Commentary for the Doctrine and Covenants: Section 76

 

Jehovah Creates the Earth -- Walter Rane

Section 76

Background Information

We've finally arrived to what some consider to be one of the greatest revelations, if not the greatest, revelation received by man in this or any dispensation.  Although the section 76 reveals some of the greatest truths about God's salvation, the place where it was received was obscure.  

What is often remarkable with many of JS' revelations is that some of the greatest truth of eternity were revealed without much, if any, of the world taken notice.  As the people of Ohio were busy and engaged in their daily activities, the corner room of the John Johnson home become the venue for heavenly manifestations.  Truly God's working are foolish to man, yet available to the humble and contrite.  All the potentates of the 19th century world, engaged in their machinations of power and fame, pale in comparison to what the Lord revealed to two seeks of truth and humble followers of God. 

Section 76 was received on February 16, 1832.  This vision came after JS returned from the January conference in Amherst, Ohio, and after he resumed his inspired translation of the Bible.  According to a later JS history, revelations JS had dictated up to February 1832 showed “that many important points, touching the salvation of man, had been taken from the Bible, or lost before it was compiled.” Included among these truth concerned post-mortal life.  This question eventually got JS reason that "if God rewarded every one according to the deeds done in the body, the term ‘heaven,’ . . . must include more kingdoms than one.”

According to the description of the vision, on 16 February 1832, JS and Rigdon reviewed John 5:29, wherein Jesus Christ prophesies that the dead will “come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” They reported that when they pondered this verse they together beheld a vision of what awaited humankind after death.

After probably almost two hours the vision ended. Section 76 was later dictated to a scribe. It was not recorded while they were having the experience. The revelation was first published in the Evening and Morning Star in July 1832, and it was included in the 1835 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants.

But JS and SR were not alone when they received this vision.  In fact, it was not uncommon for elder of the Church visit and listen to JS and SR work on translating the Bible.  Philo Dibble, a close friend and boyhood pal of the Prophet, published in the Juvenile Instructor, May 15, 1892, his experience. 

During the time that Joseph and Sidney were in the Spirit and saw the heavens open, there were other men in the room, perhaps twelve. Among whom I was one [the names of the others are not recorded]. During a part of the time—probably two-thirds of the time—I saw the glory and felt the power but did not see the vision. The events and conversation, while they were seeing what is written (and many things were seen and related that are not written), I will relate as minutely as necessary. Joseph would at intervals say “What do I see?” as one might say while looking out the window and beholding what all in the room could not see. Then he would relate what he had seen or what he was looking at. Then Sidney replied, “I see the same.” Presently Sidney would say, “What do I see?” and would repeat what he had seen or was seeing, and Joseph would reply, “I see the same.” This manner of conversation was repeated at short intervals to the end of the vision, and during the whole time not a word was spoken by any other person, not a sound or motion made by anyone but Joseph and Sidney, and it seemed to me that they never moved a joint or limb during the time I was there, which I think was over an hour, and to the end of the vision. Joseph sat firmly and calmly all the time in the midst of a magnificent glory, but Sidney sat limp and pale, apparently as limber as a rag, observing which Joseph remarked, smilingly, “Sidney is not used to it as I am.

 Although it is unlikely that JS was the first to gain this knowledge, JS was the first in this dispensation to provide his account for all to read.  And in JS' own words he remarked: 

Nothing could be more pleasing to the saints upon the order of the kingdom of the Lord, than the light which burst upon the world through the foregoing vision. Every law, every commandment, every promise, every truth, and every point touching the destiny of man, from Genesis to Revelation, where the purity of the scriptures remains unsullied by the folly of men, go to show the perfection of the theory [of different degrees of glory in the future life] and witnesses the fact that that document is a transcript from the records of the eternal world. The sublimity of the ideas; the purity of the language; the scope for action; the continued duration for completion, in order that the heirs of salvation may confess the Lord and bow the knee; the rewards for faithfulness, and the punishments for sins, are so much beyond the narrow-mindedness of men, that every honest man is constrained to exclaim: “It came from God” (HC, 1:251-53).

Notably in 1843 Joseph wrote and published a version of the section 76 in poetry.  This rewriting of section 76 apparently came about when someone wrote a somewhat antagonistic letter to the editor of the Times and Seasons in Nauvoo.  A copy of the poem can be found here. 

One notable feature about this revelation is that it was not given concurrently with the experience.  Given how those who were present described the events, it seems like the revelation was written down after the experience.  Thus it is possible that the revelation does not follow how the events were perceived chronologically, but instead JS and SR recorded the revelation to convey a theme.  One notable theme is the juxtaposition of the sons of perdition with those who receive a kingdom of glory.  

Section 

1 Hear, O ye heavens, and give ear, O earth, and rejoice ye inhabitants thereof, for the Lord is God, and beside him there is no Savior. 2 Great is his wisdom, marvelous are his ways, and the extent of his doings none can find out. 3 His purposes fail not, neither are there any who can stay his hand. 4 From eternity to eternity he is the same, and his years never fail. 5 For thus saith the Lord—I, the Lord, am merciful and gracious unto those who fear me, and delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end. 6 Great shall be their reward and eternal shall be their glory [those who fear the Lord and serve him in righteousness]. 7 And to them [those who fear the Lord] will I reveal all mysteries, yea, all the hidden mysteries of my kingdom from days of old, and for ages to come, will I make known unto them [those who fear the Lord] the good pleasure of my will concerning all things pertaining to my kingdom. 8 Yea, even the wonders of eternity shall they know, and things to come will I show them, even the things of many generations. 9 And their wisdom shall be great, and their understanding reach to heaven; and before them the wisdom of the wise shall perish, and the understanding of the prudent shall come to naught. 10 For by my Spirit will I enlighten them, and by my power will I make known unto them the secrets of my will—yea, even those things which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor yet entered into the heart of man [the Spirit and power refer to the same thing, see verse 12] .

• Verses 5-10 : To Those Who Fear Me 
• From verses 5 - 10, the Lord lists the blessing that he will give to those who fear the Lord and serve him in righteousness and truth. 
• They will receive mercy and grace.  Mercy refers to compassion and is often used in the context of being judgment for one's sins.  Grace, on the other hand, refers to undeserved and unmerited favor.  Mercy accompanies justification; grace accompanies sanctification. 
• God will honor, or elevate in rank or station
• He will reveal all his mysteries -- the mysteries of past and future
• He will reveal his will
• He will reveal to them to wonders of eternity 
• They will possess great wisdom and understanding.  Wisdom refers to how to apply knowledge, information, understanding correcting.  Some terms this as imperative or procedural knowledge.  Conversely, understanding refers to knowledge derived from reason, also called a priori knowledge.  Understanding precedes wisdom.  One first uses reason to reach conclusion about the world.  One gains wisdom by applying that into real life situations to bring about the outcome one desires.  God is full of wisdom because he knows how to achieve the results he wills. 
• They will be enlightened by his Spirit and know the secrets of his will 
• Knowing God's will leads to salvation and exaltation.  Lectures on Faith teaches that three things are necessary in order for a person to be saved.  First, a person must have a idea that God exists.  Second, he must have a correct idea of his character, perfections, and attributes.  Third, he must know that the life is his pursuing is according to God's will.  
• Here, we learn that those who fear the Lord will know God's entire will concerning his kingdom and even the secrets of his will (i..e, parts of God's will that is not revealed to humanity).  Having this knowledge, the the person then knows whether or not his life aligns with God's will and whether he is doing God's will.  Knowing that his life is in accordance with God's will, will give him the confidence to endure until the end -- despite the challenges and trials of mortality.   

11 We, Joseph Smith, Jun., and Sidney Rigdon, being in the Spirit on the sixteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty-two— 12 By the power of the Spirit our eyes were opened and our understandings were enlightened, so as to see and understand the things of God— 13 Even those things which were from the beginning before the world was, which were ordained of the Father, through his Only Begotten Son, who was in the bosom of the Father, even from the beginning [JS and SR not only learned about the degrees of glory, but also the things before the earth was created]; 14 Of whom we bear record; and the record which we bear is the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, who is the Son, whom we saw and with whom we conversed in the heavenly vision. 15 For while we were doing the work of translation, which the Lord had appointed unto us, we came to the twenty-ninth verse of the fifth chapter of John, which was given unto us as follows— 16 Speaking of the resurrection of the dead, concerning those who shall hear the voice of the Son of Man: 17 And shall come forth; they who have done good, in the resurrection of the just; and they who have done evil, in the resurrection of the unjust. 18 Now this caused us to marvel, for it was given unto us of the Spirit. 19 And while we meditated upon these things, the Lord touched the eyes of our understandings and they were opened, and the glory of the Lord shone round about [note: the Nephi's vision was predicated upon the same activity of meditating -- or pondering.  Asking question open us up to greater revelation]. 20 And we beheld the glory of the Son, on the right hand of the Father, and received of his [the Son's] fulness; 21 And saw the holy angels, and them who are sanctified before his throne [not all angels are sanctified], worshiping God, and the Lamb, who worship him forever and ever.

• Verse 19: Meditated Upon These Things 
• President David O. McKay taught the importance of meditating upon the scriptures:
• I think we pay too little attention to the value of meditation, a principle of devotion. In our worship there are two elements. One is spiritual communion arising from our own meditation; the other, instruction from others, particularly from those who have authority to guide and instruct us. Of the two, the more profitable introspectively is meditation. Meditation is the language of the soul. It is defined as “a form of private devotion or spiritual exercise, consisting in deep, continued reflection on some religious theme.” Meditation is one of the most secret, most sacred doors through which we pass into the presence of the Lord (CR, April 1967, 85). 
• Verse 21: Holy Angels
• Recently, hierarchy has become a dirty word, as it is associated with inequality and unrighteous power.  While such sentiments are perhaps true, to some extent, hierarchy is a natural result when any system establishes value on something.  There is a hierarchy in heaven.  And this hierarchy is structured around one's holiness (the value).  Here we learn that angels are a category distinct from sanctified beings.  Sometimes angels and sanctified people are conflated.  But here, JS and SR refer to them separately.  Technically, angels are those who have failed to become sanctified. 
• The mystery power and glory of the priesthood is so great and glorious that the angels desired to understand it and cannot: why, because of the tradition of them and their fathers in setting up stakes and not coming up to the mark in their probationary state. (Words of Joseph Smith, p. 247)

22 And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives! 23 For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father— 24 That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds [JS and SR use the plural -- "worlds" instead of world] are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God [JS and SR can declare that Christ lives because they have actual knowledge of his existence].

• Verse 24: Through Him...the Worlds Are and Were Created 
• And worlds without number have I created; and I also created them for mine own purpose; and by the Son I created them, which is mine Only Begotten.  34 And the first man of all men have I called Adam, which is many.  35 But only an account of this earth, and the inhabitants thereof, give I unto you. For behold, there are many worlds that have passed away by the word of my power. And there are many that now stand, and innumerable are they unto man; but all things are numbered unto me, for they are mine and I know them.  36 And it came to pass that Moses spake unto the Lord, saying: Be merciful unto thy servant, O God, and tell me concerning this earth, and the inhabitants thereof, and also the heavens, and then thy servant will be content.  37 And the Lord God spake unto Moses, saying: The heavens, they are many, and they cannot be numbered unto man; but they are numbered unto me, for they are mine.  38 And as one earth shall pass away, and the heavens thereof even so shall another come, and there is no end to my works, neither to my words.  39 For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.  (Moses 1:34-39.)

25 And this we saw also, and bear record, that an angel of God who was in authority in the presence of God [Lucifier], who rebelled against the Only Begotten Son whom the Father loved and who was in the bosom of the Father, was thrust down from the presence of God and the Son, 26 And was called Perdition [Satan's new name, not title, is called Perdition.  Those who join him are his sons], for the heavens wept over him—he was Lucifer, a son of the morning. 27 And we beheld, and lo, he is fallen! is fallen, even a son of the morning! 28 And while we were yet in the Spirit, the Lord commanded us that we should write the vision; for we beheld Satan, that old serpent, even the devil, who rebelled against God, and sought to take the kingdom of our God and his Christ— 29 Wherefore, he maketh war with the saints of God, and encompasseth them round about.

• Verses 25 - 29: Angel of God 
• The scriptures are fairly silent about the devil.  Here, however, we get an insight into who he was.  He was an angel who stood in God's presence.  To stand in God's presence means that he was a sanctified being.  Although God has not revealed much about the hierarchy of the hosts of heaven, he has revealed bits and pieces.  
• Broadly speaking, the Bible refers to three classes of angels -- seraphim, cherubim, and archangels.  Isaiah refers to the seraphim when he encounters God.  Similarly, Ezekiel refers to seeing cherubim during his encounter with the Lord. And the scriptures refer to Michael and Gabriel as archangels.  
• The seraphim and cherubim stand in the presence of God and guard is "throne." Knowing the exact role or hierarchy among these class of angels is not important.  The point is to show that certain classes of being exist.  And these classes are sanctified enough to stand in God's presence. 
• Thus when JS and SR saw they saw that Satan was an angel is God's presence, it means that Satan was not any kind of angel -- but was a sanctified being.  Ezekiel description gives us further detail about the nature of Satan.  Likening Satan to the king of Tyre, Ezekiel describes Satan as follows: 
• 12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. 13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. 14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. (Ezekiel 28: 12-14) 
• Here, Satan is described as a cherub who was full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.  Remember, cherub or cherubim are throne guardians.  The stones being described allude to the high priests attire under the Mosaic law (see Exod 28: 17-20), thus alluding to Satan as  a high priest.  
• The stones can also allude to Satan's wealth, since the stones listed were precious and valuable. Last, the statement that he "wast upon the holy mountain of God" further drives home the point that Satan was in God's presence, since mountains in ancient near east were depicted as God's dwelling place -- e..g, mount Zion, mountain of the Lord. 
• From Ezekiel's description, we learn that Satan was an angel of promience and prestige.  In fact, the name Lucifer means "light bearer" or "son of the morning" (see verse 28).  Satan is not a name, but a title -- meaning adversary.  Ezekiel's description matches with JS and SR, who describe Satan as being in the bosom of the Father. 
• But somewhere along the way he fell. And Ezekiel explains how: 
• 15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee...17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. (Ezekiel 28) 
• Although perfect, Satan eventually became lifted up in his beauty and brightness (intelligence and glory).  This lead to pride which corrupted his wisdom causing him to misapply his knowledge which led to his fall.  Having fallen, he rejected the light he knew and as a consequence that light was replaced with darkness causing him to be "thrust" down of God's presence.  The use of the word down in verse 25 is fitting, since it connotes Satan's demotion from his high station. 
• Having been cast "down" from God's presence, he rebelled and made war with the Saints. 
• The point in taking this detailed examination into Satan and the classes of angels is to point out that no person is safe from falling -- even in the next life.  Only God and his son are immune and hence why we are to only put our trust in them -- because they won't fail us.  We must not treat lightly the things which God has revealed to us and we must always remain humble and vigilant. 

• Verse 26: Sons of Perdition 
• The word sons can function as a title in the scriptures.  There are three classes of sons: sons of God; sons of men; and sons of Perdition.  Generally speaking, Sons of God are those who have become born again. These are those who inherit the celestial kingdom and become members of the church of the Firstborn (verse 58).  Sons of men are those who have not. They consist of the wicked and the honorable men who have been deceived.  And the sons of Perdition are those who have actively rebelled against God and have rejected the light in full knowledge (see verses 31 -38). 

30 And we saw a vision of the sufferings of those with whom he [Satan] made war and overcame, for thus came the voice of the Lord unto us: 31 Thus saith the Lord concerning all those who know my power, and have been made partakers thereof, and suffered themselves through the power of the devil to be overcome, and to deny the truth and defy my power— 32 They are they who are the sons of perdition, of whom I say that it had been better for them never to have been born; 33 For they are vessels of wrath, doomed to suffer the wrath of God, with the devil and his angels in eternity; 34 Concerning whom I have said there is no forgiveness in this world nor in the world to come— 35 Having denied the Holy Spirit after having received it, and having denied the Only Begotten Son of the Father, having crucified him unto themselves and put him to an open shame. 36 These are they who shall go away into the lake of fire and brimstone, with the devil and his angels— 37 And the only ones on whom the second death shall have any power; 38 Yea, verily, the only ones who shall not be redeemed in the due time of the Lord, after the sufferings of his wrath.

• Verse 30: Those With Whom He...Overcame
• In addition to seeing Satan's fall from grace and the war in heaven, JS and SR also see the fate of those who Satan conquered (overcame) during the war in heaven.  Those whom Satan conquered denied were those who knew of God's power and denied it.  

• Verse 33: Vessels of Wrath 
• One commentator explained: "This metaphor compares the sons of perdition to cups or other containers into which the wrath of God is to be poured." The prophet remarked about those who are sons of perdition. He said, "You cannot save such persons; you cannot bring them to repentance; they make open war, like the devil, and awful is the consequence" (TPJS, 358) .  He also further explained "Those who commit the unpardonable sin are doomed to Gnolom to dwell in hell, worlds without end. As they concocted scenes of bloodshed in this world, so they shall rise to that resurrection which is as the lake of fire and brimstone. Some shall rise to the everlasting burnings of God; for God dwells in everlasting burnings and some shall rise to the damnation of their own filthiness, which is as exquisite a torment as the lake of fire and brimstone" (King Follett Sermon)
• In a previous post, I explained how one qualifies for being a son of perdition. 

• Verse 38: Shall Not Be Redeemed In the Due Time of the Lord 
• As we learned in section 19, hell is not permanent.  Once a person repents of his sins, he is released from hell.  Hell is not a kingdom of glory.  Those who inherit anything less than the celestial kingdom will have to work out their salvation (not exaltation) through hell (see Alma 34; D&C 76: 71-73).  However, once they have learned what they need and seek for repentance, they will be released from hell and assigned a kingdom of glory. The release is their redemption in the "due time of the Lord." All except the sons of perdition will be released.  The sons of perdition they remain in their state of utter darkness, where no light shines because they refuse it -- preferring to find comfort in a lie instead of truth. 

39 For all the rest [those who are not sons of Perdition] shall be brought forth by the resurrection of the dead, through the triumph and the glory of the Lamb, who was slain, who was in the bosom of the Father before the worlds were made. 40 And this is the gospel, the glad tidings, which the voice out of the heavens bore record unto us— 41 That he came into the world, even Jesus, to be crucified for the world, and to bear the sins of the world, and to sanctify the world, and to cleanse it from all unrighteousness; 42 That through him all might be saved whom the Father had put into his power and made by him; 43 Who glorifies the Father, and saves all the works of his hands, except those sons of perdition who deny the Son after the Father has revealed him.

• Verse 40: This Is the Gospel
• JS and SR sum up the what the gospel is: It is the glad tiding that Christ was crucified the bear the sins of the world, the sanctify the world, and to cleanse the world from all unrighteousness in order that all men might be saved.  Thus the atonement served more than the function of Christ taking upon the sins of the world.  It is broader and more encompassing.  The atonement serves to sanctify (make holy) the world and cleanse the world from unrighteousness. 
• One way the atonement sanctifies the world is that it provides the opportunity for men to be forgiven and by being forgiven, they can pursue the course of sanctification.  If there was not option for forgiveness, then it would impossible for men to seek for sanctification.  
• Similarly, the world is cleansed from unrighteousness through the ability to repent. 
• It is through the atonement that Zion can be restored, that miracles can came to pass, that God is able to commune with man and man is able to be brought back into the His presence. 

 44 Wherefore, he saves all except them [the sons of perdition]—they shall go away into everlasting punishment, which is endless punishment, which is eternal punishment, to reign with the devil and his angels in eternity, where their worm dieth not, and the fire [of God's judgment] is not quenched, which is their torment— [because the Spirit can't "die" the sons of perdition can't remove themselves from the torment of God's judgment, which judgment is a full exposure of who they are.  They are stuck in their misery] 45 And the end thereof, neither the place thereof, nor their torment, no man knows; 46 Neither was it revealed, neither is, neither will be revealed unto man, except to them who are made partakers thereof; 47 Nevertheless, I, the Lord, show it [the torment of the sons of perdition] by vision unto many, but straightway shut it up again; [To many, the Lord shows them the torment of the sons of perdition, but only through visions and only quickly] 48 Wherefore, the end, the width, the height, the depth, and the misery thereof, they understand not, neither any man except those who are ordained unto this condemnation [even those who get peek into the conditions of the sons of perdition will not know the full circumference of the pain and misery.  They get only a glimpse.  Only those who are ordained to this state will know] and comprehend it. 

The Celestials 

49 And we heard the voice, saying: Write the vision, for lo, this is the end of the vision of the sufferings of the ungodly. 50 And again we bear record—for we saw and heard, and this is the testimony of the gospel of Christ concerning them who shall come forth in the resurrection of the just— 51 They are they who received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on his name and were baptized after the manner of his burial, being buried in the water in his name, and this according to the commandment which he has given— 52 That by keeping the commandments they might be washed and cleansed from all their sins, and receive the Holy Spirit by the laying on of the hands of him who is ordained and sealed unto this power; 53 And who overcome by faith, and are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, which the Father sheds forth upon all those who are just and true.

• Verse 53: Sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise
• Those who are heirs of the celestial kingdom have it confirmed upon them by the Holy Spirit of Promise.  The Holy Spirit of Promise if the assurance from God that one has a place there 
• 1 Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you who have assembled yourselves together to receive his will concerning you: 2 Behold, this is pleasing unto your Lord, and the angels rejoice over you; the alms of your prayers have come up into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, and are recorded in the book of the names of the sanctified, even them of the celestial world. 3 Wherefore, I now send upon you another Comforter, even upon you my friends, that it may abide in your hearts, even the Holy Spirit of promise; which other Comforter is the same that I promised unto my disciples, as is recorded in the testimony of John. 4 This Comforter is the promise which I give unto you of eternal life, even the glory of the celestial kingdom... (D&C 88) 
• And as JS taught
• God is not a respecter, we all have the same privilege, come to God, weary him until he blesses you. We are entitled to the same blessings, Jesus, revelations, Just Men, angels, etc... Obtain that Holy Spirit of Promise - then you can be sealed to Eternal Life." (Joseph Smith; Words of Joseph Smith, p.15.)
• The reception of the Holy Spirit of promise is distinct from receiving the Holy Ghost. Those who receive this promise are those who have overcome the world by faith.  In other words, there is nothing there is nothing in the world that can take away their faith in the Lord.  They have been refined in the fire and have shown themselves faithful.  

54 They are they who are the church of the Firstborn. 55 They are they into whose hands the Father has given all things— 56 They are they who are priests and kings, who have received of his fulness, and of his glory; 57 And are priests of the Most High, after the order of Melchizedek, which was after the order of Enoch, which was after the order of the Only Begotten Son [Before Melchizedek came onto the scene, it appears that the Melchizedek priesthood was called order of Enoch]. 58 Wherefore, as it is written, they are gods, even the sons of God— 59 Wherefore, all things are theirs, whether life or death, or things present, or things to come, all are theirs and they are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s. 60 And they shall overcome all things.

61 Wherefore, let no man glory in man, but rather let him glory in God, who shall subdue all enemies under his feet. 62 These shall dwell in the presence of God and his Christ forever and ever. 63 These are they whom he shall bring with him, when he shall come in the clouds of heaven to reign on the earth over his people. 64 These are they who shall have part in the first resurrection [Remember: JS and SR prayed to know about who would come froth in the first resurrection.  Here, they receive their answer]. 65 These are they who shall come forth in the resurrection of the just. 66 These are they who are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly place, the holiest of all. 67 These are they who have come to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of Enoch, and of the Firstborn. 68 These are they whose names are written in heaven, where God and Christ are the judge of all. 69 These are they who are just men [justified men] made perfect [sanctified] through Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, who wrought out this perfect atonement through the shedding of his own blood. 70 These are they whose bodies are celestial, whose glory is that of the sun, even the glory of God, the highest of all, whose glory the sun of the firmament is written of as being typical.

• Verses 54 -70: They In Whose Hands the Father Has Given All Things 
• The following is the inheritance of those who inherit a celestial glory.  
• Church of the Firstborn 
• Receive all things from the Father
• Received of the fullness of the Father's glory
• Priest and Kings (Priestesses and Queens) after the order of the Son of God
• Gods and Sons/Daughter's of God
• Shall overcome all things 
• Dwell in God's presence
• Part in the first resurrection [the resurrection of the just]
• Have been made perfect

• Verse 56: Fullness of the Father's Glory 
• We learn from Doctrine and Covenants 93 that the glory of God is light and truth (see D&C 93: 36).  Therefore to receive a fullness of God's glory is to receive a fullness of the truth he possesses.  To receive this truth requires the sacrifice of all -- because it is not something easily given, but is obtained as one increases in his capacity to obtain it. 
• Just as a school child can't comprehend calculus and must learn the principles of mathematics line-upon-line, so it is the case with spiritual truth.  It is learned line-upon-line, grace upon grace (see D&C 93). Those who inherit this glory receive the fullness of God's glory because they have developed the character to receive, comprehend, and handle it.  The ill effects of social media use today show what happens when people are given blessings that they can can't handle properly; they misuse and hurt others in the process.  To receive all the God has requires us to have developed the character where the knowledge given to us makes us God-like, instead of devils. 

The Terrestrials

71 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. 72 Behold, these are they who died without law; 73 And also they who are the spirits of men kept in prison, whom the Son visited, and preached the gospel unto them, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh; 74 Who received not the testimony of Jesus in the flesh, but afterwards received it. 75 These are they who are honorable men of the earth, who were blinded by the craftiness of men. 76 These are they who receive of his glory, but not of his fulness. 77 These are they who receive of the presence of the Son, but not of the fulness of the Father. 78 Wherefore, they are bodies terrestrial, and not bodies celestial, and differ in glory as the moon differs from the sun. 79 These are they who are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus; wherefore, they obtain not the crown over the kingdom of our God. 80 And now this is the end of the vision which we saw of the terrestrial, that the Lord commanded us to write while we were yet in the Spirit.

• Verse 71: They Who Are of the Terrestrial 
• The terrestrial consist of disparate groups of individuals.  It comprises of those who died without the law, those who were kept in prison who received the testimony of Jesus in the Spirit, not the flesh, which testimony is a personal knowledge of Jesus Christ.  It also consists of the honorable men of earth who were blinded by false doctrine and those who were not valiant in their testimony of Jesus.  Those who are terrestrial receive the light and truth of God, but not in its fullness. They receive the presence of the Son, but the fullness of the Father.  

The Telestial 

81 And again, we saw the glory of the telestial, which glory is that of the lesser, even as the glory of the stars differs from that of the glory of the moon in the firmament. 82 These are they who received not  the gospel of Christ, neither the testimony of Jesus [receiving the gospel of Christ and testimony of Jesus are two distinct things.  The telestial didn't receive this things in the flesh (mortality)]. 83 These are they who deny not the Holy Spirit. 84 These are they who are thrust down to hell. 85 These are they who shall not be redeemed from the devil [delivered from the devil, from hell] until the last resurrection, until the Lord, even Christ the Lamb, shall have finished his work [after the battle of Gog and Magog, which occurs after the millennium]. 86 These are they who receive not of his fulness in the eternal world, but of the Holy Spirit through the ministration of the terrestrial [accept the Holy Spirit by receiving the gospel]; 87 And the terrestrial through the ministration of the celestial. 88 And also the telestial receive it of the administering of angels who are appointed to minister for them, or who are appointed to be ministering spirits for them; for they shall be heirs of salvation [each superior kingdom will minister to its immediate inferior kingdom].

• Verse 82: Received Not The Gospel of Christ
• To receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ is to exercise faith, repent, be baptized by both water and fire, and endure to the end.  Those who truly receive the gospel are those who have been born again through the baptism of fire and have received the gift of the Holy Ghost.  Reception of the gospel is the entrance into the telestial kingdom.  To receive the gospel means one has been saved.  Or, in other words, has received a kingdom of glory.  Only the wicked who repent and receive the gospel in the next life will inherit this kingdom -- but they will first have to go through hell to receive it.  We must be careful to avoid the interpretation that everyone except the sons of perdition will receive a kingdom of glory.  Those who can't abide the law of the telestial kingdom, which is the law of the gospel, will not receive a kingdom of glory. 
• 24 And he who cannot abide the law of a telestial kingdom cannot abide a telestial glory; therefore he is not meet for a kingdom of glory.   Therefore he must abide a kingdom which is not a kingdom of glory. 
• There are kingdom of glory and kingdom of no glory.  Kingdoms refer to the governing structure of space-time.  Where there is space, there is a kingdom -- in other words, there is a law set and which must be obeyed and which are set certain bounds and conditions (see D&C 88: 38-39).  Philosophers refer to this as natural law.  
• To receive the testimony of Jesus is to receive the personal ministration of Jesus Christ.  It is by having this personal knowledge that one can testify that he lives.  (D&C 88: 24)  Receiving of this testimony qualifies one for the terrestrial kingdom (see verse 74).  Those who receive it in the flesh (on earth) qualify for the celestial (see D&C 88:3-4).  Those who receive it afterwards, qualify for the terrestrial. 

89 And thus we saw, in the heavenly vision, the glory of the telestial, which surpasses all understanding; 90 And no man knows it except him to whom God has revealed it. 91 And thus we saw the glory of the terrestrial which excels in all things the glory of the telestial, even in glory, and in power, and in might, and in dominion. 92 And thus we saw the glory of the celestial, which excels in all things—where God, even the Father, reigns upon his throne forever and ever; 93 Before whose throne all things bow in humble reverence, and give him glory forever and ever. 94 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; 95 And he makes them equal in power, and in might, and in dominion. 96 And the glory of the celestial is one, even as the glory of the sun is one. 97 And the glory of the terrestrial is one, even as the glory of the moon is one. 

98 And the glory of the telestial is one, even as the glory of the stars is one; for as one star differs from another star in glory, even so differs one from another in glory in the telestial world; 99 For these are they who are of Paul, and of Apollos, and of Cephas. 100 These are they who say they are some of one and some of another—some of Christ and some of John, and some of Moses, and some of Elias, and some of Esaias, and some of Isaiah, and some of Enoch; 101 But received not the gospel, neither the testimony of Jesus, neither the prophets, neither the everlasting covenant. 102 Last of all, these all are they who will not be gathered with the saints, to be caught up unto the church of the Firstborn, and received into the cloud.

• Verse 98: They Who Are of Paul and of Apollos...
• JS and SR are quoting 1 Corinthians 3, but it is a fitting quotation.  In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul admonishes the saints in Corinth for their fidelity to the Paul and other missionaries, instead of Christ. As a result, Paul can't feed them with the meat of the gospel.  Telestial behavior is that of holding men up over God.  We see this all too often in the world, especially in our politics.  
• Much of the political rhetoric causes us to place our hope in a our president to save the world from its ills.  Both sides are guilty of this -- as this has become a greater trend.  We also see this arm-of-flesh behavior in our churches when the leaders of the church are held to standard of infallibility.  JS and SR are quite clear: esteeming men over God is telestial behavior because telestial behavior is to place something (a "god") before God.  
• Those who engage in the practice will prevent themselves from fully receiving the gospel and from receiving the Lord.  If we fall in the trap, now is the time to repent before it is too late. 

103 These are they who are liars, and sorcerers, and adulterers, and whoremongers, and whosoever loves and makes a lie. 104 These are they who suffer the wrath of God on earth [God's judgment, instead of purifying the telestial category, causes them suffer]. 105 These are they who suffer the vengeance of eternal fire. 106 These are they who are cast down to hell and suffer the wrath of Almighty God, until the fulness of times, when Christ shall have subdued all enemies under his feet, and shall have perfected his work; 107 When he shall deliver up the kingdom, and present it unto the Father, spotless, saying: I have overcome and have trodden the wine-press alone, even the wine-press of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God. 108 Then shall he be crowned with the crown of his glory, to sit on the throne of his power to reign forever and ever.

109 But behold, and lo, we saw the glory and the inhabitants of the telestial world, that they were as innumerable as the stars in the firmament of heaven, or as the sand upon the seashore; 110 And heard the voice of the Lord saying: These all [inhabitants of the telestial world] shall bow the knee, and every tongue shall confess to him who sits upon the throne forever and ever [To inherit the telestial kingdom requires that one bow and confess]; 111 For they shall be judged according to their works, and every man shall receive according to his own works, his own dominion, in the mansions which are prepared; 112 And they shall be servants of the Most High; but where God and Christ dwell they cannot come, worlds without end. 113 This is the end of the vision which we saw, which we were commanded to write while we were yet in the Spirit. 

114 But great and marvelous are the works of the Lord, and the mysteries of his kingdom which he showed unto us, which surpass all understanding in glory, and in might, and in dominion; 115 Which he commanded us we should not write while we were yet in the Spirit, and are not lawful for man to utter [there was additional knowledge that JS and SR saw that they were not permitted to record.  This knowledge they saw pertains the mysteries of God]; 116 Neither is man capable to make them [the mysteries of the Lord's kingdom] known, for they [the mysteries of the Lord's kingdom] are only to be seen and understood by the power of the Holy Spirit, which [power of the Holy Spirit] God bestows on those who love him, and purify themselves before him; 117 To whom [those who love and purify themselves] he grants this privilege [the privilege of knowing the mysteries of his kingdom] of seeing and knowing for themselves; 118 That through the power and manifestation of the Spirit, while in the flesh, they may be able to bear his presence in the world of glory [knowing the mysteries, which comes from the power and manifestation of the Spirit, causes us to be able to bear his presence in the next life]. 119 And to God and the Lamb be glory, and honor, and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

• Verse 117: This Privilege 
• The privilege refereed to in verse 76 refers to the fact that all people have the same privilege to know the mysteries of God, like JS and SR learned.  And no man can know these things except through the Spirit of God because they can only be understood through the Spirit.  Those who receive this privilege, which is open to all, are those who have those who love God (keep his commandments and love one's neighbor) and purify themselves will know of the mysteries.