D&C 19:1-3

Section 19 is an different animal, in that it is a commandment given to MH. The IM gives the introduction as follows: “President Joseph Fielding Smith gave the following background to this section: ‘this revelation was given some time in March, 1830 (in Manchester, New York). It would seem that Martin Harris had come to Joseph Smith seeking further assurance in relation to his standing before the Lord, being sorely troubled in spirit because of his transgression. He had already been granted the privilege, on his earnest solicitation, of being one of the Three Witnesses, and that wonderful vision had been given. Perhaps out of this came much serious reflection and he sought further light. However, there is no indication in the History of the Church as to the reason why the revelation was given, and the exact day is unknown when it was given. It was without question a revelation of great comfort to Martin, and it is one of the great revelations given in this dispensation; there are few of greater import than this. The doctrine of the atonement of the Lord, as directly applying to the individual, and his exposition of ‘Eternal Punishment,’ as here set forth, give to the members of the Church light which was not previously known.” I definitely take it for granted that we have so much doctrinal knowledge now, that I forget that the early Saints didn’t have any of that knowledge, they were working with a Bible and flawed religious beliefs, and they were trying to reconcile great truths with what they already knew. Section 19 is long and very content heavy, so let’s get to it. 19:1-3 – DJR gives an excellent breakdown of the way that the Lord introduces Himself, I’m going to insert DJR’s comments in the parenthesis in the verses. “I am Alpha and Omega (the first and last letters in the Greek Alphabet; in other words, ‘I am the first and the last, the beginning and the end’; for instance, He created the earth in the beginning, under the Father’s direction, and will be there at the end, as our final judge), Christ (the ‘Anointed One’, the ‘Messiah’ whim the prophet promised would come) the Lord (the God of this world, under the Father direction); yea, even I am he, the beginning and the end (same as Alpha and Omega), the Redeemer of the world (the Savior of all). I, having accomplished and finished the will of him whose I am, even the Father, concerning me (He carried out the Atonement and all aspects of His mortal mission, perfectly, as assigned by the Father; see also verse 19)- having done this that I might subdue all things unto myself (having carried out the Atonement perfectly gave Christ personal power over all things (see verse 3) such that he could save all who are willing to come unto Him for salvation)- Retaining all power, even to the destroying of Satan and his works at the end of the world (the ‘end of the world’ is defined as ‘the destruction of the wicked’ in Joseph Smith- Matthew 1:4), and the last great day of judgment (the final judgment), which I shall pass upon the inhabitants thereof (Christ is our final judge. John 5:22 tells us that ‘the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son.’), judging every man according to his works and the deeds which he hath done. (Christ will judge us according to our works. In D&C 137:9, Jesus informs us that He will also judge us according to the desires of our hearts.)” There are a lot of words here that I don’t understand. The IM quotes “Smith and Sjodahl” as teaching, “Our Lord begins this Revelation by introducing Himself under five different names, each indicating His nature or work: ‘Alpha and Omega. The first and the last letter of the Greek alphabet, used as symbols of the beginning and the ending. Christ is so called, because He is the Author and the Preserver of all things. Christ the Lord. ‘Christ’ means anointed.’ Prophets, Priests, and Kings were anointed, and our Lord unites all these offices in Him. He is the anointed Lord. The Greek word Christ is the same as the Hebrew Messiah (Mashiac), the titled used in John 1:41, and 4:25. I am He. This is equivalent to Jehovah… The Beginning and the End. He was in the beginning and will remain throughout all eternities. He is endless. The Redeemer of the World. Christ is our Redeemer. He delivers those who turn to Him from the bondage of sin and guilt. He has ‘bought’ us. And the world will in due time be delivered from the power of Satan, from sin and all its consequences, such as war, poverty, ignorance, sickness, and even death.” I’m trying to read this section from the point of view of Martin Harris, I can see the Lord trying to establish who he is here, but I’m intrigued by the phrase “that I might subdue all things unto myself.” I’m going to have to think about this. Maybe by subduing “all things” he the can retain “all power, even to the destroying of Satan.” If Jesus hadn’t atoned for the sins and pains of the world, and all people, then Satan couldn’t have been stopped or controlled. Justice would have demanded that the price of sin be paid, and by who? Us, we would have had to pay for our own sins, but we learn in this section that it is possible to pay for your own sins, it’s just incredibly horrific. So if we could pay for our own sins, then why not just let us? Why would Jesus undergo atonement just to save us from pain, even though we could have done it ourselves, even though it would be awful? This implies that the atonement isn’t just about paying for sins, there has to be another aspect, another purpose besides the forgiveness of sins. In the “Infinite Atonement” Tad R. Callister says, “Some have asked, ‘If we subject ourselves to the laws of justice, will we receive the same fruit as if we had submitted ourselves to Christ and received the blessings of the laws of mercy?’ In other words, can we ‘eat, drink, and be merry,’ and then at the last minute bear the full weight of justice and receive the same reward as the name who has repented? The answer is no. Paying the price of justice alone neither cleansed the soul nor perfects our character. Yet because of Christ, repentance does both. The man who has served his five-year jail term has satisfied the laws of the land; he has paid the debt of justice- but such compliance, such endurance does not, in and of itself, transform a criminal into a saint. One ‘becometh a saint’ only ‘through the atonement of Christ the Lord.’ All the justice in the universe, administered through all the eons of time, will not produce one single saint. Sainthood, which leads to godhood, requires repentance; repentance requires mercy; and mercy requires the Atonement of Jesus Christ. It always comes back to the Atonement. The heavy hand of justice does not change or soften or rehabilitate or reform. Unlike repentance, it is not a spiritual catalyst. To the contrary, it is neutral, always neutral. The Lord spoke of its unyielding, noncleansing nature: ‘That which breaketh a law, and abideth not by law, but seeketh to become a law unto itself, and willeth to abide in sin, and altogether abideth in sin, cannot be sanctified by law, neither by mercy, justice, nor judgment. Therefore, they must remain filthy still.’ The judge with all this mighty sway cannot lower his gavel with purifying power; beither can the iron bars of the most formidable fortress confine with a cleansing catharsis. Justice can be satisfied to the utmost farthing, and yet one can be filthy still. Why? Because the power to cleanse is not bestowed in this manner, but rather by him whose right is it to bestow. Justice is external, repentance is internal. A man’s soul may stoically endure justice, but justice may cause no more change in a human soul than a hammer on cold steel. In contrast, the repentant soul is malleable and flexible. It is molten steel in the forge of the blacksmith, wet clay on the wheel of the potter, a Stradivarious in the grasp of the virtuosos. Repentance is a broken heart and contrite spirit in the hands of the Great Physician. It is the internal desire of man combined with the external power of God, so merging in miraculous harmony that it enlarges, endows, and enlightens the human spirit with a godlike nature. Repentance is the divinely chosen process that leads to godhood while satisfying justice each step of the way. The law of justice brings about order and stability in the universe. That is good. But the law of repentance does much more; it brings about godhood. Repentance is more than a passive process to ‘get us even’; it is the affirmative process to improve us, refine us, and ultimately perfect us. Its purpose goes far beyond the satisfaction of justice. It opens the door to the cleansing and perfecting powers of the Atonement. Elder Bruce Hafen has written: ‘I once wondered if those who refuse to repent but who then satisfy the law of justice by paying for their own sins are then worthy to enter the celestial kingdom. The answer is no. The entrance requirements for celestial life are simply higher than merely satisfying the law of justice. For that reason, paying for our sins will not bear the same fruit as repenting of our sins. Justice is a law of balance and order and it must be satisfied, either through our payment or his. But if we decline the Savior’s invitation to let him carry our sins, and then satisfy justice by ourselves, we will not yet have experienced the complete rehabilitation that can occur through a combination of divine assistance and genuine repentance. Working together, those forces have the power permanently to change our hearts and our lives, preparing us for celestial life… The doctrines of mercy and repentance are rehabilitative, not retributive, in nature. The Savior asks for our repentance not merely to compensate him for paying our debt to justice, but also as a way of inducing us to undergo the process of development that will make our nature divine, giving us the capacity to live the celestial law.’” That was really long, but I needed to do it, I needed to write it out and read it. It is a beautiful teaching, one that makes total sense and is so incredibly empowering that I really needed to hear that today.