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102 isn’t a revelation, but minutes that contain the rules on how the high council of the church should be run…a council that no longer exists in the modern church. Section 103 then focuses on why Zion was scattered and what will be required for her to be regathered.
Mormon 4:5
Hebrews 12
Mosiah 2:31
Deuteronomy 4:34, 5:15
2 Nephi 3:7
D&C 105:14
Exodus 23
Isaiah 63:9
D&C 113:7-8
D&C 42:59-60
D&C 43:8-9
D&C 58:23
For the record, the original manuscript from which D&C 103 was taken identifies the servant as Joseph, not Joseph Smith Jr. The last names in the rest of the chapter have also been added, with the exception of Orson Hyde and Orson Pratt, which are in the original. If you are looking at this as a future prophecy, does the presence or absence of last names make a difference?
Is the Joseph spoken of who will redeem the vineyard (from the parable in 101) consistent with the role of Messiah Ben Joseph/ Messiah Ben Ephraim? I haven’t done enough research to offer any theories – does anyone else know?
That’s a good catch. To further complicate this, when this was first published, in the 1844 D&C, pseudonyms were used and Joseph was replaced with Baurak Ale.
Notwithstanding the addition of last names, I don’t see it changing the identity of anyone. Verses 35 to the end give 1834-specific guidance for “my servant Joseph” to do certain things with other men living at the time. I don’t see a reason to conclude that “my servant Joseph” in earlier verses is a different person than “my servant Joseph” in later verses in the same revelation.
Thank you for your informative podcast. One thing that I would suggest is that Joseph is in fact leading the saints at this time, those who are searching for the truth, and then at D&C 103:35 he presides and organizes upon the consecrated land etc. The idea that Joseph would need a body to do his work is mute since the angel of the Lord’s presence did not have a body when he fulfilled his work in the OT. Also, Joseph can perform his responsibilities just like John the Baptist or Peter and James etc.
Another point of interest to me is that the Savior supports that those who claim to be apostles are liars in Rev. 2:2 of that last days book; where He seems to be calling them “Nicolaitans” (Rev. 2:6).
Hi Randy. How do you know the angel of the Lord’s presence did not have a body? Do you have a scriptural that supports that?
Thank you MD and I did not have a particular verse in mind concerning the angel of the Lord’s presence not having a body and I thought it is was common knowledge. So one verse to consider is Isa. 63:9, “In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.”
In this verse the phrase “all the days of old” applies to a period of time that is beyond a mortal life span. However, the verse applies to He who was afflicted (the Savior), and the angel of his presence that saved them. So the application is that the Savior carried them all the days of old or he did so by the angel of his presence. For me it is reasonable that all of his 12 apostles were with Him in the days of old (excluding Judas and including Paul) but more specifically one that served in the capacity of being the angel of the Lord’s presence to represent the Savior in the days of old as well as our current period of time as indicated in D&C 77:9, 14. This is John who also met with Joseph to commit “the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham.” So while there is no verse in particular that states that John was with the Savior as the angel of the Lord’s presence, we do know that he is involved here in the latter days.
I’m not following your logic.
Jesus was the angel of the Lord’s presence in the Old Testament, so he was the one helping Moses and the house of Israel. I don’t see any scriptural basis for saying the 12 Apostles were with him back at the time of the exodus. Nor any basis for excluding Judas and including Paul.
Sorry abut that. I went off on a bit of a tangent. I guess it depends on who the God of this earth is. I have always considered the Great Authority to be the Celestial kingdom, and the power to be God the Father, and the one who holds the seat to be the Savior. Thus, the seat of authority over this earth is Jesus. And I mean by that that Jesus is the God of this earth whom was given power by God the Father. That is, neither the Celestial Kingdom, nor God the Father can provide the resurrection but Jesus can because they have empowered Him to provide for us our place in the kingdom. That is, no one can participate in the Celestial Kingdom with out first having a relationship with the Savior. This also holds true for the other kingdoms of glory having their restrictions but their redemption is based upon their relationship with the Savior. Anyone not having that personal relationship with the Savior will not withstand a kingdom of Glory but will be their own god not having power to sustain a resurrection. Thus, they can not withstand a kingdom of Glory. Because of this condition then the God of this earth is Jesus and only by our relationship with him can we be resurrected. Neither the Celestial Kingdom nor God the Father can do this but only Jesus. He is our governing authority by which we participate in the Celestial Kingdom. No one else can do this. He is the God of both the Old and New Testaments holding authority over the resurrection and he did so from the beginning. If you look at Rev. 5:4 John is weeping because no one was able to open the seals of the book. All mankind was condemned to a state of eternal death. But then in Rev. 5:5 Jesus provided the payment by which everyone can have eternal life. And for that reason Jesus lived a sinless life to give it as a payment for the condemnation of death upon mankind so that we can live again. No one but the God of this earth can do that and that individual is Jesus. He totally submitted to the will of God the Father to do this for us. However, like I said, God the Father did not do this, but he empowered Jesus to do it for us; He is the King of kings on this earth (Rev. 19:16) empowered by The Father to that position of authority. He is the God of this earth.
Just a final note: John tells us that “All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made” John 1:2. Since Jesus is the creator of this earth then he is the God of this earth.