“The Vision!” GET TO THE POINT™ Come Follow Me: D&C 76

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Opening Hymn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K23KoNxWMJU

Intro
i. You're looking good today and it feels good to be with you.
II. Theme: "The Vision!"
III. Background:
i. Poetic Version of 76: https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/poem-to-william-w-phelps-between-circa-1-and-circa-15-february-1843/1?highlight=I%20will%20go%20virtue
ii. Bookend quoted. One heading, and this observation: Belongs in a footnote
1. JS Manual, Ch 18.
2. “Nothing could be more pleasing to the Saints upon the order of the kingdom of the Lord, than the light which burst upon the world through the foregoing vision. Every law, every commandment, every promise, every truth, and every point touching the destiny of man, from Genesis to Revelation, where the purity of the scriptures remains unsullied by the folly of men, … witnesses the fact that that document is a transcript from the records of the eternal world. The sublimity of the ideas; the purity of the language; the scope for action; the continued duration for completion, in order that the heirs of salvation may confess the Lord and bow the knee; the rewards for faithfulness, and the punishments for sins, are so much beyond the narrow-mindedness of men, that every honest man is constrained to exclaim: ‘It came from God.’”
iii. Saints Struggle: BY Manual Ch. 40
1. BY: “My traditions were such, that when the Vision came first to me, it was directly contrary and opposed to my former education. I said, Wait a little. I did not reject it; but I could not understand it.” He said that he needed to “think and pray, to read and think, until [he] knew and fully understood it for [himself]”
2. Missionary work: "Prior to the departure of the Twelve Apostles to England, Joseph Smith urged them to “remain silent concerning the gathering, the vision, and the Book of Doctrine and Covenants until such time as the work was fully established.” However, it proved difficult for some members to contain their enthusiasm for the new revelation.
3. Change, part of our discussions now. Premortal and post-mortality. A more just God.
iv. PPP and KTT, full chapter 15
v. Red in conjunction with D&C 88:17-33, and laws obeyed.
vi. TPJS, 304:
1. Paul ascended into the third heavens, and he could understand the three principal rounds of Jacob's ladder-the telestial, the terrestrial, and the celestial glories or kingdoms, where Paul saw and heard things which were not lawful for him to utter.
2. I could explain a hundred fold more than I ever have of the glories of the kingdoms manifested to me in the vision, were I permitted, and were the people prepared to receive them.
a. 11,900 verses 3x size of D&C
 
Standard Work Number of Verses
Old Testament 23,145
New Testament 7,957
Book of Mormon 6,607
Doctrine and Covenants 3,818
Pearl of Great Price 678
Total 42,205
Notes:
• Verse counts for the Old and New Testaments are based on the King James Version, as used by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
• Book of Mormon verse count reflects the 1981 edition.
• Doctrine and Covenants includes all 138 sections and 2 official declarations.
• Pearl of Great Price includes the Book of Moses, Book of Abraham, Joseph Smith—Matthew, Joseph Smith—History, and Articles of Faith.
IV. Point I Celestial
i. Preface:
1. God wants to reveal mysteries
2. Circumstances of reception
ii. Vision of Heaven: Witness of Christ. DHO
iii. Vision war in heaven, See perdition at end. Contrast
iv. Attributes and behaviors of Celestial people, descriptors
1. Basic stuff of covenant path, AF 4
2. Foreshadowing of deeper temple ordinances: sealing and exaltation
3. As can see, saints not ready for this
4. What aren't we ready for?
a. JFiS DS 1:280
b. Not all the revelations given to Joseph the Seer were placed in the Doctrine and Covenants in his day; we have added many of his revelations to that volume since his death.     
c. And there are others that have not been placed in it. Some of them were for the Church and not for the world, and therefore, are given only to the saints. But many revelations have been given to the Church since the death of Joseph Smith. Some of these have been published; some have not. It has been my privilege to read and handle a number of them that are still in the manuscript and have not as yet been given to the world for a wise purpose in the Lord. But they are on file and will be preserved.
V. Point II. Terrestrial
i. Why do we need need to know?
1. Not job application, I will obey this law.
2. Illustrates consequences of sub-celestial lifestyle.
ii. No valiant, blinded by craftiness of me, second-chance repenters. Premeditated sin.
VI. Point III. Telestial
i. Second resurrection, what we consider evil people.
ii. "And thus we saw the glory of the terrestrial which excels in all things the glory of the telestial, even in glory, and in power, and in might, and in dominion." may be origin of the unverified quote, saw telestial kingdom, kill ourselves to get there.
iii. Sorcerers, magics and fantasy writing? Tolkein and magic versus goeteia.  Terry Brooks good about negative effects of magic. But ..?
iv. Appollos, Paul, Moses, Isaiah? Etc?
1. Refers to 1 Cor 1, 3.
2. BY Ch 14
a. In the early days of the Christian Church we understand that there was a good deal of speculation among its members with regard to their belief and practice, and the propagation of these speculative ideas created divisions and schisms. Even in the days of the Apostles there was evidently considerable division, for we read that some were for Paul, some for Apollos, and others for Cephas. The people in those days had their favorites, who taught them peculiar doctrines not generally received and promulgated.
3. People who latch on to spiritual champions, at expense of gospel
4. People defendant up a thinker
a. BH Roberts, Orson Pratt, Bruce R. McConkie (and Anti-McCOnkies)
b. Sister and Hugh Nibley, not allow to think something unless Nibley thought it first
c. "Cross-posted: What Do You Do When Brad Wilcox and John Bytheway No Longer Have All the Answers?"
d. HBE: "There is a danger in deciding who your favorite prophet is, just as there is in having a favorite living General Authority or a favorite bishop of your ward or a favorite visiting teacher. The danger is that you may not listen to the most important messenger to you, who is always the one God sends to you now."
VII. Point IV. Perdition
i. War in heaven
ii. Overcome, deny, defy.
iii. No one knows, save those who suffer it "Nevertheless, I, the Lord, show it by vision unto many, but straightway shut it up again" Why do "many" people need this vision?
iv. Can be redeemed from perdition:
1. 1st Presidency Letter: TPJS, 24 "Say to the brothers Hulet and to all others, that the Lord never authorized them to say that the devil, his angels, or the sons of perdition, should ever be restored; for their state of destiny was not revealed to man, is not revealed, nor ever shall be revealed, save to those who are made partakers thereof: consequently those who teach this doctrine have not received it of the Spirit of the Lord. Truly Brother Oliver declared it to be the doctrine of devils. We, therefore, command that this doctrine be taught no more in Zion. We sanction the decision of the Bishop and his council, in relation to this doctrine being a bar to communion."
v. Native Element:
1. BY JD 1:275 "Death, and him that hath the power of it, which is the devil. And if he ever makes "a full end of the wicked," what else can he do than entirely disorganize them, and reduce them to their native element? Here are some of the mysteries of the kingdom."
2. Vs. Alma 11. May refer to Sons of Perdition War in heaven, versus those in 2nd estate
vi. Few?
1. TPJS, 358"What must a man do to commit the unpardonable sin? He must receive the Holy Ghost, have the heavens opened unto him, and know God, and then sin against Him. After a man has sinned against the Holy Ghost, there is no repentance for him. He has got to say that the sun does not shine while he sees it; he has got to deny Jesus Christ when the heavens have been opened unto him, and to deny the plan of salvation with his eyes open to the truth of it; and from that time he begins to be an enemy. This is the case with many apostates of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."
2. JFiS AGQ 5:108, 1:78" I think we, most of us, have made a dreadful, but not unpardonable, mistake in thinking that the sons of perdition will be very few. I have heard some say they can be "counted on the fingers of one hand." Where this thought originated I do not know. In my thinking there will be a large number, exceedingly large, that will become sons of perdition. "
VIII. Progression?
i. Ideas expressed. JET in Articles of Faith said yes, then softened position
ii. "Where I am, ye cannot come."
IX. Conclusion
i. Testimony of things saw
ii. We all can get this vision, callback to the beginning
X. Christ Quotient
i. Second Coming: Judgment at beginning and ending of millennium
ii. Atonement Quotient
1. Effects of atonement
2. BOM has intro info on mercy and justice, this is the graduate level class.
3. How fine-tuned the Atonement and God justice are. Three grades, but incredible fine-tuning within fields.
iii. How to teach:
1. Divine Comedy and Virgil problem: Lived and born in pagan circumstance, but cannot rob justice. Ex ecclisia nulla salus. Puts him in a nice place in hell.
2. Tie to Alma 41 etc. D&C 88 and 138
iv. More to come--a lot more. If heed and hearken to what we have. It leads to Christ. That's the point.
 
 
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