D&C 29 Quotes and Notes

Doctrine and Covenants 29 Historical Background

Joseph Smith received Doctrine and Covenants 29 in September 1829. John Whitmer is our source of the historical background of this section. Whitmer informs us that this revelation was given to “to six elders of the Church and three members” and explained that this group “understood from Holy Writ that the time had come that the People of God should see eye to eye and they (these 9 people) seeing somewhat different upon the death of Adam (that is his transgression) therefore they made it a subject of prayer and inquired of the Lord and thus came the word of the Lord through Joseph the seer.”^[1]Revelation, September 1830–A [D&C 29]

These nine were most likely discussing the things in the Bible that Joseph Smith was working with. In June of 1830, Joseph Smith received the revelation that he described as the “visions of Moses.” ^[2]Visions of Moses, June 1830 [Moses 1], see the Joseph Smith Papers, “A Revelation given to Joseph the Revelator June 1830,” Visions of Moses, [Fayette Township, Seneca Co., NY, or Harmony … Continue reading This revelation may have served as a catalyst to Joseph’s work on the translation. This revelation now appears as the first chapter in the book of Moses in the Pearl of Great Price. The earliest manuscripts of the Bible translation, beginning with Genesis 1 (now Moses 2), were created in Harmony, Pennsylvania, about one month later, with Oliver Cowdery and John Whitmer acting as scribes. Shortly thereafter, in a revelation addressed to Joseph’s wife, Emma Hale Smith, the Lord instructed that Emma serve as Joseph’s scribe^[3]See “Revelation, July 1830–C [D&C 25],” in Revelation Book 1, 34, JSP; see also Doctrine and Covenants 25:6. See D&C 25.6: “And thou shalt go with him at the time of his going, and be … Continue reading for the translation, which she apparently did for a brief time.^[4]“Emma and the Joseph Smith Translation,” Insights, Aug. 1996, 2. Over the next few months, the translation progressed through the book of Genesis.

The Bible Joseph Translated

Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery purchased a large quarto-size^[5]The quarto size, generally about 9 by 12 inches, was not a pulpit edition nor a pocket edition of the Bible, but rather what we now often call “the family Bible.” Americans were buying them in … Continue readingCooperstown Bible from E. B. Grandin for $3.75 the previous year, on October 8, 1829, while the Book of Mormon was being printed.^[6]The printing process essentially covered the time period of July 1, 1829 to March 26, 1830. See: Book of Mormon translation timeline, 9/15/2014.On the inside cover, they labeled the Bible “The Book of the Jews and the prophecy of”^[7]Bible Used for Bible Revision, 0, JSP. E.B. Grandin probably obtained this Bible from either a Phiney book wagon or from one of the boats that regularly passed along the Erie Canal in that time period.^[8]It is not difficult to speculate how E. B. Grandin obtained the Bible he sold to Oliver Cowdery. Phinney book wagons were active in New York State but most likely Grandin purchased the Bible from the … Continue reading A July 1830 revelation given to Joseph suggested that a new production of translation would commence when Joseph was exhorted to write “the things which shall be given thee by the Comforter, and expounding all scriptures unto the church” (D&C 24:5). This was the beginning of what is today known as the Joseph Smith translation of the Bible.

Summer 1830 Translation Project of the Bible

During the summer and fall of 1830, Joseph launched this new translation project, an undertaking that would require his focus from June 1830 until July 1833, with some breaks during the course of translation.^[9]Robert J. Matthews explained, “The Prophet Joseph Smith began translating the Bible in June of 1830. He worked steadily, with some breaks in between, from June of 1830 to July 1833. So it took just … Continue reading Of the translation venture, Joseph viewed his translation as an inspired revision that included restoration by revelation of many of the things that were missing from the early accounts of events in the Book of Genesis. It also included grammatical and linguistic changes, and in other places elaborations or clarifications on doctrine. Joseph made the most extensive changes to the Book of Genesis, but the work was a massive undertaking. By the time the first cycle of translation was finished in 1833, he had revised more than three thousand verses, adding phrases, verses, and even new chapters to the Bible.^[10]See “Historical Introduction,” Visions of Moses, June 1830 [Moses 1], fn 5, JSP. We read the following: The translation was not a Bible translation in the conventional sense; rather, it was … Continue reading From many of the sources I have analyzed, it seems apparent that Joseph Smith never considered the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible to have been completed.^[11]Indeed, even the concept of a “completed” work may be a misnomer. From many sources like Brigham Young, George Q. Cannon, George A. Smith, and Dr. John Milton Bernhisel, we can see that they … Continue reading

Nearly two-thirds of the Doctrine and Covenants was received between June 1831 and July 2, 1833, when Joseph and his various scribes^[12]Joseph had a number of scribes that assisted him with the work of translating the Bible. Robert J. Matthews has helped to explain how the translation process took place over a variety of places, … Continue reading completed the first round of translation. Doctrine and Covenants 29 is the earliest section that appears to be directly linked to the biblical translation project. Other doctrinally rich revelations such as sections 37, 45, 73, 76, 77, 86, 91, and 132 are also linked directly to the project.^[13]Doctrine and Covenants, Introduction, 2013, vi.

Though we do not have all of the particular details, it is likely that Joseph Smith had finished Genesis 1–3 by September 1830, resulting in what is now Moses 1–4 in the Pearl of Great Price. John Whitmer’s introduction to the section notes that the elders were “seeing somewhat different upon the death of Adam (that is his transgression) therefore they made it the subject of prayer and enquired of the Lord.^[14]Revelation Book 1, 36, JSP. Moses 1–4 and Doctrine and Covenants 29 both discuss the spiritual and temporal creation of the earth, Satan’s rebellion and the war in heaven, and the Fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. As McConkie and Ostler have noted, “In the Prophet’s translation of Genesis 1-5, principles are woven into a story line relating the events of the Garden of Eden, Satan’s rebellion, his temptation of Adam and Eve, their eating the forbidden fruit, and their being ushered out of the garden. In contrast, the material in Doctrine and Covenants 29:30-45 is a brief statement of doctrinal principles— without the story—actually a summary of the doctrine found in the longer narrative of Joseph Smith’s translation of Genesis 1-5. Thus, for maximum comprehension, the Prophet’s translation of Genesis 1-5 (Moses 2-5) should be read just prior to a study of Doctrine and Covenants 29, since that appears to be the order in which they were received.”^[15]Joseph Fielding McConkie and Craig J. Ostler, Revelations of the Restoration: A Commentary on the Doctrine and Covenants and Other Modern Revelations, Deseret Book, p. 212. The authors continue, … Continue reading

The Book of Moses and Section 29 of the Doctrine and Covenants should be considered together for the greatest understanding. As Robert J. Matthews noted, “The Doctrine and Covenants and it its relationship with the Joseph Smith Translation . . . are not two entirely separate books. They are interwoven.”^[16]See Casey Griffiths, Additional Context. See also: Ray L. Huntington and Brian M. Hauglid, “Robert J. Matthews and His Work with the Joseph Smith Translation,” Religious Educator, 2004, 42, … Continue reading

Section 29

How to organize this revelation

In the podcast, Bryce Dunford suggests that Section 29 be read in a very particular way. Essentially he breaks this section down into four parts:

1. This revelation begins by reminding us who Jesus is, emphasizing that he has already defeated the greatest enemy of mankind: sin and death (see D&C 29.1-8).
2. Christ will gain the victory over the death and the wicked at the Second Coming (see D&C 29.9-21).
3. The Savior will again gain victory at the end of the Millennium (see D&C 29.22-29).
4. In The Grand Council before material creation, Jesus gained the victory over Satan (see D&C 29.30-50).

Bryce’s “So What” moment comes at the end of the podcast where he emphasizes how to apply this revelation. D&C 29.2 is the key to application, as explained by Bryce in this podcast.

29.1 The Great I AM

The title “I AM” is derived from the third person singular form of the Hebrew verb “to be” and is transliterated by four letters YHWH (see Exodus 3.14). When directly translated, YHWH means “he is” or “I am he who exists,” or even “He is who he will be,” or “He causes to be what will be.” The accumulated evidence supports the view that the name Yahweh is a causative imperfect of the Canaanite-Proto-Hebrew very hwy, “to be.”^[17]Frank Moore Cross, Canaanite Myth and Hebrew Epic: Essays in the History of the Religion of Israel, Harvard University Press, 1973, p. 65. I find it interesting how this verse was translated by … Continue readingTherefore, the very use of the title “I AM” affirms faith in the existence of God, the causer of things being. The tetragrammaton YHWH was probably pronounced Yahweh. Later renditions of the name of God included attempts to pronounce the name of God from these letters. King James translators used the anglicized name Jehovah, but most often preferred to use the title LORD (with capital letters) to indicate where the biblical text contained YHWH, the name of Deity. Douglas Stuart cites commentary from other Biblical scholars that shed light on the divine name of God. He quotes William Brownlee’s work^[18]W.H. Brownlee, “The Ineffable Name of God,” BASOR 226 (1977): 39-46. where he says, “Brownlee argues particularly strongly for the concept of Yahweh as creator God, even to the point of suggesting that yahwhe sebaot should be translated “He who creates (and therefore commands) the Divine Host” or “He who [uses the Divine Assembly of His creation and thereby] brings things to pass.” His preferred translation of yahweh elohim would be “He creates gods” or “He creates the members of the Divine Assembly.” Though these retranslations may go beyond the evidence by failing to see how early the name became frozen rather than merely the first element in a sentence name, the strength of Brownlee’s position is its emphasis on the fact that the “ineffable name” was an affirmation of Israel’s God as creator of all that exists, including the host of heaven/divine assembly.”^[19]See Douglas K. Stuart, Exodus, The New American Commentary: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture, B&H Publishing, 2006, p. 121. For more on the divine name, see: W. F. … Continue reading

29.1-2 As a hen gathereth her chickens

Speaking of this LeGrand Baker writes:

I used to have a very vivid mental picture of that… When I was a boy living on the farm, I was watching a mother hen and her dozen or so baby chicks. She would cluck and scratch the ground to find things to eat, showing them how to scratch and peck, and how to find seeds and bugs. If one became too
intense on the lesson and tried to scratch in the same place as his mother – that is, if one was so foolish as to get behind her foot as she scratched the ground, the baby chick would be propelled into the air by the back of her foot, bounce six inches or so from where he had been scratching, get up, and run back to join his siblings to search the place the mother had just cleared. As I watched, I heard her cluck take on a different tone and a sense of urgency that even I could recognize. She squatted on the ground, raised her wings and did something with her feathers that made her look twice as big as she was before. The babies scampered into the shelter beneath those wings, and she lowered her body over theirs, buried her head under her wing and — I was suddenly pelted by hail that came crashing from the sky. The little balls of ice hit her feathers with a kind of hollow thud, and rolled off to the ground. I’m sure the reason I recall that scene so vividly is because I stood their in the storm, watching the hail bounce off her feathers and admiring her courage, before I ran off to the house where my own mother and her protection were waiting for me. I did not know the hail was coming, but the mother hen did. I have since learned that hens keep a close eye on the sky and will act the same way if she sees a hawk hovering near her children.

In the New Testament one could reasonably take the Saviour’s words as a simple country parable, – many have – but given the circumstances under which those words were spoken in the Book of Mormon, one might rightly ask, “Why, in the darkness, would Jesus choose to speak in a farmyard parable? Was he talking about saving people from the physical dangers of the trembling earth, or was it about something else that was more important?” The question becomes even more penetrating when one sees how the “parable” is used in the revelations of the Doctrine and Covenants.^[20]LeGrand Baker, “Other Writings of LeGrand Baker,” Code words: Arm of God.

29.8-21 Destruction preceding the Second Coming

In these verses, the Lord begins explaining that those that are gathered “unto one place… to prepare their hearts and be prepared in all things” will abide the day and dwell in righteousness with the Lord when he comes again (D&C 29.11). I am inclined to view these verses as an invitation to listen to the Lord, as well as see many of these signs as things that the Saints can see to strengthen their faith and not necessarily to cause alarm. From reading Section 29 in conjunction with Ezekiel 39, I see a connection of these ideas (see Ezekiel 39.7, 13, 22-23, 28).^[21]All of these verses in Ezekiel seem to stress the idea that these signs are for us to know that God is in charge and to make his name known. In many of the verses we read ideas that express this … Continue reading The Lord is informing his Saints not so much to scare them as to inform them of the importance of preparation and to connect the ideas of the current dispensation with those of antiquity.

29.12 The Judgment

The second coming of the Savior also inaugurates the time of judgment for the righteous. It will be presided over by Adam, the Ancient of days. The meridian Twelve will judge the house of Israel under his direction. During his mortal ministry, the Savior told the Twelve in Jerusalem that when he came again, he would “sit in the throne of his glory,” and he identified them as the princes mentioned by Isaiah who would “sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19.28). While in the Americas, the resurrected Lord instructed the Nephite Twelve that they would judge their people. Further, he explained that the Nephite Twelve, as a remnant of the House of Israel, would be judged of the Twelve Apostles at Jerusalem and that they in turn would judge their people (1 Nephi 12.9; Mormon 3.17-19).

During the millennial day the kingdom of heaven will become one with the kingdom of God on earth (D&C 65:5-6), and the Saints will reign with the Savior. The governing princes and judges of the kingdom will be under the direction of the holy priesthood. Many will preside in righteousness during that time. The original Twelve will preside over the whole house of Israel under the direction of Adam, who will act under the direction of Christ (D&C 78.16).^[22]McConkie and Ostler, Revelations of the Restoration, p. 235.

29.14-16 Cosmic Solar Signs and Hail

The sun shall be darkened, the moon shall be turned into blood, and the stars shall fall from heaven (D&C 29.14).^[23]There may be more than one occasion when the light of the sun and the moon shall be withheld from men, and when it will seem as though the very stars in the firmament are being hurled from their … Continue reading There shall be a great hailstorm sent forth to destroy the crops of the earth (D&C 29.16). Apparently, this will be one of several hailstorms sent by the Lord to call his children to repentance (D&C 43.25). Isaiah prophesied of hail that would bring the proud and wicked low prior to the time of peace and righteousness (Isaiah 32.15-19). In addition, Ezekiel spoke of the destruction of the armies of Gog by “overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone” (Ezekiel 38.22) in the latter- day war against the people of Israel. The apostle John saw in vision that at the opening of the seventh seal and after the testimony of thunderings, lightnings, and earthquakes, “there followed hail and fire mingled with blood” (Revelation 8.7), which destroyed a third part of both trees and grass. Further, John saw a time when “there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great” (Revelation 16.21). This hailstorm, which will destroy the crops of the earth, as with all of the predicted natural disasters, will come as vengeance upon the wicked.^[24]McConkie and Ostler, p. 235-236.

29.19-21 Their flesh shall fall from their bones… beasts … and fowls shall devour them up

I see this and the following verses as the fulfillment of the prophecy of Ezekiel 38-39. The 38^th chapter of Ezekiel tells the story of a conflict between the armies of several nations outlined in Ezekiel 38.1-6 and Israel. These armies are usually typified as the armies of Gog from the north (tsaphon or zaphon). There is strong connection between these armies and the mythological association in Ugaritic religion as it is connected to Baal. The armies of Gog can be associated with the armies of chaos and destruction from the north that are come to undo the Israelites land, fertility, and connection to God. As Michael Heiser has explained:

The prophetic description in Ezekiel 38–39 of the invasion of “Gog, of the land of Magog” (Ezekiel 38.1–3, 14–15) is well known and the subject of much interpretive dispute, both scholarly and fanciful. One of the secure points is that Gog will come from “the heights of the north” (38:15; 39:2). While many scholars have focused on the literal geographic aspects of this phrasing, few have given serious thought to its mythological associations in Ugaritic/Canaanite religion with Baal, lord of the dead.

An ancient reader would have looked for an invasion from the north, but would have cast that invasion in a supernatural context. In other words, the language of Ezekiel is not simply about a human invader or human armies. An ancient reader would also have noticed that this invasion would come at a time when the tribes had been united and dwelt in peace and safety within the promised land—in other words, once the period of exile had ended.

The battle of Gog and Magog would be something expected after the initiation of Yahweh’s plan to reclaim the nations and, therefore, draw his children, Jew or Gentile, from those nations. The Gog invasion would be the response of supernatural evil against the messiah and his kingdom. This is in fact precisely how it is portrayed in Revelation 20:7–10.

Gog would have been perceived as either a figure empowered by supernatural evil or an evil quasi-divine figure from the supernatural world bent on the destruction of God’s people. For this reason, Gog is regarded by many biblical scholars as a template for the New Testament antichrist figure.

While Magog and “the heights of the north” aren’t precisely defined in the Gog prophecy, the point is not about literal geography per se. Rather, it is the supernatural backdrop to the whole “northern foe” idea that makes any such geographical reference important. For sure ancient Jews would expect that the reconstituted kingdom of Yahweh would be shattered by an enemy from the north—as it had before. But ancient Jews would also have thought in supernatural terms. A supernatural enemy in the end times would be expected to come from … the supernatural underworld realm of the dead, located in the heights of the north. Gog is explicitly described in such terms.^[25]Michael Heiser, The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible, Lexham Press, 2015, p. 358-361.

The people of Israel had deep feeling about collective armies from the north, as they had many experiences with both the Assyrian and later the Babylonian empires in both the 8^th and 7^th centuries before Christ. As Michael Heiser explained, “All eschatological systems are speculative in many respects. The point is that the supernatural worldview of ancient Israel and Judaism must inform our own thinking. The cosmic enemy from the supernatural north, where the council of evil plotted against Yahweh’s council, was a fixed part of the worldview of the biblical writers—especially when it comes to the end times.”^[26]Michael Heiser, Who Are Gog and Magog, and What’s So Evil about the North? November 29, 2017.

All of these verses in D&C 29.17-21 are talking about what is sometimes called “The Supper of the Great God” (see Revelation 19.17) and is discussed in Ezekiel 39.6-18 where fire is sent from God to Magog (Ezekiel 39.6), and all of the beasts of the field and birds are called to eat the flesh of the fallen warriors (Ezekiel 39.17) and commanded to “eat flesh and drink blood” (Ezekiel 39.17). This is the reversal of the chaos motif: the agents of Chaos (bulls of Bashan^[27]Bashan is the cite for the enemies of God in the Bible. In Psalm 68.15-16 we read that Yahweh desired the Mountain of Bashan for his own. Psalm 48.1-2 tells us: Yahweh is great and very worthy of … Continue reading – Ezekiel 39.18 and the armies of Gog – Ezekiel 39.1) will be consumed by agents of chaos (beasts and fowls)!

29.26 Michael, mine archangel, shall sound his trump

Michael is Adam, the first man (D&C 27.11). He is chief among God’s sons and has been given “the keys of salvation under the counsel and direction of the Holy One” (D&C 78.16), who is Jesus Christ. The sounding of Michael’s trump is to announce the resurrection of the dead. The Son of God loosed the bands of death for all through his atoning sacrifice and resurrection.^[28]McConkie and Ostler, p. 237.

Joseph Smith’s Translation of the Bible – All Things are Spiritual – D&C 29.30-35

29.33 All of God’s creations are eternal

The Lord revealed to Moses, “for my works are without end, and also my words, for they never cease” (Moses 1.4). Similarly, they did not begin with their mortal creation, but existed before this earth was created. The Prophet Joseph Smith further explained: “Element had an existence from the time [God] had. The pure principles of element are principles which can never be destroyed; they may be organized and re-organized, but not destroyed. They had no beginning, and can have no end.”^[29]Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 351-352. God’s eternal work is to create and “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life” (Moses 1.39) of his creations.

29.31-34 God’s Laws are Spiritual

D&C 29.31-34 should be read in conjunction with Moses 5.5 which reads as follows:

And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew. For I, the Lord God, created all things, of which I have spoken, spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth. For I, the Lord God, had not caused it to rain upon the face of the earth. And I, the Lord God, had created all the children of men; and not yet a man to till the ground; for in heaven created I them; and there was not yet flesh upon the earth, neither in the water, neither in the air…

In this scripture we learn that in the creation narrative all things were first created spiritually, and then after this verse we can read of these things being created temporally. This verse helps to unpack the idea in Genesis where we read about two creation stories that take place between Genesis 1.1-2.3 (P), and Genesis 2.4-3.24 (J).^[30]As biblical scholars have pointed out there are two creation stories that appear in Genesis 1-3, coming from two different sources which have been edited or stitched together. The first source is the … Continue reading This verse, Moses 5.5, is the very pivot that takes place between both creation stories in Genesis – the very words that are between Genesis 2.3 and 2.4. Moses 5.5 is the verse that is connected to the idea of spiritual law and creation, the subject of D&C 29.31-34. To me, these ideas are all connected: creation, spiritual first creation, spiritual laws, and becoming an agent unto ourselves – all of these ideas are tied to freedom, creation, and becoming like God in the fullest sense.

That which is “temporal” is limited by time; it is temporary. The laws of God are eternal. They are everlastingly the same. It could also be observed that because every action has its consequence, there is nothing we do that does not affect who and what we are, which in turn determines who and what we will be in the worlds to come.

Howard W. Hunter said:

The Lord makes no distinction between temporal and spiritual commandments, for he has said that all of his commandments are spiritual. When we understand the plan of life and salvation, this becomes evident to us. Mortality is just one part of our eternal life.^[31]Conference Report, October 1961, p. 109.

Jedediah M. Grant explained the eternal nature of laws and the power which governs those laws: “If Joseph had a right to dictate me in relation to salvation, in relation to a hereafter, he had a right to dictate me in relation to all my earthly affairs, in relation to the treasures of the earth, and in relation to the earth itself. He had a right to dictate in relation to the cities of the earth, to the natives of the earth, and in relation to everything on land and on sea. That is what he had a right to do, if he had any right at all. If he did not have that right, he did not have the Priesthood of God, he did not have the endless Priesthood that emanates from an eternal being. A priesthood that is clipped, and lacks length, is not the Priesthood of God; if it lacks depth, it is not the Priesthood of God; for the Priesthood in ancient times extended over the wide world, and coped with the universe, and had a right to govern and control the inhabitants thereof, to regulate them, give them laws, and execute those laws. That power looked like the Priesthood of God. This same Priesthood has been given to Joseph Smith, and has been handed down to his successors.”^[32]McConkie and Ostler, p. 239-240. See also: Jedidiah M. Grant, Journal of Discourses, 2:13-14.

29.36-37 A third part of the hosts of heaven… were thrust down

Because our Heavenly Father chose Jesus Christ to be our Savior, Satan became angry and rebelled. There was war in heaven. Satan and his followers fought against Jesus Christ and His followers. The Savior’s followers “overcame [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony” (Revelation 12.11).

In this great rebellion, Satan and all the spirits who followed him were sent away from the presence of God and cast down from heaven. A third part of the hosts of heaven were punished for following Satan (see Doctrine and Covenants 29.36). They were denied the right to receive mortal bodies. The warfare between Satan and the Saints of God is continued in mortality, and we are fundamentally fighting over the same things that we fought for in the realm of premortality. The same issues are at stake today as they were then.

Because we are here on earth and have mortal bodies, we know that we chose to follow Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father. Satan and his followers are also on the earth, but as spirits.^[33]And I, Lehi, according to the things which I have read, must needs suppose that an angel of God, according to that which is written, had fallen from heaven; wherefore, he became a devil, having … Continue reading They have not forgotten who we are, and they are around us daily, tempting us and enticing us to do things that are not pleasing to our Heavenly Father.^[34]This is the war that Satan and his followers have declared against the Saints. We read in the book of Revelation: And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and … Continue reading In our premortal life, we chose to follow Jesus Christ and accept God’s plan.^[35]Indeed, we read this in the book of Abraham: Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and … Continue reading We must continue to follow Jesus Christ here on earth. Only by following Him can we return to our heavenly home.^[36]See: Gospel Topics, War in Heaven.

29.41 The First Death: Spiritual Death

With the Fall came the first spiritual penalty-spiritual death! Death is a separation. The separation of Adam and of his posterity from the presence of God constituted spiritual death, for it separated them from all things spiritual. There is another death, temporal death, which is the separation of the body from the spirit. The penalty for transgression was that, with the Fall, Adam and his posterity became subject to both deaths. The law had been broken and justice was upheld. But mercy would appeal. Mercy won a stay of temporal death, and a probation was granted to man (D&C 29:42.).^[37]Elder Boyd K. Packer, Our Father’s Plan, Deseret Book, 1984, p. 22.

29.42-46 Through mine Only Begotten

Section 29.42 and 46 both are examples of Divine Investiture of Authority, meaning that Jesus Christ can speak as if he were the Father. Jesus Christ explained to a group during his Palestinian ministry, “I am come in my Father’s name” (John 5:43). Our Lord acted and spoke on behalf of God the Father, such that he could proclaim, “My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me” (John 7:16). Christ is therefore known as Father “by divine investiture of authority,” meaning that “the Father has placed his name upon the Son, has given him his own power and authority, and has authorized him to speak in the first person as though he were the original or primal Father.”^[38]McConkie, The Promised Messiah, p. 63; see also: A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p. 69.

29.46 Little children are redeemed from the foundation of the world

The Lord extends special protection to children and shares jurisdiction with earthly parents, even as we enjoy their presence. They cannot sin until they reach the age of accountability, which the Lord has declared to be eight years (see D&C 18:42; D&C 29:47). In fact, the power to even tempt them to commit sin has been taken from Satan. The prophet Mormon taught that “little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing sin… Little children are alive in Christ, even from the foundation of the world; if not so, God is a partial God, and also a changeable God, and a respecter to persons; for how many little children have died without baptism!” (Moroni 8.8, 12.)

Because they cannot sin, they have no need of repentance, neither baptism. Adam’s original transgression has no claim as a result of the atonement of Jesus Christ. Mormon declared the practice of baptizing little children to be a “solemn mockery before God” (Moroni 8.9), for repentance and baptism apply to those who are “accountable and capable of committing sin” (Moroni 8.10).

Because all children who die before the age of accountability are pure, innocent, and wholly sin-free, they are saved in the celestial kingdom of heaven (see D&C 137:10; Mosiah 3:18). Understanding the special status of little children before God, because of their pure and innocent nature, brings understanding of the Lord’s commandment to “repent, and become as a little child, and be baptized in [His] name” (3 Ne. 11:37). The childlike qualities the Lord had reference to are developed by yielding to “the enticings of the Holy Spirit,” so as to become “submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.” Truly, such a person “becometh a saint” as spoken by Mosiah (Mosiah 3:19).^[39]Elder Merlin R. Lybbert, “The Special Status of Children,” Ensign, May 1994, 31.

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