It has taken us two years, but we Latter-day Saints are finally (and unfortunately) finishing the Priesthood/Relief Society manual: Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith. One of the last lessons, Chapter 44, is one of the most important. It teaches any number of important doctrines, but four that stood out for me are 1) the commandment to complete the Nauvoo temple (D&C 124: 31-33; 40-41) ; 2) the keys of the kingdom (D&C 27: 13); 3) the dispensation of the fulness of times (D&C 128: 18); and 4) foreordination.
Concerning the temple, the manual reads:
Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith: Chapter 44: "The Restoration of All Things: The Dispensation of the Fulness of Times,” (2007), 507–16
Nauvoo resident Martha Coray was present at an address where she saw the Prophet [Joseph Smith] stretch his hand toward the temple and say in a melancholy tone, “If it should be … the will of God that I might live to behold that temple completed and finished from the foundation to the top stone, I will say, ‘O Lord, it is enough. Lord, let thy servant depart in peace.’ ” …
Joseph Smith did not live to see the Nauvoo Temple completed, but after his death [in 1844], thousands of Saints received sacred ordinances in the temple… . After the Saints were forced to leave Nauvoo [in 1846], their beautiful temple was destroyed. It was gutted by fire in 1848, and in 1850 a tornado leveled some of the walls, leaving the remaining walls so weakened that they had to be razed. Some 150 years later, construction began on a new Nauvoo Temple, built on the original site. The reconstructed temple was dedicated on June 27, 2002, becoming one of more than a hundred temples throughout the world. Each of these temples is a symbol that the fulness of God’s blessings to His children, living and dead, has been restored in this last dispensation.
Large numbers of Saints were forced to abandon the Nauvoo region in February of 1846 and shortly thereafter. Regardless, work continued on the Nauvoo temple until the completed building was dedicated in May of 1846 by a small group of priesthood holders.
Why did these Saints invest their hearts and souls into a building they were going to leave in days?
The simple answer (among many possible) is that the Saints believed that completion of the temple was a commandment of God. The cited verses below were given in January of 1841 at Nauvoo:
D&C 124: 31-33
31 But I command you, all ye my saints, to build a house unto me; and I grant unto you a sufficient time to build a house unto me; … .
32 … and if you do not these things at the end of the appointment ye shall be rejected as a church, with your dead, saith the Lord your God.
33 For verily I say unto you, that after you have had sufficient time to build a house to me, … your baptisms for your dead cannot be acceptable unto me;
To me (admitting my bias), the Nauvoo temple is one of the most symbolically meaningful temples in the Church. The meaning of the temple was magnified when it was destroyed and then resurrected. As such, the Nauvoo temple stands as both a symbol of the gospel and a symbol of early Mormon history and pioneer dedication.
The symbolic reference to "keys" is a reminder of the responsibility held in protecting access to something important. The term keys in the context of the Church actually refers to the presiding ability to act in the name of Christ.
The manual reads:
Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith: Chapter 44: "The Restoration of All Things: The Dispensation of the Fulness of Times,” (2007), 507–16
The Lord declared that He had committed unto Joseph Smith “the keys of my kingdom” (D&C 27:13).
What were the necessary keys to enable this necessary Restoration? To answer this question there are two Sections of the D&C, 27 & 110, that significantly address the question.
Section 27 discusses the following keys (in order):
*** v.5: -- keys of [Moroni for] the record of the stick of Ephraim [Book of Mormon];
*** v.6: -- the keys of [Elias for] bringing to pass the restoration of all things [the teachings of all ancient prophets]
*** v. 8: -- [keys of John to] be called and ordained even as Aaron [the first priesthood];
*** v. 9 -- the keys [of Elijah] of the power of turning the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers;
*** v. 12, 13 -- the keys [of Peter, James, & John] of your ministry … [and] of my kingdom.
Section 110 discusses the following keys (in order):
*** v. 11 – the keys [of Moses] of the gathering of Israel … , and the leading of the ten tribes;
*** v.12: -- the keys of [Elias for] committing the gospel of Abraham [to bless all generations];
*** v. 13-15 -- the keys [of Elijah] to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers;
*** v. 16 – the keys of this dispensation.
What is the practical importance of these keys? When I come across such questions I often go to the writings of President Joseph Fielding Smith, a man known for speaking with great clarity (even though some of what he has said is outdated):
Joseph Fielding Smith, (1956). Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. III, p. 136.
[T]here is no man upon the face of this earth who has the right to go forth and administer in any of the ordinances of the gospel unless the President of the Church, who holds the keys, sanctions it. He has given us authority; he has put the sealing power in our priesthood, because he holds those keys… .
The entire history of God's people on earth has been a cycle between sin or apostasy and restoration, signified by an authorized prophet holding the keys of the priesthood. Joseph Smith expressed this concept in this manner:
Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith: Chapter 44: "The Restoration of All Things: The Dispensation of the Fulness of Times,” (2007), 507–16
It is in the order of heavenly things that God should always send a new dispensation into the world when men have apostatized from the truth and lost the priesthood.
Even the great scientist and theologian Isaac Newton (1733) foresaw the falling away (apostasy) and the need for a restoration:
Sir Issac Newton (1733). Observations on the prophecies of Daniel and the Apocalypse of St. John (part 1, Chapter 1, last paragraphs)
For the prophets and apostles have foretold that as Israel often revolted and brake the covenant and upon repentance renewed it, so there should be a falling away among the Christians, soon after the days of the Apostles, and that in the latter days God would … make a new covenant with his people.
Did Newton have the right idea? Was he seeking the right course?
One of the great roles of this latter-day Church is to help usher in the dispensation of the fulness of times.
What is a dispensation? The LDS Bible Dictionary says under the topic Dispensations:
A dispensation of the gospel is a period of time in which the Lord has at least one authorized servant on the earth who bears the holy priesthood and the keys, and who has a divine commission to dispense the gospel to the inhabitants of the earth. When this occurs, the gospel is revealed anew, so that people of that dispensation do not have to depend basically on past dispensations for knowledge of the plan of salvation. … The Bible suggests at least one dispensation identified with Adam, another with Enoch, another with Noah, and so on with Abraham, Moses, and Jesus with his apostles in the meridian of time. Paul writes of “the dispensation of the fulness of times” in which the Lord will “gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth” (Eph. 1: 10).
Why does this Restoration build upon all the basic principles of past dispensations? Like all previous restorations, it is essential for the members of the Church to be able to rely upon modern prophets with the keys to the priesthood. Further, the Church people of this dispensation are assigned the responsibility of preparing the world for the second coming of Christ. A full knowledge is essential to fulfill that responsibility.
Joseph Smith summed up these issues:
Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith: Chapter 44: "The Restoration of All Things: The Dispensation of the Fulness of Times,” (2007), 507–16
The dispensation of the fullness of times will bring to light the things that have been revealed in all former dispensations; also other things that have not been before revealed. He shall send Elijah, the Prophet, etc., and restore all things in Christ. …
Now the purpose in Himself in the winding up scene of the last dispensation is that all things pertaining to that dispensation should be conducted precisely in accordance with the preceding dispensations. …
… All the ordinances and duties that ever have been required by the Priesthood, under the directions and commandments of the Almighty in any of the dispensations, shall all be had in the last dispensation, therefore all things had under the authority of the Priesthood at any former period, shall be had again, bringing to pass the restoration spoken of by the mouth of all the Holy Prophets.
The doctrine of foreordination refers to a divinely pre-appointed responsibility, the fulfillment of which depends upon faithfulness.
Joseph Smith explained the doctrine:
Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith: Chapter 44: "The Restoration of All Things: The Dispensation of the Fulness of Times,” (2007), 507–16
Every man who has a calling to minister to the inhabitants of the world was ordained to that very purpose in the Grand Council of heaven before this world was. I suppose that I was ordained to this very office in that Grand Council. It is the testimony that I want that I am God’s servant, and this people His people. The ancient prophets declared that in the last days the God of heaven should set up a kingdom which should never be destroyed, nor left to other people. …
The official LDS Church web site says in its "Gospel Library/Gospel Topics" section under foreordination:
The doctrine of foreordination applies to all members of the Church, not just to the Savior and His prophets. Before the creation of the earth, faithful women were given certain responsibilities and faithful men were foreordained to certain priesthood duties.
Thus, even though the Joseph Smith quote refers to "every man" called as a minister, women can be foreordained too. Mother Mary was pre-appointed (see 1 Nephi 11:13–20), and perhaps even Emma Smith (see D&C 25:3). The concept of foreordination involves being pre-appointed and given certain responsibilities during our pre-mortal life to be executed in this lifetime.
This essay has been long, but it contains a sample of some of the doctrines taught in Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, chapter 44. The entire manual is a treasure trove.
The manual is inexpensively available to both members and non-members at: Church Distribution.
It is also available online: Gospel Library/Lessons.
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5 comments:
S.Faux,
So many good things in there I don't know where to start. I was so excited by the rebuilding of the Nauvoo temple that I made of point of attending a broadcast dedicatory session. I agree that the temple's rising from the ground is a symbolically meaningful event for the church. President Hinckley seemed to say this much at the dedication I attended. He broke into tears when he spoke about how the temple represented the triump of saints who sacrificed so much in building the temple long ago.
Great quote from Isaac Newton. His friend and replacement as Lucasian Chair of Mathematics, William Whiston, wrote that Newton believed that an apostasy was in efect (your quote confirms this). He also wrote that Newton was looking forward to the restoration of the gospel, but lamented that it was still some ways away. Less than 100 years after Newton's death, Joseph Smith entered the grove.
Dave C.
Thanks for your comment. It is fun to argue about evolution and science philosophy, but the gospel makes all those arguments almost microscopic in meaning.
President Hinckley fulfilled his father's dream by rebuilding the Nauvoo temple. I am sure some percentage of his emotions were related to that fact.
I agree on Newton. I think he was looking for a restoration. Further, I think some of his theological writings were brilliant. They have not received the attention they deserve. Unfortunately, I am going to have to read them all in the next life, because I do not have time in this one.
Best wishes. Always know that, even when I write irritating notes on your blog. ;) Ultimately, I know we are on the same team.
S.Faux,
My favorite free resource for Newton's writings is
http://www.newtonproject.sussex.ac.
uk/prism.php?id=1
I've read 2 biographies of him, but there is nothing better than reading his original writings. Yes, his theological writings are copious.
Thanks, Dave C:
I was not aware of that Newton site. Here is the link to my Newton quote.
Just a wee bit of exploration on this site reminds me that my Latin is weak (although I was trained in it), and that Newton is over my head even on theology.
Good discussion here. Thanks!
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