D&C 130

Section Overview

What happens in D&C 130

Items of instruction given by Joseph Smith on April 2, 1843, at Ramus, Illinois. These teachings include the nature of God the Father and the Son as having tangible bodies of flesh and bone, the Holy Ghost as a personage of spirit, the relationship between God's time and earth time, and conditional prophecies about the Civil War and the Second Coming.

Scripture

The Father and Son Have Tangible Bodies

Study note

Joseph teaches that when the Savior appears, we will see that he is a man like ourselves. The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's, and so does the Son. The Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit.

1 When the Savior shall appear we shall see him as he is. We shall see that he is a man like ourselves.

2 And that same sociality which exists among us here will exist among us there, only it will be coupled with eternal glory, which glory we do not now enjoy.

3 John 14:23—The appearing of the Father and the Son, in that verse, is a personal appearance; and the idea that the Father and the Son dwell in a man's heart is an old sectarian notion, and is false.

4 In answer to the question—Is not the reckoning of God's time, angel's time, prophet's time, and man's time, according to the planet on which they reside?

5 I answer, Yes. But there are no angels who minister to this earth but those who do belong or have belonged to it.

Angels and Celestial Glory

Study note

Angels who minister to this earth have either belonged to it or will belong to it. The place where God dwells is like a great Urim and Thummim, and the celestial earth will be a personal Urim and Thummim to its inhabitants.

6 The angels do not reside on a planet like this earth;

7 But they reside in the presence of God, on a globe like a sea of glass and fire, where all things for their glory are manifest, past, present, and future, and are continually before the Lord.

8 The place where God resides is a great Urim and Thummim.

9 This earth, in its sanctified and immortal state, will be made like unto crystal and will be a Urim and Thummim to the inhabitants who dwell thereon, whereby all things pertaining to an inferior kingdom, or all kingdoms of a lower order, will be manifest to those who dwell on it; and this earth will be Christ's.

10 Then the white stone mentioned in Revelation 2:17, will become a Urim and Thummim to each individual who receives one, whereby things pertaining to a higher order of kingdoms will be made known;

11 And a white stone is given to each of those who come into the celestial kingdom, whereon is a new name written, which no man knoweth save he that receiveth it. The new name is the key word.

Obedience and Blessings; Knowledge and Intelligence

Study note

All blessings are predicated upon obedience to law. Joseph teaches about the difference between knowledge and intelligence, and that whatever intelligence we attain in this life rises with us in the resurrection.

12 I prophesy, in the name of the Lord God, that the commencement of the difficulties which will cause much bloodshed previous to the coming of the Son of Man will be in South Carolina.

13 It may probably arise through the slave question. This a voice declared to me, while I was praying earnestly on the subject, December 25th, 1832.

14 I was once praying very earnestly to know the time of the coming of the Son of Man, when I heard a voice repeat the following:

15 Joseph, my son, if thou livest until thou art eighty-five years old, thou shalt see the face of the Son of Man; therefore let this suffice, and trouble me no more on this matter.

16 I was left thus, without being able to decide whether this coming referred to the beginning of the millennium or to some previous appearing, or whether I should die and thus see his face.

17 I believe the coming of the Son of Man will not be any sooner than that time.

18 Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection.

19 And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.

20 There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—

21 And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.

Prophecy of the Civil War and the Second Coming

Study note

Joseph recounts a conditional prophecy about events beginning in South Carolina (the Civil War) and teaches that the Second Coming will not occur before 1890, but the exact time remains unknown.

22 The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us.

23 A man may receive the Holy Ghost, and it may descend upon him and not tarry with him.

Key Themes

Themes in D&C 130

God the Father and Son have tangible bodiesThe Holy Ghost is a personage of spiritBlessings predicated upon obedience to lawIntelligence and knowledge persist beyond deathGod's time differs from earth timeThe Second Coming remains unknown in its timing

Scripture Connections

How this section connects to Christ

D&C 130 12-13 Genesis 15:13-14

Joseph's conditional prophecy about national turmoil connects to God's forewarning to Abraham about his descendants' affliction, showing that God reveals the future course of nations to his prophets.

D&C 130 20-21 Proverbs 4:7

The emphasis on gaining knowledge and intelligence in this life echoes Solomon's declaration that wisdom is the principal thing and to get understanding above all else.

D&C 130 3 John 14:23

The teaching that the Father and Son can make their abode with an individual fulfills Jesus' promise that he and the Father would come and make their abode with those who love him.

D&C 130 20-21 Daniel 12:3

The promise about intelligence and glory echoes Daniel's vision that those who are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament.

Apply This Today

Living D&C 130

The teaching that God has a tangible body transforms our understanding of prayer—we are speaking to a real, personal being, not an abstract force. The principle that all blessings are tied to obedience brings clarity to how God operates: he does not arbitrarily withhold blessings but grants them according to eternal law. The assurance that knowledge and intelligence carry over into the next life gives powerful motivation for lifelong learning and personal development.

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