We can feel gladness and joy in the middle of crisis. (D&C 125-128)

126:2

Many of us have callings that aren’t visible to large groups of people. It may be that we are a primary teacher or activities committee member or ward missionary or facilities manager. It could be that very few are even aware that we have our calling.

That doesn’t mean that there isn’t a lot of work. In fact, your low-visibility calling could require a lot of effort and no one really knows. This verse is suggesting that the most important person is fully aware. The Lord said to Brigham Young, “I have seen your labor and toil in journeyings for my name.” The thing that made the Lord aware of what Brigham was doing wasn’t about the high visibility calling. It was simply that Brigham was a son of God and God is fully aware. He is aware of every single one of us. He sees your selfless work.

Marci and our friend Fallon putting together some food drive boxes for the community.

126:3

“I therefore command you to send my word abroad, and take especial care of your family from this time, henceforth and forever. Amen.” Brigham had just returned from a two-year mission to England. The Lord tells him to “take especial care of your family from this time…” I think it’s instructive that the Lord is telling Brigham to take care of his family. I think that we often will let our family suffer because we are anxiously engaged with our calling. We should think of this and realize that taking care of our family is also and important part of our discipleship.

127:2

“And as for the perils which I am called to pass through, they seem but a small thing to me, as the envy and wrath of man have been my common lot all the days of my life; and for what cause it seems mysterious, unless I was ordained from before the foundation of the world for some good end, or bad, as you may choose to call it. Judge ye for yourselves. God knoweth all these things, whether it be good or bad.” Joseph’s life had been difficult. His trials had proven and strengthened him so that his current problems seemed “small.”

This is the way it is for all of us. This mortal experience is meant to prove us and give us greater perspective about good and bad. The more trials we experience, the stronger we become. The more afflictions we endure, the more we can enjoy the good times and feel joy. If we keep perspective, “all things can work for our good.”

“But nevertheless, deep water is what I am wont to swim in. It all has become a second nature to me; and I feel, like Paul, to glory in tribulation; for to this day has the God of my fathers delivered me out of them all, and will deliver me from henceforth; for behold, and lo, I shall triumph over all my enemies, for the Lord God hath spoken it.” With the “deep water” that Joseph had swam in, it had become “a second nature” to him. Tribulation didn’t push him off course, or discourage him, or cause him to quit. He had a very high threshold for handling tribulation. This is part of our spiritual progress through life is to experience tribulation. A life without tribulation is not especially productive when it comes to spiritual progress.

127:11

“I now close my letter for the present, for the want of more time; for the enemy is on the alert, and as the Savior said, the prince of this world cometh, but he hath nothing in me.” When we are filled with light and truth, darkness cannot remain. If we live so that Satan “hath nothing in us,” we close every door to temptation. We are meant to purify ourselves through obedience until we are free from worldly control.

We want to be like Captain Moroni as described in Alma. “Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men.” We should all be like Joseph Smith and Captain Moroni.

128:5-6

In this letter, Joseph is here explaining the need to keep track and record of all of the ordinances that are performed in the temple. There is an order that should be followed when performing any ordinance. It has to be recorded. “You may think this order of things to be very particular; but let me tell you that it is only to answer the will of God, by conforming to the ordinance and preparation that the Lord ordained and prepared before the foundation of the world, for the salvation of the dead who should die without a knowledge of the gospel.” Along with the ordinances, there was a way to record and maintain records of these ordinances. Without a record and extreme effort to keep track of all that is done, it would inherently be an act of flippancy - that it didn’t really matter if it was done for EVERYONE. Definitely some folks would fall through the cracks and what does that say about the worth of souls?

This proxy work is needed for the salvation of the dead. “the salvation of the dead who should die without a knowledge of the gospel.” I’ve written before that our beliefs about salvation for the dead is one of those things that shows me that God is a loving and consistent Father. He cares for every individual. He also cares that every principle that Jesus taught is followed. Jesus taught that everyone must be “born of the water” or they could not be saved. If those who die without the gospel are damned, then God isn’t loving. If it then doesn’t matter if they are baptized, God isn’t consistently truthful.

The doctrine of salvation for the dead is one of the principles that helps me know that this is the true church.

128:11

What makes our church true is somewhat explained in this verse. “Now the great and grand secret of the whole matter, and the summum bonum of the whole subject that is lying before us, consists in obtaining the powers of the Holy Priesthood. For him to whom these keys are given there is no difficulty in obtaining a knowledge of facts in relation to the salvation of the children of men, both as well for the dead as for the living.” Those who hold the keys of the priesthood “have no difficulty” in knowing facts and true principles of the gospel.

Where those in other faiths are relying on their intelligence and observation and logic to decide on what perceive facts they believe - our leaders rely on the “powers of the Holy Priesthood.” That’s a big change of venue.

128:12

This is an interesting verse. “Herein is glory and honor, and immortality and eternal life—The ordinance of baptism by water, to be immersed therein in order to answer to the likeness of the dead, that one principle might accord with the other; to be immersed in the water and come forth out of the water is in the likeness of the resurrection of the dead in coming forth out of their graves; hence, this ordinance was instituted to form a relationship with the ordinance of baptism for the dead, being in likeness of the dead.” It’s interesting that the ordinance of baptism has a symbolic meaning that is appropriate for the living and the dead.

For the living, it is symbolic that the person’s old life is dead and they are being reborn as a new person. For the dead, it is also symbolic of the resurrection - coming forth from their graves. Baptism is a significant and beautiful ordinance.

128:15

“And now, my dearly beloved brethren and sisters, let me assure you that these are principles in relation to the dead and the living that cannot be lightly passed over, as pertaining to our salvation. For their salvation is necessary and essential to our salvation, as Paul says concerning the fathers—that they without us cannot be made perfect—neither can we without our dead be made perfect.” This is obviously true for the dead - they need our help to receive this ordinance. They cannot be baptized as spirits but must have a person with a body acting as proxy. Literally, they cannot be made perfect without the work we are doing in temples.

But how do proxy ordinances perfect us? I think it has to do with being charitable. It has to do with sincerely caring about others and having desire to do things for other people that they cannot do themselves. If we love God and love his children, that love will not be limited simply by being alive or dead. We will care about the innumerable number of dead as much as we care about those who are living. If we ignore a very large group of people’s salvation, how are we being charitable and how can we be perfect.

128:18

“I might have rendered a plainer translation to this, but it is sufficiently plain to suit my purpose as it stands. It is sufficient to know, in this case, that the earth will be smitten with a curse unless there is a welding link of some kind or other between the fathers and the children, upon some subject or other—and behold what is that subject? It is the baptism for the dead.” Baptisms and other ordinances being performed for the dead helps us understand the importance of there being a “welding link” between generations.

What if every generation is cut off from the previous generation? How many life lessons will be forgotten? How many life lessons will have to be relearned for the first time. How much sadness and mistakes could be avoided if we would just let the wisdom of each generation accumulate and benefit the upcoming generation? Satan desperately wants every generation to learn the hard way on their own. He wants children not listening to parents and he would prefer if parents don’t offer life lessons they already have learned. If he can keep parents’ mouths shut and children’s ears closed, Satan can have much more success.

128:19

I was listening to someone to who had left the church explained that they felt anxiety and stress as a member. He felt that there was constant pressure. He felt that he couldn’t truly be himself. Joseph described the gospel as something different. “Now, what do we hear in the gospel which we have received? A voice of gladness! A voice of mercy from heaven; and a voice of truth out of the earth; glad tidings for the dead; a voice of gladness for the living and the dead; glad tidings of great joy.” The feelings connected to knowing the gospel should be gladness and joy! Those who don’t feel that aren’t truly understanding the gospel.

The gospel of Christ teaches us that we are saved! We all have a bright future eventually. No matter what happens to us in this life physically, emotionally, spiritually, mentally - it will all be fixed at some point because of Christ. None of us are doomed. Heaven will be exactly what we want it to be - we will do what we want to do and be with those who we want to be with. It is a perfect plan. Those who understand the principles of the gospel should never feel anxiety or stress or pressure. We should all feel joy as we understand this gospel of glad tidings.

128:22

“Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad. Let the earth break forth into singing. Let the dead speak forth anthems of eternal praise to the King Immanuel, who hath ordained, before the world was, that which would enable us to redeem them out of their prison; for the prisoners shall go free.” How positive is Joseph Smith! Keep in mind that he wrote this letter in a time of suffering and pain. He appears to be confident and optimistic and glad. He is grateful that he can take a part in this great work.

This is what the gospel can do. It can help us feel joy in times of struggle. The gospel gives us, as it did Joseph, a sense of perspective and happiness and confidence and peace no matter what is actually happening in our mortal lives.