D&C 38:5-22

38:5-9 - The Lord uses an interesting reference in verse 5 saying, “But behold, the residue of the wicked have I kept in chains of darkness until the judgment of the great day, which shall come at the end of the earth.” It’s the “chains of darkness” that I found to be interesting because the concept of chains or bandage or slavery as associated with sin is found all throughout the scriptures. The idea that keeping the commandments somehow limits your freedom only operates in the condition of complete lawlessness, and if there are no laws, then there is no gravity, there is no atmosphere, there are no plants or animals, there can be no governance, essentially, there can be no people because there can be no God, because there is no law, moral or otherwise, and there is nothing that can operate in the absence of direction. So if there are laws that govern the universe, then surely obedience to them will bring harmony with all things and disobedience to them will cause disharmony. It’s physics, once in motion, objects tend to stay in motion, so basically, getting into or out of the habit of keeping the commandments is more difficult than just staying there. Once out of the cycle, captivity comes, in that it’s more difficult to come back, and our options are more limited because we can’t rely on the guidance and protection of the Lord. There is a lot of gloom and doom awaiting the wicked, which are those who refuse to repent, about which the IM quotes President Joseph Fielding Smith as teaching, “When Christ comes the second time it will be in the clouds of heaven, and it shall be the day of vengeance against the ungodly, when those who have loved wickedness and have been guilty of transgression and rebellion against the laws of God will be destroyed. All during the ministry of Christ wickedness ruled and seemed to prevail, but when he comes in the clouds of glory as it is declared in this message of Malachi to the world, and which was said by Moroni to be near at hand, then Christ will appear as the refiner and purifier of both man and beast and all that pertains to this earth, for the earth itself shall undergo a change and receive its former paradisiacal glory.” Another interesting tidbit in verse 7 is “But behold, verily, verily, I say unto you that mine eyes are upon you. I am in your midst and ye cannot see me.” The IM quotes President Harold B. Lee as teaching a very profound lesson pertaining to this verse saying, “I have a session with the missionary group as they go out, in the temple, where they are permitted to ask intimate questions that wouldn’t be proper to be discussed elsewhere. They sometimes ask, Could you tell us a certain place in the temple where the Savior has been seen? My answer is, ‘Keep in mind that this is the house of the Lord; this is the place that we try to keep as pure and holy and sacred as any building we have. This is the most likely place he would come when he comes on earth. Don’t ask for a certain place because he was walked these halls. How do you know but what he is here in your midst?” I loved this because I’ve always had the idea that resurrected beings couldn’t be around us without being seen, but it is clear that they can stay hidden from us on their side of the veil. It is very encouraging to know that the Savior can be with us at our moment of need, that he can watch over us and care for us, and our agency will still be intact because we can’t see it with our mortal eyes. The Lord comes at us with his warning and encouragement saying, “wherefore, gird up your loins and be prepared. Behold, the kingdom is yours, and the enemy shall not overcome.” I remember sitting in a gospel principles class once and the teacher, at the end of the lesson, said as part of his testimony “I really do believe that the Lord will win this battle with evil.” I was pretty shocked, though, while writing it this doesn’t seem that bad, but I sat there flabbergasted because it’s a known fact that Satan will not win, cannot win, it’s not possible. If it was even a possibility that Satan could win, this world could not have come into creation. It would negate everything. The IM again quotes President Joseph Fielding Smith as teaching, “He has given us the kingdom. He has made us the promise that the enemy of the kingdom shall not overcome. We may have trouble. We have had trouble. We may meet with opposition, but that opposition shall fail in its endeavor to destroy the world of God. The gospel has been restored, and the kingdom given to his saints according to the prophecy of Daniel. It is not again to be removed, destroyed, or given to other people, and in his own way and time he is going to break down all other systems, that his kingdom may prevail and that he may come and reign as Lord of lords, and King of kings upon the face of the whole earth. The Lord has called attention to the fact that he is going to destroy systems and organizations and combinations that are false. And how is he going to do ti? By giving their members the truth, if they will receive it; by giving them the privilege of coming out of those organizations to receive the truth and have every opportunity to come into his kingdom, for his hand is outstretched ready to great them. If they will not come; if they will not receive his message; then, of course, they must fall with their systems. Truth will prevail; truth will stand when all else is removed, and it is destined to cover the face of the earth.” I love this, it is such a vital doctrine to me that everyone is going to have the opportunity to have the same information given to them, that all will be able to accept or reject the gospel based on the same information that everyone else has. In fact, I was just talking to my daughter about this today, why some spirits chose to follow Satan and not Jesus, and how much they knew and how they made their decision. I told her that we all had enough information to make our decision and that some people didn’t believe what Heavenly Father told them, and that they weren’t ready. Likewise, when the end comes, no one will be able to say that they didn’t have enough information to make their choice, that they did not know, because Jesus can’t and won’t do that, all will be given an equal chance at learning and accepting. This is critical for me. 38:10-22 - The Lord continues that “all flesh is corrupted before me; and the powers of darkness prevail upon the earth among the children of men… and all eternity is pained, and the angels are waiting the great command to reap down the earth, to gather the tares that they may be burned.” It’s hard to imagine sometimes, the way that our existence here on this earth looks to someone who is holy and Christ-like. I look at it from my point of view and I despise it, the wickedness, even though I know that I contribute my fair share to it, but if I were holy, if I were an “angel” I could only imagine the horror and disgust that fills them as they look at our earthly scene, righteous indignation. The IM quotes Elder Wilford Woodruff as teaching, “It certainly is time that we prepare ourselves for that which is to come. Great things await this generation- both Zion and Babylon. All these revelations concerning the fall of Babylon will have their fulfillment. Forty-five years ago, in speaking to the Church, the Lord said- (D&C 38:10-11). This causes silence to reign, and all eternity is pained. The angels of God are waiting to fulfill the great commandment given forty-five years ago, to go forth and reap down the earth because of the wickedness of men. How do you think eternity feels to-day? Why there is more wickedness, a thousand times over, in the United States now, than when that revelation was given. The whole earth is ripe in iniquity; and these inspired men, these Elders of Israel, have been commanded of the Almighty to go forth and warn the world, that their garments may be clear of the blood of all men.” After the Lord promises that he “will be merciful unto your weakness,” he goes back to what we were talking about in the earlier verses, DJR puts it “God is completely faith to all people,” as the Lord states that “I am no respector of persons.” There is also a great deal of discussion about the physical earth. The Lord says that “I have made the earth rich… And I hold forth and deign to give unto you greater riches, even a land of promise, a land flowing with milk and honey, upon which there shall be no curse. And I will give it unto you for the land of your inheritance; if you seek it with all your hearts.” Looking at this in the context of the early saints just being commanded to give up their homes, farms, and livelihood, and move to Ohio, this would be a very promising part of the revelation, but looking back at what did happen, moving from place to place and suffering in most of them, I wonder to what the Lord is referencing this? Where was the milk and honey and promised land? Was it to be realized only after their hard work and suffering? Was it to be realized in the next life or only through future generations? That sounds confrontational, but that’s not what I mean, I legitimately want to know what place exactly the Lord is referencing and what time period? Is this a millennial reference? Interestingly, when the Lord says that he has “made the earth rich” DJR comments “There is plenty for all; it is man’s mismanagement which causes problems.” We focus so much on the problem of “overpopulation” and “dwindling resources,” that we never stop to think if that’s true. If we pay farmers to not grow too many crops, if we throw more food away in the garbage disposal than most third world countries eat in a week, if we are watering golf courses with a million gallons of fresh water a day, but there are 1 billion people who don’t have enough clean water to drink, then yes, I would say that the Lord is correct on this one here. I am most fortunate to live in a place of abundance, but if I had to go hungry so that others could have more to eat, then I would do it in a heartbeat. Food is about power, and the worst part of the whole thing is that it is the women and children who suffer the most with this type of power struggle, and that’s what is sick and tragic. The Lord promises that “ye shall have it for the land of your inheritance, and for the inheritance of your children forever, while the earth shall stand, and ye shall possess it again in eternity, no more to pass away.” The IM says, “To better understand the Lord’s promise in these verses, one needs to understand that the Lord created the earth for His children and that it reflects the level of life that they live. Elder Bruce R. McConkie described four of the stages the earth has gone through and will yet go through: ‘Edenic earth. Following its physical creation, the earth was pronounced good. It was a terrestrial or paradisiacal state. There was no death either for man or for any form of life, and ‘all the vast creations of animated beings breathed naught but health, and peace, and joy.’ Telestial earth. When Adam fell, the earth fell also and became a mortal sphere, one upon which worldly and carnal people can live. This condition was destined to continue for a period of 6,000 years, and it was while in this state that the earth was baptized in water. Terrestrial earth. ‘We believe… that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.’ Thus, the earth is to go back to the primeval, paradisiacal, or terrestrial state that prevailed in the days of the Garden of Eden. Accompanying this transition to its millennial status the earth is to be burned, that is, receive its baptism of fire. It will then be a new heave and a new earth, and again health, peace, and joy will prevail upon its face. Celestial earth. Following the millennium plus ‘a little season’, the earth will die, be resurrected, and becoming like a ‘sea of glass,’ attain unto ‘its sanctified, immortal, and eternal state.’ Then the poor and the meek- that is, the godfearing and the righteous- shall inherit the earth; it will become an abiding place for the Father and the Son, and celestial beings will possess it forever and ever.’ The statement that there will be no curse on the land when the Lord comes refers to the terrestrial earth during the Millennium, whereas the promise that the Saints will possess it during eternity reflects the earth’s eventual celestial state.” To be honest, I don’t really understand very much of what was said there, I don’t understand how the earth we live on now will be different than the earth that we will live on, or why the baptism of water and fire are important for the earth, so I’m just going to leave that alone right there.