Doctrine and Covenants 88

Years ago, I was powerfully impressed by the book, The Power of Intention, by Wayne W. Dyer. Dr. Dyer described an energy he called intention that we could call upon to achieve goals, to become better people, to make things happen that we needed to happen. He had researched the writings of great teachers from all walks of life, through all ages of time, in many different religions, and found the same power described. He called it “an invisible field of energy.” He said this power is only accessible as we give up ego, stress, and self-will, and he provided instructions for its practical application in daily life.

Quoting him: 

“My writing now emphasizes a belief that we can find spiritual solutions to problems by living at higher levels and calling upon faster energies. In my mind, intention is now something much greater than a determined ego or individual will. It’s something almost totally opposite” (Wayne W. Dyer, The Power of Intention: Learning to Co-create Your World Your Way, 4).

As I read, I realized Dr. Dyer was describing the Light of Christ! Since the book contained “the philosophies of men, mingled with scripture,” I read it again with my scriptures in hand to see where they agreed and where they diverged. It was remarkably aligned with our scripture. I marked up the book with references from the prophets and the scriptures, kept the parts that matched, and marked out the parts that didn’t. 

D&C 88:11-13 reads, "And the light which shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understanding, which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space--the light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed..."

Now note this statement from the book: "The answer to Where is this field? is: There's no place that it's not because everything in the universe has intention built into it...The Source, which is intention, is pure, unbounded energy vibrating so fast that it defies measurement and observation...This field of intent can't be described with words...Intention determines everything in the universe and is omnipresent..." (Dyer, 6-8). 

Here is what Bruce R. McConkie wrote about the Light of Christ: "There is a spirit...the Light of Christ--that defies description and is beyond mortal comprehension. It is in us and in all things...it fills the earth and the heavens and the universe. It is everywhere, in all immensity, without exception; it is an indwelling...ever-present...spirit...It has no agency, does not act independentaly, and exists not to act, but to be acted upon" (Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, 257). 

I found it fascinating that people who didn’t even know Jesus Christ could see His power and find ways to align themselves with it by using precepts of a gospel they didn’t even know. I found it soul-stretching to realize that God in His great wisdom and love, would impart to people who did not have access to the fulness of the gospel, knowledge about how to increase His Light in their lives.

We are blessed as Latter-day Saints to have access to even higher manifestations of this power or energy because we have the priesthood and the Gift of the Holy Ghost, but every person on earth has access to the Light of Christ. 

Section 88 of the Doctrine and Covenants is an awe-inspiring treatise on the Light of Christ. It is a guidebook for understanding God’s power. It’s a revelation that can be read over and over, and each time something more can be learned. It is an introduction to the School of the Prophets, which was the precursor to the temple. This section is a glorious promise of light, power, and joy after the depressing and frightening section on war just received. It contains two revelations that were received over multiple days. It instructs the Kirtland saints to form a School of the Prophets, and learn of God together.

Be sure you read the Revelations in Context link at the top of your electronic scriptures. Here is the link for convenience.

Here are some simple but profound truths from Section 88:

Eternal life = the glory of the celestial kingdom (v. 4)

Glory of God = light of truth (v. 6)

Light of truth = light of Christ (v. 7)

Light of Christ = law by which all things are governed (v. 13)

Law by which all things are governed = power of God (priesthood) (v. 13) God’s power is not magic that materializes out of nowhere; God’s power is law. Miracles use natural laws of the universe that we just don’t understand yet. God has always had an "internet," He has always had a "cell phone," He has always had an "MRI" machine, He has always had the ability to heal, to create, to move, to change things. We as humans have a hard time believing in miracles until we "invent" or discover the means to them. Once we understand them, they no longer seem like miracles; they seem like science. 

            Just imagine how many more things we will be able to do as we learn what God desires to teach us!

Celestial glory = the presence of God the Father (v. 18-19)

And we get one further clarification much later in the revelation:

Joy of Christ’s countenance = the light of the countenance of the Lord (v. 52-58).

Simplifying these concepts even more:

Glory = Light = Truth = Law = Power = Presence of God = Joy

These words are all describing the same thing, just from slightly different angles, uses, or perspectives. Whenever we come across one of these words in scripture, we can substitute one of the others as a synonym in order to understand it better. For example, for many years I have wondered exactly what glory is. As I’ve looked online, I’ve found that this word has eluded many theologians. But by using these synonyms in Section 88, I can see that glory is actually extreme joy. I know what Joy is. It is the highest emotional energy. When I have experienced the power of the priesthood through a blessing, I have felt overwhelming joy. When I have learned a new truth, I have felt joy. When I have experienced God’s love for me, I have felt powerful joy. When I have united myself with others in a righteous cause, I have felt great joy. When I have aligned my will with God’s, I have been filled with joy.

Find a good scripture that contains one of these words and substitute another that you feel you understand better and see if it makes it more clear to you.

For practical understanding, it may be helpful to use other synonyms at times:

Power = energy

Unity = synergy

Joy = highest emotional energy

An additional point I find fascinating: 

God is not glorified by himself. He is glorified in us; we are glorified in Him (v. 60). We must be in each other's presence. Unity is required for glory! This is apparent when we realize that: 

God = Love (1 John 4:7) 

Love is another suitable synonym for the Light of Christ.

If you want to feel joy, unite with God. If you want to unite with God, fill yourself with love. As you actively love people, circumstances, projects, work, animals, and the very earth around you, you elevate your energy level to align with and access more of the Light of Christ. 

Make "I love [whatever you see around you]" a regular part of your vocabulary. 

Every day you can increase the Light of Christ in your life through your choices. If you are feeling the gravity of human life--sadness, anger, confusion, disappointment--find something to love: the room you are in, the people you work with, the color of your chair, the beauty of a flower. Your emotional energy will rise. Your inner light will increase. Your brain will actually have more clarity. You will be able to connect better with people. You will be able to learn. You will be able to hear the still, small voice. And one day, you will truly unite with God and Zion and receive a fulness of joy, the highest energy. That is the object of our existence. (See 2 Nephi 2:25.)

Photograph by Bob Brown, used with permission

During this pandemic, while you wait for your temple to reopen, or for your turn to come to attend the temple, enroll yourself in the School of the Prophets. Study Section 88 over and over. Read and follow the words of our Prophet: 

"The heavens are just as open to women who are endowed with God's power flowing from their priesthood covenants as they are to men who bear the priesthood. I pray that truth will register upon each of your hearts because I believe it will change your life... You have the right to draw liberally upon the Savior's power to help your family and others you love.

"Now, you might be saying to yourself, 'This sounds wonderful, but how do I do it? How do I draw the Savior's power into my life?'

"You won't find this process spelled out in any manual. The Holy Ghost will be your personal tutor as you seek to understand what the Lord would have you know and do. This process is neither quick nor easy, but it is spiritually invigorating. What could possibly be more exciting than to labor with the Spirit to understand God's power--priesthood power?"

He continues:

"I entreat you to study prayerfully all the truths you can find about priesthood power. You might begin with Doctrine and Covenants sections 84 and 107. Those sections will lead you to other passages. The scriptures and teachings by modern prophets, seers, and revelators are filled with these truths. As your understanding increases and as you exercise faith in the Lord and His priesthood power, your ability to draw upon this spiritual treasure that the Lord has made available will increase. As you do so, you will find yourselves better able to help create eternal families that are united, sealed in the temple of the Lord, and full of love for our Heavenly Father and for Jesus Christ" (Russell M. Nelson, "Spiritual Treasures," General Conference, October 2019).

To read more of my research and testimony about priesthood, particularly as it applies to women, please go to https://findmynotes.wordpress.com/2012/01/28/women-and-the-priesthood/

Doctrine and Covenants 85-87

Note: In these three sections of the Doctrine and Covenants, it is important to remember that the English language has no gender-neutral pronouns, and neither does the Lord in any revelations in the Bible or the Doctrine and Covenants. Specific choices are made for some uses. The church (also sometimes called the bride) and its anti-thesis, the great whore of all the earth, are referred to as female when clearly they contain both genders. Humanity is referred to as male (men, sons) when clearly it is all-inclusive. Mothers, fathers, and ancestors are referred to jointly or collectively as fathers. The earth is personified as a female. The familial priesthood jointly held by women and men who have been sealed in the temple is sometimes referred to as the patriarchal priesthood or patriarchal order. 

Doctrine and Covenants 85

As the early Church was trying to establish Zion, many members, including leaders, had difficulty consecrating property to the cause under the order prescribed by the Lord. This revelation was part of a letter answering these concerns sent to William W. Phelps, who was living in Missouri, most of it written in Joseph Smith’s own handwriting (Steven C. Harper, Making Sense of the Doctrine and Covenants, electronic edition, 509). Joseph Smith states that he has perceived there are concerns about what to do with people who will not follow the order. 

He then says, 

          "Brother William, in the love of God, having the most implicit confidence in you as a man of God, having obtained this confidence by a vision of heaven, therefore I will proceed to unfold to you some of the feelings of my heart and proceed to answer the question."

Letter to William W. Phelps, 27 November 1832, 

Joseph Smith Papers.

1 It is the duty of the Lord’s clerk, whom he has appointed, to keep a ^ahistory, and a general church ^brecord of all things that transpire in Zion, and of all those who ^cconsecrate properties, and receive ^dinheritances legally from the bishop;

2 And also their manner of life, their faith, and works; and also of the ^aapostates who apostatize after receiving their inheritances.

3 It is contrary to the will and commandment of God that those who receive not their ^ainheritance by ^bconsecration, agreeable to his ^claw, which he has given, that he may ^dtithe his people, to prepare them against the day of ^evengeance and burning, should have their ^fnames enrolled with the people of God.

4 Neither is their ^agenealogy to be kept, or to be had where it may be found on any of the records or history of the church.

5 Their names shall not be found, neither the names of the fathers, nor the names of the children written in the ^abook of the law of God, saith the Lord of Hosts [Hosts = Armies].

If you try to come into the Kingdom of God halfway, it isn’t going to work. You have to be “all in.” You have to be a team player. In fact, you have to be a family member. The Kingdom of God is a family.

Today, those who make temple covenants make a covenant to live the Law of Consecration, to treat all others within their sphere of influence as brothers and sisters under their loving care. The Law of Consecration has never been revoked; only its manner of execution has changed. Individual saints now make their own assessment of what is excess that they can contribute to the Kingdom of God in time, talents, and material gains. Bishops then distribute it to those in need so that we can all come closer to living with “all things common.” 

The next part of the revelation is a great and glorious blessing for those who are willing to covenant to live the Law of Consecration, and was written in Joseph Smith’s own hand.

From Joseph Smith Papers, cited above. Note the difference in handwriting.

6 Yea, thus saith the ^astill small voice, which whispereth through and ^bpierceth all things, and often times it maketh my bones to quake while it maketh manifest, saying:

7 And it shall come to pass that I, the Lord God, will send one mighty and strong, holding the scepter of power in his hand, clothed with light for a covering, whose mouth shall utter words, eternal words; while his bowels shall be a fountain of truth, to set in ^aorder the house of God, and to arrange by ^blot the ^cinheritances of the saints whose names are found, and the names of their fathers, and of their children, enrolled in the book of the law of God;

          It is considered by some scholars that this was a warning to Bishop Edward Partridge that he, like Jesse Gause, was not indispensable. If he did not repent of his criticism and materialism, he would be replaced by “one mighty and strong.” Bishop Partridge did repent and so they think prophecy was not fulfilled.

          There was a lot of speculation about this prophecy. Quite a few Saints through the ages, beginning with James Strang in 1844 and recurring with a new person every few years even as late as 2017, have considered themselves to be the “one mighty and strong” and have led a break-off group from the Church (Wikipedia entry for “One Mighty and Strong” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Mighty_and_Strong#cite_note-4 lists them on a chart). Sadly, some have used the prophecy for violence and evil, notably the Lafferty brothers and Brian David Mitchell (Elizabeth Smart’s abductor). Apparently these guys never read D&C 121 about the proper use of Priesthood authority.

Joseph Smith never revealed the identity of the “one mighty and strong.” William W. Phelps thought it referred to Adam and his future meeting at Adam-Ondi-Ahman (Wikipedia, cited above).

One thing I find helpful in understanding the Doctrine and Covenants is remembering that Lord is using these revelations to prepare His people for Celestial glory. His work is always our exaltation. (See Moses 1:39.) At this point in Church history, the temple ordinances had not yet been revealed, but the Lord began to reveal the temple truths line upon line. This passage may be read with a dual meaning as many prophecies may. It could be a prophecy about the financial and real property management of the kingdom of God in Independence. It could be a prophecy about the future meeting of Adam with the righteous at Adam-Ondi-Ahman. These are ideas others have shared. But is there a relevance to us today if we look at it through a temple lens? 

           The literal “house of God” on earth is the temple. Could the “one mighty and strong” refer to Elijah and consequently to temple sealers with a "sceptor of power" being the familial (or patriarchal) priesthood exercised in the temple? (Elijah did not appear until April 3, 1836.) In the temple we receive greater "light" or holiness from messengers of light. We are endowed with power through "eternal words." We gain knowledge from a "Fountain of Truth." Our names are sealed together in a great eternal "order" with the names of our fathers (ancestors) and our children. (This is my own idea so don't count it as doctrine, but it's an idea that makes a lot of sense to me.)

8 While that man, who was called of God and appointed, that putteth forth his hand to ^asteady the ^bark of God, shall fall by the shaft of death, like as a tree that is smitten by the vivid shaft of lightning.

          It is our responsibility to learn, but it is not our responsibility to teach the prophets and apostles. This is a theocracy, not a democracy. The early saints in Missouri struggled to learn this fact and we struggle with it today, particularly those of us living in countries with democratic or republican governments. Giving input is one thing, but reaching out to correct the leadership of the Church puts us on dangerous ground and damages our personal faith.

9 And all they who are not found written in the ^abook of remembrance shall find none inheritance in that day, but they shall be cut asunder, and their portion shall be appointed them among ^bunbelievers, where are ^cwailing and gnashing of teeth.

10 These things I say not of ^amyself; therefore, as the Lord speaketh, he will also fulfil.

11 And they who are of the High Priesthood, whose names are not found written in the ^abook of the law, or that are found to have ^bapostatized, or to have been ^ccut off from the church, as well as the lesser priesthood, or the members, in that day shall ^dnot find an inheritance among the saints of the Most High;

12 Therefore, it shall be done unto them as unto the ^achildren of the ^bpriest, as will be found recorded in the second chapter and sixty-first and second verses of Ezra.

          It is not that they have been rejected by the Church, the problem is that they have cut themselves off from the proper line of revelation by stepping between the prophet and God. It is an estrangement of their own doing, a strangulation of the umbilical cord between heaven and earth.

 Doctrine and Covenants 86

In this section the Lord explains the meaning of the parable of the wheat and the tares found in Matthew 13:24-30. The explanation is helpful because in this revelation the wheat and the tares are reversed in the order in which they are to be gathered vs. the way they are presented in Matthew. First the wheat (the good seed) will be gathered, then the whole field will be burned with the tares that remain.

 

https://www.latterdaylight.com/study-aids/2019/3/22/wheat-and-tares

         It's really hard to tell wheat from tares, especially when they are young. Also, their roots grow closely together and pulling up one will pull up the other. 

          After the explanation of the meaning, the relevance of the parable is given:

8 Therefore, thus saith the Lord unto you, with whom the ^apriesthood hath continued through the lineage of your fathers—

9 For ye are lawful ^aheirs, according to the flesh, and have been ^bhid from the world with Christ in God—

10 Therefore your life and the ^apriesthood have remained, and must needs remain through you and your lineage until the ^brestoration of all things spoken by the mouths of all the holy prophets since the world began.

11 Therefore, blessed are ye if ye continue in my ^agoodness, a ^blight unto the Gentiles, and through this priesthood, a ^csavior unto my people ^dIsrael. The Lord hath said it. Amen.

          The Lord is speaking to the House of Israel, the members of His Church. The Church functions through the power and authority of the priesthood. The Restoration is still happening, so this scripture is completely relevant to us today. Those who do the work of the priesthood, the four-fold work of the Church--ministering to the poor as Christ did, shining His Light (proclaiming the gospel), perfecting the saints through the work of the priesthood, and redeeming the dead (through temple and family history work)--are saviors unto all the different parts of Israel. Let’s make sure that we are the wheat, nourishing others, and not the tares, drawing light, water, and food to ourselves but with no fruit to show for it.

Doctrine and Covenants 87

Be sure to read this very helpful article about the history of this revelation. It is linked in the electronic scriptures at the beginning of the section. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/revelations-in-context/peace-and-war?lang=eng 

As the heading to this section explains, concern about the welfare and freedom of enslaved people throughout the world was the catalyst for this revelation. The topics of slavery and abolition were highly volatile in the United States. The stakes were high and passions ran accordingly. Even discussing it could be dangerous, and later on proved to be. For that reason, this revelation was not published for years.

W.W. Phelps was living in Missouri where "the small population in Jackson County supported slavery across the board until Mormons started settling parts of the county in 1831" (Mark Lyman Staker, Hearken, O Ye People: The Historical Setting of Joseph Smith's Ohio Revelations, 181). Phelps received a copy of this revelation from Joseph Smith in early 1833, a few weeks after it was revealed. Although he didn't publish it, it set his mind thinking even more about the evils of slavery and his editorials focused upon the subject in June and July. The locals tensed. Eventually this conflict led to expulsion of the Saints from Jackson County (Staker, 180-181).

For a great treatment on this section, please listen to an interview with Kenneth Alford, one of the editors of the BYU Saints at War project, on the Follow Him podcast, Episode 32, available on YouTube here, or on any audio podcast app. I highly recommend it! Brother Alford details the fulfillment of this prophecy, not just with the Civil War, but with the continuance of wars throughout the world since that time.

3 For behold, the Southern States shall be divided against the Northern States, and the Southern States will call on other nations, even the nation of Great Britain, as it is called, and they shall also call upon other nations, in order to defend themselves against other nations; and then ^awar shall be poured out upon all nations.

4 And it shall come to pass, after many days, ^aslaves shall rise up against their masters, who shall be marshaled and disciplined for war.

Missionary work had been successful in the South, but slavery was still a legal institution there and some new converts were slaveholders. Brother Alford reports that there were over 400 members of the Church in the rebel army. He also explains that the Civil War was the first war to employ modern weapons (rifles, gatling guns which were the earliest machine guns) with high accuracy among armies who were still using Napoleanic battle methods such as fighting in tight crowds that made killing massive amounts of people very easy. It was also the first major war that involved the citizens. The battles didn't take place away from the population bases.

He points out that not only do the Southern States call upon Great Britain to help them, later "they [Great Britain] shall also call upon other nations [the Axis of World War I and the Allies of World War II], in order to defend themselves against other nations." World War I never really ended, it just paused before shifting gears into World War II. The focus of war is usually freedom, but with modern warfare and ease of travel, war seems to never reach resolution, but to lead into another conflict. Ten years after the Taliban attack on the World Trade Towers, we are still fighting that war. Throughout the world, wars persist over the freedom or enslavement of groups of oppressed peoples.

6 And thus, with the ^asword and by bloodshed the inhabitants of the earth shall ^bmourn; and with ^cfamine, and plague, and earthquake, and the thunder of heaven, and the fierce and vivid lightning also, shall the inhabitants of the earth be made to feel the wrath, and indignation, and ^dchastening ^ehand of an Almighty God, until the consumption decreed hath made a full ^fend of all ^gnations;

7 That the cry of the saints, and of the ^ablood of the saints, shall cease to come up into the ears of the Lord of ^bSabaoth [the Lord of Armies], from the earth, to be avenged of their enemies.

Is this talking about just one type of saints? Is it just the white pioneers in Jackson County? Or, if this prophecy is a long-term one, as Brother Alford suggests, is it any oppressed saints--enslaved Black American saints, abused Native saints throughout the world, European saints devastated by World War II, saints living in war zones or under dictatorships today in many countries of the world.  

What is it that brings about the wrath of God? It is God's sorrow that brings about His wrath. And what brings about His sorrow? Moses 7:28-40 tells us the answer.

32 The Lord said unto Enoch: Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own ^ahands, and I gave unto them their ^bknowledge, in the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his ^cagency;

33 And unto thy brethren have I said, and also given commandment, that they should ^alove one another, and that they should choose me, their Father; but behold, they are without affection, and they ^bhate their own blood;

34 And the ^afire of mine ^bindignation is kindled against them;

It is the breaking of the two great commandments and the suffering that ensues. Not just the suffering of the oppressed, but of the oppressors. All are God's children.

37 ...Satan shall be their father, and misery shall be their doom; and the whole heavens shall weep over them, even all the workmanship of mine hands; wherefore should not the heavens weep, seeing these shall suffer?

39 And ^athat which I have chosen [Jesus Christ] hath pled before my face. Wherefore, he ^bsuffereth for their sins; inasmuch as they will repent in the day that my ^cChosen shall return unto me, and until that day they shall be in ^dtorment;

40 Wherefore, for this shall the heavens weep, yea, and all the workmanship of mine hands.

It's not the death that causes God to weep. Death is not as tragic to Him as it is to us. It's the suffering caused by the breaking apart of the human family into factions and enemies. 

44 And as Enoch saw this, he had ^abitterness of soul, and wept over his brethren, and said unto the heavens: I will refuse to be ^bcomforted; but the Lord said unto Enoch: Lift up your heart, and be glad; and look.

Enoch viewed the atonement of Jesus Christ. With hope he asked, "Now will everything be okay and the earth be at peace?" 

And God said, "Unfortunately, no. It will actually get much worse." He shows Enoch the suffering of the Saints, the apostacy, the fear, the hatred. But then He shows him the happy ending, the final dispensation.

62 And ^arighteousness will I send down out of heaven; and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear ^btestimony of mine Only Begotten; his ^cresurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men; and righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to ^dgather out mine elect from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare, an Holy City, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called ^eZion, a ^fNew Jerusalem.

63 And the Lord said unto Enoch: Then shalt thou and all thy ^acity meet them there, and we will ^breceive them into our bosom, and they shall see us; and we will fall upon their necks, and they shall fall upon our necks, and we will kiss each other;

64 And there shall be mine abode, and it shall be Zion...

67 And the Lord showed Enoch all things, even unto the end of the world; and he saw the day of the righteous, the hour of their redemption, and received a fulness of ^ajoy...

Although we live in a time of war and of geological upheaval, we also live in the day of the second establishment of Zion. In Enoch's day, Zion left the earth. In our day, it will stay and the Zion from heaven will join us.

How will this be accomplished? Through the four-fold mission of the Church by priesthood power. We have the power to unite the people of the earth into the family of God. We also have the power, through our righteous efforts to "hasten" the happy ending and "cut short" the plagues:

96 For I, the ^aAlmighty, have laid my hands upon the nations, to ^bscourge them for their ^cwickedness.

97 And ^aplagues shall go forth, and they shall not be taken from the earth until I have completed my work, which shall be cut ^bshort in righteousness—

98 Until all shall ^aknow me, who remain, even from the least unto the greatest, and shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, and shall ^bsee eye to eye, and shall lift up their voice, and with the voice together ^csing this new song, saying:

99The Lord hath brought again Zion;The Lord hath ^aredeemed his people, ^bIsrael,According to the ^celection of ^dgrace,Which was brought to pass by the faithAnd ^ecovenant of their fathers.

100The Lord hath redeemed his people;And Satan is ^abound and ^btime is no longer.The Lord hath gathered all things in ^cone.The Lord hath brought down ^dZion from above.The Lord hath ^ebrought up Zion from beneath.

101The ^aearth hath travailed and ^bbrought forth her strength;And truth is established in her bowels;And the heavens have smiled upon her;And she is clothed with the ^cglory of her God;For he ^dstands in the midst of his ^epeople.

102Glory, and honor, and power, and might,Be ascribed to our God; for he is full of ^amercy,Justice, grace and truth, and ^bpeace,Forever and ever, Amen.