The Church of the Firstborn

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints may or may not become members of the Church of the Firstborn. After new members place their feet upon the path to salvation by submitting themselves to baptism and confirmation, each is free to realize as much or as little of their God-given potential as they desire. The members of the Church of the Firstborn are those Saints who are found worthy of exaltation or eternal life. The Apostle Paul understood this requirement and taught it to the Hebrews. “. . . To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, . . .” (Hebrews 12:23).

Contrary to the belief of some, the Kingdom of God on the earth or the Latter-day Saint Church is not the Church of the Firstborn. The key words distinguishing the membership of the Church of the Firstborn from all of the Father’s other spirit children are those that refer to the “fulness of the Father” or language to this effect in reference to their eventual reward. To have a fulness of what the Father has means to live as He lives i.e., to be exalted or to have eternal life. This is the great promise made by the Father to all who faithfully live in accordance with the terms of the oath and covenant of the Melchizedek Priesthood. “And he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father’s kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him” (Doctrine and Covenants 84:38). To live as the Father lives requires us to take upon ourselves all of the ordinances available in a Latter-day Saint temple including the new and everlasting covenant of marriage. “In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees; And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage]; And if he does not, he cannot obtain it. He may enter into the other, but that is the end of his kingdom; he cannot have an increase” (D&C 131:1-4).

Now consider the following scripture quotes noting the key language already discussed. “They who dwell in his presence are the church of the Firstborn; and they see as they are seen, and know as they are known, having received of his fulness and of his grace; And he makes them equal in power, and in might, and in dominion” (D&C 76:94-95). “For if you keep my commandments you shall receive of his fulness, and be glorified in me as I am in the Father; therefore, I say unto you, you shall receive grace for grace. And now, verily I say unto you, I was in the beginning with the Father, and am the Firstborn; And all those who are begotten through me are partakers of the glory of the same, and are the church of the Firstborn” (D&C 93:20-22). “And again, we saw the terrestrial world, and behold and lo, these are they who are of the terrestrial, whose glory differs from that of the church of the Firstborn who have received the fulness of the Father, even as that of the moon differs from the sun in the firmament” (D&C 76:71).

Ordinances and Covenants

For a number of years, Sister Linford and I taught the temple preparation course in our ward. One of the lessons was dedicated to the subject of temple ordinances and covenants. Expanding the approach to this subject matter in order that the discussion applies generally to the ordinances and covenants of the gospel of Jesus Christ is the topic of this writing.

After reviewing several sources, the best definition for an ordinance that I can find is on page sixteen of the teacher’s manual for the Church’s temple preparation course namely, “[a]n ordinance is a sacred ceremony that has a spiritual meaning and effect.” The gospel embraces two types of ordinances: those that are necessary for salvation, and those that are not. The non-essential ordinances include the naming and blessing of babies, the anointing and blessing of the sick, and the dedicating of the graves of the deceased. Those required ordinances for admission into the celestial kingdom are baptism by immersion and confirmation by the laying on of hands to receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost. I am adding to these two ordinances the sacrament service given that partaking of the sacrament is necessary in order to renew our baptism and confirmation covenants, a requisite for the successful living of the gospel. The required ordinances for exaltation or eternal life within the celestial kingdom are receipt of the Melchizedek Priesthood, the temple endowment, and the temple sealing.

In order to be efficacious, each of these ordinances must be performed by persons holding the proper authority and performed for the benefit of members of the Church who have been found worthy by their ecclesiastical leaders to receive these sacred rites. With the exception of the baptism ordinance that may be performed by a priest in the Aaronic Priesthood, all of the other ordinances enumerated here must be performed by someone possessing the Melchizedek Priesthood or having been set apart by a Melchizedek Priesthood authority as is the case of sisters who are called to be ordinance workers in the Lord’s temples. The Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith the importance of this latter priesthood when he stated, “And this greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God. Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest. And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh; For without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live” (Doctrine and Covenants 84:19-22).

“In the gospel sense, a covenant is a binding and solemn compact, agreement, contract, or mutual promise between God and a single person or a group of chosen persons” (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 166). As there are two parts to a civil contract, the offer and the acceptance, so there are two parts to a covenant, the oath and the covenant. In His oath, God declares the terms of the covenant. Those entering into the covenant with God agree to the terms of the offer. In the meridian of time, the Lord commanded mankind to stop swearing oaths in the gospel sense given that man possesses nothing upon which he might so swear an oath. “Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black” (Matthew 5:33-36).

When we make a covenant with God, we agree to the conditions that He has set forth in His oath, and we await the receipt of the blessings God has promised to those who live worthy of the enumerated blessings because of their obedience to the agreed upon commandments. The means by which men and women show their acceptance of a particular offer made by the Lord is through participating in the relevant and required ordinance.

Baptism and confirmation are examples of this ordinance and covenant making process. By submitting to the ordinances of baptism and confirmation, the candidate signifies to God that His offer of conditions and blessings related to entrance into the Kingdom of God are accepted. New members covenant with God that they will “serve Him” and “keep His commandments.” The promised blessing is that the new members will “have His Spirit to be with them.” This is what Alma taught his followers at the waters of Mormon. “Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?” (Mosiah 18:10). Unfortunately, what the record does not state but what we know to be true is that two ordinances not just one are required in order to received the promised blessings through the Holy Ghost.

What is true concerning the pattern of covenant making as applies to baptism and confirmation is true of all of the ordinances and covenants into which we are invited to enter with God. Thus it would seem worthy of our time and effort to stop periodically and reflect upon all of the covenants we have made with God enumerating His expectations of us to which we are now obligated. In addition, we ought to review the related promised blessings that will be ours if we live worthy of them. An expression of our gratitude for these opportunities and blessings would likewise be appropriate. For “in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments” (D&C 59:21).

Elder John A. Widtsoe said: “The covenant made in the temple, or elsewhere, if of the right kind, is merely a promise to give life to knowledge, by making knowledge useful and helpful in man’s daily progress. Temple work, or any other work, would have no meaning unless accompanied with covenants” (Endowed From On High, 17). Elder Widtsoe’s insight is worthy of contemplation. Referring to the subjects of baptism and confirmation again, he is suggesting that having knowledge alone may well prove to be insufficient motivation for some believers to follow successfully the Lord’s dictates. However, by placing the relevant commitments of baptism and confirmation in a covenant concluded between God and an individual, the latter generally feels more committed to obeying God’s commands. The result is that we Saints reap greater blessings because of our greater obedience.

Who Are The Wicked?

Many years ago, I spoke in our ward’s Sacrament Meeting on a topic long forgotten. During my remarks, I stated that in the Lord’s eyes, the wicked included at least all of the individuals who had not availed themselves of the opportunity to accept the gospel of Jesus Christ and join His Church through the ordinances of baptism and confirmation. Following the service, I was verbally accosted by a brother in the foyer who was quite agitated with me because of my definition of the wicked. He contended that his neighbor possessed many Christ-like attributes and could not possibly be considered by the Lord to be among the wicked of the world.

This brother who approached me very possibly was offended by my use of the word wicked because in English the meaning of this word carries a certain sting or sharpness that may seem to make the word wicked an inappropriate characterization of our many good and honorable associates. However, it might be well for us to remember that the translators of the King James version of the Bible and the Prophet Joseph Smith in translating the Book of Mormon and in recording the Lord’s revelations to him used this word liberally. If the Lord had felt the use of this word was inappropriate, He would have had the Prophet substitute another word in its place.

Thus a major motivation behind this writing is to explore the several uses of this word in the scriptures made available to us in this dispensation. We may start by recognizing that at least there are the wicked, and then there are the wicked, and then there are the wicked living on the earth during any gospel dispensation. For my purposes, the wicked may be lumped into three somewhat identifiable groups: the unfaithful members of His Church who are in some degree of rebellion, individuals who have not accepted the true gospel of Jesus Christ but are still under the influence of the Light of Christ, and lastly those who have been left to the buffetings of Satan because the Spirit of Christ has ceased to strive with them.

The last of these three groups may be dispensed with most easily here given the pertinent discussion in my last writing that illustrates this group’s situation. At some point, these individuals’ conduct became so completely wicked, being contrary to the will of God, that the Light of Christ ceased to work with them leaving them within the control of Satanic powers.

Like the brother who stopped me after Sacrament Meeting, surely the vast majority of Latter-day Saints have truly good non-LDS relatives, friends, neighbors, work associates, etc. who are, as the scriptures say, “the honorable men of the earth” (Doctrine & Covenants 76:75). This second group of the wicked are they with whom the Spirit of Christ continues to strive in the hope that they eventually may be lead to hear and accept the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is often the case that they are already actively participating in some form of organized religion. How then is it possible that the Lord would look upon them as being numbered among the wicked? But, He does. Here are the Lord’s responses to two examples of God’s children participating in seemingly constructive religious activities. In 1831, missionaries in Missouri who were assigned to return to their homes in the East were instructed “to preach my gospel among the congregations of the wicked” on their return trips (D&C 60:13-14). While teaching the Jews during His mortal ministry, the Lord said, “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:22-23).

Again I ask, how is it possible that the Lord would look upon such seemingly righteous people and reject them for their wickedness? The answer is really quite obvious. “For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance” (D&C 1:31), and no unclean person may enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Everyone who lives upon this earth with the exception of Jesus Christ himself is a sinner and thus unclean. Without the opportunity to partake of the blessings of the Savior’s atonement as it applies to the forgiveness of sins, we would never be able to return to the presence of our Heavenly Father. The Savior extends these blessings to those only who are washed clean of their sins through baptism by immersion and confirmation by the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost by those who possess the Priesthood of God. No matter how righteous their conduct may be, the honorable of the earth are sinners. For in the absence of the ability to repent and be forgiven of their sins, these good folks are simply accumulating their mistakes and evil deeds in the Lord’s view. That is why He numbers them among the wicked of the earth.

Now the third group for consideration here brings the discussion to within the Latter-day Saint community itself. The Lord gave to the Prophet Joseph Smith in one of the great priesthood revelations of this dispensation an understanding of how the Lord distinguishes between the righteous and the wicked of any generation. “And the whole world lieth in sin, and groaneth under darkness and under the bondage of sin. And by this you may know they are under the bondage of sin, because they come not unto me. For whoso cometh not unto me is under the bondage of sin. And whoso receiveth not my voice is not acquainted with my voice, and is not of me. And by this you may know the righteous from the wicked, and that the whole world groaneth under sin and darkness even now” (D&C 84:49-53). However, before any of us in the Latter-day Saint community become too complacent with our status in light of these verses of scripture, let us consider the teachings of the Prophet Nephi: ”For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do” (2 Nephi 25:23). That should be our watchword. We Latter-day Saints must understand the obligation under which we live namely, to do all that we can do to abide by the Lord’s commandments. If we do not, we have no promise of the Lord’s grace. Absent His grace, we will pay the price of our own sins, and the nature of our eternal reward will be in question.

So, who are the wicked? Almost any of us could be numbered among them if we do not diligently seek to obey the Lord’s commandments and strive earnestly to be what our Heavenly Father would have us be.

"My Spirit Shall Not Always Strive With Man"

“And he that repents not, from him shall be taken even the light which he has received; for my Spirit shall not always strive with man, saith the Lord of Hosts” (Doctrine and Covenants 1:33). This is another often misunderstood scripture. To which Spirit does the Lord have reference, the Light of Christ or the Holy Ghost? The purpose of this writing is to help bring clarity to the answer which is the Light of Christ.

A quote used in the previous writing from President Joseph F. Smith may not be clear on this point, but it will serve as a beginning for this discussion. “It is the Spirit of God which proceeds through Christ to the world, that enlightens every man that comes into the world, and that strives with the children of men, and will continue to strive with them, until it brings them to a knowledge of the truth and the possession of the greater light and testimony of the Holy Ghost. . . .” (Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 67-68). It would be reasonable to assume from this quote that the Light of Christ would continue unabated to strive with nonbelievers until eventually they come to know and accept the truth. But such a conclusion would be not true. Under the circumstances, it may be easier to explain first why the quote in the first Section of the Doctrine and Covenants does not have reference to the Holy Ghost. The remainder of this writing will discuss some of the scriptural evidence available to the effect that the Light of Christ is the Spirit to which the Lord had reference in that Section.

In my experience, Latter-day Saint youth who are baptized and confirmed at age eight are taught routinely to understand that they will experience the influence of the Holy Ghost in their lives only if they live worthily of that blessing. This is no less true of individuals who enter the Church in their adult years. The simple dictum is the Spirit of God, the Holy Ghost, will not dwell in an unclean tabernacle. The Apostle Paul’s counsel to the Corinthians was quoted in this context in the previous writing. “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are” (I Cor. 3:16-17). Elder Joseph Fielding Smith agrees with this conclusion. “The Holy Ghost will not dwell in unclean tabernacles nor strive with people unless they keep their minds as well as their bodies clean, and they are diligent before the Lord” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, 4:88). Elder Smith uses the word “strive” as applying to worthy, diligent Latter-day Saints, not those involved in rebellion against the things of God. Indeed, I am not aware of any scripture that teaches us that the mission of the Holy Ghost includes striving with the unrepentant, the rebellious and the unbelievers in any context.

What we do learn from the scriptures is that the Light of Christ is the power present in the world for the purpose of countering the forces of Satan by influencing all men to do good as opposed to evil. However, the fact remains that some individuals may prove to be so rebellious against that which is good or the will of God, that the Lord’s spirit will cease striving with them leaving them in a most desperate condition. Consider Genesis 6:1-3 and Moses 8:13-17 in this regard. In Noah’s day, some daughters of the believers, “sons of God,” began to marry the sons of non-believers who were the “sons of men.” The Lord expressed anger over this growing trend and taught Noah that His spirit would not always “strive with man” here clearly meaning the non-believers or wicked of his generation.

During the “mortal combat” between the followers of Shiz and those of Coriantumr that marked the final destruction of the Jaredite people, the Prophet Ether reported, “But behold, the Spirit of the Lord had ceased striving with them, and Satan had full power over the hearts of the people; for they were given up unto the hardness of their hearts, and the blindness of their minds that they might be destroyed; wherefore they went again to battle” (Ether 15:19).

The Prophet Nephi looking ahead to the day his people would be destroyed concluded, “For the Spirit of the Lord will not always strive with man. And when the Spirit ceaseth to strive with man then cometh speedy destruction, and this grieveth my soul” (2 Nephi 26:11). What Nephi had foreseen, happened in fact. Mormon writing to his son, Moroni, said, “And now behold, my son, I fear lest the Lamanites shall destroy this people; for they do not repent, and Satan stirreth them up continually to anger one with another. Behold, I am laboring with them continually; and when I speak the word of God with sharpness they tremble and anger against me; and when I use no sharpness they harden their hearts against it; wherefore, I fear lest the Spirit of the Lord hath ceased striving with them” (Moroni 9:3-4).

In modern times, the Lord made clear reference to the wicked who were fighting against the establishment of Zion in Missouri as well as the wicked in general when he told the Prophet Joseph Smith, “I, the Lord, am angry with the wicked; I am holding my Spirit from the inhabitants of the earth” (D&C 63:32).

Verse thirty-three of Section one, with which this writing commenced, follows consistently the meaning of the previous verses. Those of God’s children who do not repent risk under certain circumstances having that light which they have received taken from them. For clearly, there is a limit to which the Lord will strive with man. And this is the caveat to the wicked that should be added to our understanding or application of President Joseph F. Smith’s quote used earlier in this writing. “When men harden their hearts against the light of Christ, it will cease to strive with them. They then are left to themselves, and Satan has power and dominion over them” (McConkie and Ostler, Revelations of the Restoration, 454).

The Holy Ghost, the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and the Light of Christ

Here are three subjects that as topics in Gospel discussions are often sources of confusion. Yet given the basic importance of the relevant subject matter, Latter-day Saints ought to seek clarity in their understanding of the similarities and dissimilarities that exist among these three subjects.

The Holy Ghost

The Holy Ghost, the third member of the Godhead, is a male personage of spirit. Unlike the Father and His Son, He does not possess a tangible body of flesh and bones. In an explanation of John 14:23, the Prophet Joseph Smith taught that “the appearing of the Father and the Son, in that verse, is a personal appearance; and the idea that the Father and the Son dwell in a man’s heart is an old sectarian notion, and is false. . . . The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us” (Doctrine and Covenants 130: 3 and 22).

He is responsible to testify to the truthfulness of all things pertaining to the Father, His Son, and their mission “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). He is likewise the testator who justifies or seals up God’s spirit children to exaltation by declaring valid the ordinances of salvation performed for them down through the gospel dispensations. In this role, he is called the Holy Spirit of Promise. “. . . All covenants, contracts, bonds, obligations, oaths, vows, performances, connections, associations, or expectations, that are not made and entered into and sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, . . are of no efficacy, virtue, or force in and after the resurrection from the dead; . . .” (D&C 132:7).

The Gift of the Holy Ghost

While the Holy Ghost may affirmatively testify to an individual who is seeking to know the truth concerning the Lord’s Church and His restored gospel, the right of this individual to the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost is only possible after the individual has received an efficacious confirmation following an efficacious baptism. Through the ordinance of confirmation, the gift of the Holy Ghost is bestowed by the laying on of hands. However, the actual companionship of the Holy Ghost may not be experienced immediately by those who are so confirmed. The baptism of fire, the confirmation, will cleanse an individual only of repented sins (2 Nephi 31:17). The Spirit of God, the Holy Ghost, will not dwell in an unclean tabernacle. The Apostle Paul taught this truth to the Corinthians. “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are” (I Cor. 3:16-17). It would also then be true to say that a confirmed member who has experienced the companionship of the Holy Ghost might temporarily lose that privilege during times of unfaithfulness.

Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are both “comforters.” “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” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 150). In this context, let us consider John 14:23 again: “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” As previously quoted, the Prophet taught that this verse refers to “a personal appearance.”

The Light of Christ

President Joseph F. Smith speaking in the Tabernacle in Salt Lake City on March 16, 1902 taught the following concerning the Light of Christ. “It is by the power of God that all things are made that have been made. It is by the power of Christ that all things are governed and kept in place that are governed and kept in place in the universe. It is the power which proceeds from the presence of the Son of God throughout all the works of his hands, that giveth light, energy, understanding, knowledge, and a degree of intelligence to all the children of men, strictly in accordance with the words in the Book of Job: ‘There is a spirit in man; and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.’ It is this inspiration from God, proceeding throughout all his creations, that enlighteneth the children of men; and it is nothing more nor less than the spirit of Christ that enlighteneth the mind, that quickeneth the understanding, and that prompteth the children of men to do that which is good and eschew that which is evil; which quickens the conscience of man and gives him intelligence to judge between good and evil, light and darkness, right and wrong. . . .

The question is often asked, Is there any difference between the Spirit of the Lord and the Holy Ghost? The terms are frequently used synonymously. We often say the Spirit of God when we mean the Holy Ghost; we likewise say the Holy Ghost when we mean the Spirit of God. The Holy Ghost is a personage in the Godhead, and is not that which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. It is the Spirit of God which proceeds through Christ to the world, that enlightens every man that comes into the world, and that strives with the children of men, and will continue to strive with them, until it brings them to a knowledge of the truth and the possession of the greater light and testimony of the Holy Ghost. . . .” (Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 66-68).

Addressing this subject on another occasion, President Joseph F. Smith concluded: “The Holy Ghost as a personage of Spirit can no more be omnipresent in person than can the Father or the Son, but by his intelligence, his knowledge, his power and influence, over and through the laws of nature, he is and can be omnipresent throughout all the works of God.” Continuing, his son, Joseph Fielding Smith, writes, “Thus when it becomes necessary to speak to us, he is able to do so by acting through the other Spirit, that is through the Light of Christ” (Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. 1, 40). Scriptural justification for this conclusion may be found in Moroni chapter 10. Here Moroni discusses the gifts of the spirit that come through the workings of the Holy Ghost and concludes that “all these gifts come by the Spirit of Christ; and they come unto every man severally, according as he will” (Moroni 10:17).

The Dedicatory Prayer for the Kirtland Temple

In December 1830, the Lord did something quite extraordinary insofar as His Saints were concerned. He commanded the members of His young Church who at that time were living in the State of New York and in states in the American Northeast to part with their homes, their fields, and their businesses and relocate themselves to a place of gathering in Ohio (Doctrine and Covenants 37:3). No explanation for this action was given.

However, the Church membership was not left to wonder for long as to why this commandment had been given. While still residing in Fayette, New York, the Prophet Joseph Smith received a revelation on January 2, 1831 that may have had a calming effect upon many of the wondering believers. “And that ye might escape the power of the enemy, and be gathered unto me a righteous people, without spot and blameless--Wherefore, for this cause I gave unto you the commandment that ye should go to the Ohio; and there I will give unto you my law; and there you shall be endowed with power from on high; And from thence, whosoever I will shall go forth among all nations, and it shall be told them what they shall do; . . . and no power shall stay my hand” (D&C 38:31-33).

While to begin with they could not have fully understood the implications of the Lord’s command, at least they now had five reasons for the inconvenience and hardships that had been introduced into their lives. First, the Lord wanted His Saints beyond the reach of their New York enemies. So long as they had to struggle against an intense opposition in an attempt to live the basics of their new religion, they would have neither the time nor the energy to take the next step toward becoming a Zion people. Second, by gathering together, they would be able to enjoy the benefits that come from a concentrated membership. Third, these two pre-conditions would better allow the Saints to live the “law of the Church.” Fourth, the Lord desired to “endow” His people with a spiritual power “from on high” that would be required to successfully build the Kingdom of God on the earth. Fifth, from that place, missionaries would be sent out into the world to begin the gathering of Israel in these latter days.

The Prophet and others reacted quickly and positively to the commandment that they gather in Ohio. By February 9, 1831, he was in Kirtland where he received a revelation identified today as Section 42 of the Doctrine and Covenants. This “law of the Church” set forth the tenants of proper personal and interpersonal behavior for the Saints. It outlined the fundamental economic policies of the community. The importance of missionary work was explained as was also the necessity for the members to be obedient to their covenants and their leaders.

The gathering to Ohio was not without its many difficulties, but it was successful. So much so that by March 27, 1836, the first House of the Lord to be constructed in this dispensation was ready for dedication. In the dedicatory prayer that he delivered that day, a prayer that he received by revelation, the Prophet Joseph Smith prayed for many blessings that would strengthen the members of the young Church and direct their attention to the importance of temple work in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

Of all that might be discussed, only two points from this prayer are the subject of this writing. Verse 8 reads: “Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing, and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God” (D&C 109:8). A Latter-day Saint temple is a “spiritual school.” We go there to take upon ourselves obligations and covenants in order that we might fulfill the full purpose of our creation. Simply put, we seek to become as our Father in Heaven is. The Lord himself told us how we might accomplish this. In a revelation given to the Prophet in May 1833, the Lord quoted from the writings of John the Baptist concerning His, the Lord’s, roles as creator, savior, and God. Having done so, Jesus Christ said to the Prophet, “I give unto you these sayings that you may understand and know how to worship, and know what you worship, that you may come unto the Father in my name, and in due time receive of his fulness” (D&C 93:19).

We go to a temple not only for the purpose of making sacred covenants and to learn what our Heavenly Father would have us know concerning Him and our purposes for living on this earth, we may also go there to gain insight, direction and strength to successfully deal with the opportunities and challenges that this mortal probation presents to all of God’s spirit children. Sometimes, the problems we face are irresolvable. In these circumstances, the blessings we seek are for patience and long suffering. If we go to a temple properly prepared in an attitude of prayer, faith, and fasting, we shall know what He would have us do when understanding greater than our own is required for our success.

Verses 22 and 23 of Section 109 are too long to be quoted here. In substance, the Prophet asked God to so bless those who had been endowed with power in the temple “that thy name may be upon them, and thy glory be round about them, and thine angels have charge over them” as they left Ohio to carry the message of the restored gospel to “the ends of the earth” in fulfillment of prophecies made “concerning the last days.” It is interesting to note that the desired level of understanding and power were received even though the endowment given in the temple at Kirtland consisted only of the initiatory ordinances as we know them today. The full endowment was not available to the Saints until they put the Nauvoo Temple to use.

While admittedly these verses apply directly to the brethren preparing for missionary service in that era as well as the brothers and sisters who have been called to serve as the Lord’s emissaries subsequently, there is rooted in these verses a very important but more general application that makes itself manifest within the body of the Church today. While serving as a counselor in the presidency of the Freiberg Germany Temple, I had an overview of the temple work being accomplished within our temple district that included Eastern Germany and the nations stretching eastward to the Black Sea. What was true of branches and wards was also true for missions, stakes, and countries namely, the blessings that come from dedicated temple participation are available to all of our members. The more dedicated any group of Saints was in taking advantage of their opportunities to participate in the temple ordinances, the more they were blessed individually and collectively for their efforts. Whether meeting with a group of Latter-day Saints in their local units or welcoming a group of temple visitors who had traveled many hours to participate in a week of ordinance work, it was clear to me that the more dedicated they were in humbly fulfilling their temple responsibilities the more these members received the promised blessings of the Spirit. These blessings impacted the individual participants, their families, their home units, and even the countries in which they lived. For me, the clearest evidence that this conclusion is true is the construction of the first temple in Eastern Europe in Kyiv, Ukraine. For years, the Saints living in the stake and missions of that nation have demonstrated their worthiness and willingness to support temple work in such a manner as to make possible the building of a House of the Lord in their homeland. The dedication of the Kyiv Ukraine Temple may occur as early as the autumn of 2010.

What has been written here is true not only of Eastern Europe but is true for the Saints worldwide. Individuals, families, local units, and nations will receive identifiable blessings if they are willing to prioritize their goals in such a manner as to vigorously seize the opportunities that are theirs to participate in temple service.