- Does God desire to give you revelation?
How long can rolling waters remain impure?
What power shall stay the heavens? As well might man stretch forth
his puny arm to stop the Missouri river in its decreed course, or to
turn it up stream, as to hinder the Almighty from pouring down
knowledge from heaven upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints. (D&C
121:33)
- The right to and promise of revelation
Joseph Smith said:
We believe that we have a right to revelations,
visions, and dreams from God, our heavenly Father; and light and
intelligence, through the gift of the Holy Ghost, in the name of
Jesus Christ, on all subjects pertaining to our spiritual welfare; if
it so be that we keep his commandments, so as to render ourselves
worthy in his sight.”
(https://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-joseph-smith/chapter-10?lang=eng)
The following scriptures describe God’s
promise and desire to answer your prayers and give you revelation –
Psalm 33:18, Psalm 34:15, James 1:5, Revelation 3:20-21, Mormon 9:21,
Moroni 10:3-6, and D&C 98:1-3.
- Why does God desire to give you revelation and have a relationship with you?
The following scriptures describe how God feels
towards us – 3 Nephi 17:17-20, 3 Nephi 27:30-31, Ether 4:13-15, D&C
18:10-13, D&C 41:1, and D&C 76:5-10.
- What is God’s work?
The following scriptures describe what God’s
purpose is with us, his children – John 3:16, John 17:3, Romans
8:16-17, and Moses 1:39.
- What is the plan of salvation? What are the main levels of progression called?
Joseph Smith described the major steps in the
plan of salvation:
The other Comforter spoken of is a subject of
great interest, and perhaps understood by few of this generation.
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), which is the first Comforter, 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, in the 14th chapter, from the
12th to the 27th verses.
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, and they will take up their abode with him, and the
visions of the heavens will be opened unto him, and the Lord will
teach him face to face, and he may have a perfect knowledge of the
mysteries of the Kingdom of God; and this is the state and place the
ancient Saints arrived at when they had such glorious visions—Isaiah,
Ezekiel, John upon the Isle of Patmos, St. Paul in the three heavens,
and all the Saints who held communion with the general assembly and
Church of the Firstborn. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith,
p. 150-151; also found at
https://www.lds.org/manual/new-testament-teacher-resource-manual/the-gospel-according-to-saint-john/john-13-17?lang=eng)
Marion G. Romney described significant steps in
the plan of salvation in a conference talk:
My brethren, I pray, and ask you to join in
that prayer, that while I speak we will enjoy the Spirit of Christ.
If we don’t enjoy it, we won’t enjoy these remarks, because my
topic is “The Light of Christ.” There are three phases of the
light of Christ that I want to mention. The first one is the light
which enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world; The second
phase is the gift of the Holy Ghost; And the third is the more sure
word of prophecy. (The Light of Christ,
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1977/04/the-light-of-christ?lang=eng;
it is recommended that you study the entire talk)
Dieter F. Uchtdorf described progressive levels
of spiritual development in the plan of salvation:
Today I would like to suggest four titles that
I believe apply to all priesthood holders around the world—titles
that may help us recognize our individual roles in God’s eternal
plan and our potential as priesthood holders in The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints.
- Son of Heavenly Father
- Disciple of Jesus Christ
- Healer of Souls
- Heir of Eternal Life
(Four Titles,
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/four-titles?lang=eng;
it is recommended that you study the entire talk)
Merrill J. Bateman described how we receive
more and more light as we progress along the plan of salvation:
The visible spectrum of light has a spiritual
counterpart. The spiritual spectrum relates to various levels of
intelligence, beginning with animal instinct and moving to more
refined forms of light and truth. These gradations include man’s
reasoning ability and conscience, the light that comes through the
Holy Ghost prior to baptism, and the light one receives through the
gift of the Holy Ghost after entering the Lord’s kingdom. Finally,
a fullness of light is received when one has proven worthy of the
Second Comforter and receives the “more sure word of prophecy” (2
Pet. 1:19; D&C 131:5). (The spiritual spectrum of light is based
on statements by Parley P. Pratt in Key to the Science of Theology,
9th ed. [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1965], 46–47; and Charles W.
Penrose, JD 26:21–22.) (Learning in the Light of Truth,
https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/merrill-j-bateman_learning-light-truth/)
We learn how the layout of the tabernacle of
Moses represents the steps of spiritual progression in the plan of
salvation in Exodus 25–30; 35–40: The House of the Lord in the
Wilderness, Old Testament Institute Student Manual:
Points to Ponder
(13-19) In
his opening address in general conference in October 1978, President
Spencer W. Kimball charged the Church with the responsibility to
become perfect. He said that such a goal is possible, inasmuch as
each of us has the power to become like our Heavenly Father. However,
some would grow faint at the thought because the Lord has declared,
“Behold, the mystery of godliness, how great is it!” (D&C
19:10). Consequently, we may feel that the “mystery of
godliness” is too great for mortals to consider, let alone achieve.
The truth is that unless we turn our vision
toward the temple, the mystery of godliness will forever be a
stranger.
“It was of this subject that the Prophet
Joseph Smith spoke when he said: ‘The principle of salvation is
given us through the knowledge of Jesus
Christ’ (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 297),
and that ‘knowledge through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the
grand key that unlocks the glories and mysteries of the kingdom of
heaven.’ (… p. 298.) …
“These revelations, which are reserved for
and taught only to the faithful Church members in sacred temples,
constitute what are called the ‘mysteries of Godliness.’ The Lord
said He had given to Joseph ‘the keys of the mysteries, and the
revelations which are sealed. …’ (D&C
28:7.) As a reward to the faithful, the Lord promised:
‘And to them will I reveal all mysteries, yea, all the hidden
mysteries of my kingdom from days of old. …’ (D&C
76:7.)” (Lee, Ye Are the Light of the World,
pp. 210–11.)
Even from days of old the Lord has desired to
reveal Himself to the children of men. This chapter shows just how
carefully He made such plans with ancient Israel through the prophet
Moses.
Set forth in symbolic representation and
beautifully portrayed in progressive splendor, the tabernacle and its
court became a school in which the things of heaven were to be
revealed to the Lord’s people. It was originally intended that an
Israelite could move from the outer court of the tabernacle to its
inner and more holy precincts and observe, in so doing, that the
handiwork and ornamentation became progressively more intricate,
ornate, and secluded until at last the ritual placed them before the
holy presence, even the Holy of Holies. Sacred beyond description,
protected from the eyes of the unworthy, these ordinances were
designed to be the cement or bonding agent between Israel and her
God. This symbolic journey, however, was denied Israel because of her
pride and rebellion (see Exodus
20:18–20; 32:1).
Israel lost these higher blessings and became dependent on the
officiating priests who acted as proxy through a lesser order of
priesthood.
But that loss of privilege in no way implies
that the tabernacle lost its significance for Israel. We saw in
Reading 12-1 that the law of Moses was added to the gospel and was
indeed called a preparatory gospel. Though the fulness of the
priesthood endowment was withheld from Israel, the layout and
construction of the tabernacle itself symbolized our progress toward
perfection so that we could enter into the presence of God. Note the
layout of the tabernacle and its furnishings.
There are three major divisions or areas in the
tabernacle: the outer courtyard; the first room of the tabernacle
proper, or holy place; and the inner room, or Holy of Holies. In
modern temples three levels of life are also depicted by rooms in the
temple: the world, or telestial, room; the terrestrial room; and the
celestial room. The significance of these rooms is described thus:
“[The world] room depicts the world in which
we live and die. Here instruction is given regarding man’s second
estate and the manner in which he may overcome the obstacles of
mortality.
“The terrestrial room is symbolic of the
peace that may be attained by men as they overcome their fallen
condition through obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel.
“The celestial room symbolizes the eternal
joy and peace found in the presence of God. Something of the spirit
of God’s infinite promises to the obedient has been captured in the
design of this beautiful room.” (Narrative for The House of the
Lord: Filmstrip Script, frames 43, 48, 51.)
If we compare the three divisions of the
tabernacle with these three levels of spiritual life, we find some
interesting parallels and insights.
The outer courtyard (the world or telestial
room). The first thing encountered as one entered the main
gate was the altar of sacrifice. Here the various animals and other
offerings were slain and offered to the Lord. Strict obedience and
sacrifice were thus required as the first step in the symbolic
progression toward perfection and entry into God’s presence. This
first step could be likened to having faith in Christ (looking to the
Great and Last Sacrifice) and repentance. Jesus taught the Nephites
that He had fulfilled the law of Moses, and now the sacrifice
required of them was “a broken heart and a contrite spirit,”
which would lead to the baptism
with “fire and with the Holy Ghost” (3 Nephi
9:20). The sacrificial fires of the great altar thus
signified that “spiritual purification would come by the Holy
Ghost, whom the Father would send because of the Son” (McConkie,
The Promised Messiah, p. 431).
Directly in line next in the courtyard was the
laver, or basin of water, which was used for washing and cleansing
(see Exodus
30:19–20). As was mentioned, when Solomon built a
permanent temple, he placed the laver on the backs of twelve oxen
(see 1 Kings
7:25), a symbolism carried on in modern temples and
clearly related to baptism. Since the baptismal font itself is a
“similitude of the grave” (D&C
128:13), where the “old man” of sin is buried (Romans
6:1–6), the symbolism of the laver seems clear. Once the
“natural man” (Mosiah 3:19)
is sacrificed (put to death through a broken heart, or sincere and
deep repentance), he is cleansed by both the waters of baptism and
the fires of the Holy Ghost (see 2 Nephi
31:17). Once this cleansing is done, he is prepared to
leave the world, or a telestial way of living, and “be born”
(John 3:5) into a
higher state of spiritual life.
The holy place (the terrestrial room). Three
articles of furniture were found in the first room of the tabernacle:
the table of shewbread, the sacred candlestick, and the altar of
incense. Each article had its own significance. The table of
shewbread, which had the bread and wine changed each Sabbath day, was
a symbol similar to the sacramental emblems of today. They typified
the body and blood of the Son of God, of which the spiritual person
partakes consistently so that he can have spiritual life in Christ
(see John
6:53–56). The candlestick, or lampstand, with its seven
branches and its olive oil symbolized the perfect light of the Spirit
(see D&C
45:56–57) through which the spiritually reborn person
sees all truth (see John
14:16–17; 15:26).
In the sacramental covenants there is a strong tie between the
emblems of the body and the blood of the Savior and the power of the
Spirit, for the Lord promises that as one always remembers Him, He
will always have His Spirit to be with Him (see 3 Nephi
18:7, 11).
The third article in the holy place was the
altar of incense, a symbol of prayer (see Revelation
5:8), which stood directly in front of the veil. This
altar suggests the third dominant aspect of the person living by the
principles and ordinances of the gospel, that is, constant seeking of
the Lord’s power and revelation through prayer. The fact that the
incense was consumed on coals of fire would suggest that even our
prayers should be directed and influenced by the Holy Ghost
(see 3 Nephi
19:24; Romans
8:26).
The Holy of Holies (the celestial
room). Just as the celestial room in modern temples
symbolizes the kingdom where God dwells, so did the holy of holies in
the ancient tabernacle. The only article of furniture in this inner
room was the ark of the covenant, which the Lord Himself said was the
place where He would meet Moses and commune with the people
(see Exodus
25:22). Both on the veil, separating the holy place from
the most holy, and on the lid of the ark were cherubim, or angels.
This use of angels provides a beautiful representation of the concept
taught in latter-day scripture that one passes by the angels on his
way to exaltation (see D&C
132:19).
In summary, the tabernacle and its plan and the
ordinances thereof illustrate the grand and glorious symbolism of
mankind’s progress from a state of being alienated from God to one
of full communion with Him.
Keep the following diagram in mind as you
carefully read Hebrews
9–10 in which the
Apostle Paul discusses the spiritual meaning of the tabernacle of
ancient Israel.
The following scriptures describe the
progressive steps in the plan or way of salvation: Matthew 5:3-10, 2
Nephi 31 and 32 (especially 2 Nephi 31:17-21), Alma 36:26, D&C
50:24, D&C 76:50-70, D&C 93:1-3, D&C 93:27-28, and Moses
6:57-62.
- What should be our approach to receiving salvation?
We should do as Paul, Amulek and Moroni
recommend – we should work out our own salvation with fear and
trembling (Philippians 2:12, Alma 34:37, and Mormon 9:27). Joseph
Smith explained, “… A man is saved no faster than he gets
knowledge, for if he does not get knowledge, he will be brought into
captivity by some evil power in the other world, as evil spirits will
have more knowledge, and consequently more power than many men who
are on the earth. Hence it needs revelation to assist us, and give us
knowledge of the things of God.”
(https://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-joseph-smith/chapter-22?lang=eng)
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