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”
