What did Christ do during those three days? (D&C 137-138)

137:7-8

What happens to the billions of people who have died without knowing the name of Jesus? These people never had an OPPORTUNITY! It isn’t fair that these billions of people will be destined for damnation in the next life - because they were simply uninformed. The good news is that this isn’t the case. Everyone will get the opportunity to hear the gospel and accept it or reject it. This is clarified in these two chapters in plain language. “Thus came the voice of the Lord unto me, saying: All who have died without a knowledge of this gospel, who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of God; Also all that shall die henceforth without a knowledge of it, who would have received it with all their hearts, shall be heirs of that kingdom.”

Those who would have received the gospel “with all their hearts” will be saved in the celestial kingdom. This teaching unique and separates us from most religions. For me, it’s the only thing that makes sense. There is no way a fair and loving God would damn billions to hell because they were born in the wrong family in a distant country.

137:9

Rather than being judged for their ignorance, the Lord will judge men according to their works and desire of their hearts. “For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts.” This is an interesting principle where works AND desires are important.

Why isn’t it simply works? Well, it’s possible that someone could do a bunch of good deeds but does those deeds for the wrong reason. Perhaps he does it to be respected by others. Maybe he does it because he wants a heavenly reward. Maybe he does every good deed grudgingly. In this case, he isn’t truly converted to the gospel of Christ. He isn’t developing charity and real brotherly kindness. It is possible to do good things for narcissistic, self-centered reasons. On the other hand, if we are doing good works because we desire righteousness and truly love our fellow man and are striving to be disciples of Christ - then are our desires pure and we are truly becoming something.

Why isn’t it simply desires? If we desire to do good but we don’t actually follow through on those desires, that’s a demonstration of lack of faith or control of our competing, carnal desires. If we have desires to obey the commandments but never do - we have a problem. Our good acts should come from a place of good desires. To build a Christlike character, it requires righteous desires and deeds. Character is formed through action. If I sit in my room and desire to do good all day but don’t do anything, a Christlike character will never develop.

However, if our lives are filled with service and obedience but we don’t actually desire the righteousness we are displaying - then we become a hypocrite. It’s a dangerous thing to be a hypocrite because we can live comfortably, bathed in other’s respect and admiration. If I had to guess, it’s better to have a strong desire to do good but lack the strength to follow through than it is to fill our days with good works but we don’t really care about others. With desire, our actions will eventually catch up sooner or later. With good works with lousy desire, it may be harder to progress.

138:1-3

“On the third of October, in the year nineteen hundred and eighteen, I sat in my room pondering over the scriptures; And reflecting upon the great atoning sacrifice that was made by the Son of God, for the redemption of the world; And the great and wonderful love made manifest by the Father and the Son in the coming of the Redeemer into the world.” Joseph F. Smith was pondering the scriptures and reflecting on God’s love and the atonement of Jesus Christ. This pondering and reflecting is what brought about this significant revelation.

Studying and then pondering the scriptures is a gateway to revelation. I have a testimony of this. I know this to be true. If we add real reflection into our scripture study, it creates room or space for the Spirit to prompt/teach/correct us. If we keep our minds busy with worldly things, we are less likely to hear the Spirit. If we open our minds about spiritual principles taught in the scriptures, revelation will come.

138:4

This verse illustrates what is needed to be saved. “That through his atonement, and by obedience to the principles of the gospel, mankind might be saved.” There are two important parts of our salvation. First is the atonement of Jesus Christ AND our obedience.

Christ’s atonement does not strip us of our agency. We still have a choice in our own salvation. We have to accept his atonement and walk ourselves to him. There are universal principles and laws that must be obeyed to allow for progression towards eternal life. If we are not obedient, the atonement of Jesus will not exalt us.

138:12-14

“And there were gathered together in one place an innumerable company of the spirits of the just, who had been faithful in the testimony of Jesus while they lived in mortality; And who had offered sacrifice in the similitude of the great sacrifice of the Son of God, and had suffered tribulation in their Redeemer’s name. All these had departed the mortal life, firm in the hope of a glorious resurrection, through the grace of God the Father and his Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ.” So there appears to be four qualifiers to be counted among the “spirits of the just:”

1. Be faithful in the testimony of Jesus. Acquiring a testimony and then being faithful in that testimony is essential. It is the definition of being hypocritical to believe in Christ and not being faithful to that belief.

2. Offer a sacrifice in the similitude of the great sacrifice. Obviously we cannot offer the type of sacrifice that Jesus made. So what are we to sacrifice. As we learn in the temple, we sacrifice our will. We have a broken heart and a contrite spirit. We regret what we do wrong and are teachable and open to correction from God.

3. Suffer tribulation in our Redeemer’s name. We are willing to stand up for Christ regardless of the situation. We open our mouths and testify of him. We share what we know.

4. Depart mortal life firm in the hope of a glorious resurrection. We endure to the end. We have faith and hope until we leave mortality. We never stop striving.

138:15, 50

“I beheld that they were filled with joy and gladness, and were rejoicing together because the day of their deliverance was at hand.” We will desire to be delivered from the spirit world. We will rejoice when the time comes that we will be reunited with our perfected bodies. We will long for it. We’ll miss having a body. “For the dead had looked upon the long absence of their spirits from their bodies as a bondage.” That’s an interesting way of phrasing it. I think it perfectly communicates the reality of how uncomfortable it will be to be in a condition that does not include a physical body.

138:20-21, 25

“But unto the wicked he did not go, and among the ungodly and the unrepentant who had defiled themselves while in the flesh, his voice was not raised; Neither did the rebellious who rejected the testimonies and the warnings of the ancient prophets behold his presence, nor look upon his face.” Who will NOT behold Christ’s face?

1. Wicked and ungodly. Those who made so many bad choices that they truly become wicked.

2. Unrepentant who had defiled themselves while in the flesh. Those who have taken what was pure and defiled it. They see their bodies as enjoyment centers rather than vessels that bear something holy. They give in to the pressures of the natural man.

3. Rebellious who rejected the testimonies and warnings of the ancient. The rebellious are in trouble. They know the truth and reject it. They’ve lost the desire to improve. Those who are exposed to ancient testimonies and truths but don’t really hear it and certainly don’t hearken. This rebelliousness will continue into the next life.

   

“And as I wondered, my eyes were opened, and my understanding quickened, and I perceived that the Lord went not in person among the wicked and the disobedient who had rejected the truth, to teach them.” I don’t think that God or Jesus perform any action that is futile. Those who reject the truth will reject Jesus himself. I cannot picture Jesus attempting to debate the multitudes who had already rejected his teachings.

138:30-37

So how are those in spirit-prison taught? This revelation answers this question. "But behold, from among the righteous, he organized his forces and appointed messengers, clothed with power and authority, and commissioned them to go forth and carry the light of the gospel to them that were in darkness, even to all the spirits of men; and thus was the gospel preached to the dead. And the chosen messengers went forth to declare the acceptable day of the Lord and proclaim liberty to the captives who were bound, even unto all who would repent of their sins and receive the gospel.” Rather than go in person, Jesus delegates the responsibility to those righteous spirits who are willing to teach. If we are expecting to rest in the spirit world, I think we may be disappointed. I think there’s more work there than here.

What are the two types of people who will be taught? “Thus was the gospel preached to those who had died in their sins, without a knowledge of the truth, or in transgression, having rejected the prophets.” It appears from this verse that the two types of people will be those who are ignorant of the gospel and those who lived in transgression - who rebelled and rejected the prophets. These are the two basic types of people who will be in spirit prison.

What are they taught? “These were taught faith in God, repentance from sin, vicarious baptism for the remission of sins, the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, And all other principles of the gospel that were necessary for them to know in order to qualify themselves that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.” They are taught the fundamentals of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They are given the knowledge to progress and accept Jesus Christ. The primary principle that will be taught to all spirits in the spirit world is this:”And so it was made known among the dead, both small and great, the unrighteous as well as the faithful, that redemption had been wrought through the sacrifice of the Son of God upon the cross.” Christ’s atonement will be central. All other things taught are “simply appendages to it.”

So, what did Christ do when we journeyed to the spirit world? “Thus was it made known that our Redeemer spent his time during his sojourn in the world of spirits, instructing and preparing the faithful spirits of the prophets who had testified of him in the flesh; That they might carry the message of redemption unto all the dead, unto whom he could not go personally, because of their rebellion and transgression, that they through the ministration of his servants might also hear his words.” He instructed and prepared those faithful spirits to deliver His message that couldn’t hear from him directly.

This is an indication of what we will do at that time. We will teach. I’m sure there will be those who will welcome us when we cross over - but after the welcoming party is over, we will be instructed and prepared to deliver Christ’s message to those who had never heard it or had rejected it in mortality. “I beheld that the faithful elders of this dispensation, when they depart from mortal life, continue their labors in the preaching of the gospel of repentance and redemption, through the sacrifice of the Only Begotten Son of God, among those who are in darkness and under the bondage of sin in the great world of the spirits of the dead.” Again, we will be teaching those who are in “darkness” and the “bondage of sin.” These are the ignorant and the rebellious.

138:39

I love that this section mentions Mother Eve. “And our glorious Mother Eve, with many of her faithful daughters who had lived through the ages and worshiped the true and living God.” Eve and other “faithful daughters” will also be commissioned to teach others. As I learned on my mission, there are people that Marci can connect with that I can’t. She has different gifts and abilities that make her perfect for teaching the gospel. I look forward to teaching with her as a companionship - both in mortality and in the spirit world.

138:51-52, 57

Our labor in the name of righteousness will never end. God is still working…for us. He doesn’t retire and neither will we. “These the Lord taught, and gave them power to come forth, after his resurrection from the dead, to enter into his Father’s kingdom, there to be crowned with immortality and eternal life, And continue thenceforth their labor as had been promised by the Lord, and be partakers of all blessings which were held in reserve for them that love him.” If we love God and Jesus, it makes sense that we will naturally want to work for his children. If we are grateful for the plan of salvation and the blessings it affords, we will have an innate desire to spread the good news.

138:56

Our preparation to teach didn’t begin in mortality. Our instruction and preparation began in the pre-mortal world. “Even before they were born, they, with many others, received their first lessons in the world of spirits and were prepared to come forth in the due time of the Lord to labor in his vineyard for the salvation of the souls of men.” You and I were prepared. We were taught. We knew our role and responsibility. We were probably excited about the idea of being born in a situation where we would be able to gather others. Fun to think about and a reminder of how we should view this life. This opportunity to bless and help and teach and lift others has been a long time coming.