Sunday School Lesson Notes -- Doctrine and Covenants 137 & 138

These are the notes to my Sunday School lesson today.  I included all of the Scriptures but didn't use them all in the lesson.  I added notes in between the scriptures to help guide my lesson.  Pardon the formatting and/or typos.  The asterisks indicate scriptures I intended to read.  At the end is the handout we gave the kids with an Angel tree ornament.

Section 137 -- vision given to the Prophet Joseph Smith of the celestial kingdom.

Section 138 -- vision given to the Prophet Joseph F. Smith (sixth president of the church) of the spirit world.

Sunday school lesson doctrine and covenants 137 and 138

December 5, 2021

 

SECTION 137

A vision given to Joseph Smith the Prophet, in the temple at Kirtland, Ohio, January 21, 1836. The occasion was the administration of ordinances in preparation for the dedication of the temple.

1–6, The Prophet sees his brother Alvin in the celestial kingdom; 7–9, The doctrine of salvation for the dead is revealed; 10, All children are saved in the celestial kingdom.

1 The ^aheavens were ^bopened upon us, and I beheld the ^ccelestial kingdom of God, and the glory thereof, whether in the ^dbody or out I cannot tell.

The vision was so real that Joseph didn’t know whether he was in or out of his body.

2 I saw the transcendent ^abeauty of the ^bgate through which the heirs of that kingdom will enter, which was ^clike unto ^dcircling flames of fire;

3 Also the ^ablazing ^bthrone of God, whereon was seated the ^cFather and the ^dSon.

Significance of fire analogy? Fire refines, purifies, and strengthens metals.

4 I saw the beautiful streets of that kingdom, which had the appearance of being paved with ^agold.

Significance of gold? People spend their life trying to accumulate gold.  In the celestial kingdom gold is merely pavement.

5 I saw Father ^aAdam and ^bAbraham; and my ^cfather and my mother; my brother ^dAlvin, that has long since ^eslept;

Past, present, future?  Adam & Abraham past.  Alvin present.  Father and mother future.  Joseph’s father and mother were still living at the time of this vision.

Alvin died November 19, 1823 at age 26. (ruptured appendix) medical malpractice? Alvin's instruction to Joseph: “be a good boy, and do everything that lies in your power to obtain the Record [the Book of Mormon plates]. Be faithful in receiving instruction, and in keeping every commandment that is given you.” Joseph: “I remember well the pangs of sorrow that swelled my youthful bosom and almost burst my tender heart when he died. He was the oldest and noblest of my father’s family. …"

6 And ^amarveled how it was that he had obtained an ^binheritance in that kingdom, seeing that he had departed this life before the Lord had set his hand to ^cgather Israel the second time, and had not been ^dbaptized for the remission of sins.

At Alvin’s funeral the Presbyterian minister said that Alvin was in hell because he was never baptized. William Smith, Joseph’s younger brother, recalled: “[The minister] … intimated very strongly that [Alvin] had gone to hell, for Alvin was not a church member, but he was a good boy and my father did not like it.”  This was a common belief at that time.  This troubled Joseph Smith very much.  This was before the revelation of baptism for the dead was given to Joseph.  So this vision of seeing his brother in heaven, the celestial kingdom, was comforting and significant to Joseph and his family.

7 Thus came the ^avoice of the Lord unto me, saying: All who have died ^bwithout a knowledge of this gospel, who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be ^cheirs of the celestial kingdom of God;

8 Also all that shall die henceforth without a knowledge of it, who ^awould have received it with all their hearts, shall be heirs of that kingdom;

Another significant revelation.  Since many people have lived and died on earth without knowledge of the gospel nor without having opportunity to be baptized and live the gospel.  The Lord is just, and will give everybody ample opportunity to hear the gospel and decide whether to accept it or reject it.  Those who would have accepted it had they had the opportunity, will receive all the blessings of celestial glory in the celestial kingdom.

9 For I, the Lord, will ^ajudge all men according to their ^bworks, according to the ^cdesire of their hearts.

We will not only be judged by our works, but also by the desires of our hearts. This is comforting to me.  The Lord knows our hearts and will judge us lovingly, justly and accordingly.

10 And I also beheld that all ^achildren who die before they arrive at the ^byears of accountability are ^csaved in the celestial kingdom of heaven.

This is another beautiful doctrine.  That all children who die before the age of accountability – which we know is eight years old (Doctrine and Covenants 68:25, 27) – are automatically saved in the celestial kingdom.  This also includes those whose mental capacity is less than that of an eight-year-old and therefore they are not accountable.  It is comforting to know that my cousin who died at the age of three is saved in the celestial kingdom of heaven.

What is a threefold mission of the church?

Proclaim the Gospel – current world population -- 7.9 billion people

Perfect the Saints – current church membership – 16.7 million members

Redeem the Dead – number of people who have ever lived on earth (in spirit world) – 107 billion

107 billion divided by 16.7 million equals 6407 (#of people to ever live per church member)

7.9 billion divided by 16.7 million equals 473 (#of people on Earth per church member)

Section 138: a vision of the Spirit World given to President Joseph F. Smith October 3, 1918

Joseph F. Smith was born November 13, 1838 in Far West, Missouri to Hyrum and Mary Fielding Smith.  Joseph F. was five years old when his father Hyrum and uncle Joseph Smith were martyred in Carthage, Illinois June 27, 1844. In 1852 his mother, Mary Fielding Smith, died of pneumonia leaving him orphaned at the age of 13.  When he was 15, Joseph F. Smith was called to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii).  He there learned the Hawaiian language and served four years. In addition to his parents and uncle dying at young ages, he also lost 13 of his children.

Joseph F. Smith’s granddaughter, Amelia Smith McConkie wrote the following:

Grandfather was born in Far West, Missouri, 13 November 1838, approximately two weeks after his father, Hyrum Smith, was unlawfully imprisoned with his brother, the Prophet Joseph Smith. A few days after his birth, he was nearly smothered by a mob who ransacked the family’s home looking for his father’s papers. It was four months before his mother, ill and in poverty, was able to take him to his father, then imprisoned in Liberty Jail in Clay County, Missouri. There, in that foul dungeon and in chains, his father saw him for the first time. ...He was only five years old when his father and uncle were murdered at Carthage and sealed their testimony of the restored gospel with their blood.

 Necessity forced young Joseph to assume the responsibilities generally considered a man’s work. Before he was eight years old, he drove one of his mother’s wagons to Winter Quarters, Nebraska, and on the journey west he also became responsible for the livestock. These duties continued after their arrival in the Salt Lake Valley on 23 September 1848. His mother, worn by persecution and pioneer rigors, died before he reached his fourteenth birthday.

 During his lifetime, death claimed several of his children. The hardest of these to bear was that of his firstborn, Mercy Josephine, for whom he had waited and prayed for many years. This child had come to him at a particularly difficult time in his life and had filled his heart with unspeakable joy.

 The morning before she died, Grandpapa, after being up all night with her, said, “My little pet, you did not sleep all night.”

 His little daughter replied, “I’ll sleep today, Papa.”

“Oh! how those words shot through my heart,” he wrote later of the event. “I knew, yet I would not fully believe, that she meant the sleep of death. And she did sleep! Oh … my heart is nearly broken for the loss of you. … Thy bright spirit lighted all my cares and made all earth to me seem good.”

 Her loss attuned his heart to the losses others had experienced. “Thou didst make me a better man,” he wrote. “For thy sake I love humanity, earth and heaven more. Thou didst draw me nearer unto God and purify my heart. For thy sake I [sought] God with greater faith and fervor on behalf of all children, and my sympathy was aroused more keenly for those bereaved.”

 The deaths of two adult daughters, Alice and Zina, and then of his beloved wife Sarah in 1915, grieved Grandpapa deeply. In his opening remarks at the April 1916 general conference, it was evident that he had often thought about the spirit world and those who were now gone. “I have a feeling in my heart that I stand in the presence not only of the Father and of the Son, but in the presence of those whom God commissioned, raised up and inspired to lay the foundations of the work in which we are engaged. … How much more certain it is … that those who have been faithful … are still engaged in the work for the salvation of the souls of men. … They love us now more than ever. For now they see the dangers that beset us.”

It was Grandfather’s habit to have his sons help with secretarial work in the evenings. He depended heavily on Hyrum and on my father, Joseph Fielding Smith, since they were members of the Quorum of the Twelve. Hyrum’s death at age forty-nine, in January 1918, was a crushing blow for Grandpapa. Added to the other separations, Hyrum’s death added much cause for Grandpapa to ponder, pray, and search the scriptures for answers about the hereafter and associations with loved ones who had passed away. The answers came shortly before his own passing.

In 1918 when President Joseph F. Smith received this vision, World War I would end in November with 20 million killed.  The Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 would kill 50 million.  So, President Joseph F. Smith was very familiar with death. Joseph F. Smith received this vision the day before General conference October 1918.

SECTION 138

A vision given to President Joseph F. Smith in Salt Lake City, Utah, on October 3, 1918. In his opening address at the 89th Semiannual General Conference of the Church, on October 4, 1918, President Smith declared that he had received several divine communications during the previous months. One of these, concerning the Savior’s visit to the spirits of the dead while His body was in the tomb, President Smith had received the previous day. It was written immediately following the close of the conference. On October 31, 1918, it was submitted to the counselors in the First Presidency, the Council of the Twelve, and the Patriarch, and it was unanimously accepted by them.

1–10, President Joseph F. Smith ponders upon the writings of Peter and our Lord’s visit to the spirit world; 11–24, President Smith sees the righteous dead assembled in paradise and Christ’s ministry among them; 25–37, He sees how the preaching of the gospel was organized among the spirits; 38–52, He sees Adam, Eve, and many of the holy prophets in the spirit world who considered their spirit state before their resurrection as a bondage; 53–60, The righteous dead of this day continue their labors in the world of spirits.

*1 On the third of October, in the year nineteen hundred and eighteen, I sat in my room ^apondering over the scriptures;

*2 And ^areflecting upon the great ^batoning ^csacrifice that was made by the Son of God, for the ^dredemption of the world;

*3 And the great and wonderful ^alove made manifest by the Father and the Son in the coming of the ^bRedeemer into the world;

*4 That through his ^aatonement, and by ^bobedience to the principles of the gospel, mankind might be saved.

President Smith, on the day before October 1918 General conference, sat in his room pondering over the scriptures and reflecting on the atonement of Jesus Christ. 

5 While I was thus engaged, my mind reverted to the writings of the apostle Peter, to the ^aprimitive saints scattered abroad throughout ^bPontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, and other parts of Asia, where the gospel had been ^cpreached after the crucifixion of the Lord.

*6 I opened the Bible and read the ^athird and fourth chapters of the first epistle of Peter, and as I read I was greatly ^bimpressed, more than I had ever been before, with the following passages:

*7 “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

*8 “By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in ^aprison;

*9 “Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.” (1 Peter 3:18–20.)

*10 “For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.” (1 Peter 4:6.)

He opened the Scriptures and read 1 Peter chapters 3 and 4. Peter mentions Christ preaching to the spirits in the Spirit world.

*11 As I ^apondered over these things which are ^bwritten, the ^ceyes of my ^dunderstanding were opened, and the Spirit of the Lord ^erested upon me, and I saw the hosts of the ^fdead, both small and great.

His eyes were open and he received the following vision of the spirit world.

*12 And there were gathered together in one place an innumerable company of the spirits of the ^ajust, who had been ^bfaithful in the ^ctestimony of Jesus while they lived in mortality;

*13 And who had offered ^asacrifice in the ^bsimilitude of the great sacrifice of the Son of God, and had suffered ^ctribulation in their Redeemer’s ^dname.

*14 All these had departed the mortal life, firm in the ^ahope of a glorious ^bresurrection, through the ^cgrace of God the ^dFather and his ^eOnly Begotten Son, Jesus Christ.

*15 I beheld that they were filled with ^ajoy and gladness, and were rejoicing together because the day of their ^bdeliverance was at hand.

The righteous dead were gathered together in the spirit world, filled with joy and hope.

*16 They were assembled awaiting the advent of the Son of God into the ^aspirit world, to declare their ^bredemption from the ^cbands of death.

*17 Their sleeping ^adust was to be ^brestored unto its ^cperfect frame, ^dbone to his bone, and the sinews and the flesh upon them, the ^espirit and the body to be united never again to be divided, that they might receive a fulness of ^fjoy.

The righteous dead were waiting for the Savior to come to the spirit world anticipating their resurrection.

*18 While this vast multitude waited and conversed, rejoicing in the hour of their ^adeliverance from the chains of death, the Son of God appeared, declaring ^bliberty to the ^ccaptives who had been faithful;

*19 And there he ^apreached to them the everlasting ^bgospel, the doctrine of the ^cresurrection and the redemption of mankind from the ^dfall, and from individual sins on conditions of ^erepentance.

After Christ’s crucifixion, he preached to the righteous people in the spirit world.  This was a short 30 to 40 hour.  Between his crucifixion and resurrection.  During this time he also organized missionary work to teach the people in spirit prison.

*20 But unto the ^awicked he did not go, and among the ungodly and the unrepentant who had ^bdefiled themselves while in the flesh, his voice was not raised;

*21 Neither did the ^arebellious who rejected the ^btestimonies and the warnings of the ancient ^cprophets behold his ^dpresence, nor look upon his face.

*22 Where these were, ^adarkness reigned, but among the righteous there was ^bpeace;

Jesus did not go to teach the wicked, unrepentant dead in spirit prison.  Instead focusing on teaching the righteous, instructing them to teach the gospel to those awaiting to hear it in spirit prison.

*23 And the saints rejoiced in their ^aredemption, and bowed the ^bknee and acknowledged the Son of God as their Redeemer and Deliverer from death and the ^cchains of ^dhell.

*24 Their countenances ^ashone, and the ^bradiance from the presence of the Lord rested upon them, and they ^csang praises unto his holy name.

The righteous dead rejoiced at their redemption from the chains of death and hell through the atonement for Jesus Christ.

*25 I marveled, for I understood that the Savior spent about three years in his ^aministry among the Jews and those of the house of Israel, endeavoring to ^bteach them the everlasting gospel and call them unto repentance;

*26 And yet, notwithstanding his mighty works, and miracles, and proclamation of the truth, in great ^apower and authority, there were but ^bfew who hearkened to his voice, and rejoiced in his presence, and received salvation at his hands.

The Savior spent three years ministering on earth.  With relatively little success.

*27 But his ministry among those who were dead was limited to the ^abrief time intervening between the crucifixion and his resurrection;

From Friday evening’s crucifixion to Sunday morning’s resurrection. ~ 30-40 hours.

*28 And I wondered at the words of Peter—wherein he said that the Son of God preached unto the ^aspirits in prison, who sometime were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah—and how it was possible for him to preach to those spirits and perform the necessary labor among them in so short a time.

*29 And as I wondered, my eyes were opened, and my understanding ^aquickened, and I perceived that the Lord went not in person among the ^bwicked and the disobedient who had rejected the truth, to teach them;

*30 But behold, from among the righteous, he ^aorganized his forces and appointed ^bmessengers, ^cclothed with power and authority, and ^dcommissioned them to go forth and carry the light of the gospel to them that were in ^edarkness, even to ^fall the spirits of men; and thus was the gospel preached to the dead.

*31 And the chosen messengers went forth to declare the ^aacceptable day of the Lord and proclaim ^bliberty to the captives who were bound, even unto all who would ^crepent of their sins and receive the gospel.

*32 Thus was the gospel preached to those who had ^adied in their sins, without a ^bknowledge of the truth, or in ^ctransgression, having ^drejected the prophets.

Christ did not personally minister to the spirits in prison.  But organized a missionary force from among the righteous dead in the spirit world to teach them. What were they taught?

*33 These were taught ^afaith in God, repentance from sin, ^bvicarious baptism for the ^cremission of sins, the ^dgift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands,

*34 And all other principles of the gospel that were necessary for them to know in order to qualify themselves that they might be ^ajudged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

*35 And so it was made known among the dead, both small and great, the unrighteous as well as the faithful, that redemption had been wrought through the ^asacrifice of the Son of God upon the ^bcross.

*36 Thus was it made known that our Redeemer spent his time during his sojourn in the world of ^aspirits, instructing and preparing the faithful spirits of the ^bprophets who had testified of him in the flesh;

*37 That they might carry the message of redemption unto all the dead, unto whom he could not go personally, because of their ^arebellion and transgression, that they through the ministration of his servants might also hear his words.

They were taught all aspects of the Gospel including faith, repentance, vicarious baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost. Who were among the righteous dead?

38 Among the great and ^amighty ones who were assembled in this vast congregation of the righteous were Father ^bAdam, the ^cAncient of Days and father of all,

*39 And our glorious ^aMother ^bEve, with many of her faithful ^cdaughters who had lived through the ages and worshiped the true and living God.

40 ^aAbel, the first ^bmartyr, was there, and his brother ^cSeth, one of the mighty ones, who was in the express ^dimage of his father, Adam.

41 ^aNoah, who gave warning of the flood; ^bShem, the great ^chigh priest; ^dAbraham, the father of the faithful; ^eIsaac, ^fJacob, and Moses, the great ^glaw-giver of Israel;

42 And ^aIsaiah, who declared by prophecy that the Redeemer was anointed to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the ^bcaptives, and the opening of the ^cprison to them that were bound, were also there.

43 Moreover, Ezekiel, who was shown in vision the great valley of ^adry bones, which were to be ^bclothed upon with flesh, to come forth again in the resurrection of the dead, living souls;

44 Daniel, who foresaw and foretold the establishment of the ^akingdom of God in the latter days, never again to be destroyed nor given to other people;

45 ^aElias, who was with Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration;

46 And ^aMalachi, the prophet who testified of the coming of ^bElijah—of whom also Moroni spake to the Prophet Joseph Smith, declaring that he should come before the ushering in of the great and dreadful ^cday of the Lord—were also there.

47 The Prophet Elijah was to plant in the ^ahearts of the children the promises made to their fathers,

*48 Foreshadowing the great work to be done in the ^atemples of the Lord in the ^bdispensation of the fulness of times, for the redemption of the dead, and the ^csealing of the children to their parents, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse and utterly wasted at his coming.

 49 All these and many more, even the ^aprophets who dwelt among the Nephites and ^btestified of the coming of the Son of God, mingled in the vast assembly and waited for their deliverance,

Many of the ancient prophets were among the righteous dead.  Also “glorious Mother Eve” with many of her faithful daughters were also there.

*50 For the ^adead had looked upon the long absence of their ^bspirits from their bodies as a ^cbondage.

Even though the spirit world is a joyful place for the righteous, the dead view the absence of their bodies as a bondage.

*51 These the Lord taught, and gave them ^apower to come forth, after his resurrection from the dead, to enter into his Father’s kingdom, there to be crowned with ^bimmortality and eternal life,

*52 And continue thenceforth their labor as had been promised by the Lord, and be partakers of all ^ablessings which were held in reserve for them that love him.

*53 The Prophet Joseph Smith, and my father, Hyrum Smith, Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, and other choice ^aspirits who were ^breserved to come forth in the ^cfulness of times to take part in laying the ^dfoundations of the great latter-day work,

*54 Including the building of the ^atemples and the performance of ordinances therein for the redemption of the ^bdead, were also in the spirit world.

*55 I observed that they were also among the ^anoble and great ones who were ^bchosen in the beginning to be rulers in the Church of God.

*56 Even before they were born, they, with many others, received their first ^alessons in the world of spirits and were ^bprepared to come forth in the due ^ctime of the Lord to labor in his ^dvineyard for the salvation of the souls of men.

Many of the leaders of the church, and other choice spirits, from this dispensation we reserved to come forth in the fullness of times to help lay the foundation of the latter-day work of building temples, and performing ordinances for the dead.

*57 I beheld that the faithful ^aelders of this dispensation, when they depart from mortal life, continue their labors in the ^bpreaching of the ^cgospel of repentance and redemption, through the sacrifice of the Only Begotten Son of God, among those who are in darkness and under the bondage of sin in the great world of the ^dspirits of the dead.

The faithful of our dispensation continue the work of salvation of preaching the Gospel in the spirit world.

My dad had the unique opportunity to receive his patriarchal blessing shortly before his death.  We know that patriarchal blessings cover not only this life, but the next.  They are fulfilled according to our righteousness. In my dad’s patriarchal blessing, he was told he would have the blessing of teaching the gospel in the spirit world.  I would like to share with you a portion of his blessing:

“You will have the choice blessing of serving the Lord in eternity and continuing your mission of righteousness in the world of spirits where you will renew acquaintances and where you will teach the Gospel to those who are ready to hear.  You will go forth among them bearing the testimony that you have gained in this life, witnessing of Jesus Christ and of the great plan of happiness, the plan of salvation that our Father in Heaven has ordained.  You will receive the gifts needed in that place and at that time to do all that the Lord would have you do.  You will find many people waiting for you there with open arms to welcome you and rejoice with you for having remained true and faithful in your lifetime, to the Lord.”  --M. H. Stone patriarchal blessing

*58 The dead who ^arepent will be redeemed, through obedience to the ^bordinances of the house of God,

Those who accept the Gospel in the spirit world and repent of their sins, will be redeemed through the atonement of Jesus Christ and through the necessary vicarious ordinances performed for them here on earth.

*59 And after they have paid the ^apenalty of their transgressions, and are ^bwashed clean, shall receive a ^creward according to their ^dworks, for they are heirs of salvation.

After paying the penalty for their transgressions, those in spirit prison become clean and become heirs of salvation. They can then receive a degree of glory.

60 Thus was the ^avision of the redemption of the dead revealed to me, and I bear record, and I know that this ^brecord is ^ctrue, through the blessing of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, even so. Amen.

 

During the October 1893 general conference, President Lorenzo Snow (1814–1901) shared: “The great bulk of those who are in the spirit world for whom the work has been done will receive the truth. The conditions for the spirits of the dead receiving the testimony of Jesus in the spirit world are a thousand times more favorable than they are here in this life” (Millennial Star, Oct. 6, 1893, 718).

“A wonderful work is being accomplished in our temples in favor of the spirits in prison. I believe, strongly too, that when the Gospel is preached to the spirits in prison, the success attending that preaching will be far greater than that attending the preaching of our Elders in this life. I believe there will be very few indeed of those spirits who will not gladly receive the Gospel when it is carried to them. The circumstances there will be a thousand times more favorable” (Millennial Star, Jan. 22, 1894, 50).

 

Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, chapter 38: The Spirit World

 

“When we pass into the spirit world we shall possess a measure of his power. Here, we are continually troubled with ills and ailments of various kinds. In the spirit world we are free from all this and enjoy life, glory, and intelligence; and we have the Father to speak to us, Jesus to speak to us, and angels to speak to us, and we shall enjoy the society of the just and the pure who are in the spirit world until the resurrection” – Brigham Young (DBY, 380–81).

 

Suppose, then, that a man is evil in his heart—wholly given up to wickedness, and in that condition dies, his spirit will enter into the spirit world intent upon evil. On the other hand, if we are striving with all the powers and faculties God has given us to improve upon our talents, to prepare ourselves to dwell in eternal life, and the grave receives our bodies while we are thus engaged, with what disposition will our spirits enter their next state? They will be still striving to do the things of God, only in a much greater degree—learning, increasing, growing in grace and in the knowledge of the truth (DBY, 379).

If we are faithful to our religion, when we go into the spirit world, the fallen spirits—Lucifer and the third part of the heavenly hosts that came with him, and the spirits of wicked men who have dwelt upon this earth, the whole of them combined will have no influence over our spirits. Is not that an advantage? Yes. All the rest of the children of men are more or less subject to them, and they are subject to them as they were while here in the flesh (DBY, 379).

Here [the faithful] shall be perplexed and hunted by him; but when we go into the spirit world there we are masters over the power of satan, and he cannot afflict us any more, and this is enough for me to know (DNW, 1 Oct. 1856, 3).

 “But I testify that angels are still sent to help us, even as they were sent to help Adam and Eve, to help the prophets, and indeed to help the Savior of the world Himself. Matthew records in his gospel that after Satan had tempted Christ in the wilderness “angels came and ministered unto him.”  Even the Son of God, a God Himself, had need for heavenly comfort during His sojourn in mortality. And so such ministrations will be to the righteous until the end of time.”  -- Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, October 2008 General Conference, “The Ministry of Angels”