Fair as the Sun

On the Rising Up and the Coming Forth of the Church of God

Why did Moroni quote Malachi in his instructions to the young Joseph Smith?

One reason must be that the Lord’s Priesthood power and authority were not found in any of the innumerable churches that claimed authority at that time.

Thus the Lord promised to send Elijah the prophet to reveal unto Joseph Smith the Priesthood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Because Elijah returned soon thereafter and committed the keys of his dispensation to Joseph Smith as promised by Malachi and Moroni, the great and dreadful day of the Lord is nigh.

What did Elijah’s keys entail?

And also Elijah, unto whom I have committed the keys of the power of turning the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers, that the whole earth may not be smitten with a curse; (D&C 27:9)

What does it mean that Elijah has come to plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, turning the hearts of the children to their fathers?

Among other things, I believe that it means that Elijah plants in the hearts of the seed of Abraham (both literal and adopted by faith), the same promises or covenants that the Lord made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. What are the promises made to the fathers? Who are the fathers? It makes sense to me that the fathers are much more than our own parents, grandparents, and close ancestors (although they may be included in the definition). There are certainly myriad interpretations of this prophesy, but in my opinion the turning of the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to the fathers and the planting of the promises of the fathers in the hearts of the children has everything to do with the Abrahamic Covenant in particular and the gathering of Israel in general.

Moreover, it seems to me that Elijah’s work has turned the hearts of the remnant of the seed of Joseph to Joseph and the hearts of the remnant of the seed of Judah to Judah, and all hearts to Abraham, the father of the faithful, and from Abraham all the way back to Adam with all the welding links of which the Prophet Joseph Smith prophesied:

And again, in connection with this quotation I will give you a quotation from one of the prophets, who had his eye fixed on the restoration of the priesthood, the glories to be revealed in the last days, and in an especial manner this most glorious of all subjects belonging to the everlasting gospel, namely, the baptism for the dead; for Malachi says, last chapter, verses 5th and 6th: Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

I might have rendered a plainer translation to this, but it is sufficiently plain to suit my purpose as it stands. It is sufficient to know, in this case, that the earth will be smitten with a curse unless there is a welding link of some kind or other between the fathers and the children, upon some subject or other—and behold what is that subject? It is the baptism for the dead. For we without them cannot be made perfect; neither can they without us be made perfect. Neither can they nor we be made perfect without those who have died in the gospel also; for it is necessary in the ushering in of the dispensation of the fulness of times, which dispensation is now beginning to usher in, that a whole and complete and perfect union, and welding together of dispensations, and keys, and powers, and glories should take place, and be revealed from the days of Adam even to the present time. And not only this, but those things which never have been revealed from the foundation of the world, but have been kept hid from the wise and prudent, shall be revealed unto babes and sucklings in this, the dispensation of the fulness of times. (D&C 128:17-18)

The whole and complete and perfect union of all of these things is under way as all things are being gathered together in one in Christ:

That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: (Ephesians 1:10)

Do we remember the promises that the Lord made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph and Israel’s other sons? Do we remember the promises that the Lord made to Lehi and his seed? I find it interesting that in the midst of his great panoramic vision, the Angel of the Lord asked Nephi:

Rememberest thou the covenants of the Father unto the house of Israel? (1 Nephi 14:8)

Nephi remembered.

How did Abraham receive this covenant or these promises and the Priesthood? Abraham’s heart was also turned to his fathers and he received the Priesthood from the Lord Jehovah himself. (see Abraham 1)

Abraham possessed records of his fathers from the time of Adam, the records of the fathers or the patriarchs. Where are these records now? What was contained in these records?

And a book of remembrance was kept, in the which was recorded, in the language of Adam, for it was given unto as many as called upon God to write by the spirit of inspiration; (Moses 6:5)

In some ways, Joseph Smith was like a new Adam, and it was given to him, because he called upon God, to write by the spirit of inspiration. The spirit of inspiration permeates and flows through the records of Joseph Smith the Prophet, including the Book of Mormon, the Pearl of Great Price, and the Doctrine and Covenants.

Joseph Smith lived great and died great in the eyes of God and of his people, but he was not, nor did he ever claim to be, perfect. In fact, he recorded the Lord’s rebukes and chastisements of him:

And behold, how oft you have transgressed the commandments and the laws of God, and have gone on in the persuasions of men.

For, behold, you should not have feared man more than God. Although men set at naught the counsels of God, and despise his words—

Yet you should have been faithful; and he would have extended his arm and supported you against all the fiery darts of the adversary; and he would have been with you in every time of trouble.

Behold, thou art Joseph, and thou wast chosen to do the work of the Lord, but because of transgression, if thou art not aware thou wilt fall.

But remember, God is merciful; therefore, repent of that which thou hast done which is contrary to the commandment which I gave you, and thou art still chosen, and art again called to the work; (D&C 3:6-10)

I’ve noticed many parallels between the beginning of the Book of Mormon and the beginning of the Restoration. For example, just as the brass plates were crucial for Lehi, Nephi, their family, and their seed, so too is the Book of Mormon crucial to the early Church and to us. For this and His own purposes the Lord called witnesses for His work. Furthermore, the rise of the Lehites and especially the Nephites parallels in some ways the rise of the Lord’s true Church in the last days:

And to none else will I grant this power, to receive this same testimony among this generation, in this the beginning of the rising up and the coming forth of my church out of the wilderness—clear as the moon, and fair as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners. (D&C 5:14)

I mentioned the rise of the Lord’s true Church in the last days in a previous post, but what is this Thing? What is this Church that comes forth out of the wilderness? John the Beloved saw it in vision:

And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. (Revelation 12:1–6)

A woman clothed with the sun… this makes me think of the Virgin Mary and her Son, the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Whatever John the Beloved saw, he described what we now call “the Church” as a woman, clothed with the sun. This image of clothing with the sun also evokes thoughts of celestial glory. Could it have something to do with Mary Magdalene and her relationship to our Lord as well? Perhaps.

Whatever the case, the moon is under her feet, and a crown of twelve stars is upon her head. Naturally, the twelve stars in a crown upon her head remind us of the original twelve apostles who governed the Church under Jesus Christ. But we might also think of the twelve tribes of Israel. As for the moon under her feet, this image suggests to me that Christ’s Church is the Celestial body that rules over the terrestrial, of which the moon is symbolic.

Who is the woman with child? Who is the child? What is the great red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns? Why did the woman flee into the wilderness? Where was the place prepared of God where the woman was nourished?

The Joseph Smith Translation of these passages helps us to better understand the meaning of John the Beloved’s record of his vision:

And there appeared a great sign in heaven, in the likeness of things on the earth; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.

And the woman being with child, cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up unto God and his throne.

And there appeared another sign in heaven; and behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman which was delivered, ready to devour her child after it was born.

And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she had a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore years.

And there was war in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought against Michael;

And the dragon prevailed not against Michael, neither the child, nor the woman which was the church of God, who had been delivered of her pains, and brought forth the kingdom of our God and his Christ.

Neither was there place found in heaven for the great dragon, who was cast out; that old serpent called the devil, and also called Satan, which deceiveth the whole world; he was cast out into the earth; and his angels were cast out with him.

And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ;

For the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

For they have overcome him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; for they loved not their own lives, but kept the testimony even unto death. Therefore, rejoice O heavens, and ye that dwell in them.

And after these things I heard another voice saying, Woe to the inhabiters of the earth, yea, and they who dwell upon the islands of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

For when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man-child.

Therefore, to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might flee into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

And the serpent casteth out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.

And the earth helpeth the woman, and the earth openeth her mouth, and swalloweth up the flood which the dragon casteth out of his mouth.

Therefore, the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (JST Rev. 12:1–17 (Appendix). Note the changed sequence of verses in the JST.)

To the woman were given two wings of a great eagle… what is that?

At least we know from the Joseph Smith Translation that the woman is the Church of God, that this woman fled into the wilderness with the help of two wings of a great eagle, and that the earth helped the woman. It is important to note, in my opinion, that the angry dragon made war with the remnant of the seed of the woman. This is one of the best definitions of the Church of God, in my opinion, the remnant of the seed of the woman, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus. The Lord’s Church consists of those who believe in Him, repent, are baptized, and receive the Holy Ghost:

And behold, whosoever believeth on my words, them will I visit with the manifestation of my Spirit; and they shall be born of me, even of water and of the Spirit- (D&C 5:16)

If I understand correctly, the woman that John the Beloved saw is the same woman that the Lord called forth out of the wilderness at the beginning of the Restoration, or “the beginning of the rising up and the coming forth of my church out of the wilderness—clear as the moon, and fair as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners.” Where else have we heard this kind of language before?

Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners? (Song of Solomon 6:10)

But first let my army become very great, and let it be sanctified before me, that it may become fair as the sun, and clear as the moon, and that her banners may be terrible unto all nations; (D&C 105:31)

That thy church may come forth out of the wilderness of darkness, and shine forth fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners; (D&C 109:73)

The testimony of Joseph Smith and of this Church of God has gone forth, and it seems to me that the COVID pandemic scare corresponds directly to what the Lord called a “desolating scourge”:

For a desolating scourge shall go forth among the inhabitants of the earth, and shall continue to be poured out from time to time, if they repent not, until the earth is empty, and the inhabitants thereof are consumed away and utterly destroyed by the brightness of my coming. (D&C 5:18)

Is this the same scourge of which the prophet Isaiah prophesied?

Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:

And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. (Isaiah 28:15, 18)

Later passages in the Doctrine and Covenants also seem to describe the COVID pandemic scare very well:

And there shall be men standing in that generation, that shall not pass until they shall see an overflowing scourge; for a desolating sickness shall cover the land. (D&C 45:31)

For behold, and lo, vengeance cometh speedily upon the ungodly as the whirlwind; and who shall escape it?

The Lord’s scourge shall pass over by night and by day, and the report thereof shall vex all people; yea, it shall not be stayed until the Lord come; (D&C 97:22-23)

If I understand these passages correctly, unless we repent, we can expect more “pandemics.”

Back to the foundations of the Restoration… The Lord rebuked his servant Joseph Smith and commanded him to repent:

And now I command you, my servant Joseph, to repent and walk more uprightly before me, and to yield to the persuasions of men no more;

And that you be firm in keeping the commandments wherewith I have commanded you; and if you do this, behold I grant unto you eternal life, even if you should be slain. (D&C 5:21-22)

The Lord also rebuked Martin Harris and commanded him to humble himself. The Lord then warned Joseph Smith of conspirators who lay in wait to destroy him (a warning that reminds us of John the Beloved’s description of the great red dragon that sought to destroy the woman and devour the child.

In the following sections we learn how the Lord tutored and trained Joseph’s friend and scribe Oliver Cowdery. The Lord’s dealings with Oliver Cowdery will be the subject of my next reflection on our study of the Doctrine and Covenants in 2025.