Doctrine & Covenants 7, 13 A difference of opinion arose between Oliver Cowdery - PowerPoint Presentation

Doctrine & Covenants 7, 13

A difference of opinion arose between Oliver Cowdery and Joseph Smith relative to the New Testament account of John 21:20-23. They settled it by using the Urim and Thummim and received section 7. As Joseph looked into the stone he saw a long-lost document that John had written centuries earlier, “translated from parchment, written and hid up” by John himself. There are no accounts that suggest Joseph ever possessed or held this parchment.

Doctrine & Covenants 7:2 The Prophet Joseph Smith said that “translated bodies cannot enter into rest until they have undergone a change equivalent to death. Translated bodies are designed for future missions” (Teachings, 170-71). What is the difference between translation and transfiguration?

“The doctrine of translation is one of those mysteries that has eluded humankind. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that “the doctrine of translation is a power which belongs to this (Melchizedek) Priesthood. There are many things which belong to the powers of the Priesthood and the keys thereof, that have been kept hid from before the foundation of the world; they are hid from the wise and prudent to be revealed in the last times” (Teachings, 170).Most protestant theologians make no specific reference to the doctrine of translated beings in their Bible dictionaries.

“Many have supposed that the doctrine of translation was a doctrine whereby men were taken immediately into the presence of God, and into eternal fullness, but this is a mistaken idea. Their place of habitation is that of the terrestrial order, and a place prepared for such characters He held in reserve to be ministering angels unto many planets, and who as yet have not entered into so great a fullness as those who are resurrected from the dead” (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 4:210).

We can say as Elder John W. Taylor did: you will find that many districts where the Elders of Israel cannot reach will be penetrated by these men who have power over death;… My testimony is that these men are going abroad in the nations of the earth before the face of your sons, and they are preparing the hearts of the children of men to receive the Gospel. They are administering to those who are heirs of salvation, and preparing their hearts to receive the truth, just as a farmer prepares the soil to receive the seed. The Lord has promised that He would send His angels before the face of His servants, and He does so (John W. Taylor, Conference Report, Oct. 1902, 75).

The Lord ceased translating faithful people. Rather, they were permitted to die and go into the spirit world, there to perform the ever-increasing work needed in that sphere (Bruce R. McConkie, Millennial Messiah, 285).

3 Nephi 28 “Eleven Characteristics of Translated Beings” The Prophet Joseph Smith taught concerning John’s ministry: “John the Revelator was then among the Ten Tribes of Israel who had been led away by Shalmaneser, King of Assyria, to prepare them for their return from their long dispersion” (History of the Church, 1:176).

1. 3 Nephi 28:7 “never taste of death”2. 3 Nephi 28:8 “twinkling of an eye from mortality to immortality”3. 3 Nephi 28:9 “shall not have pain while in the flesh”4. 3 Nephi 28:9 “neither sorrow save it be for the sins of the world”

5. 3 Nephi 28:10 “fullness of joy” “Calling and Election Made Sure”6. 3 Nephi 28:13 “Caught up to heaven and saw and heard unspeakable things” Additional knowledge regular members have not yet received.

7. 3 Nephi 28:18 “preaching and baptizing” 8. 3 Nephi 28:19 “power over evil men” 9. 3 Nephi 28:30 “they are as angels” 10. 3 Nephi 28:39 “Satan could have no power over them” 11. 3 Nephi 28:40 “they remain in that state until the judgment day of Christ”

Elder Heber C. Kimball recorded an appearance of John the Revelator in the Kirtland Temple, as follows: “When the Prophet Joseph had finished the endowments of the First Presidency, The Twelve and the Presiding Bishops, The First Presidency proceeded to lay hands upon each of one of them to seal and confirm the anointing and at the close of each blessing the whole of the quorums responded to it with a loud shout of Hosanna! Hosanna! etc.”

“ While these things were being attended to the beloved disciple John was seen in our midst by the Prophet Joseph, Oliver Cowdery and others” (In Whitney, Life of Heber C. Kimball, 91-92). The Apostle John ministered to the Prophet Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in 1829 when he assisted Peter and James in the restoration of the Melchizedek Priesthood (Doctrine & Covenants 27:12). In a conference of the Church on 3 June 1831, the Prophet Joseph Smith taught concerning John’s ministry: “John the Revelator was then among the Ten Tribes of Israel who had been led away by Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, to prepare them for their return from their long dispersion” (History of the Church 1:176). During Zions Camp John manifested himself to Joseph.

Doctrine & Covenants 13 May 15th, 1829Restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood Keys: Keys to administering of angels (Alma 32:23).Gospel of Repentance.Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins. I had the administration of Angels while holding the office of priest. I had visions and revelations. I baptized men though I could not ordain them ( Discourses of Wilford Woodruff , 298). We are offering our best offering when we are doing Temple Work !

John the Baptist Ordaining Joseph and Oliver on May 15, 1829

Restoration of the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthood. May 15, 1829 and May or June of 1829

The Susquehanna River

Visitor Center in Harmony, Pennsylvania

Joseph and Emma Smith’s Home

Home of Isaac and Elizabeth Hale, Emma’s Parents

When we talk of a “Restoration” these three things must be restored: DoctrineAuthorityOrdinances/Covenants

The Ministering of Angels Speaking about a man who said he had prayed for the visitation of angels, President Wilford Woodruff said: “I said to him that if he were to pray a thousand years to the God of Israel for that gift, it would not be granted, unless the Lord had a motive in sending an angel to him. I told him that the Lord never did nor never will send an angel to anybody merely to gratify the desire of the individual to see an angel. If the Lord sends an angel to anyone, He sends him to perform a work that cannot be performed only by the administration of an angel.”

“Now, I have always said, and I want to say it to you, that the Holy Ghost is what every Saint of God needs. It is far more important that a man should have that gift than he should have the ministration of an angel, unless it is necessary for an angel to teach him something that he has not been taught” (“Discourse Delivered at the Weber Stake Conference,” Deseret Weekly, 7 Nov. 1896, 1).

President Joseph Fielding Smith further explained that “we are living in the dispensation of the fullness of times into which all things are to be gathered, and all things are to be restored since the beginning. Even this earth is to be restored to the condition which prevailed before Adam’s transgression. Now in the nature of things, the law of sacrifice will have to be restored, or all things which were decreed by the Lord would not be restored. It will be necessary, therefore, for the sons of Levi, who offered the blood sacrifices anciently in Israel, to offer such a sacrifice again to round out and complete this ordinance in this dispensation. Sacrifice by the shedding of blood was instituted in the days of Adam and of necessity will have to be restored” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 3:94).

“The sacrifice of animals will be done to complete the restoration when the temple spoken of is built; at the beginning of the millennium, or in the restoration, blood sacrifices will be performed long enough to complete the fullness of the restoration in this dispensation. Afterwards sacrifice will be of some other character” (Doctrines of Salvation, 3:94).

One of their “offerings,” as taught by the Prophet Joseph Smith, is a book of remembrance, to be presented to the Lord “in his holy temple,…a book containing the records of our dead which shall be worthy of all acceptation” (Doctrine and Covenants 128:24). Joseph Smith taught that these Levitical duties would include blood (animal) sacrifice as “an offering in righteousness” to the Lord in the temple of the New Jerusalem, perhaps as part of a final exercise in which the various elements and ordinances of all earlier dispensations will be brought together, at least symbolically, in this triumphant, concluding moment of the dispensation of the fullness of times in which the completion of this world and its work is presented to its rightful Lord of lords and King of kings (Teachings, 172-73).

Joseph Fielding Smith has explained, “As long as we have temporal things on the earth this priesthood is necessary. Eventually, when the earth is Celestialized, I suppose all Priesthood will be of the higher order” (Doctrine of Salvation 3:92).

Doctrine & Covenants 84:25 “He took Moses out of their midst” Joseph Smith told us that “all the prophets held the Melchizedek Priesthood and were ordained by God himself” (Teachings, 181).Doctrine & Covenants 84:26 “Key of the ministering of angels”

Wilford Woodruff illustrated the principles here involved with the following experience: “I was once moved upon to go and warn old Father Hakeman, living on Petty-John Creek, Arkansas. He had been in Jackson County during the persecution period. His wife died there. His family consisted of five sons, all over six feet tall. Most of them had been whipped with hickory gads by mobs.

And he went south into Arkansas, taking his sons with him. We went a good deal out of our way for the purpose of visiting Father Hakeman. I had a vision the night previous, in which was manifested to me the trouble that lay before us, but the Lord would deliver us. We arrived at his house on Sunday morning. He was taking breakfast. We had had breakfast at the place where we stayed overnight. I saw a Book of Mormon on his shelf. He did not seem to pay any attention to us, or to take any interest in us. I took up the Book of Mormon, and said, ‘You have a very good book here.’

“Yes,” said he, ‘but it is a book that came from the devil.’ “That opened my eyes. He had been an elder; he had been in Zion; had been persecuted there and driven out; but I found that he had apostatized, and he was our enemy. I saw that he would do anything he could against us.” “We left him and went to Brother Hubbard’s and stayed with him three weeks, during which we took our axes and cleared some land for him. I was strongly impressed three times to go up and warn Father Hakeman.

At least I did so, according to the commandment of God to me. The third time I met with him, his house seemed to be full of evil spirits, and I was troubled in spirit at the manifestation. When I finished my warning, I left him. He followed me from his house with the intention of killing me. I have no doubt about his intention, for it was shown to me in vision. When he came to where I was, he fell dead at my feet, as if he had been struck with a thunderbolt from heaven. I was then priest, but God defended me and preserved my life. I speak of this because it is a principle that has been manifest in the church of God in this generation as well as in others. I had the administration of angels while holding the office of a priest. I had visions and revelations” ( Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, 297-98).

To this Wilford Woodruff added, “I went out as a priest, and my companion as an elder, and we traveled thousands of miles, and had many things manifested to us. I desire to impress upon you the fact that it does not make any difference whether a man is a priest or an apostle, if he magnifies his calling. A priest holds the key of the ministering of angels. Never in my life, as an apostle, as a seventy, or as an elder, have I ever had more of the protection of the Lord than while holding the office as a priest. The Lord revealed to me by visions, by revelations, and by the Holy Spirit, many things that lay before me” (Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, 300).

Elder Dallin H. Oaks explained: “In general, the blessings of spiritual companionship and communication are only available to those who are clean… Through the Aaronic Priesthood ordinances of baptism and the sacrament, we are cleansed of our sins and promised that if we keep our covenants we will always have His Spirit to be with us. I believe that promise not only refers to the Holy Ghost but also to the ministering of angels, for ‘angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ’ (2 Nephi 32:3). So it is that those who hold the Aaronic Priesthood open the door for all Church members who worthily partake of the sacrament to enjoy the companionship of the Spirit of the Lord and the ministering of angels” (Conference Report, Oct. 1998, 51).