D&C 107 Study

The women of the church were told to study this section to learn more about how the priesthood applies to them. Most of this is administrative, but the key verses teach that the purpose of the priesthood offices are to hold the keys to the spiritual blessings of the church, and those spiritual blessings bring us into the presence of God. We are to establish Zion, and there Christ will dwell, so we will need to be able to abide His presence (translated). This is our destiny!

Section 107

Revelation on the priesthood, given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Kirtland, Ohio, about April 1835. Although this section was recorded in 1835, the historical records affirm that most of verses 60 through 100 incorporate a revelation given through Joseph Smith on November 11, 1831. This section was associated with the organization of the Quorum of the Twelve in February and March 1835. The Prophet likely delivered it in the presence of those who were preparing to depart May 3, 1835, on their first quorum mission.

1–6,  

There are two priesthoods: the Melchizedek and the Aaronic; 7–12, Those who hold the 

Melchizedek Priesthood have power to officiate in all offices in the Church; 13–17, The 

bishopric presides over the Aaronic Priesthood, which administers in outward ordinances; 18–20, The 

Melchizedek Priesthood holds the keys of all spiritual blessings; the Aaronic Priesthood holds the keys of the ministering of angels; 21–38, The First Presidency, the Twelve, and the Seventy constitute the presiding quorums, whose decisions are to be made in unity and righteousness; 39–52,  

The patriarchal order is established from Adam to Noah; 53–57,  

Ancient Saints assembled at Adam-ondi-Ahman, and the Lord appeared to them; 58–67, 

The Twelve are to set the officers of the Church in order; 68–76, 

Bishops serve as common judges in Israel; 77–84,  

The First Presidency and the Twelve constitute the highest court in the Church; 85–100, 

Priesthood presidents govern their respective quorums.

1 There are, in the church,

 two ^apriesthoods, namely, the 

Melchizedek and 

^bAaronic, including the Levitical Priesthood.

2 Why the first is called the 

^aMelchizedek Priesthood is because ^bMelchizedek was such a 

great high priest.

3 Before his day it was called 

the Holy ^aPriesthood, 

after the ^bOrder of the Son of God.

4 But out of 

^arespect or ^breverence to the 

name of the Supreme Being, to 

avoid the too frequent repetition of his name, they, the church, in 

ancient days, called that priesthood after Melchizedek, or the 

Melchizedek Priesthood.

5 

All other authorities or offices in the church are

^aappendages to this priesthood.appendage: an ancillary or secondary part attached to a main part;subordinate in function or size.

6 But there are 

two divisions or grand heads—one is the 

Melchizedek Priesthood, and the other is the 

Aaronic or ^aLevitical Priesthood.

(Footnote)

Deuteronomy 10:8–9

Old Testament

8 ¶ At that time the Lord separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to minister unto him, and to bless in his name, unto this day.

9 Wherefore Levi hath no part nor inheritance with his brethren; the Lord is his inheritance, according as the Lord thy God promised him.Compare this to the deacons and teachers today. 

1. They are 'separated' from the congregation together where they sit

2. They 'bear' the symbols of the 'covenant' - the bread and water

3. They 'stand before the Lord' to 'minister' the tokens of His flesh and blood 'unto him' that partakes

4. They kneel and 'bless in his name' the emblems of the sacrament

 

7 The office of an 

^aelder comes under the priesthood of 

Melchizedek.

8 The ^aMelchizedek Priesthood holds the 

right of presidency, and has 

power and ^bauthority over all the offices in the church in all ages of the world, to 

administer in spiritual things.

Today, the President over all the Melchizedek priesthood holders is the Elders Quorum President. There is no High Priest group leader anymore.
Notice he "administers" (manages; brings into use or operation) in 'spiritual things'. It's easy to think that a president's job is to "get stuff done"; to delegate things to do to people. But this definition says they are to help manage and bring into operation 'spiritual things'. Can you see the importance in 'ministering' now? It's all about bringing people to Christ.

9 The 

^aPresidency of the High Priesthood, after the order of Melchizedek, have a right to 

officiate in all the offices in the church.This is the Prophet and his two counselors.

10 

^aHigh priests after the order of the Melchizedek Priesthood have a ^bright to officiate in their own ^cstanding, under the direction of the presidency, in administering spiritual things, and also in the office of an elder, ^dpriest (of the Levitical order), teacher, deacon, and member.

11 An

elder has a 

right to officiate in his stead when the high priest is not present.

12 The 

high priest and ^aelder are to 

administer in spiritual things, 

agreeable to the covenants and commandments of the church; and they have a right to officiate in all these offices of the church when there are no higher authorities present.

Notice it is said again twice, that they 'administer in spiritual things'. The footnote to the word 'right' in verse 10 is Doctrine and Covenants 121:35–46 which is the one that talks about unrighteous dominion when someone gets a little authority. It is in direct opposition to their real authority to exercise unrighteous dominion when their main purpose is to administer spiritual things.

13 The second priesthood is called the 

^aPriesthood of Aaron, because it was conferred upon Aaron and his seed, throughout all their generations.

14 Why it is called the 

lesser priesthood is because it is an

^aappendage to the greater, or the 

Melchizedek Priesthood, and has 

power in administering outward ordinances.

Remember that 'outward' ordinances represent 'inward' covenants. These covenants hold the 'key' to blessings and those 'keys' can only be given by one who has direct authority from God. Once given the 'key' through the outward ordinance, we then have to exercise our faith in Christ by doing what He has commanded, to actually 'turn' the key to open the door to the promised blessings. That is why, I think, it says the the Aaronic priesthood holds the 'keys' to the ministering of angels.

 

15 The 

^abishopric is the

presidency of this priesthood, and

holds the ^bkeys or authority of the same.

16

 No man has a legal right to this office, to hold the keys of this priesthood, except he be a ^aliteral descendant of ^bAaron.

17 But as a 

high priest of the ^aMelchizedek Priesthood has 

authority to officiate in all the lesser offices, he 

may officiate in the office of ^bbishop 

when no literal descendant of Aaron can be found, 

provided he is 

called and ^cset apart and ordained unto this power 

by the hands of the 

^dPresidency of the Melchizedek Priesthood.

18 The 

power and authority of the higher, or

Melchizedek Priesthood, is to

hold the ^akeys of 

all the spiritual blessings of the church—I am inclined to believe that this is saying that the ordinances and covenants of the temple leads to all the spiritual blessings of the church.

19 To have the

privilege of 

receiving the ^amysteries of the kingdom of heaven, to have the

What are the 'mysteries'? The footnote teaches us that it can be:
1. the mystery of His will

2. the greater portion of His word, according to our faith and diligence in being faithful to what we've been given

3. they are the "well of living water" that we are promised when we receive the Holy Ghost. Revelation

4. it is the knowledge of God and the power of godliness, or how to become like God

5. ultimately, the mysteries lead us to be able to be in the presence of the Father again.

^bheavens opened unto them, to
the footnotes to 'heavens' speak of visions; seeing God. Not really speaking of revelations like we speak of it. If you think about it, the veil we are born with, is having the heavens closed to us. Everything we do is about trying to first pierce that veil and then have the veil completely parted wherein we enter His presence. Think temple here...

commune with the ^cgeneral assembly and church of the ^dFirstborn, and to

enjoy the communion and ^epresence of 

God the Father, and Jesus the ^fmediator of the new covenant.

If we take this literally, this is the literal meaning of "all the spiritual blessings of the church" in vs 18.
To receive the mysteries
which teach how to receive the Holy Ghost, hear His voice, follow Him, until we are able to endure His presence and dwell with all those who have done the same.

20 The 

^apower and authority of the lesser, or

 ^bAaronic Priesthood, is to hold the 

^ckeys of the ministering of angels, and to

^dadminister in outward ^eordinances, 

the letter of the gospel, 

the baptism of repentance for the ^fremission of sins, 

agreeable to the covenants and commandments.

21 Of necessity there are 

presidents, or presiding ^aofficers growing out of, or appointed of or from among those who are ordained to the several offices in these two priesthoods.

22 Of the 

^aMelchizedek Priesthood, three ^bPresiding High Priests, chosen by the body, appointed and ordained to that office, and

 ^cupheld by the confidence, faith, and prayer of the church, form a quorum of the Presidency of the Church.

23 The

^atwelve traveling councilors are called to be the

 Twelve ^bApostles, or special ^cwitnesses of the name of Christ in all the world—thus differing from other officers in the church in the duties of their calling.

24 And they 

form a quorum,  

^aequal in authority and power 

to the three presidents previously mentioned.

25 The

^aSeventy are also 

called to ^bpreach the gospel, and to be 

especial witnesses unto the Gentiles and in all the world—thus differing from other officers in the church in the duties of their calling.

26 And they 

form a quorum, 

equal in ^aauthority to that of the 

Twelve special witnesses or Apostles just named.

27 And 

every decision made by either of these quorums 

must be by the ^aunanimous voice of the same; that is, 

every member in each quorum must be agreed to its decisions, in order to make their decisions of the same power or validity one with the other—  Here is a beautiful description of how this works today!

28 A majority may form a quorum 

when circumstances render it impossible to be otherwise—

29 Unless this is the case, their decisions are not entitled to the same blessings which the decisions of a quorum of three presidents were anciently, who were ordained after the order of Melchizedek, and were ^arighteous and holy men.

30 The 

decisions of these quorums, or either of them, 

are to be made in all ^arighteousness, in 

holiness, and 

lowliness of heart, 

meekness and  

^blong-suffering, and in

 ^cfaith, and ^dvirtue, and 

knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and charity;

31 Because 

the promise is, 

if these things abound in them 

they shall not be ^aunfruitful in the knowledge of the Lord.

32 And in case that 

any decision of these quorums is 

made in unrighteousness, it 

may be brought before a general assembly of the several quorums, which constitute the spiritual authorities of the church; 

otherwise there can be no ^aappeal from their decision.

33 The 

^aTwelve are a ^bTraveling Presiding High Council, to 

officiate in the name of the Lord, under the direction of the Presidency of the Church, agreeable to the institution of heaven;

 to build up the church, and 

regulate all the affairs of the same 

in all nations, 

first unto the ^cGentiles and 

secondly unto the Jews.

34 The ^aSeventy are to act in the name of the Lord, under the direction of the ^bTwelve or the traveling high council, in building up the church and regulating all the affairs of the same in all nations, first unto the Gentiles and then to the Jews—

35 The Twelve being ^asent out, holding the keys, to open the door by the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and first unto the Gentiles and then unto the Jews.

36 The standing ^ahigh councils, at the stakes of Zion, form a quorum equal in authority in the affairs of the church, in all their decisions, to the quorum of the presidency, or to the traveling high council.

37 The ^ahigh council in Zion form a quorum equal in authority in the affairs of the church, in all their decisions, to the councils of the Twelve at the stakes of Zion.

38 It is the duty of the traveling high council to call upon the ^aSeventy, when they need assistance, to fill the several calls for preaching and administering the gospel, instead of any others.

39 It is the duty of the ^aTwelve, in all large branches of the church, to ordain ^bevangelical ministers, as they shall be designated unto them by revelation—

40 The order of this priesthood was confirmed to be handed down from father to son, and rightly belongs to the literal descendants of the chosen seed, to whom the promises were made.

41 This ^aorder was instituted in the days of ^bAdam, and came down by ^clineage in the following manner:

42 From Adam to ^aSeth, who was ^bordained by Adam at the age of sixty-nine years, and was blessed by him three years previous to his (Adam’s) death, and received the promise of God by his father, that his posterity should be the chosen of the Lord, and that they should be ^cpreserved unto the end of the earth;

43 Because he (Seth) was a ^aperfect man, and his ^blikeness was the express likeness of his father, insomuch that he seemed to be like unto his father in all things, and could be distinguished from him only by his age.

44 Enos was ordained at the age of one hundred and thirty-four years and four months, by the hand of Adam.

45 God called upon Cainan in the wilderness in the fortieth year of his age; and he met Adam in journeying to the place Shedolamak. He was eighty-seven years old when he received his ordination.

46 Mahalaleel was four hundred and ninety-six years and seven days old when he was ordained by the hand of Adam, who also blessed him.

47 Jared was two hundred years old when he was ordained under the hand of Adam, who also blessed him.

48 ^aEnoch was twenty-five years old when he was ordained under the hand of Adam; and he was sixty-five and Adam blessed him.

49 And he ^asaw the Lord, and he walked with him, and was before his face continually; and he ^bwalked with God three hundred and sixty-five years, making him four hundred and thirty years old when he was translated.

When I read this, I was reminded that the Brother of Jared saw the Lord and was told "never have I shown myself unto man"...but clearly Enoch and the city of Zion were all shown the Lord, as was Adam. So what is the explanation? Read this. It says that the term "man" refers to those who have not become the "sons and daughters of God" through priesthood ordinances.

50 Methuselah was one hundred years old when he was ordained under the hand of Adam.

51 Lamech was thirty-two years old when he was ordained under the hand of Seth.

52 Noah was ten years old when he was ^aordained under the hand of Methuselah.

53 Three years previous to the death of Adam, he called Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, and Methuselah, who were all ^ahigh priests, with the residue of his posterity who were righteous, into the valley of ^bAdam-ondi-Ahman, and there bestowed upon them his last blessing.

54 And the Lord appeared unto them, and they rose up and blessed ^aAdam, and called him Michael, the prince, the archangel.

55 And the Lord administered comfort unto Adam, and said unto him: I have set thee to be at the head; a multitude of nations shall come of thee, and thou art a ^aprince over them forever.

56 And Adam stood up in the midst of the congregation; and, notwithstanding he was bowed down with age, being full of the Holy Ghost, ^apredicted whatsoever should befall his posterity unto the latest generation.

57 These things were all written in the book of ^aEnoch, and are to be testified of in due time.
Will we receive this "lost record" before the New Jerusalem?

58 It is the duty of the ^aTwelve, also, to ^bordain and set in order all the other officers of the church, agreeable to the revelation which says:

59 To the church of Christ in the land of Zion, in addition to the church ^alaws respecting church business—

60 Verily, I say unto you, saith the Lord of Hosts, there must needs be ^apresiding elders to preside over those who are of the office of an elder;

61 And also ^apriests to preside over those who are of the office of a priest;

62 And also teachers to preside over those who are of the office of a teacher, in like manner, and also the ^adeacons—

63 Wherefore, from deacon to teacher, and from teacher to priest, and from priest to elder, severally as they are appointed, according to the covenants and commandments of the church.

64 Then comes the High Priesthood, which is the greatest of all.

65 Wherefore, it must needs be that one be appointed of the ^aHigh Priesthood to preside over the priesthood, and he shall be called President of the High Priesthood of the Church;

66 Or, in other words, the ^aPresiding High Priest over the High Priesthood of the Church.

67 From the same comes the administering of ordinances and blessings upon the church, by the ^alaying on of the hands.

68 Wherefore, the office of a bishop is not equal unto it; for the office of a ^abishop is in administering all ^btemporal things;

69 Nevertheless a ^abishop must be chosen from the ^bHigh Priesthood, unless he is a ^cliteral descendant of Aaron;

70 For unless he is a ^aliteral descendant of Aaron he cannot hold the keys of that priesthood.

71 Nevertheless, a high priest, that is, after the order of Melchizedek, may be set apart unto the ministering of temporal things, having a ^aknowledge of them by the Spirit of truth;

72 And also to be a ^ajudge in Israel, to do the business of the church, to sit in ^bjudgment upon transgressors upon testimony as it shall be laid before him according to the laws, by the assistance of his ^ccounselors, whom he has chosen or will choose among the elders of the church.

73 This is the duty of a bishop who is not a literal descendant of Aaron, but has been ordained to the High Priesthood after the order of Melchizedek.

74 Thus shall he be a ^ajudge, even a common judge among the inhabitants of Zion, or in a stake of Zion, or in any branch of the church where he shall be ^bset apart unto this ministry, until the borders of Zion are enlarged and it becomes necessary to have other bishops or judges in Zion or elsewhere.

75 And inasmuch as there are other bishops appointed they shall act in the same office.

76 But a literal descendant of Aaron has a legal right to the presidency of this priesthood, to the ^akeys of this ministry, to act in the office of bishop independently, without counselors, except in a case where a President of the High Priesthood, after the order of Melchizedek, is tried, to sit as a judge in Israel.

77 And the decision of either of these councils, agreeable to the commandment which says:

78 Again, verily, I say unto you, the most important business of the church, and the most ^adifficult cases of the church, inasmuch as there is not satisfaction upon the decision of the bishop or judges, it shall be handed over and carried up unto the council of the church, before the ^bPresidency of the High Priesthood.

79 And the Presidency of the council of the High Priesthood shall have power to call other high priests, even twelve, to assist as counselors; and thus the Presidency of the High Priesthood and its counselors shall have power to decide upon testimony according to the laws of the church.

80 And after this decision it shall be had in remembrance no more before the Lord; for this is the highest council of the church of God, and a final decision upon controversies in spiritual matters.

81 There is not any person belonging to the church who is exempt from this council of the church.

82 And inasmuch as a President of the High Priesthood shall transgress, he shall be had in remembrance before the ^acommon council of the church, who shall be assisted by twelve counselors of the High Priesthood;

83 And their decision upon his head shall be an end of controversy concerning him.

84 Thus, none shall be exempted from the ^ajustice and the ^blaws of God, that all things may be done in ^corder and in solemnity before him, according to truth and righteousness.

85 And again, verily I say unto you, the duty of a president over the office of a ^adeacon is to preside over twelve deacons, to sit in council with them, and to ^bteach them their duty, ^cedifying one another, as it is given according to the covenants.

86 And also the duty of the president over the office of the ^ateachers is to preside over twenty-four of the teachers, and to sit in council with them, teaching them the duties of their office, as given in the covenants.

87 Also the duty of the president over the Priesthood of Aaron is to preside over forty-eight ^apriests, and sit in council with them, to teach them the duties of their office, as is given in the covenants—

88 This president is to be a ^abishop; for this is one of the duties of this priesthood.

89 Again, the duty of the president over the office of ^aelders is to preside over ninety-six elders, and to sit in council with them, and to teach them according to the covenants.

90 This presidency is a distinct one from that of the seventy, and is designed for those who do not ^atravel into all the world.

91 And again, the duty of the President of the office of the High Priesthood is to ^apreside over the whole church, and to be like unto ^bMoses—

92 Behold, here is wisdom; yea, to be a ^aseer, a ^brevelator, a translator, and a ^cprophet, having all the ^dgifts of God which he bestows upon the head of the church.

93 And it is according to the vision showing the order of the ^aSeventy, that they should have seven presidents to preside over them, chosen out of the number of the seventy;

94 And the seventh president of these presidents is to preside over the six;

95 And these seven presidents are to choose other seventy besides the first seventy to whom they belong, and are to preside over them;

96 And also other seventy, until seven times seventy, if the labor in the vineyard of necessity requires it.

97 And these ^aseventy are to be ^btraveling ministers, unto the Gentiles first and also unto the Jews.

98 Whereas other officers of the church, who belong not unto the Twelve, neither to the Seventy, are not under the responsibility to travel among all nations, but are to travel as their circumstances shall allow, notwithstanding they may hold as high and responsible offices in the church.

99 Wherefore, now let every man learn his ^aduty, and to act in the office in which he is appointed, in all ^bdiligence.

100 He that is ^aslothful shall not be counted ^bworthy to stand, and he that learns not his duty and shows himself not approved shall not be counted worthy to stand. Even so. Amen.

The Future of the Church: Preparing the World for the Savior's Second Coming

This is my personal study of this talk. All words in blue font,highlights, bold type, and italics are mine only and reflect my personal impression about this talk and are not intended to be the reflect the prophet's intentions.

200 Years of Light: 1820–2020

By President Russell M. Nelson

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is preparing the world for the day when “the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord” (Isaiah 11:9). This IS going to happen and when it does ALL shall KNOW the Lord because He will be here, ruling and reigning personally on the earth.

You and I get to participate in the ongoing Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is wondrous! It is not man-made! It comes from the Lord, who said, “I will hasten my work in its time” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:73). This work is empowered by a divine announcement made 200 years ago. It consisted of only seven words: “This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!” (see Joseph Smith—History 1:17).
It is a privilege to be living in this time. We will yet see more 'restoration' of the gospel. Know that the Lord has a timetable even though it seems like evil is the only one with an agenda. It's probably significant that we are in the Bicentennial year commemoration of the 1st Vision and the part of that the prophet is emphasizing are the words "Hear Him". I think we are about to 'hear Him' like never before - personally and as a church. We need to know it is His voice and not man's. The things we will hear are NOT man-made, unlike everything else we hear from the world (aka 'great and spacious building')

Uttered by Almighty God, that announcement brought a young Joseph Smith to the Lord Jesus Christ. Those seven words launched the Restoration of His gospel. Why? Because our living God is a loving God! He wants His children to gain immortality and eternal life! The great latter-day work of which we are a part was established, on schedule, to bless a waiting and weeping world.

We don't have very many recorded words directly from the Father, so when we do hear them, we must take notice! If the words, "Hear Him" brought Joseph to  Jesus, then it can do the same for us.

Interesting that he said the restoration was established "on schedule".  We are also a "waiting and weeping" world, and the things that are yet coming will also be "on schedule". We can trust that because we have a loving God.

I cannot speak of the Restoration in tempered tones. This fact of history is absolutely stunning! It is incredible! It is breathtaking! How amazing is it that messengers from heaven came to give authority and power to this work?

Given the absence of angelic messengers coming from heaven in my lifetime, I should feel these adjectives when pondering what happened 200 years ago. I have sometimes assumed that we would not have that again until Christ came again, but what if we had more of this in conjunction with the "ongoing" restoration? That would indeed be stunning, incredible and breathtaking!!

Today, the Lord’s work in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is moving forward at an accelerated pace. The Church will have an unprecedented, unparalleled future. “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, … the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9; see also Doctrine and Covenants 76:10).
What has accelerated? The age of missionaries increasing the force? The changes in the last 2 years? The number of temples? The amount of family history and temple work? Yet...we have not seen anything yet. We have been reflecting much on the past through the 2 volumes of "The Saints" history, the Joseph Smith Papers, and the Bicentennial celebration of the Restoration. But the things that are coming are:

"Unprecedented" - never before known or experienced; novel (weird side note: this new virus is called "novel" as well. Satan's counterfeit before God's "real" truth goes "viral"??)

"Unparalleled" - unmatched; Being of the 'last' dispensation, we have knowledge of the past such that we will be able to say for certain that the things that will take place are unprecedented and unparalleled.

Oh, how we must be found among those that "love Him".

Remember that the fulness of Christ’s ministry lies in the future.Because He will personally rule and reign on the earth.The
prophecies of His Second Coming have yet to be fulfilled.What would you list as the 'prophecies' of His Second Coming? (See this link)We are just  

building up to the climax -(the highest or most intense point in the development or resolution of something; culmination:) of this last dispensation
—when the Savior’s Second Coming becomes a reality. I usually associate the 'climax' of something to the high point in the middle, but I've never thought of the 2nd Coming as being in the middle of this dispensation, so this definition of climax as the highest, most intense point in time in this dispensation and the thing that everything leads up to makes better sense to me, since the climax is at the end, not the middle.

Gathering Israel on Both Sides of the Veil

A necessary prelude to that Second Coming is the long-awaited gathering of scattered Israel (see 1 Nephi 15:18_); Wherefore, our father hath not spoken of our seed alone, but also of all the house of Israel, pointing to the covenant which should be fulfilled in the latter days; which covenant the Lord made to our father Abraham, saying: In thy ^aseed shall all the kindreds of the earth be ^bblessed.

see also the title page of the Book of Mormon)...

"Which is to show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever

Israel is gathered before Christ comes. Pres. Nelson has said this is the most important thing that can be done right now. Why? Because Christ is coming soon and this has to be accomplished first. How do we know it has been accomplished?Not til the 10 Tribes return?

This doctrine of the gathering is one of the important teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Lord has declared: “I give unto you a sign … that I shall gather in, from their long dispersion, my people, O house of Israel, and shall establish again among them my Zion” (3 Nephi 21:1).
And verily I say unto you, I give unto you a ^asign, that ye may know the ^btime when these things shall be about to take place—that I shall gather in, from their long dispersion, my people, O house of Israel, and shall establish again among them my Zion;

We not only teach this doctrine, but we participate in it. We do so as we help to gather the elect of the Lord on both sides of the veil. As part of the planned destiny of the earth and its inhabitants, our kindred dead are to be redeemed(see Doctrine and Covenants 128:15)

And now, my dearly beloved brethren and sisters, let me assure you that these are principles in relation to the dead and the living that cannot be lightly passed over, as pertaining to our salvation. For their ^asalvation is necessary and essential to our salvation, as Paul says concerning the fathers—that they without us cannot be made perfect—neither can we without our dead be made ^bperfect. I've never really understood why their salvation is necessary to our salvation...We without them cannot be made perfect. Why is that? Does our work for them free them somehow to minister to us personally? Are they doing something for us on their side that is as necessary for us as our work is to them?

Mercifully, the invitation to “come unto Christ” (Jacob 1:7;)

Wherefore we labored diligently among our people, that we might persuade them to ^acome unto Christ, and partake of the goodness of God, that they might enter into his ^brest, lest by any means he should swear in his wrath they should not ^center in, as in the ^dprovocation in the days of temptation while the children of Israel were in the ^ewilderness.What is the "His Rest"?

Doctrine and Covenants 84:24

24 But they hardened their hearts and could not endure his presence; therefore, the Lord in his wrath, for his anger was kindled against them, swore that they should not enter into his rest while in the wilderness, which rest is the fulness of his glory. (in THIS life!)

Moroni 10:32;Yea, ^acome unto Christ, and be ^bperfected in him, and ^cdeny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and ^dlove God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be ^eperfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.The power of godliness is made possible through the covenants and ordinances of the priesthood. We are perfected through the Doctrine of Christ (Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Holy Ghost, Endure to the End - 'wash, rinse, repeat') We are perfected by the grace of God and we will surely say it was only done by His power!

 

Doctrine and Covenants 20:59)
They are, however, to warn, expound, exhort, and teach, and invite all to come unto Christ.
This can also be extended to those who died without a knowledge of the gospel

(see Doctrine and Covenants 137:6–8).

6 And ^amarveled how it was that he had obtained an ^binheritance in that kingdom, seeing that he had departed this life before the Lord had set his hand to ^cgather Israel the second time, and had not been ^dbaptized for the remission of sins.

7 Thus came the ^avoice of the Lord unto me, saying: All who have died ^bwithout a knowledge of this gospel, who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be ^cheirs of the celestial kingdom of God;

8 Also all that shall die henceforth without a knowledge of it, who ^awould have received it with all their hearts, shall be heirs of that kingdom;

Part of their preparation, however, requires the earthly efforts of others. We gather pedigree charts, create family group sheets, and do temple work vicariously to gather individuals unto the Lord and into their families (see  

1 Corinthians 15:29   
Else what shall they do which are ^abaptized ^bfor the dead, if the dead ^crise not at all? why are they then baptized for the ^ddead?

1 Peter 4:6).^aFor for this cause was the ^bgospel ^cpreached also to them that are ^ddead, that they might be ^ejudged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

Families are to be sealed together for all eternity
(see Doctrine and Covenants 2:2–3;
And ^ahe shall plant in the hearts of the children the ^bpromises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers.

3 If it were not so, the whole ^aearth would be utterly wasted at his coming.

49:17;

16 Wherefore, it is lawful that he should have one ^awife, and they twain shall be ^bone flesh, and all this that the ^cearth might answer the end of its creation;

17 And that it might be filled with the measure of man, according to his ^acreation ^bbefore the world was made.

138:48;Foreshadowing the great work to be done in the ^atemples of the Lord in the ^bdispensation of the fulness of times, for the redemption of the dead, and the ^csealing of the children to their parents, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse and utterly wasted at his coming.
 
Joseph Smith—History 1:39).
(Same as D&C 2:2-3 above)A welding link is to be forged between the fathers and the children. In our time, a whole, complete, and perfect union of all dispensations, keys, and powers are to be welded together

(see Doctrine and Covenants 128:18). 

 I might have rendered a ^aplainer translation to this, but it is sufficiently plain to suit my purpose as it stands. It is sufficient to know, in this case, that the earth will be smitten with a ^bcurse 

Is this why Pres. Nelson said gathering Israel is the MOST IMPORTANT thing we can be doing now? Is that why we are seeing this 'curse' on our world? Have we been complacent?
unless there is a welding ^clink of some kind or other between the fathers and the ^dchildren, upon some subject or other—and behold what is that subject? It is the ^ebaptism for the dead. For we without them cannot be made perfect; neither can they without us be made perfect. Neither can they nor we be made perfect without those who have died in the gospel also;
There might be a clue here...How are those who have died without the gospel  and we who have not died, made perfect by those who have died 'in' the gospel? It makes sense that the missionary force on that side of the veil is made of those who have died 'in' the gospel. But what of those who accept the gospel after they have died? Are they able to join the missionary force? Perhaps their labors are limited to those on that side of the veil. What if the missionary force that helps us from that side of the veil is limited to those who've died 'in' the gospel? Or is it something else? Must keep pondering this one...
for it is necessary in the ushering in of the dispensation of the ^ffulness of times, which dispensation is now beginning to usher in, that a whole and complete and perfect union, and welding together of dispensations, and keys, and powers, and glories should take place, and be revealed from the days of Adam even to the present time.

And not only this, but those things which never have been revealed from the ^gfoundation of the world, but have been kept hid from the wise and prudent, shall be revealed unto ^hbabes and sucklings in this, the dispensation of the fulness of times. Did you hear that? Things that have NEVER been revealed shall be revealed IN THIS DISPENSATION! Get ready!!!


For these sacred purposes, holy temples now dot the earth. I emphasize again that construction of these temples may not change your life, but your service in the temple surely will.
Do you believe that? Do you go to the temple with the faith that it will change your life? Does it change your life somehow because of what it allows those on the other side to do for you?

The time is coming when those who do not obey the Lord will be separated from those who do
(see Doctrine and Covenants 86:1–7).

1 Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you my servants, concerning the ^aparable of the ^bwheat and of the tares:

2 Behold, verily I say, the field was the world, and the apostles were the ^asowers of the seed;

3 And after they have fallen asleep the great persecutor of the church, the apostate, the ^awhore, even ^bBabylon, that maketh all nations to drink of her cup, in whose hearts the enemy, even Satan, sitteth to reign—behold he soweth the ^ctares; wherefore, the tares choke the wheat and drive the ^dchurch into the wilderness.

4 But behold, in the ^alast days, even now while the Lord is beginning to bring forth the word, and the blade is springing up and is yet tender—

5 Behold, verily I say unto you, the ^aangels are crying unto the Lord day and night, who are ready and waiting to be sent forth to ^breap down the fields;

6 But the Lord saith unto them, pluck not up the tares while the blade is yet tender (for verily your faith is weak), lest you destroy the wheat also.

7 Therefore, let the wheat and the ^atares grow together until the harvest is fully ripe; then ye shall first gather out the wheat from among the tares, and after the gathering of the wheat, behold and lo, the tares are bound in bundles, and the field remaineth to be ^bburned.

Our
safest insurance is to In this time of turmoil people are rushing to find "safety" in food, supplies and precious metals. This is not our 'safest' insurance!
continue to be worthy of Don't let the adversary pull you away now
admission to His holy house. The Keep your temple recommend!
greatest gift you could give to the Lord is to
keep yourself unspotted from the world, This is a "keep the Sabbath Day Holy" phrase. Don't fall away during "home church". Take the Sacrament worthily and do the work of repentance so the Holy Ghost can purify you.
worthy to attend His holy house. Be worthy to go there, even if the doors are closed for a time. 

His gift to you will be the
peace and
security of
knowing that you are worthy to meet Him,
whenever that time comes.
This sounds like a clear warning that we do not know when we will leave this earth. Much calamity is coming. Even if righteous, we may fall victim to it. Just stay worthy to meet Him, whether on this side of the veil or the other. Remember death is sweet to the righteous. Do not fear martyrdom. 

In addition to temple work, the coming forth of the Book of Mormon is a sign to the entire world that the Lord has commenced to gather Israel and fulfill the covenants He made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (see Genesis 12:2–3; 3 Nephi 21; 29).
I think the world is going to see more signs from the Lord coming from His church.
 
The Book of Mormon declares the doctrine of the gathering (see, for example, 1 Nephi 10:14). It causes people to learn about Jesus Christ, to believe His gospel, and to join His Church. In fact, if there were no Book of Mormon, the promised gathering of Israel would not occur.
Pres. Nelson has asked more than once that we consider what our life would be like if we did not have the gospel. At it's core, it means the gathering would not occur and God would have ceased to be God for He would not have fulfilled His covenants. This is impossible!

Missionary work is also crucial to that gathering. Servants of the Lord go forth proclaiming the Restoration. In many nations our members and missionaries have searched for those of scattered Israel; they have hunted for them “out of the holes of the rocks” (Jeremiah 16:16); and they have fished for them, as in ancient days.

Missionary work connects people to the covenant the Lord made with Abraham anciently:

“Thou shalt be a blessing unto thy seed after thee, that in their hands they shall bear this ministry and Priesthood unto all nations;

“And I will bless them through thy name; for as many as receive this Gospel shall be called after thy name, and shall be accounted thy seed, and shall rise up and bless thee, as their father” (Abraham 2:9–10).

Missionary work is only the beginning of the blessing. The fulfillment, the consummation, of those blessings comes as those who have entered the waters of baptism perfect their lives to the point that they may enter the holy temple. Receiving an endowment there seals members of the Church to the Abrahamic covenant.Need to ponder this last statement...

The choice to come unto Christ is not a matter of physical location; it is a matter of individual commitment.
We are being asked more than ever to make a choice; a commitment to follow Christ - completely. Not just be a member of record - but a member of heart and action.
 
All members of the Church have access to the doctrine, ordinances, priesthood keys, and blessings of the gospel, regardless of their location. People can be “brought to the knowledge of the Lord” (3 Nephi 20:13) without leaving their homelands.
13 And then shall the ^aremnants, which shall be ^bscattered abroad upon the face of the earth, be ^cgathered in from the east and from the west, and from the south and from the north; and they shall be brought to the ^dknowledge of the Lord their God, who hath redeemed them.Are we talking 'internet' here? Surely this includes places the gospel doesn't have missionaries. Perhaps it will be via the 144K or the 3 Nephites, or John the Revelator, or Christ himself...or is this fulfilled "when every knee shall bow"? What does it mean to be "brought to a knowledge"? When missionaries go door to door they bring the gospel to that person, but how are the people brought to the knowledge? What will bring people TO the gospel instead of us going to find them?
 

True, in the early days of the Church, conversion often meant emigration as well. But now the gathering takes place in each nation. The Lord has decreed the establishment of Zion (see Doctrine and Covenants 6:6; 11:6) in each realm where He has given His Saints their birth and nationality. The place of gathering for Brazilian Saints is in Brazil; the place of gathering for Nigerian Saints is in Nigeria; the place of gathering for Korean Saints is in Korea. Zion is “the pure in heart” (Doctrine and Covenants 97:21). It is wherever righteous Saints are.
And we know Zion must be established to receive the Savior and build the New Jerusalem. How do we know if we are the "pure in heart"?(which are promised that they shall "see God".)
(D&C 9715-21)

15 And inasmuch as my people ^abuild a ^bhouse unto me in the ^cname of the Lord, and do not suffer any ^dunclean thing to come into it, that it be not defiled, my ^eglory shall rest upon it;

16 Yea, and my ^apresence shall be there, for I will come into it, and all the ^bpure in heart that shall come into it shall see God.

17 But if it be defiled I will not come into it, and my glory shall not be there; for I will not come into ^aunholy temples.

18 And, now, behold, if Zion do these things she shall ^aprosper, and spread herself and become very glorious, very great, and very terrible.

19 And the ^anations of the earth shall honor her, and shall say: Surely ^bZion is the city of our God, and surely Zion cannot fall, neither be moved out of her place, for God is there, and the hand of the Lord is there;

20 And he hath sworn by the power of his might to be her salvation and her high ^atower.

21 Therefore, verily, thus saith the Lord, let Zion rejoice, for this is ^aZion—the pure in heart; therefore, let Zion rejoice, while all the wicked shall mourn.

22 For behold, and lo, ^avengeance cometh speedily upon the ungodly as the whirlwind; and who shall escape it?

23 The Lord’s ^ascourge shall pass over by night and by day, and the report thereof shall vex all people; yea, it shall not be stayed until the Lord come;

24 For the ^aindignation of the Lord is kindled against their abominations and all their wicked works.

25 Nevertheless, Zion shall ^aescape if she observe to do all things whatsoever I have commanded her.

26 But if she ^aobserve not to do whatsoever I have commanded her, I will ^bvisit her ^caccording to all her works, with sore affliction, with ^dpestilence, with ^eplague, with sword, with ^fvengeance, with ^gdevouring fire.

27 Nevertheless, let it be read this once to her ears, that I, the Lord, have accepted of her offering; and if she sin no more ^anone of these things shall come upon her;

28 And I will bless her with ^ablessings, and multiply a multiplicity of blessings upon her, and upon her generations forever and ever, saith the Lord your God. Amen.

We must, must, must, be worthy of these blessings or what we are experiencing now will just be the 'beginning of sorrows'. Whatever the prophet says at GC we must, must do. The prophet has asked, "How do you hear Him"?. The Lord has said, "Whether by mine own voice or the voice of my servants, it is the same." We will all show the Savior we "hear Him" by first listening, then following what the prophet says. He has taught us that "Obedience brings success, but exact obedience brings miracles." We will all need miracles as we march towards the Second Coming. Make a commitment to follow Christ via the prophet - exactly!

Spiritual security will always 
depend upon  
how one lives, not where one lives. I  Don't focus on 'what' is happening but 'who' you want to be and 'how' you want to respond.
promise that if we will
do our best to
exercise faith
in Jesus Christ and
access the power of His Atonement
through repentance, we
will have the
knowledge and
power of God to
help us
take the blessings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ to
every nation, 
kindred, 
tongue, and 
people and to 
prepare the world for the 
Second Coming of the Lord.Sounds like our missionary work is just beginning. I wonder what avenues the Lord will open for that now? For the day of the Gentiles is fulfilled by the missionaries being called home...

Another thought I had, is that the converts that come in to the church during this time of turmoil and persecution when it's never been harder to be a faithful Saint, may be like the Lamanites who converted and buried their weapons and never fell away. And they may be like the stripling warriors with a zeal for 'obeying every word of command with exactness' and thus they will see great miracles. Life-long members like me may get a wake up call to the complacency or apathy we may have been showing for taking for granted all that we have been given in this time of prosperity. These new converts may not understand why we are so 'casual' in our commitment when they have come in at such great cost. Something to think about...the Book of Mormon certainly sets a pattern for it...

The Second Coming

The Lord will return to the land that He made holy by His mission there in mortality. In triumph, He will come again to Jerusalem. In royal robes of red to symbolize His blood, which oozed from every pore, He shall return to the Holy City (see Doctrine and Covenants 133:46–48). There and elsewhere, “the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together” (Isaiah 40:5; see also Doctrine and Covenants 101:23). His “name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

He will govern from two world capitals: one in old Jerusalem (see Zechariah 14) and the other in the New Jerusalem “built upon the American continent” (Articles of Faith 1:10). 

From these centers He will direct the affairs of His Church and kingdom. Another temple will yet be built in Jerusalem. From that temple He shall reign forever as Lord of Lords. Water will issue from under the temple. Waters of the Dead Sea will be healed. (See Ezekiel 47:1–8.)

In that day He will bear new titles and be surrounded by special Saints. He will be known as “Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that [will be] with him [will be those who] are called, and chosen, and faithful” (Revelation 17:14) to their trust here in mortality. Then He “shall reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 11:15).
We will have seen the Anti-Christ and all those who have labored for centuries to rule this world headed by Satan. But Christ will end the conflict and will exchange is crown of thorns with a crown greater than any earthly king has ever worn. The original battle from Satan was that he wanted to "rule and reign" and to that end he calls himself the "god of this world". But he will have to kneel and yield to Jesus Christ.

How we should desire to be one of His "special Saints" - called, chosen, and faithful to the trust we were given for this life.

The earth will be returned to its paradisiacal state and be made new. Way better than the "Green New Deal"!! LOL There will be a new heaven and a new earth (see Revelation 21:1; Ether 13:9; Doctrine and Covenants 29:23–24).

It is our charge—it is our privilege—to help prepare the world for that day. Time for our marching orders!

Face the Future with Faith

Meanwhile, here and now, 
we live in a time of turmoil. Yet he remains optimistic about the future. I can only see that optimism that sees through the mist to the millennium.
Earthquakes and 
tsunamis wreak devastation, 
governments collapse, ours...?
economic stresses are severe, the are you ready for that?
family is under attack, and 
divorce rates are rising. We have 
great cause for concern. But we  
do not need to let our fears 
displace our faith. We can "Even though I have great cause for fear, I choose to live by faith. I choose to act 'in' faith so that my faith can continually get stronger and stronger.
combat those fears by 
strengthening our faith.

Why do we need such
resilient (springing back; rebounding.

returning to the original form or position after being bent, compressed, or stretched.)

faith? Because 
difficult days are ahead. Remember he's a seer. Not that we all can't see that. But just in case you think things are going to "glide calmly to the Second Coming" ...not.
Rarely in the future 
will it be easy or 
popular to He separated 'easy' from 'popular'. Perhaps there will be some things we will be asked to do/believe that will not be easy. And then those things or unrelated things will make us not popular. Get ready!
be a faithful Latter-day Saint.

Each of us will be tested. The Apostle Paul  What things will test your faithfulness? A graveyard shift at the temple? Regular members going door to door to share the gospel? Financial sacrifice? Leaving your home to go to a place of safety?
warned that in the latter days, 
those who 
diligently (constant in effort to accomplish something; attentive and persistent in doing anything: 
done or pursued with persevering attention; painstaking:)follow the Lord 
“shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). That very persecution can either crush you ouch
into silent weakness or we are going to be tempted to hide in the shadows
motivate you to 
be more exemplary and live it anyway
courageous in your speak out anyway
daily lives. not just in big things but in daily righteous living and routines.
Pres. Nelson said this to the Saints in Samoa in May 2019:

“This Church, when restored in its fulness, will prepare the world for the coming of the Lord,” but not before Christ’s followers are persecuted, he said.

“Church members in the Samoan Islands will not be immune from being persecuted,” he said, warning them to “prepare to be persecuted, even every day,” and telling them they have a solemn duty to prepare for it. “Please protect your families from the deception you will see in your future,” he said. “That’s why we are all busily engaged in this work. We have to fortify our people against attacks of the adversary.”How clear can he be?
1. The restoration 'in its fullness' will happen before the 2nd Coming.
2. We are going to be persecuted for following Christ - every day!
3. Deception is rampant.
4. Get busy fortifying yourself against the attacks of the adversary.

How you deal with life’s trials is part of the development of your faith.
So when we are told to strengthen our faith, some of that growth will come as we just do the hard things that are coming.
Strength comes when you 
remember that you have a 
divine nature, an 
inheritance of infinite worth. The Lord has reminded you, your children, and your grandchildren that  
you are lawful heirs, that you have been  
reserved in heaven 
for your specific time and 
place 
to be born,  
to grow and 
become His standard bearers and 
covenant people. As you Keep an eternal perspective. See with an eye of faith
walk in the Lord’s path of righteousness, you will be Don't leave the covenant path for some other path. Remember Lehi's dream.
blessed to continue in His goodness and be  
a light and a 
savior unto His people 
(see Doctrine and Covenants 86:8–11).

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.More reminders that there is still going to be more restoration.

Do whatever it takes to strengthen your faith in Jesus Christ by increasing your 
understanding of the doctrine taught in His restored Church and by relentlessly seeking truth. 
Anchored 
in pure doctrine, you will  
be able to step forward 
with faith and 
dogged persistence and 
cheerfully 
do all that lies in your power to 
fulfill the purposes of the Lord.

You  
will have days when you 
will be discouraged. So  
pray for 
courage 
not to give up! Sadly, some who you thought were your  
friends will betray you. And  
some things will simply seem unfair.Expect these things as part of the plan. It's ok to be discouraged. Just pray for courage to not give up. Don't expect people to love you or for things to be fair. Just know that God will give you everything. This life is just a test; a school; an experience. You don't need to achieve, have, become everything here in this life. There will be places you never see, things you never own, and jobs you'll never have. It's ok. You have eternity ahead of you. Now is the time to secure eternal opportunity so no door is ever closed on you again.

However, 
I promise you that 
as you follow Jesus Christ, you will 
find sustained peace and 
true joy. As you  
keep your covenants with 
increasing precision, and as you  
defend the Church and kingdom of God on the earth today, the 
Lord will bless you with 
strength and 
wisdom to 
accomplish what only members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can accomplish.
Have faith in these promises! Notice God will ask for more precision. We will need to defend the Church - maybe even physically. But as Nephi said, 1 Nephi 17:3"And thus we see that the commandments of God must be fulfilled. And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them;"

We are to be 
builders of an individual faith in God,  
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and faith in His Church. We are to  
build families and 
be sealed in holy temples. We are to 
build the Church and 
kingdom of God 
upon the earth (see Matthew 6:33). We are to  
prepare for our 
own divine destiny:  
glory,
immortality, and 
eternal lives (see Romans 2:7; Doctrine and Covenants 75:5).

I humbly testify to you that—as the Prophet Joseph Smith proclaimed—the restored gospel of Jesus Christ 
“will go forth 
boldly, 
nobly, and 
independent, till it has 
penetrated every continent, 
visited every clime, 
swept every country, and 
sounded in every ear, 
till the purposes of God shall be 
accomplished, and the 
Great Jehovah shall say t
he work is done” (History of the Church, 4:540).
Yep...missionary work has just begun. Get ready for massive conversions!
 

We are engaged in the work of Almighty God. I pray for His blessings to be with each and every one of you.