D&C 77 is a series of answers Joseph Smith received to
questions asked about the meaning of various symbols in the Book of Revelation.
From time to time I have wondered why he stopped only at those questions and wished
he’d asked more. However, one BYU religion teacher explained that D&C 77
gives “a key” to understanding Revelation, and that just like a key unlocks a
door, while D&C 77 doesn’t explain everything, it helps orient us in a way
that helps us understand the rest of Revelation better.
Recently my husband and I read D&C 77 together, and I
started to wonder what it was that caused Joseph Smith to select those things
to ask about. I suppose I’ll have
to ponder those things at length, but one small answer seemed pretty obvious.
Joseph Smith asked about the meaning of the book with seven
seals because the book is a very important focus of the narrative. As seals are
opened, significant things happen, important changes occur in conditions, both
good and bad. The narrative of Revelation revolves around the book for a good
part of the time, so it would be important to ask what the book represents.
Q. What are we
to understand by the book which John saw, which was sealed on the back with
seven seals?
A. We are to
understand that it contains the revealed will, mysteries, and the works of God;
the hidden things of his economy concerning this earth during the seven
thousand years of its continuance, or its temporal existence. (D&C 77:6)
This tells us the book contains the
revealed will, mysteries, and the works of God, the hidden things of His
economy during the seven thousand years. So everything that happens revolves
around the will of God, His works, and His mysteries. Thus, the openings of the
seals bring new works and new mysteries and new things of His economy out, and
then begins the struggle between those who want to adhere to the will of God,
and those who prefer to rebel.
This suggests that we look at the opening of each seal and try to
discern what the will of God has revealed and orient the human responses
observed in the text according to that.
This answer gives us a view of God as one
who is thinking ahead, who is at work not just in one place in the world, but
in many different places, revealing mysteries, persuading those who listen to
do good. What’s to come has been written; there’s a plan in place. It doesn’t
come out of chance. He’s ahead of
the game, He’s the prime mover, He’s behind every inch of real progress
humanity makes, and the rest of the world must follow or be left behind.
I think it might also be a fruitful
course of inquiry to examine the other symbols Joseph asked about to try to
understand how he decided to ask about them. We often think Joseph Smith asked
questions according to curiosity, but what if there was more behind it? Can we understand his thought process
or see it? I recognize this might
be considered attempting to mind-read, but might there be an underlying logic
behind the questions?
0 comments:
Post a Comment