not able to abide the law of a celestial kingdom cannot abide a celestial glory…

(Doctrine and Covenants Section 88:22)

For “that which is governed by law is also preserved by law and perfected and sanctified by the same.” (Doctrine and Covenants Section 88:34)

The Lord has said to the saints –

“I give unto you, a commandment that you …sanctify yourselves; yea, purify your hearts, and cleanse your hands and your feet before me, that I may make you clean…” (Doctrine and Covenants Section 88:74)

“Purge ye out the iniquity which is among you…”
(Doctrine and Covenants Section 43:11)

As we live in a world of so much wickedness, how do we purge out iniquity, purify our hearts, and cleanse our hands?

We know that –
“…when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated…" (Doctrine and Covenants Section 130:21)

Obedience to his laws or the law of Christ is the answer to pure hearts and clean hands. The Lord has blessed the saints with many ways and means to help us do that. Of these, there are two ways that have recently been impressed upon my soul.

The Lord gave the early saints a commandment that they "...should build a house, in the which house I design to endow those whom I have chosen with power from on high;" (Doctrine and Covenants Section 95:8)

For –"...I have prepared a great endowment and blessing to be poured out upon them, inasmuch as they are faithful and continue in humility before me." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 105:12)

With great interest, I went to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary for a definition of endowment, one of the definitions given was –"natural capacity, power, or ability"

Those who regularly visit the temple seem to be endowed with increased power or ability for they are "...taught more perfectly, and have experience, and know more perfectly concerning their duty, and the things which I require at their hands." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 105:10)

At the dedication of the Kirtland Temple, the Prophet prayed –

"...that all people who shall enter upon the threshold of the Lord's house may feel thy power…” (Doctrine and Covenants Section 109:13)

I believe that in the Lord’s House there is a great endowment – an endowment of power, a refreshing, increased ability, knowledge and strength to overcome the things of this world, to become more holy, to become sanctified. For the Prophet so prayed that -

"...Those who shall worship in this house may be taught words of wisdom..." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 109:14)

And –"...go forth from this house armed with thy power, and that thy name may be upon them, and thy glory be round about them, and thine angels have charge over them..." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 109:22)

Such that –

"...no weapon formed against them shall prosper; that he who diggeth a pit for them shall fall into the same himself;26 That no combination of wickedness shall have power to rise up and prevail over thy people upon whom thy name shall be put in this house..." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 109:25 - 26)

Here in the last days we have seen new weapons developed by Satan to destroy man. Such weapons include online pornagraphy, online gambling, movies, advertisements, Sunday entertainment, and many other such weapons that have never been available previously to man. It is in the blessings of the temple that we are continually endowed with such power and ablility that "...no combination of wickedness shall have power to rise up and prevail over thy people..."

There is another means to sanctification that seemed to have touched me –

While in Far West, the Prophet inquired of the Lord regarding how much was expected of the saints in the paying of their tithes. I'm not sure what inspired the Prophet to approach the Lord on this matter, but I can only speculate that with all the persecutions and with the saints being expelled from their homes and properties in Jackson and Clay counties, times must have been financially difficult. It is the Lord's answer to the Prophets supplication that established this modern-day definition of this law.

Initially the saints were to put -"...their surplus property... into the hands of the bishop of my church in Zion,2 For the building of mine house, and for the laying of the foundation of Zion and for the priesthood, and for the debts of the Presidency of my Church." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 119:1 - 2)

"And this shall be the beginning of the tithing of my people." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 119:3)

Following this initial donation, the Lord instructed -

"...after that, those who have thus been tithed shall pay one–tenth of all their interest annually; and this shall be a standing law unto them forever, for my holy priesthood, saith the Lord." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 119:3 - 4)

For all –

"...who gather unto the land of Zion shall be tithed of their surplus properties, and shall observe this law..." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 119:5)

But not only those that gather in the land of Zion but –

"...this shall be an ensample unto all the stakes of Zion..." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 119:7)

The Lord said –
"...this is Zion—THE PURE IN HEART..." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 97:21)

The very meaning of Zion is “the pure in heart”.

The law of tithing then seems to be a "cleansing of the heart" law in Zion, a law for sanctification, a law of obedience where man chooses God over worldly appetites and desires, a law of faith where man must outwardly demonstrate his faith in God over the material things of this world.

For the Lord said –

"...if my people observe not this law, to keep it holy, and by this law sanctify the land of Zion unto me, …that it may be most holy…it shall not be a land of Zion unto you." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 119:6)

In other words, Zion will not be the pure in heart - Zion will not be sanctified.

And last, we learn that it is those chosen that will be sanctified. For to Zions Camp the Lord said –

"...There has been a day of calling, but the time has come for a day of choosing; and let those be chosen that are worthy.
36 And it shall be manifest unto my servant, by the voice of the Spirit, those that are chosen; and they shall be sanctified" (Doctrine and Covenants Section 105:35 - 36)

These verses suggest three stages or steps to sanctification, 1) the calling, 2) the choosing, and 3) the chosen.

All are called “for, behold, I command all men everywhere to repent.” (Doctrine and Covenants Section 18:9)

The burden of choosing is on us. "For thus saith the scripture: Choose ye this day, whom ye will serve." (Book of Mormon Alma 30:8)

Those that choose to abide by the Law of Christ and "...the principles of the law of the celestial kingdom..."(Doctrine and Covenants Section 105:5) are they that are chosen, "and they shall be sanctified" (Doctrine and Covenants Section 105:36)

Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.
33 And again, 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.
(Book of Mormon Moroni 10:32 - 33)