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Showing results for tags 'come follow me (dec 1-7 d&c 137-138)'.
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Come Follow Me is discussing Doctrine and Covenants 137-138 this week. Doctrine and Covenants 138:36-37 says "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". Out of all the faithful men and women in the spirit world where Jesus went after he died, why were only prophets commissioned to preach to those in darkness? Why couldn't Jesus personally go and preach to them when he already preached to the living who were in rebellion and transgression during his three-year ministry? Joseph F. Smith says in verse 45 it was Elias who appeared with Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration but mentions Elijah in verse 46. "Elias, who was with Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration; And Malachi, the prophet who testified of the coming of Elijah—of whom also Moroni spake to the Prophet Joseph Smith, declaring that he should come before the ushering in of the great and dreadful day of the Lord—were also there". The church's Bible Dictionary is quite extensive in its attempt to identify "Elias" in verse 45 with possible explanations. Elias is (1) the New Testament (Greek) form of Elijah (Hebrew), (2) a title for one who is a forerunner, (3) a title applied to others for special missions, (4) a man who apparently lived in mortality in the days of Abraham. Why didn't Smith just use the same name—either "Elijah" or "Elias"—if he meant the same person? Or was he actually talking about two different people? With the church going beyond the text to assign titles to "Elias", it appears to be introducing ambiguity to the real identity of the person who appeared with Moses.
