Episode 112: God lives on a great urim and thummim (129-131)
Doctrine and Covenants
Section 129
Instructions given by Joseph Smith at Nauvoo, Illinois, February 9, 1843
Is it an angel, a spirit, or the devil? Only a handshake will tell
1 There are two kinds of beings in heaven: Angels, who are resurrected men, having flesh and bones. 2 Jesus, for example, said, “Handle me and see. A spirit doesn't have flesh and bones, but I do.” 3 Secondly, there are the spirits of just men made perfect. They're not resurrected but have the same glory.
4 When a messenger comes to you saying he has a message from God, ask to shake his hand. 5 If he's an angel, he will shake your hand, and you'll feel his hand.
6 If he is the spirit of a just man made perfect, he will come in all his glory. 7 Ask him to shake hands. He will refuse to shake your hand, because it's against the law in heaven to deceive. But he'll still deliver his message.
8 If it's the devil pretending to be an angel of light, ask him to shake hands. He will shake hands with you, but you won't feel anything, and you'll detect him.
9 These are the three grand keys whereby you can tell if a messenger is from God.
Section 130
By Joseph Smith at Ramus, Illinois, April 2, 1843
God lives on a great Urim and Thummim
1 When the savior arrives, we'll see him as he is: a man, like ourselves.
3 In John 14:23, the Father and Son appear in a personal appearance, and the idea that the Father and Son dwell in a man's heart is false.
6 There are no angels who live on earth. 7 They live with God on a globe like a sea of glass and fire.
8 God lives on a great Urim and Thummim.
The earth will become a crystal Urim and Thummim
9 The earth will be made into a crystal Urim and Thummim.
Each person in the celestial kingdom will get a white stone that turns into a Urim and Thummim (with a secret name on it)
10 The white stone mentioned in Revelation 2:17 will become a Urim and Thummim. Each person who receives a white stone will that turns into a Urim and Thummim. 11 A white stone is given to each person who comes to the celestial kingdom, where they receive a new name that no one else knows. The new name is the key word.
There will be trouble in South Carolina
12 I prophesy that there will be difficulties and bloodshed before the Son of Man comes in South Carolina. 13 It might probably be associated with the slavery question. A voice told me so on December 25, 1832.
The Son of Man won't come before December 23, 1890
14-15 Once while I was praying, I asked when the Son of Man would come. A voice said to me: “If you live to be 85 years old, you'll see the face of the Son of Man. This should satisfy you. Don't bother me any more about this.”
16 I didn't know what to make of this. Did it refer to the beginning of the millennium, or so some previous appearance, or whether I'd die and see his face. 17 But I believe the Son of Man won't be coming any time before then.
19 If a person gains knowledge in this life, they'll have that knowledge in the world to come.
The Father and the Son have bodies, but the Holy Ghost doesn't
22 The Father has a body of flesh and bones just like ours. And so does the Son. But not the Holy Ghost. It is a spirit, otherwise it couldn't live in us.
Section 131
Instructions by Joseph Smith given at Ramus, Illinois, May 16 and 17, 1843
To get the highest glory, you must get married
1 There are three heavens or degrees in the celestial glory. 2 To get to the highest level, you must enter this order of the priesthood - that is, you must be married in the new and everlasting covenant. 4 He can still get into the other, but that's the end of his kingdom.
We're living in a material world
6 Ignorant men can't be saved. 7 All spirit is matter, but you can only detect it with pure eyes. 8 We can't see it now, but when our bodies are purified, we'll see that everything is matter.
