Because of the length of this post about D&C 76, I have split it into two parts.
During
the life of Joseph Smith, if someone asked you about “The Vision”, what would
they have been referring to?
The Lord
Will Enlighten Those Who Serve Him
READ
D&C 76:1-4
Why did
the Lord give Joseph and Sidney this vision?
What does
it mean that the “Lord is God” and “beside Him there is no Savior” – what about
Christ?
Why can none of us find out the extent of His doings?
What does
the phrase “from eternity to eternity” imply?
What does
the phrase “from eternity to eternity” mean?
How can
it be true that Christ was the same “from eternity to eternity” when D&C
93:12-17 says that He did not receive the Fullness of the Father at first?
READ
D&C 76:5-10
What does it mean to “fear” the Lord?
What does it mean to “serve” the Lord?
What is
promised those who fear/reverence and serve the Lord and why?
Vision of
the Father and the Son
READ
D&C 76:11-19
What does it mean to say their “eyes were opened” by the power of the
Spirit?
What does it mean to be “in the Spirit”?
How were
their understandings enlightened?
What does it mean to say that the Son was “in the bosom of the Father,
even from the beginning”?
What does
it mean that Joseph’s testimony of the reality of Jesus Christ is the fullness of
the gospel?
What
caused the Lord to give this vision to Joseph and Sidney?
How and why does meditation upon the things of God present an opportunity
for God to open the veil and communicate directly with people?
In verse 12 it says Joseph’s eyes were opened by the power of the Spirit
and in verse 19 it says the Lord touched Joseph’s eyes and they were opened;
what does this suggest?
READ D&C
137:1
Why can’t Joseph Smith tell if he is “in the body” or not when he has
this revelation?
When discerning
the truth of revelation, does it matter whether Joseph was “in the body” or
not?
READ
D&C 76:20-24
What is the first vision that Joseph and Sidney see?
What is the significance of this portion of the vision and why is it
first?
What does it mean to say that this testimony is “last of all”?
Why is a testimony of the living Christ important?
What does it mean that Christ is the only begotten of the Father AND that
the inhabitants of the worlds are begotten sons and daughters of God?
READ
D&C 76:39-42
Who will be resurrected through the triumph and glory of Christ?
What is the gospel that the voice out of heaven bore record of?
What does it mean that the Father had put souls into Christ’s power?
What does it mean that the Father “made” them (the souls) by Him
(Christ)?
Vision of
Satan and Those Who Merit Perdition
The Lord
illustrates His plan using opposites...
READ
D&C 76:25-38
What is
implied by the fact that Satan was “an angel of God who was in authority in the
presence of God”?
It is somewhat unclear if “who was in the bosom of the Father” in verse
25 refers to Jehovah or Lucifer; we’ve talked about it referring to Christ but
if it also refers to Lucifer, what is implied?
Why do you think Satan is called Lucifer, which means “morning star”,
when Venus, the “morning star” is associated with Christ?
Why is Satan referred to as “that old serpent”?
We know that it was the Father’s plan that Christ volunteered to enable,
being prepared from the foundation of the world; so why does it say that Satan
rebelled against Christ and not the Father?
What
happens to those who rebel against God while in His presence and what does this
imply?
Why are
they “thrust down” from heaven?
Why did the heavens weep over Lucifer and what does that teach us?
Why was Lucifer’s name changed to “Satan” and why is he called the
“devil”?
Why is
Satan called a “liar from the beginning” (see D&C 93:25) and a “murderer
from the beginning” (see John 8:44) if he was an angel of light who had been
rewarded for his obedience to God?
What is Satan’s plan?
How and when did Satan make war with the saints of God and encompass them
around?
Why are they called “sons of perdition” and what does “perdition” mean?
What do these verses teach us about the sons of perdition?
What does it mean that it would have been better for these sons of
perdition to have never been born?
Given the dangers of a probationary state, why would anyone, including
the most spiritually advanced (of which Lucifer was one example), want to take
the risk?
What would their states be if they had never been born and how would they
be better off?
What is a “vessel of wrath”?
What is the punishment of the devil and his angels?
How does one become a son of perdition?
What does it mean to deny the Holy Spirit after receiving it?
How does a person crucify the Son of God unto themselves and put Him to
open shame?
Why would
someone choose to deny the Lord, after having known Him?
How can the sons of perdition be the only ones on whom the second death
shall have any power when all, except those who inherit Celestial glory, will
suffer the second death or the second separation from God?
What does it mean that the sons of perdition “shall not be redeemed in
the due time of the Lord”?
If the rest shall be brought forth by the
resurrection of the dead, does this mean that the sons of perdition will not be
resurrected?
What
kingdom do we merit without the atonement of Christ?
READ
D&C 76:43-49
Since
Christ did suffer the atonement, what must one do to be thrust into Outer
Darkness?
What is
everlasting or endless punishment (see D&C 19:4-12)?
Why would the Lord show the vision of the torment of perdition to “many”
and yet the full extent of the torment is not revealed to man?
What is
implied by the statement “and the end thereof”…”no man knows”?
Why did
God show Joseph Smith the vision of hell and outer darkness before He showed
him the vision of celestial glory?
No comments:
Post a Comment