D&C 45:1-5

Section 45 is a lot longer than section 44, and new in the way that the Lord discusses specific verses or events that are recorded in the Bible. I feel that this is significant in the same that way it’s significant when the Lord references Book of Mormon peoples and events. It’s a unifying force, it shows how the Bible and the Book of Mormon both support the doctrine of His gospel. The IM gives background information as follows: “The arrival of the Prophet Joseph Smith in Kirtland, ohio, marked the beginning of a period of rapid growth in the membership in the Church. By early June 1831, the Church had grown to about two thousand members. Among those who joined the Church at this time were Sidney Rigdon’s mother and oldest brother; Luke S. Johnson, one of the first missionaries in the Church; and Ezra Booth, who joined the Church after witnessing a miracle. Civic leaders, ministers, newspaper editors, and parishioners joined together in an effort to stop the conversion of their neighbors to the new religion. The Prophet recorded, ‘Many false reports, lies, and foolish stories, were published in the newspapers, and circulated in every direction, to prevent people from investigating the work, or embracing the faith.’ During these trying times of slander and abuse, the Lord blessed the Saints with revelations of comfort, peace, and assurances. One of these revelations was section 45, of which the Prophet wrote, ‘To the joy of the Saints who had to struggle against every thing that prejudice and wickedness could invent, I received the following: (D&C 45).’” DJR comments “one of the major messages we learn from this revelation is the importance of perspective during times of trials, disappointments, and hardships. It is as if the Lord were lifting the minds and hearts of these struggling Saints up to a ‘high mountain’ from which they are permitted to see things as the Lord sees them, including the great blessings that await the righteous in the future.”

45:1-5 - This time the Lord does begin with an introduction, maybe because his audience is wide spread, it’s not just to JS or the “elders” of the Church, but to the “people of my church, to whom the kingdom has been given.” The Lord introduces himself as the creator of the heavens and the earth and all thing which are in them. He counsels us to “hearken unto my voice, lest heath shall overtake you.” I think that there might be two different meanings to this, one might be the thought that you never know when you’re going to die so we should always be prepared to meet our maker. The second one might indicate a spiritual death, that if we don’t heed the counsel of the Savior, we will not be able to be with him again. The IM quotes President Joseph Fielding Smith as teaching, “one of the great failing of mankind is to ignore warnings of punishment for sin. In all ages of the world it has been the peculiar belief of men that the sayings of the prophets were to be fulfilled in times still future. That is true of people today. We have had ample warning of the nearness of the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. The signs are upon us in all their power… In this revelation we are given the warning that the summer is passing and if we are heedless of the warning we will find the summer past, the harvest ended and our souls not saved. While no one knows the day or the hour, yet if we are taken unawares, we will be without excuse, for the signs are ample and we now see them being fulfilled.” This is true of most people in most circumstances I think, we take out loans thinking that when we have to repay them we will suddenly have more money, or we put off taking care of our health because “we’ll fix it before it gets to that point,” it’s really, in essence, the eat, drink, and be merry thought process on steroids, because we never think that the consequences are going to be as bad as they really are. The Lord has identified himself as being God, all powerful, and exhorts us to repent, but now he puts himself in a different light, and uses an interesting word. The Lord says, “listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him.” This word “advocate” is pretty interesting, the IM says, “The imagery of a judicial system is often invoked when the Last Judgment is mentioned in scriptures. Man goes before the ‘judgment bar,’ there to be ‘arraigned’ and face God, ‘the Judge of all.’ As part of that imagery, Jesus is called the Advocate. In the King James Version of the New Testament, Jesus is called the ‘advocate’ only one (1 John 2:1). The same work (paraclaytos) is used for the Holy Ghost, although it is translated ‘Comfroter.’ Thus, Jesus is one Paraclete, or Comforter, and the Holy Ghost is called ‘another Comforter.’ The Greek word comes from para, to the side of, and kalayo, to summon. ‘Hence, originally, one who is called to another’s side to aid him, as an advocate in a court of justice. In the terminology of today’s legal system, an advocate is a lawyer who pleads another’s cause in a court of law, or in other words, an attorney for the defense. Usually, the attorney for the defense pleads the cause on the basis that the client is innocent; or if guilty, that extenuating circumstances should be considered and mercy extended. At the time of eternal judgment, we will stand before the bar of God accused of being imperfect and unworthy to enter God’s presence, ‘for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.’ At that time we have an Advocate with the Father. He will stand beside us to plead our cause before the great Judge; however, He does not plead our case by pointing to our lack of guilt, rather, is it His own sinlessness to which He calls God’s attention. His perfection and His suffering pay the price to satisfy justice for those of His ‘brethren that believe on my name.’ Imagine the indescribable sorrow of standing before the judgment bar with no one to step forward, no one to speak for you. How tragic that some will not come to Him in true faith and repentance so that He can take their guilt upon Him and become their advocate with the Father.” DJR asks us to imagine “that you have just died and are waiting your turn to be judged. You find yourself fretting about things you did not complete while on earth despite your good intentions and honest desires to be good. As you wait, you review your life. Despite the fact that you attended church faithfully, paid a full tithing (except for the tithing church still in your drawer, which you forgot to turn in last month, kept the Word of Wisdom, tried to be nice, didn’t swear much (you’re actually progressing on this), attended the temple pretty regularly, etc., you find yourself focusing on sins and imperfections you haven’t yet overcome. Just as you decide that you can’t possibly make the celestial kingdom but hope to make the terrestrial, the door opens and it is your turn to be judged. Embarrassed by your shortcomings and humbled by what you didn’t get done on earth, you walk in to face the Savior to be judged, whispering with head bowed that your judge can save time by sending you to terrestrial glory without any further discussion. At this point, the Savior comes around the judgment bar of God, walks up to you, putting His arm around you, says: ‘Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him- saying: Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou savest that thyself might be glorified; Wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life.” I think what’s important to remember here is that when Jesus is pleading our case before the Father, Heavenly Father wants us to be saved and return to him just as desperately as Jesus does, so it’s not that Christ is trying to convince someone to give us mercy who wants our blood, he’s speaking with someone who wants our happiness, just as much, if not more than Christ does. DJR concludes this concept saying, “Con you imagine your relief and gratitude when you realize that the Savior’s Atonement applies fully to people like you! You have been honestly and striving to keep the commandments and to do good, and, as is the case with all who are accountable, you have been a bit slow on some things. Yet, at this glorious moment, you find complete fulfillment of Revelation 21:4, which says: ‘And God shall wipe away all the tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.’ You have truly been cleansed from all your sins and stand pure and clean (sanctified) in the presence of the Savior!” I love that we are all given the same opportunity to repent and be saved. The atonement is for all of us, and it’s a very long process, if we truly desire to repent and be better, Christ will show us how to go just as far as we want to, he’ll take us to eternal progression until we say stop. That’s for all of us, and we don’t have to be perfect, it’s not possible in this life, but we just have to want it enough to do what we are instructed to do to get there. It’s a glorious concept, one that was probably lost during the great apostasy. I wondered why this was something that the Lord would have included in this revelation of comfort, but is this not the ultimate comforting doctrine? That as long as we do our best, the Lord will plead for, and assumedly attain, mercy on our behalf, that his blood can literally save us from spiritual death and punishment, is not this the crowning doctrine of salvation, the atonement? And surely this was not a doctrine that was widely known among the people at that time, maybe various forms of it, but probably not the extent to which it was discussed here. Most of the members probably didn’t fully understand it at this time, having been new to the Church and gospel, I mean I barely understand it and I’ve been a member on and off for my whole life. This is the miracle, this is the comfort, this is the hope and motivation, and honestly it’s incredible.