D&C 1:2
D&C 1:2
For verily the voice of the Lord is unto all men, and there is none to escape; and there is no eye that shall not see, neither ear that shall not hear, neither heart that shall not be penetrated.
For: thus; the Lord is explaining His reasoning by what follows. God doesn’t just say stuff and expect instant and full compliance. We are sentient beings, intelligent AND free. We need to know the underlying reasoning behind the commandment. “Why must we listen and obey?”
verily: Truth. God is speaking the truth. This is the reason, and it is truth. God’s word is always true as He explains the reality of why.
the voice of the Lord: This is not the voice of Joseph Smith, Jr. (prophet) or Oliver Cowdery (scribe), it is the voice of the Lord. Those who wonder at the scriptures and the words of the prophets can be assured that the person speaking is the Lord, and they have heard His voice when they read.
is unto: Definitely to, but also for. It doesn’t just come towards, or in the direction of, but into the heart, to be used and not looked at, for our benefit.
all men: God is not just speaking to those seated in the room or who belong to the Church, it is for all men, everywhere, in time and space. All means all and all is all all means. His word will reach the deepest jungles, and the highest mountains. Wherever there are people, the word of the Lord will be spoken. They will hear, and know.
“And this shall be the sound of his trump, saying to all people, both in heaven and in earth, and that are under the earth—for every ear shall hear it...”
D&C 88:104
The whole meaning of this phrase includes everyone in place and time. Those who have lived on the Earth before, who are in Heaven, those who have gone before, and even those who are currently on the Earth will all hear the voice of the Lord. Thus, all people from Adam to the final winding-up scene at the end of the Earth will hear this message.
and: Additionally, to put emphasis, making an addition to what follows.
there is none to escape: in all of existence nobody will be left out. It is one thing to say that everyone will hear the voice of the Lord, and another to say that none shall avoid His voice of truth. This re-iterates in a different way the fact that it applies to everyone, that there isn’t a single person in all of creation, anyone who is a being that might understand the voice of the Lord is under obligation to hear, understand, and obey. To escape is to avoid danger or destruction. Those who listen and obey the voice of the Lord, doing His will can avoid destruction, however, nobody can avoid both the voice of God and destruction.
and there is no eye that shall not see: Everyone who has eyes to see will see. The Lord is predicting what will happen. Those who are blind, or who refuse to see will still see, they cannot avoid it. It will be so obvious that they cannot deny what is right in front of them. Some will see and try to deny it, because of their pride, but even then, it will be obvious to everyone that they are lying. In the world, we can deny the truth because our thoughts are sometimes hidden, even from ourselves. We can deceive ourselves, and those around us. But now, in the last days, everyone will see.
neither ear that shall not hear: There are many who refuse to hear. We can pretend we don’t hear, while we are in time, but in Eternity, we will not be able to deny it. Everyone will hear the word of the Lord, which is truth. This dispensation will cause the deaf to hear the word of the Lord, because of the many types of voices now available. The voice of God can go around the world on radio, television, and the internet. All people will have access.
neither heart that shall not be penetrated: Every heart has a wall around it that prevents outside influences from reaching it. We protect our core, our heart, with devices that block out others so there is no connection. People have varying levels of pressure that will break their hearts. Some require only to see pain in others. Others must feel the pain themselves. Some need a small sample, others need a full barrage. In any case, God will do whatever it takes to penetrate the protective walls around each heart. A broken heart is a requirement for entrance into a kingdom of Heaven. All will have a broken heart. Some will turn to the Lord to mend it, and others will become bitter and angry because of it. The Lord is so kind and gentle, and only puts enough pressure to feel His word, to know right from wrong, to give each the chance to replace their stony heart with one of flesh. Those who bring their broken heart to God will find rest. The wall that protects them and leaves them exposed is replaced by a covering, a cloak, or robes of righteousness, the robes of Christ. They are covered with a soft covering that allows them to feel, but doesn’t leave them exposed. The word of God can get through the veil, penetrating to the core, but inside the heart is protected from exposure to the world. Those who become angry, not seeking the word of the Lord, remain exposed, and are lost.
For verily the voice of the Lord is unto all men, and there is none to escape; and there is no eye that shall not see, neither ear that shall not hear, neither heart that shall not be penetrated.
For: thus; the Lord is explaining His reasoning by what follows. God doesn’t just say stuff and expect instant and full compliance. We are sentient beings, intelligent AND free. We need to know the underlying reasoning behind the commandment. “Why must we listen and obey?”
verily: Truth. God is speaking the truth. This is the reason, and it is truth. God’s word is always true as He explains the reality of why.
the voice of the Lord: This is not the voice of Joseph Smith, Jr. (prophet) or Oliver Cowdery (scribe), it is the voice of the Lord. Those who wonder at the scriptures and the words of the prophets can be assured that the person speaking is the Lord, and they have heard His voice when they read.
is unto: Definitely to, but also for. It doesn’t just come towards, or in the direction of, but into the heart, to be used and not looked at, for our benefit.
all men: God is not just speaking to those seated in the room or who belong to the Church, it is for all men, everywhere, in time and space. All means all and all is all all means. His word will reach the deepest jungles, and the highest mountains. Wherever there are people, the word of the Lord will be spoken. They will hear, and know.
“And this shall be the sound of his trump, saying to all people, both in heaven and in earth, and that are under the earth—for every ear shall hear it...”
D&C 88:104
The whole meaning of this phrase includes everyone in place and time. Those who have lived on the Earth before, who are in Heaven, those who have gone before, and even those who are currently on the Earth will all hear the voice of the Lord. Thus, all people from Adam to the final winding-up scene at the end of the Earth will hear this message.
and: Additionally, to put emphasis, making an addition to what follows.
there is none to escape: in all of existence nobody will be left out. It is one thing to say that everyone will hear the voice of the Lord, and another to say that none shall avoid His voice of truth. This re-iterates in a different way the fact that it applies to everyone, that there isn’t a single person in all of creation, anyone who is a being that might understand the voice of the Lord is under obligation to hear, understand, and obey. To escape is to avoid danger or destruction. Those who listen and obey the voice of the Lord, doing His will can avoid destruction, however, nobody can avoid both the voice of God and destruction.
and there is no eye that shall not see: Everyone who has eyes to see will see. The Lord is predicting what will happen. Those who are blind, or who refuse to see will still see, they cannot avoid it. It will be so obvious that they cannot deny what is right in front of them. Some will see and try to deny it, because of their pride, but even then, it will be obvious to everyone that they are lying. In the world, we can deny the truth because our thoughts are sometimes hidden, even from ourselves. We can deceive ourselves, and those around us. But now, in the last days, everyone will see.
neither ear that shall not hear: There are many who refuse to hear. We can pretend we don’t hear, while we are in time, but in Eternity, we will not be able to deny it. Everyone will hear the word of the Lord, which is truth. This dispensation will cause the deaf to hear the word of the Lord, because of the many types of voices now available. The voice of God can go around the world on radio, television, and the internet. All people will have access.
neither heart that shall not be penetrated: Every heart has a wall around it that prevents outside influences from reaching it. We protect our core, our heart, with devices that block out others so there is no connection. People have varying levels of pressure that will break their hearts. Some require only to see pain in others. Others must feel the pain themselves. Some need a small sample, others need a full barrage. In any case, God will do whatever it takes to penetrate the protective walls around each heart. A broken heart is a requirement for entrance into a kingdom of Heaven. All will have a broken heart. Some will turn to the Lord to mend it, and others will become bitter and angry because of it. The Lord is so kind and gentle, and only puts enough pressure to feel His word, to know right from wrong, to give each the chance to replace their stony heart with one of flesh. Those who bring their broken heart to God will find rest. The wall that protects them and leaves them exposed is replaced by a covering, a cloak, or robes of righteousness, the robes of Christ. They are covered with a soft covering that allows them to feel, but doesn’t leave them exposed. The word of God can get through the veil, penetrating to the core, but inside the heart is protected from exposure to the world. Those who become angry, not seeking the word of the Lord, remain exposed, and are lost.
Comments
Post a Comment