by Leon R. Hartshorn

Section 137 reports a vision of the Celestial Kingdom recorded in the diary of Joseph Smith. On January 21, 1836, he and several other Church leaders gathered in the Kirtland Temple for the ordinances of washing and anointing. Joseph blessed and anointed his aged father, Joseph Smith, Sr., who in turn anointed the members of the Church presidency and sealed blessings upon the Prophet. Joseph recorded that as the presidency laid their hands on his head and prophesied, "the heavens were opened upon us and I beheld the Celestial Kingdom of God, and the glory thereof" (verse 1). He saw its streets as if paved with gold. The Father and the Son sat on a blazing throne. Adam and Abraham were there; so were Joseph's parents, who were still alive at the time of the vision, and his brother Alvin, who had died before the priesthood was restored and hence had not been baptized for the remission of sins. The vision continued beyond that which is included in section 137 (Hc 2:380-81; Pwjs, pp. 145-46). Many present received visions and witnessed the glory of God fill the room.

Joseph's vision was the first doctrinal revelation to the Church disclosing that the Lord will provide all who die without hearing the gospel an opportunity to hear and accept it in the spirit world so they can enter the Celestial Kingdom (D&C 137:8-9; clarifying 76:72) and that children who die before the age of accountability (eight years) will be heirs of the Celestial Kingdom (D&C 137:10).

Section 138 is the record of a vision received by President Joseph F. Smith on October 3, 1918, as he was pondering the universal nature of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and wondering how the Savior taught the spirits in prison in the brief time between his death and resurrection (D&C 138:1-11; cf. 1 Pet. 3:19; 4:6). He saw the visit of the Savior to the righteous spirits in paradise. He also observed that Jesus did not go in person among the wicked and disobedient but organized representatives from among the righteous spirits to carry the gospel to "all the spirits of men" (D&C 138:30). Those who were not taught the gospel on earth will be given the opportunity to hear it and accept its exalting fulness when taught by Christ's authorized representatives in the spirit world; those spirits who are "in darkness and under the bondage of sin…who repent will be redeemed" (verses 138:57-58; cf. 76:74).

The accounts of these two visions were canonized in the General Conference of April 1976 as additions to the Pearl of Great Price. They became sections in the Doctrine and Covenants in 1981.

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Bibliography

Millet, Robert L. "Salvation Beyond the Grave (D&C 137 and 1 38)." In Studies in Scripture, Vol. 1, pp. 549-63, ed. R. Millet and K. Jackson. Sandy, Utah, 1984.

Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol. 1, Doctrine and Covenants Section 137-138

Copyright © 1992 by Macmillan Publishing Company