1/4/2019 - Section 133:1-6

January 4, 2019

Section 133:1-6

Appendix to the D&C, Lord Visiting His Temple, Second Coming Preparation, Sanctification,

This section has been considered to be the appendix to the D&C,  just like section 1 was put first as it was considered the introduction.  John A Widtsoe said: “…the two sections together encompass the contents of the book in a condensed form. An appendix is something which the writer thinks should be added to amplify that which is in the book, to emphasize it, to make it stronger or to explain the contents a little more completely.” And Joseph Smith said about this section: “…At this time there were many things with the Elders desired to know relative to preaching the Gospel to the inhabitants of the earth, and concerning the gathering; and in order to walk by the true light, and be instructed from on high, on the 3^rd of November 1831 I inquired of the Lord and received the following important revelation, which has since been added to the book of Doctrine and Covenants, and called the Appendix.”

V 2: The Lord’s coming suddenly to his temple “will be separate and distinct from the great coming in the clouds of heaven [and be preceded by a sign (Mat 24:30)], when He will appear in great glory….This coming will be for the blessing and benefit of the most faithful of His saints” p 336

V 4 instructs us to prepare ourselves for the coming of Christ. Harold B Lee spoke about this in the Oct 1956 gen conf, and he spoke of 3 important ways we must prepare: 1) to understand the personality and nature of God and his Son, and accept Christ’s divine mission as well as the divinity of the restoration of the gospel 2) Sanctification (a term I have struggled to understand) Bruce R McConkie explained it this way: “To be com sanctified is to become clean, pure and spotless, to e free from the blood and sins of the world (to allow the Holy Ghost to influence our thoughts and actions) Sanctification is a state of saintliness, a state attained only by conformity to the laws and ordinances of the gospel. The plan of salvation is the system and means provided whereby men may sanctify their souls and thereby become worth of a celestial inheritance. 3) to gather Israel through baptism and through temple covenants, and to strengthen one another.

V 5: “Go ye out from Babylon….”  “In OT days Babylon was a city and empire of great wickedness and worldly glory that enslaved Israel. It became a symbol of physical and spiritual enslavement, a representation of sin, wickedness, ungodliness, evil and worldliness. We are commanded to become pure in heart.” P 337

V 6: “Call upon your solemn assemblies and speak often one to another. And let every man call upon the name of the Lord”  In regard to the first phrase: President Kimball said that “Solemn assemblies have been known among the Saints since the days of Israel. They have been of various kinds but generally have been associated with the dedication of a temple or a special meeting appointed for the sustaining of a new First Presidency or a meeting for the priesthood to sustain a revelation such as tithing revelation to President Lorenzo Snow…” And in regard to the second phrase, is that a request to each of us to care for one another?? And finally the third phrase asks that every one of us calls upon the name of the Lord---we each should have our own conversations with the Lord, at least on a daily basis.

I think this gives me just a bit of things I can work harder on….for the rest of my life!

11/15/2021 – D&C 133:1-35

This section was given to Joseph after a two-day conference held November 1-2, 1891 in Hiram, Ohio. The saints wanted to know more about preaching the Gospel to all the world, and about the gathering of Israel, and just how to walk by the true light and how to be instructed from on high. Isn’t it interesting that these are things we are still working toward today? I guess it’s because we each have that same instructional journey to make.

Elder John A. Widtsoe (1872–1952) explained how Doctrine and Covenants 133 functions as an appendix to the revelations the Prophet Joseph Smith had received: “The ‘Appendix,’ [Doctrine and Covenants 133] supplements the introduction [Doctrine and Covenants 1]. The two sections together encompass the contents of the book in a condensed form. …An appendix is something which the writer thinks should be added to amplify that which is in the book, to emphasize it, to make it stronger or to explain the contents a little more completely. The Appendix, divinely given, Section 133, serves this purpose”

Joseph Fielding Smith has said that D&C 133 is closely related to D&C 1: “The tenor of this section is very similar to that of D&C 1, in fact, is largely a continuation of the same theme.”

This section starts by commanding the saints to prepare for the Second Coming. Centuries ago, Malachi prophesied “The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple.”  Christ did appear at the Kirtland Temple on April 3, 1836, but I don’t think that day was the fulfillment of what Malachi  prophesied for verses 2 & 3 speak of that time in this way:  “The Lord who shall suddenly come to his temple; the Lord who shall come down upon the world with a curse to judgment; yea, upon all the nations that forget God, and upon all the ungodly among you. For he shall make bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of their God.”  This is yet to come, which means we still need to be preparing. “Wherefore, prepare ye, prepare ye, O my people; sanctify yourselves; gather ye together, O ye people of my church, upon the land of Zion…” 

And then the Lord gives us instructions in v 5 as to how we should prepare: “Go ye out from Babylon. Be ye clean…” We need to follow the Lord’s commandments in the things we do, and in our thoughts, and in our reaching out to help others.  

In v 6 we are asked to pray (“let every man call upon the name of the Lord”), and we are to speak often one to another for that is the way we strengthen each other.

We are, in short, asked to ‘sanctify ourselves’. We know that sanctification means to ‘make holy’. This is not a change that can happen overnight. It is a lifelong process that requires our faith, our repentance, and our obedience to His Laws. 

V ‘s 8 & 9 repeat the importance of taking the gospel to all the nations.

No one knows when Christ will come again, so it is to our great advantage if we are always living in a way that would allow us to be in His presence.

Elder James E. Talmage, when speaking of the parable of the ten virgins, taught: “The Bridegroom is the Lord Jesus; the marriage feast symbolizes His coming in glory, to receive unto Himself the Church on earth as His bride”. Since no one knows “the day nor the hour” of the Savior’s coming, the warning to all people is to “awake and arise” from their spiritual slumber and to be vigilant in preparing and watching for His return (see D&C 133:10–11).  This is much like President Nelson is telling us today: Each morning and each night, speak to Heavenly Father, and ask Him to help us repent of the mistakes and blunders of our day, and seek His help in making our next day better. Our growth is not expected to occur in one day—but the Lord longs to see our steady growth toward Him. (v 15) Our efforts to do this will supply us with solid spiritual supplies for whatever comes into our lives.

V’s 18-35 tells of the amazing events that will come with Christ’s second coming. He speaks again of the being prepared for the Bridegroom, and that it may require even our back-up spiritual supplies. Then we will see amazing things. The Lord will appear on Mount Zion in the Holy Land, and also in the New Jerusalem that will be built in Jackson County, Missouri. All will hear His voice. The entire earth will undergo significant changes. The oceans and the land masses will change, the deserts will no longer be parched ground. “those who are in the north countries shall come in remembrance before the Lord” and they “shall bring froth their rich treasures’” (v30) which I think shall be their scriptures. 

The tribes of Israel will be together, “The blessing of the everlasting God upon the tribes of Israel, and the richer blessing upon the head of Ephraim and his fellows” (v 34) and they “shall be sanctified in holiness before the Lord, to dwell in his presence day and night, forever and ever.” (v 35) And after all that, Christ will stay with us and reign over all the earth for the next millennium.

This will be the culmination of our earth experience. I want to work each day to become closer to the Lord and closer to what must have been my goals as I came to this earth for this amazing time of spiritual and physical education. That’s why we are here. I want to do my best. Overcoming my shortcomings is important not just for those I live with, but this is part of the way of reaching, and hopefully attaining, my human potentiality.