The Second Comforter

The Second Comforter, therefore, has to do with a personal appearance of Jesus Christ. The scriptures are filled with accounts of individuals who have beheld the face of God.⁽¹⁾ This privilege is in no way reserved only for prophets. The Lord has promised, "It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am." (D&C 93:1; John 14:21.) This privilege is something for which the Lord tells us to strive: "Seek the face of the Lord always, that in patience ye may possess your souls, and ye shall have eternal life." (D&C 101:38.) The history/prophecy of the Lehite and Israelite nations seems to point to several important aspects of this blessed state.

One prominent element of the prophecies of the Savior's second coming to the world is that we will "know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh." (Matt 25:13.) The same is true of us individually. When the day comes that "He will unveil his face unto you..., it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will." (D&C 88:68.)

The Nephite record states that after Christ initially appeared to them, "he did show himself unto them oft...." (3 Ne 26:13.) Likewise, during the millennium, we know the Lord will reign personally on the earth. As for the individual, Joseph Smith said that "when any man obtains this last Comforter, he will have the personage of Jesus Christ to attend him, or appear unto him from time to time...."⁽²⁾

Moroni pointed out the role that faith plays in bringing about this privilege. First he said, "...It was by faith that Christ showed himself unto your fathers, after he had risen from the dead...." (Ether 12:7.) Next he explained that this is what being a partaker of "the heavenly gift" means. (12:8.) Another place in the Nephite record states that after Christ's first appearance to a large assembly of Nephites, eventually "they were all made free, and partakers of the heavenly gift." (4 Ne 1:3.) Moroni then admonished us individually, saying, "Wherefore, ye may also have hope, and be partakers of the gift, if ye will but have faith." (Ether 12:8,9.)

"Thou Shalt Be Exalted"

According to Joseph Smith, before an individual receives the Second Comforter, he will hear a voice from heaven declaring that he has been sealed up unto eternal life.⁽³⁾ Reminiscent of this, before Christ appeared to the Nephites, his voice was heard from heaven. He will also utter his voice before he appears to the world in glory in the latter days.

Apparently, a person's receiving the Second Comforter and having his calling and election made sure are related. Might we say that what Christ's appearance to the Lehites was to their era of peace, the Second Comforter is to calling and election?

Perhaps the most distinguishing characteristic of the period of Nephite history that followed Christ's appearance was the profound and lasting peace. To apply this to the individual, we draw upon a statement by Elder Marion G. Romney. He said, "The fullness of eternal life is not attainable in mortality, but the peace which is its harbinger and which comes as a result of making one's calling and election sure is attainable in this life."⁽⁴⁾

Concerning this same period of Nephite history, Mormon exclaimed, "Surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God." (4 Ne 1:16.) Great joy is also a gift to individuals who overcome the world. In Christ's great intercessory prayer, he said, "these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves." (John 17:13.)

In that same prayer, Christ said: "Holy Father, ^a.keep through thine own name ^b.those whom thou hast given me, ^c.that they may be one, as we are." (John 17:11,21,22.) Each element of this statement seems to have a match in a particular statement in Book of Mormon history, which says, "There were no...Lamanites, nor any manner of -ites; but ^c.they were in one, the ^b.children of Christ, and ^a.heirs to the kingdom of God." (4 Ne. 1:17.)

Earlier, in making comparisons between temporal histories, we found that sometimes statements about the Lehite and Israelite nations were so close in their wording that without context we could not tell which people were being spoken about. The same is sometimes true of the spiritual parallels. Take the following two statements, for example. One is about the individual, and the other is about the millennium--the House of Israel's calling and election per se, when they shall be "established, no more to be thrown down." (D&C 103:13.) Here is one statement: "Since the beginning of the world ^a.men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, ^b.neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, ^c.what he hath prepared ^d.for him that waiteth for him."⁽⁵⁾ Here is the other: "^b.Eye hath not seen, ^a.nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the ^c.things which God hath prepared ^d.for them that love him."⁽⁶⁾ One of these is situated in the context of talking about when Christ will "rend the heavens...[and] come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence...." (Isa. 64:1.) The other is given in the context of saying that the mysteries of God cannot be made known to anyone but by the Spirit. (1 Cor. 2:7,10.) So which is speaking of nations and which is speaking of individuals? It turns out that the first is about the millennium, and the second is about the individual. This is a good example of how a statement about one can be applied, and usually is intended to apply to the other as well.

One of the great blessings that came to the Lehites after Christ's appearance was that magnificent things were revealed to them. In the millennium as well the Lord "shall reveal all things--things which have passed, and hidden things which no man knew, things of the earth, by which it was made, and the purpose and the end thereof--things most precious, things that are above, and things that are beneath, things that are in the earth, and upon the earth, and in heaven." (D&C 101:32-34.) Concerning the individual, Alma said, "He that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full." (Alma 12:10; 1 Ne. 15:11.) Wasn't it the brother of Jared's faith in such a promise that enabled him to behold all things from beginning to the end? He knew that "if he would believe in [Christ] that He could show unto him all things...." (Ether 3:26.) The Lord said, "He that keepeth [God's] commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things." (D&C 93:28.)

Thus we observe many likenesses between the pinnacle condition of nations and individuals. Perhaps combining these images, Paul said, "the earnest of our inheritance...." is to be "sealed with that holy Spirit of promise...." (Eph. 1:13,14.) And so, as we reflect, not only upon the parallels we find for this zenith condition, but for all those parallels which have led up to it, both temporal and spiritual, national and individual, we rejoice that "all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of [Christ]." (2 Ne. 11:4; Moses 6:63.)

Endnotes:

1. The following is a list of several individuals who have seen God. Abraham (Gen. 12:7); Isaac (Gen. 26:2); Jacob (Gen. 28:13); Laban the Syrian (Gen. 31:24); Moses (Exo. 3:2); Aaron, Nabab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel and nobles of the children of Israel (Exo 24:9-17); Balaam (Num. 22:9,20); Solomon (1 Kings 3:5); Isaiah (2 Ne. 10:2,3); Daniel (Dan. 10:5,6); Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Dan. 3:22,25); Ezekiel (Ezek. 1:26-28); Amos (Amos 9:1); Micaiah (2 Chron. 18:18); Stephen (Acts 7:55); the Brother of Jared (Ether 3:20); Emer (Ether 9:22); Nephi (1 Ne. 2:16); Jacob, son of Lehi (2 Ne. 2:4); Lehi, Alma (Alma 5:22); Mormon (Morm. 1:15); Moroni (Ether 12:39); Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon (D&C 76:23); Adam, Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, and Methusaleh (D&C 107:49); Enoch (Moses 7:4); Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth (Moses 8:27); and many others (Num. 12:6,8; Ether 12:9; Alma 36:26).

"Would God that ALL the Lord's People Were PROPHETS"

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