2/4/2019 - Section 138:12-34

February 4, 2019

Section 138:12-34

Vision of the Spirit World, Life After Death, Learning and Teaching Continue Forever,

As President Joseph F Smith describes his vision, he speaks of the “innumerable” company of spirits of the just. He describes “the just” as those who had been faithful in the testimony of Jesus while they lived on the earth (v12), and “who had departed the mortal life, firm in the hope of a glorious resurrection through the grace of God the Father and his Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ.” (v 14) To me, this is the definition of enduring to the end—in hope, in faith, in love, and in works.” 

These are the spirits who awaited Christ’s return after his mortal mission. “…they were filled with joy and gladness, and were rejoicing together because the day of their deliverance was at hand.” (v14) And v 17 says they were awaiting the rejoining of their body to their spirit.

President Spencer W Kimball was speaking of returning to Heavenly Father with the opportunity of becoming gods of other worlds in the 1975 October Gen Conf priesthood session: “Just think of the possibilities, the potential….they are married in the temple, They live all the commandments of the Lord. They keep themselves clean, And then they become sons of God, and they go forward with their great program—they go beyond the angels, beyond the angels and the gods that are waiting there. They go to their exaltation.”

Bruce R McConkie gave a similar message in the Oct 1976 Gen Conf: “But what we are saying is that when the saints of God chart a course of righteousness, when they gain sure testimonies of the truth and divinity of the Lord’s work, when they keep the commandments, when they overcome the world, when they put first in their lives the things of God’s kingdom: when they do all these things, an then depart this life—though they have not yet become perfect—they shall nonetheless gain eternal life in our Father’s kingdom; and eventually they shall be perfect as God their Father and Christ His Son are perfect.”

President Smith went on with his description: that Christ preached to those worthy spirits: “And there he preached to them the everlasting gospel the doctrine of the resurrection and the redemption of mankind from the fall, and from individual sins on the conditions of repentance.” This indicates to me that our learning continues, and our understanding is deepened, after our return to the spirit world. One of my favorite verses is 22: “…among the righteous [spirits] there was peace.” Then 23 & 24 tell even more: “And the saints rejoiced in their redemption and bowed the knee ad acknowledged the Son of God as their Redeemer and Deliverer from death and the chains of hell.   Their countenances shone, and the radiance from the presence of the Lord rested upon them, and they wand praises unto his holy name.”

Then President Smith said that “my understanding was quickened” (v 29) and he realized that Christ did not go to those spirits who had been disobedient, but he organized and commissioned those he spoke to, to go to the those who even having returned to the spirit world “were in darkness” “…and thus was the gospel preached to the dead. And the chosen messengers went forth….(30)…Thus was the ospel preached to those who had died in their sins, without a knowledge of the truth or in transgression having rejected the prophets.”  (32) It is so interesting to me that we will continue to receive callings that will help others, and comforting to know that ALL are given full opportunity.  “And all other principles of the gospel that were necessary for them to know in order to quality themselves “ V 34.