D&C 133:1-25

Section 133 is very long again and is the Lord’s appendix to the Doctrine and Covenants. Just like when the Lord gave the introduction to the Doctrine and Covenants, it makes sense that he would give the end as well. The IM quotes Elder John A. Widtsoe as explaining “the ‘Appendix’ (D&C 133), supplements the introduction (D&C 1). The two sections together encompass the contents of the book in a condensed form. An appendix is something which the writer thinks should be added to amplify that which is in the book, to emphasize it, to make it stronger or to explain the contents a little more completely.” The IM also adds “Some of the major themes presented by the Lord in this revelation are summarized in the tenth article of faith.” The IM also gives interesting information saying, “The scriptures form a great latticework of gospel concepts. Rather than collect gospel concepts by topic, the Lord chose to scatter them throughout the sacred writings, here a little and there a little. Only by diligent searching and studying can we come to a fullness of understanding. The more we immerse ourself in the scriptures, the more familiar we become with language and concepts that trigger a host of associations. Section 133 contains an unusual number of such conepts that presuppose a knowledge of other scriptures. If one if not familiar with such principles as the Lord coming to His temple, (see D&C 133:2), Babylon (see vv.4-7.14), the parable of the ten virgins (see v. 10), the story of Lot’s wife (see v. 15), the Lamb standing on Mount Zion (see v. 18), or the time when Jesus will stand on the Mount of Olives (see v. 20), one will miss significant insights into what the Lord says in this section. The commentary on this section will focus on the background of these key scriptures.” Again, this section is very long and complicated, so I’m only going to comment on certain verses and concepts that strike me.

133:1-19 - The Lord begins by calling on the “people of my church” and introduces himself as “the Lord who shall suddenly come to his temple.” The IM asks if this is referencing when the Lord visits the Kirtland temple during the spiritual outpouring, but answers that the verb tense in this statement indicates that it hasn’t happened yet. He calls on the saints to “be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord.” The Lord calls on his saints to cleanse themselves and preach the gospel and calls for “all men everywhere to repent.” The Lord tells all those who accept the gospel “let him not look back lest sudden destruction shall come upon him.” This is in reference to Lot’s wife, and the IM says, “Lot, the nephew of Abraham, lived in Sodom and Gomorrah, another place of such gross wickedness that it has become a symbol of the world and its evil. Lot was told to take his family and flee. As they did so, Lot’s wife looked back (she probably returned to Sodom and Gomorrah; see Luke 17:31-32) and was destroyed. In context this reference is clear. Once we forsake the world, we cannot turn back, or we too may get caught in the destruction that awaits Babylon.”

131:20- 25- The next several verses are pretty interesting, maybe a little bit abstract. The Lord says that “he shall stand upon the mount of Olivet.” The IM gives really interesting explanation of this from Elder Charles W. Penrose saying, “This next appearance will be among the distressed and nearly vanquished sons of Judah. At the crisis of their fate, when the hostile troops of several nations are ravaging the city and all the horrors of war are overwhelming the people of Jerusalem, he will set his feet upon the Mount of Olives, which will cleave and part asunder at his touch. Attended by a host from heaven, he will overthrow and destroy the combined armies of the Gentiles, and appear to the worshipping Jews and the mighty Deliverer and Conqueror so long expected by their race; and while love, gratitude, awe, and admiration swell their bosoms, the Deliverer will show them the tokens of his crucifixion and disclose himself as Jesus of Nazareth, whom they had reviled and whom their fathers put to death. Then will unbelief part from their souls, and ‘the blindness in part which has happened unto Israel’ be removed. ‘A fountain for sin and uncleanness shall be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem,’ and ‘a nation will be born’ unto God ‘in a day.’ They will be baptized for the remission of their sins, and will receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and the government of God as established in Zion will be set up among them, no more to be thrown down for ever.” It’s interesting because when I heard this I thought about what we talked about in the last section we talked about how difficult it is to fully understand the concept of the government of Christ as the reigning authority on the earth. It’s still difficult to understand but this brought a little bit more clarity. And I thought that it was interesting that this is what’s going to happen, and I can totally see this happening with the situation that we have going on in Israel and its surrounding countries, totally a plausible scenario. The Lord also says that “he shall command the great deep, and it shall be driven back into the north countries, and the islands shall become one land; And the land of Jerusalem and the land of Zion shall be turned back into their own place, and the earth shall be like it was in the days before it was divided.” This is another concept that is interesting. The IM says, “Genesis indicates that in the early history of the world the land masses were united. Moses recorded that one of the great-great-grandsons of Shem was name Peleg (a Hebrew word meaning division) because ‘in his days was the earth divided.’ Many scholars have passed this reference off as meaning some sort of cultural or political division, but modern prophets have taught that this statement should be taken literally. An article published early in the history of the Church under the direction of the Prophet Joseph smith stated: ‘The Eternal God hath declared that the great deep shall roll back into the north countries and that the land of Zion and the land of Jerusalem shall be joined together, as they were before they were divided in the days of Peleg. No wonder the mind starts at the sound of the last days!’”