Category: Angels

Quicken

For no man has seen God at any time in the flesh, except quickened by the Spirit of God. (D&C 67:11)

What does it mean to be quickened?

I’ve always known that it had something to do with our bodies being changed into a better, or higher, state. But I’d never really considered the logistics of that until recently. So what if we can put it into scientific sorts of terms?

In D&C 131:7-8 There is no such thing as immaterial matter. All spirit is matter, but it is more fine or pure, and can only be discerned by purer eyes; We cannot see it; but when our bodies are purified we shall see that it is all matter.

If all spirit is matter, then it should follow the known rules of matter. So, just for fun, let’s compare spirit to water.

What happens when you change the temperature of water? If you cool it down, the molecules move slower. If you heat it up, the molecules move faster, or quicker.

Say you live in the telestial world, like earth, and your spirit is at the telestial level of progression as well. A telestial spirit would be rather slow moving, perhaps like ice. The Terrestrial world and spirits would be like water, and the Celestial world and its spirits world be like vapor.

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Your spirit will always be made up of the same spiritual matter, but as we draw closer to God who lives in everlasting burnings, we have to be brought up to snuff so that we can survive the temperature (glory) where he dwells.

The Lord spoke to moses out of a burning bush. A pillar of fire was used for Him to speak with Joseph Smith. Alma the younger, when he fell asleep for three days, gave this account:

Nevertheless, after wading through much tribulation, repenting nigh unto death, the Lord in mercy hath seen fit to snatch me out of an everlasting burning, and I am born of God. (Mosaic 27:28)

Was he truly removed from the burning? Or was the matter of his spirit quickened by his repentance and the Lord’s mercy so that he could bear the heat? I can’t say for sure, but I think the question is certainly worth asking.

Therefore, O Lord, deliver thy people from the calamity of the wicked; enable thy servants to seal up the law, and bind up the testimony, that they may be prepared against the day of burning. (D&C 109:46)

The Lord isn’t going to burn the world because he’s vengeful and mean. It’s not a punishment, it’s a natural consequence. When the Lord returns, so too will his glory. His glory is very fast-moving. Of all the quickened beings, he’s the quickenedest. 🙂 Or to use scientific terms, his temperature is the highest.

JSH 1:37 For behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly shall burn as stubble; for they that come shall burn them, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

The righteous will survive the day of burning and the wicked won’t. But that’s not because the Lord has laser precision aim and only strikes the wicked, it’s because the righteous will have spirits that have been quickened to the point where they are the same state of matter as those that the Lord sends to do the burning.

Now, I think that when JSH refers to “they that come shall burn them,” the “they” is likely the seraphim, which (as I understand it) is the highest level of angel. They’re also known as the fiery ones. There’s a description of the seraphim at the beginning of Isaiah 6 when Isaiah sees the Lord sitting on His thrown, with the seraphim behind him. It’s interesting what happens next.

Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. (Isaiah 6:5-8)

When he encounters this vision of God, he’s undone, horrified by his own uncleanness before the Lord and His glory. Then one of the Seraphim takes a live coal in his hand (he can hold a red-hot coal without hurting himself because he’s obtained that level of glory) and touches Isaiah’s lips with it as a sort of purifying ordinance. This is so affective that when the Lord asks “whom shall I sent?” Isaiah, who had previously been cowering before the Lord because of all his iniquity, speaks up and says, “send me.” That’s quite the turn-around, but that’s what the Lord can do if we repent and allow our spiritual matter to be purified. Often, we see examples in the scriptures of those who are quickened for a short time in order to bear the presence of the Lord. Whether or not that purification lasts, I don’t know. I would imagine it is dependent on the person and situation.

What about us? What can we do to repent of our iniquity like Isaiah, repent nigh unto death like Alma, or overcome the darkness like the one that seized Joseph when he first attempted to pray? Everyone’s answer will be different because we all have our own iniquities and unbelief to shed. We have to approach the Lord asking, “What lack I yet?” and we must be willing to act when He answers. Then perhaps our spiritual matter will be quickened just a bit.

My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word. (Psalm 119:25)

“The Record Which I Make is True”

“And I know that the record which I make is true; and I make it with mine own hand; and I make it according to my knowledge.” (1 Nephi 1:3)

This is from 1 Nephi, so I’ve read this verse many many times, but it was just a few nights ago that I started to wonder why is was important for Nephi to point out that the record he made was “true.” Especially since he acknowledges in the same verse that it’s “according to my knowledge.” It’s from his point of view. It’s bias, even. But still, he calls it true.

truth-1123020_1920I have always viewed the Book of Mormon as a historical record. It was only recently that I heard someone talking about how it might just all be one big metaphor. It’s not a historical account so much as a collection of stories meant to teach lessons about God.

I don’t agree with that supposition. I still believe that it is a historical account, though only a portion of what was written. Mormon combed through all of the records and picked out the events that would be most applicable in their lessons to our day. So while it is not the whole history, it is historical.

Which brings me back to Nephi’s true record. If the Lord knew that the legitimacy of the Book of Mormon as a historical record would be questioned, then it would make sense for Him to have Nephi make that claim at the very beginning.

It’s like Nephi is putting a disclaimer at the beginning: Look. This is a record. It’s true. I wrote it with my own hands. I wrote it to the best of my knowledge. Yes, it might be flawed, but these things happened.

Why is it important that we know that these things happened? Well, what kind of events do we read about in the Book of Mormon? We read about visions, angels and visits from Christ. We read about the Lord’s voice sounding from the heavens after Christ’s crucifixion. We read about missionaries who had the power of God protect them as those they had striven to teach tried to burn them alive. We read about people who heard a prophet speak, believed their words and then sought to know the truth and in doing so, came to know the Lord themselves.

Why do we need to know that these things happened? Because if they truly happened to others, then they can happen to us.

We can see visions.

We can hear the Lord’s voice.

We can receive revelation.

We can be brought to the throne of God.

There is a path that leads to a reunion with our Lord in this life. And we can walk it.

“Behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and there will be no more doctrine given until after he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh. And when he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh, the things which he shall say unto you shall ye observe to do.” (2 Nephi 32:6)

A Man in a White Robe

“And it came to pass that I saw a man, and he was dressed in a white robe; and he came and stood before me. And it came to pass that he spake unto me, and bade me follow him. And it came to pass that as I followed him I beheld myself that I was in a dark and dreary waste. And after I had traveled for the space of many hours in darkness, I began to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me, according to the multitude of his tender mercies. And it came to pass after I had prayed unto the Lord I beheld a large and spacious field.” (1 Nephi 8:5-9)

For a long time, I thought that this man dressed in a white robe was an angel sent from God to guide Lehi in this vision. I’m not sure where I got that idea, because if I go back and read it, I realize that’s not what it says. This is what is does say:

  •   A man, dressed in a white robe.
  •   Bade me follow him.
  •   As I followed him I beheld myself in a dark and dreary waste.
  •   Traveled for the space of many hours in darkness.

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Hold up. Does it really say that this man led him into darkness where he remained for many hours? That doesn’t sound like an angel. But all this time, I thought that an angel led him to the tree of life. If that’s not the case, then who did lead him there?

“I began to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me…after I had prayed unto the Lord I beheld a large and spacious field.”

Ok. So God did that himself. Immediately after Lehi decided to pray and ask the Lord, he was delivered from the darkness. This shouldn’t surprise me, since the Lord is always the one who delivers us with his mercy and grace. I’m not sure why I made the assumption that it was an angel, but I love that it was the Lord himself that delivered Lehi from the darkness, as if He was just waiting to be asked.

It’s also interesting to note that Lehi (who had the vision), and Nephi (who recorded the vision), were both familiar with the glory of God and what it looked like. When they describe heavenly interactions, they don’t talk about just plain whiteness or just plain brightness. They are always described as exceedingly bright/white/fair. Or above the brightness of the sun/stars. That’s a stark difference from his description of “a man…dressed in a white robe.”

“And it came to pass that he saw One descending out of the midst of heaven, and he beheld that his luster was above that of the sun at noon-day. And he also saw twelve others following him, and their brightness did exceed that of the stars in the firmament.” (1 Nephi 1:9-10)

“And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the great city of Jerusalem, and also other cities. And I beheld the city of Nazareth; and in the city of Nazareth I beheld a virgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white.” (1 Nephi 11:13)

“And I beheld the Spirit of the Lord, that it was upon the Gentiles, and they did prosper and obtain the land for their inheritance; and I beheld that they were white, and exceedingly fair and beautiful, like unto my people before they were slain.” (1 Nephi 13:15)

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Theses descriptions of exceeding whiteness tie back to the pillar of fire that I wrote about last time. When mortals come in contact with—or have visions of—beings or symbols of glory, they know they are encountering the glory of God. It’s manifest in the bright whiteness that they see. It’s unmistakable.

“Satan came tempting him, saying: Moses, son of man, worship me. And it came to pass that Moses looked upon Satan and said: Who art thou? For behold, I am a son of God, in the similitude of his Only Begotten; and where is thy glory, that I should worship thee? For behold, I could not look upon God, except his glory should come upon me, and I were transfigured before him. But I can look upon thee in the natural man.” (Moses 1:12-14)

Moses wasn’t fooled by Satan’s attempt to gain his worship. It was obvious that Satan did not have the same glory as the Father has because Moses had no trouble looking on him with his natural eyes. Once someone has encountered the glory of God, anything else looks dim in comparison.

When Lehi encountered the pillar of fire that dwelt on the rock, he saw and heard much. He was taught by the spirit, and the encounter was so intense that it left him exhausted (much like Joseph Smith after being taught by the angel Moroni throughout the night). However, when Lehi encounters this man in the white robe, there is no knowledge taught, and nothing miraculous is shown. He simply wanders in darkness for many hours. So it’s no wonder that Lehi describes him as merely a man in a white robe. In contrast, when the Lord delivers Lehi to the spacious field and he encounters the tree of life, and the fruit:

“…I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen.” (1 Nephi 8:11)

If Lehi had never encountered the glory of the Father as he did in 1 Nephi 1:8, or seen the vision of the fruit which was exceedingly white—if he didn’t have anything to compare it to, he probably would have made the same assumption that I made, that the man in the white robe was an angel, a heavenly messenger or guide. It’s another reminder that no matter how much I think I know, there is always more truth and light to be sought.

Fire Dwelt on a Rock

“And it came to pass as he prayed unto the Lord, there came a pillar of fire and dwelt upon a rock before him; and he saw and heard much; and because of the things which he saw and heard he did quake and tremble exceedingly.” (1 Nephi 1:6)

There came a pillar of fire and dwelt upon a rock before him.

Why did it dwell on a rock before Lehi? Why mention the rock, instead of just saying “the ground,” or simply, “it dwelt before him?” 

I think the answer rests in the action that preceded the fire.

He prayed unto the Lord.

Lehi lived in a time when the Law of Moses was in full affect. We know from 1 Nephi 2:7 (And it came to pass that he built an altar of stones, and made an offering unto the Lord, and gave thanks unto the Lord our God.) that Lehi was in the habit of either building altars or finding other suitable places to make sacrifice and call on the Lord. So we can guess that this rock that the fire dwelt on was an altar. Lehi prayed and offered sacrifice, and the Lord answered his prayer in a miraculous way.

Pillar of fire.

What do we know about pillars of fire? Or pillars of light? In Joseph Smith’s first vision, we know that a pillar of light brought Joseph in contact with Father and Jesus. Pillars of fire in scripture are often conduits that bring mortals in contact with heavenly beings (Moses 1:17, 3 Nephi 17:24). So it stands to reason that a heavenly being was included in the pillar of light that Lehi saw. This makes sense considering what happened.

He saw and heard much.

Much. I love imagining what that little word encompasses. If he was in conversation with an angel from the Lord, what sorts of things do you suppose are included in that tiny description of “much?” Whatever it was, it exhausted him to the point that when he went home, he fell on his bed and from there ended up being carried away in a vision and having his throne room theophany.

“And it came to pass that he returned to his own house at Jerusalem; and he cast himself upon his bed, being overcome with the Spirit and the things which he had seen.And being thus overcome with the Spirit, he was carried away in a vision, even that he saw the heavens open, and he thought he saw God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God.” (1 Nephi 1:7-8)

Apparently once he pierced the veil, a veritable flood of godly information came to him, first through the messenger and then through the vision. When the Lord finds someone who is willing to do the work required to pierce the veil, He doesn’t skimp on answering their questions.

So what was it that made this prayer so powerful? I’d wager there were a lot of reasons, but I think one of the main reasons that this prayer elicited a flood of spiritual knowledge to fall on Lehi is because it was an intercessory prayer.

In Behalf of His People

“Wherefore it came to pass that my father, Lehi, as he went forth prayed unto the Lord, yea, even with all his heart, in behalf of his people.” (1 Nephi 1:5)

Lehi had heard the warnings from the other prophets of the time about the coming destruction of the jews (Verse 4). And because he cared about the people of Jerusalem, he was filled with such compassion that he poured out his soul in mighty prayer on behalf of his people. That is a Christlike response. He saw the danger his people were in and so he pleaded with the Lord on their behalf. He made intercession. There is great power in praying for others, and it’s something we should all do more of.

There is a myriad of lessons to be learned from these records. I love that these early verses introduce us to one of the great themes that repeats throughout the Book of Mormon. Eight verses into 1 Nephi and we already have an account of Lehi piercing the veil and entering the Lord’s presence. There is tremendous hope in that.