Doctrine and Covenants 77-80

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BACKGROUND

To begin, I want to give you just a brief bit of background for each of these sections because I'd like to approach them as a whole. We're going to be jumping around a bit and I want to give you the lay of the land first.

So Section 77 is a really unique section of scriptures in the Doctrine and Covenants. In fact, if you just start to skim over it a little bit, what do you notice? It's a Q and A! That's a format we haven't seen before. Remember that at this time, Joseph has been translating the Bible, and apparently, he's got a lot of questions regarding the Book of Revelation. And that shouldn't surprise us. Revelation is a bit of a tougher book to interpret, and it makes me feel a little better to know that even Joseph Smith struggled with it. So, he asks some questions about a few of the symbols, and then the Lord answers them for him. I wish my scripture study always worked like that! Now I would say that the content of section 77 is much better covered when you actually teach the Book of Revelation, when you're teaching the second half of the New Testament, that's when I really focus on it. But we'll cover at least a little bit of it here because hey it's kinda fun! I love the Book of Revelation and we can have some fun looking at a few of the symbols.

Section 78 is yet another section dealing with the law of consecration. The early Saints are still trying to figure this system out and how the spiritual needs of the church coincide with its temporal needs. So a number of the leading brethren at this time, including Joseph Smith and Newel K. Whitney establish an organization where they pool all their resources together and call it the United Firm to oversee the temporal affairs of the Church. Unfortunately, this organization is going to cause some challenges for the Church and Joseph in the future, but we'll deal with that another time.

Sections 79 and 80 are short ones. They're mission calls. 79 is directed to Jared Carter, and 80 to both Stephen Burnett and Eden Smith.

All right, now that we have a good setting for these sections, let's see what they can teach us.

ICEBREAKER

I think most of you know how much I love the outdoors, and since it's summer, hiking has been on my mind. In fact, just two weekends ago, I was able to go on an amazing backpacking trip through the Zion Narrows with the boys from my priest’s quorum and their fathers. And it was amazing. Such a beautiful place. Though the hike was tough and rocky, the views were gorgeous, and the time spent with the young men priceless. The destination was well worth the effort. Well, this week's icebreakers are going to center around the idea of hiking, and I imagine that most people have at least some experience with a hike they've been on at some point. Whenever I go on a hike, I always make sure that I'm carrying what hikers call "The Ten Essentials". You don't want to go very far from a trailhead into the backcountry without at least packing these ten things. So as a teacher, I like to bring in a backpack with the ten essentials inside and see if they can name them. As they name them, I pull that object out and show them. If they can't get any of them, I pull those out too after they're done guessing. But do you know what the ten essentials are?

1. Navigation-so a map, a compass, or even nowadays, a GPS enabled device.

2. Illumination-A flashlight or a headlamp. You know, if you get into trouble, you never know if you're going to have to spend some time in the dark.

3. Water-make sure you have plenty of water or a way to get water. Nowadays, I always bring a water filter with me when I go hiking.

4. Food-Granola bars, candy, a sandwich, beef jerky. Calories to keep you going.

5. First Aid-Bad things can happen in the outdoors, so you've got to make sure you're prepared for the most common injuries.

6. Shelter-I don't think you always have to carry a tent wherever you go, but I like to bring an emergency bivvy sack or at least one of those space blankets that could be used as protection from the elements.

7. Fire-Or a way to start a fire. Fire can come in handy in a lot of ways in the outdoors. Warmth. Light. Protection from wild animals. Signaling. Purifying water, and cooking food. I always like to have a couple of different ways to start a fire.

8. Insulation-It's always good to bring a jacket. Even when it's warm out, you never know when temperatures might drop. Even if it's the middle of summer, if you get wet or rained on, and then it gets windy, it can get cold fast.

9. A knife-or multitool. A knife can come in handy for all kinds of things in the outdoors.

10. One that's often overlooked. Sun protection. The sun can do a number on you if you're not prepared for it. Especially if you like to hike in the desert like I do. So a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen can be a great benefit.

Well, obviously there are other things that you could consider bringing with you into the outdoors, but these 10 stand out as the most critical. I wouldn't want to go on a hike without them.

TRANSITION

Today, I want to talk about a different kind of hike. To introduce it, I want you to find the word that seems to come up over and over again as you study section 78. I feel it's the key word to today's lesson. Can you find what it is? A form of this word is found in each of the following verses.

7, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17, 20.

Did you find it? It's prepare, prepared, or preparation. That's the word of the week. Preparation. But that word isn't used in the same way in each of those verses. There are actually two different parties that are preparing something in these verses. Examine each one and tell me who is doing the preparing in each.

:7

7 For if you will that I give unto you a place in the celestial world, you must prepare yourselves by doing the things which I have commanded you and required of you.

Who’s doing the preparing? We are. We need to prepare ourselves in this life for a place in the celestial world. Just like we don't want to hike to a destination in the wilderness without preparing ourselves, we don't want to take our hike through life without preparation either. However, we're not the only ones preparing in this scenario. Who else is preparing something?

:10

10 Otherwise Satan seeketh to turn their hearts away from the truth, that they become blinded and understand not the things which are prepared for them.

Ah, a clue, somebody is preparing things for us. Who might that be? Let's keep going.

:11

11 Wherefore, a commandment I give unto you, to prepare and organize yourselves by a bond or everlasting covenant that cannot be broken.

All right, there we go again. That's referring to us. We need to prepare and organize ourselves. But then look at all the rest of the verses. Who's the preparer in each?

:13

13 Behold, this is the preparation wherewith I prepare you, and the foundation, and the ensample which I give unto you, whereby you may accomplish the commandments which are given you;

:15

15 That you may come up unto the crown prepared for you, and be made rulers over many kingdoms, saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Zion, who hath established the foundations of Adam-ondi-Ahman;

:17

17 Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye are little children, and ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the Father hath in his own hands and prepared for you;

:20

20 Wherefore, do the things which I have commanded you, saith your Redeemer, even the Son Ahman, who prepareth all things before he taketh you;

Who is doing most of the preparing in this section? Who is the great preparer? It's the Father. It's God. He is preparing things for us. Isn't that interesting. Most of the verses are focused on what he's doing for us, not on what we need to do. What a gracious God.

So, the message of today's lesson. We must prepare ourselves for the things God has prepared for us. Those are the two preparations I want to talk about with you today and let's dig deep into both, starting with us. What must we do to prepare ourselves for his kingdom?

PREPARING OURSELVES-THE TEN SPIRITUAL ESSENTIALS

SEARCH

So just as we started today looking for the 10 hiking essentials, in these sections I've found 10 spiritual essentials that we should make sure we have with us on our journey or hike to heaven. And I want to see if you can figure these out. You could do this with this handout matching activity. On one side of the sheet, I have 10 sets of scripture references to study. On the other side is a list of possible spiritual essentials. Not all of them will be used. I want you to read the verses and see if you can match them with the word or phrase that best describes the essential being explained there.

As an example. I'll do the first one with you, so you get an idea of what I mean.

77 Section Heading and the entire section (Big picture)

So here we go. Our first essential is found in the Section Heading to Section 77 and the entire section. This is an invitation to consider the general overall message of the section itself. Here we learn that this entire section came as a result of Joseph seeking understanding from the scriptures. He asked questions and the Lord gave him answers. You may remember a couple of weeks ago that we talked about scripture study acting as a great catalyst for revelation. This is another perfect example of that process. Something that we should bring with us on our hike of life is a desire to understand the scriptures and a willingness to study them and ask questions. This provides God and the Spirit with an opportunity to answer them. So the match here is Scripture Study.

Do you see how this works? All right. See if you can do the rest on your own.

77:14

This is probably the hardest one on the list here. It comes from the Book of Revelation so, what would you expect. You've got to really stop and think about the symbolism on this one. At one point in the Book of Revelation, an angel comes to John and gives him a book, and then tells him to eat it. I mean, talk about feasting on the words of Christ. And as he eats it, it tastes sweet to his lips but becomes bitter in his belly. What on earth is this all about? Well, Joseph wondered the same thing, so he asks:

14 Q. What are we to understand by the little book, which was eaten by John, as mentioned in the 10th chapter of Revelation?

A. We are to understand that it was a mission, and an ordinance, for him to gather the tribes of Israel; behold, this is Elias, who, as it is written, must come and restore all things.

Ahh. So the book was symbolic of his mission. A calling and responsibility he had been given. Why do you think the angel has him devour it? What is he teaching us about missions or callings we have? I think he wants us to devour them. To internalize them. To really sink our teeth in to the responsibilities God has given us. Do you know anyone who you would say has really devoured their calling or their mission? That's a good thing right. It's a symbol of desire and enthusiasm. God wants us to hunger and thirst after righteousness. The match would be "A Deep Desire to Serve". Having this deep desire to serve God will help prepare us for God's glory. What about the sweet and bitter thing though? I think that's John's way of saying that serving in your God-given responsibilities is both sweet and bitter. There are sweet aspects to the work, and bitter ones as well. If you've ever been involved in missionary work, you understand this. There are bitter, hard things about missionary work, but at the same time, some of the sweetest experiences of your life come through sharing the gospel. Or, with church callings, there are bitter and sweet things about them. As a bishop, there are aspects of the calling that are sweet, and then again, some aspects that are bitter. Marriage is like this; parenthood is like this. Hopefully we are willing to take the bitter with the sweet.

Now to 78. They do get a little bit easier here.

78:5-6

5 That you may be equal in the bonds of heavenly things, yea, and earthly things also, for the obtaining of heavenly things.

6 For if ye are not equal in earthly things ye cannot be equal in obtaining heavenly things;

God wants his children to be unified. Unity is an essential of Celestial preparation. Satan is all about division. He's always trying to divide us into factions and competing parties. Whether it's gender, or race, or political party, or religion, or culture, or socioeconomic status, or (for heaven's sakes) sports team affiliation, there are 50 million ways to divide and label ourselves. God wants us to be equal in all things, both earthly and heavenly. It's awfully hard to be equal in heavenly things when we're not equal in earthly things as well. That's one of the things I love about the temple. It's hard to tell who's rich or who's poor in the temple, isn't it? We all dress the same, say the same words, speak the same covenants. We don't see all the earthly trappings separating and defining us there. Hopefully, rather than looking for the things that divide us, we can look for the things that we have in common. Most importantly, that we are all sons and daughters of God. Unity is spiritually essential for our journey.

78:7

This is one is about as direct as you can get. How do we prepare ourselves? By doing the things which I have commanded you and required of you. We must be obedient if we wish to prepare ourselves for God's kingdom. We must learn to trust our heavenly father's instructions on how best to live our lives. And it's not about authoritarian obedience or blind compliance. It's all about trust. A recognition of God's wisdom and eternal perspective. He wants our obedience because he knows what will bring us true happiness.

78:11

11 Wherefore, a commandment I give unto you, to prepare and organize yourselves by a bond or everlasting covenant that cannot be broken.

Another thing that helps to prepare us? Making covenants. A covenant is a special two way promise between man and God. Covenants help us to solidify our commitment to living God's principles. So we have our baptismal covenants, our temple covenants, marriage covenants. These covenants are essential to our spiritual progress. Without these covenants in our backpacks, so to speak, we cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

78: 18

18 And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours.

The essential? Cheerfulness. Men are that they might have joy. Joseph said that "Happiness is the object and design of our existence". God doesn't want us to be miserable on the trail of life, he wants us to find joy in the journey. Sometimes I have to remind my children of this as I've taken them on hikes. It's all about the attitude. So I try to tell them not to focus on the sore legs, or the steep climbs, but to enjoy the beautiful views, and the fresh air. Hiking is inherently difficult and challenging. So is life. But it doesn't have to be drudgery. In fact, you can come to really love it, despite the hardships. I love hiking. Yes, it's hard, but it's wonderful. Hopefully we can come to see life in this way too. This verse also gives us a reason to be of good cheer. He says, be of good cheer for I will lead you along. That's a really good reason to be happy and should give us comfort as well. Christ is with us, leading us, helping us along the way. There is no need to despair or be discouraged.

78:19

19 And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more.

The match is gratitude. This may be one of the most important keys to obtaining cheerfulness in life. An ungrateful person can never be cheerful. Gratitude and happiness go hand in hand. Heavenly Father doesn't seem to like entitlement. He said back in section 59:21 And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments. Ingratitude really bothers him. When he heals the ten lepers, and only one comes back to offer gratitude, Jesus asks incredulously, "but where are the nine?" I hope that when I see the Savior, I can say that I was not part of the nine. I hope to be one who always took the time and effort to offer thanks and to feel gratitude for my blessings. There is a promise attached to this gratitude. It's that the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more. It seems that God likes to give more to those who are grateful for what has already been given to them. I know, I'm kind of like that. When someone or one of my children shows gratitude for what I've done for them or given them as a gift, it makes me more apt and more willing to give them more in the future. Because I know it will be appreciated. On the other hand. When someone shows no gratitude or thanks after I've made sacrifices for them, it's harder to be willing to give in the future. I'm not saying that God refuses to bless the ungrateful or entitled, but there does seem to be a connection between his blessings and our attitudes towards them.

78:22

You'll notice there are two in this verse. What are they?

22 And he that is a faithful and wise steward shall inherit all things. Amen.

So one. Faith

God wants us to be faithful. Faith is the first principle of the gospel. It's where our journey of discipleship begins. If we don't have faith, we are not likely to begin the hike in the first place. Because we won't think it's worth it.

And the second one from this verse. Wisdom

To have wisdom is to have good judgment. It's the application of truth. We can't just pack truth into our spiritual backpacks. We've got to know how to use it. Just like, bringing a compass is a great idea for hiking. But if you've never used one before, if you don't know how to put it into practice, then it does you little good even if you do have it. So make sure that you not only have the truth, but the wisdom to go with it.

79:2

Our last one. And this comes from section 79:2

2 And I will send upon him the Comforter, which shall teach him the truth and the way whither he shall go;

Our essential here? Following the Spirit. We've got to learn to recognize and act on the promptings of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost will teach us the truth and show us the way whither we should go. Speaking of compasses, the Holy Ghost can act as a personal compass to help us know how to navigate the trail of life. If we choose to ignore his guidance, it shouldn't surprise us if we end up lost.

However, there is another principle that I would like to add to this idea. There is an interesting contrast between the instructions to Jared Carter and the instructions to Stephen Burnett and Eden Smith. Do you see what it is? Compare and contrast 79:2, with 80:3. What do you notice? In Section 79, the message is follow the Spirit. He'll tell you where to go. In Section 80 though, it's "whatever way you go, whether it's north or south or east or west, it mattereth not! You cannot go amiss. Just go preach. To me, there's an interesting principle taught about how the Spirit works. The Spirit doesn't always tell us the exact way to go. God does not micromanage our lives. Sometimes there are decisions we have to make where "it mattereth not” which decision we make, as long as we are doing what God has asked us to. In this case, the instruction was to preach the gospel. That was a direction they needed to follow. Where they taught it, it was up to them. I love that trust that God offers us at times. We don't need to have specific guidance from the Spirit on every aspect of our lives. For example, I've known of students who have ached and stressed about what college they should attend. Now the Spirit may very well have some specific instruction for them, and hopefully they're sensitive to that. But if they don't feel like they're getting an answer, I ask them to consider the Section 80 Principle. Maybe, it doesn't matter. Whichever school you decide to attend, as long as you're focused on staying true to your faith, you'll find success there. You'll do good things and have a positive experience. You cannot go amiss. Or choosing a career or how to plan a certain church activity. It may not always be a matter of inspiration. God says, use your own creativity and intelligence and do many things of your own free will. Hearkens back to section 58, right. So always be open to the guidance of the Spirit. But if you don't feel that his wisdom is forthcoming, maybe the answer is "it mattereth not".

TRUTH

So here's what we've discovered in these sections altogether. 10 things every disciple of Christ should be "packing with them" on their hike to heaven. I'm not going to call them THE ten essentials, because I'm sure there are many others that we could include on this list, but at least these are ten things that are sure to help us progress positively down the trail of life.

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

So a liken the scriptures question here: Are there any of these ten essentials that are missing from your backpack?

If so, what do you need to do to "pack" them-to get them in there.

CONCLUSION

And, if there's any overall principle that I would want you to remember from 77-80 it would be to make sure that you are actively preparing yourself for Celestial glory. Not that Celestial glory is something that we earn, but something that we prepare ourselves to be able and ready to receive. Like ordination to the priesthood, or getting your temple endowment, or receiving a church calling even. We don't earn them. It's not that we go down the checklist and receive them like a merit badge. In most cases, you reach a certain age or level of maturity, and then the opportunity is available to you. But, we prepare ourselves for it, we seek to understand it, we assure that we are worthy of it, we make sure that we understand its significance first, and then God can give it as a gift. Perhaps it's the same with Celestial Glory. We prepare ourselves for the gift. It would be unwise for us to try and enter it unprepared. Last year I was hiking, and I saw a man coming up the trail who had no backpack, no water, no food, nothing with him miles from the trailhead and I thought to myself, man, you are a search and rescue story just waiting to happen. I hope we don't try to live our lives likes this. We don't want to attempt our Celestial hike unprepared either. Make sure that you are always packing the essentials, and if you do, you are certain to arrive at your Celestial destination.

THE THINGS WHICH GOD HAS PREPARED.

ICEBREAKER

Now that we understand our side of the preparation, let's talk about the other half here. The things which God has prepared. So for an icebreaker I like to ask the following discussion question. "What's the most beautiful or rewarding hike you've ever been on?" And you can have them share their answer either with a partner or with the class as a whole. For me, I love Glacier National Park. Besides the temple and my family, it's got to be the closest thing to heaven that I can think of. God has certainly prepared some beautiful and glorious places for us here on this earth.

TRANSITION

And yet, they all pale in comparison to the place that God has prepared for those who love and serve him. The rest of this lesson is going to focus on that place. The Celestial Kingdom. Last week in Section 76, we were introduced to this possible destination. Well, sections 77 and 78 are going to help add to our understanding of what the Celestial Kingdom is like, and why we would even want to prepare ourselves for it.

SEARCH

So the activity for this section is simple. It's a marking activity. I'm going to give you a list of verses and I want you to study them closely. Mark everything you learn about the Celestial Kingdom from them. What has God prepared for the faithful and why is it worth preparing for?

77:1-5

78:15

78:19

78:21

78:22

Here are some of the things you might find.

It just so happens that the first 5 questions of Section 77 that are asked about the Book of Revelation all deal with the nature of the Celestial Kingdom. In that book, God showed John a vision of heaven, and John is going to try and describe what he saw. A key word to understanding this vision is found in verse 2. The word is figurative. The images in the Book of Revelation are figurative. That means they're poetic, they're symbolic. They aren't literal representations of what we're going to find in the Celestial Kingdom, but impressions of what it's like there. This is not a journalistic approach to describing heaven. This is what Nephi calls, "the manner of prophesying among the Jews." 2 Nephi 25:1. Jews prophesied with poetry. Moses did it, Isaiah did it, Daniel did it, Ezekiel, and Jesus. They all taught with figurative expressions.

So let's take a look.

Question 1

1 Q. What is the sea of glass spoken of by John, 4th chapter, and 6th verse of the Revelation?

A. It is the earth, in its sanctified, immortal, and eternal state.

So as John looks into heaven, he sees a sea of glass. The words "like unto crystal" are added in that description. And God tells him that it represents the Celestial state of the earth. We know doctrinally that this earth will be purified and eventually become the Celestial Kingdom. Now this is where it gets fun. Why would he compare the celestialized earth to a sea of glass? If we read that literally, it sounds like we're going to be living on a giant crystal ball, but that doesn't sound very beautiful or glorious to me. I want mountains, and forests, and lakes, and rivers and color. But Celestial mountains, and Celestial forests and lakes, and rivers and colors. So how is heaven like a sea of glass? No wrong or right answer here, but maybe a thought or two. Glass or crystal is see through. It has nothing to hide. There are no mysteries hiding within. You can see through one end to the other. Heaven will be a place where things are no longer hidden to us--where everything is "crystal clear". We will understand all. Crystal is also very strong and doesn’t decay. Heaven will be eternal as well. Crystal is pure, the Celestial kingdom will be pure, as well as those who inhabit it.

The next 3 questions all deal with the four strange beasts that John saw. Now when you read John's description of them, they really sound bizarre. No wonder Joseph asked about them. One has the head of an eagle, another the head of an ox, another the head of a lion, and the last the head of a man. They each have six wings and they have eyes all over their wings and bodies. Woah. What do we do with that?

Well let's look at the next two questions Joseph asks:

2 Q. What are we to understand by the four beasts, spoken of in the same verse?

A. They are figurative expressions, used by the Revelator, John, in describing heaven, the paradise of God, the happiness of man, and of beasts, and of creeping things, and of the fowls of the air; that which is spiritual being in the likeness of that which is temporal; and that which is temporal in the likeness of that which is spiritual; the spirit of man in the likeness of his person, as also the spirit of the beast, and every other creature which God has created.

Then:

3 Q. Are the four beasts limited to individual beasts, or do they represent classes or orders? A. They are limited to four individual beasts, which were shown to John, to represent the glory of the classes of beings in their destined order or sphere of creation, in the enjoyment of their eternal felicity.

So one thing we know is that, no, these beasts John saw are not what animals look like in heaven. They are figurative expressions. But they help to describe heaven. What apparently do we learn about it here? Well, for one, there are animals in heaven. There are beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. Animals do in fact have spirits and will be found in the Celestial kingdom. They too will be resurrected. I guess all dogs really do go to heaven. As well as eagles, and cows, and grasshoppers, and fish. Although I'm not 100% sure about cats. I'm suspicious that Satan might have created those. But moving on. There are some other things that we learn about creatures in God's kingdom. They are happy. They will live "in the enjoyment of their eternal felicity". Isn't that great! We believe in a God that not only wants mankind to be happy, but spiders, and lizards, and giraffes, and dolphins as well. They will be happy.

But the next question:

4 Q. What are we to understand by the eyes and wings, which the beasts had? A. Their eyes are a representation of light and knowledge, that is, they are full of knowledge; and their wings are a representation of power, to move, to act, etc.

So, why all the eyes and wings? Again, figurative expressions about two of the great qualities of heaven. The eyes represent knowledge. We learn about the world around us and gather information through our eyes. And wings? The power to move, and act. What a great symbol to represent our ongoing agency and freedom in the eternal world. The Celestial kingdom will be a place of knowledge, understanding, freedom and power. We will all be full of eyes and wings in the next life.

Then question 5

5 Q. What are we to understand by the four and twenty elders, spoken of by John? A. We are to understand that these elders whom John saw, were elders who had been faithful in the work of the ministry and were dead; who belonged to the seven churches and were then in the paradise of God.

So who else will be in heaven? The faithful. People we know who lived righteous lives but are now gone. Heaven will be a place where we reunite with the righteous people of the earth. There are faithful family members, friends, church leaders and prophets that we will get to meet and be reunited with.

So maybe that helps to give us a better understanding of what heaven is really like? It's a place of light and beauty and clarity, a place where both glorified animals and exalted people live in happiness and felicity in the presence of God--all living in a sanctified and crystal-clear world. When you stop to think about it, that's a really beautiful description of heaven.

Does that sound like the kind of place you want to be? The kind of place worth preparing yourself for? Continuing into section 78.

78:15 tells us that he has prepared a crown for us and that we shall be made rulers over many kingdoms. Who wears crowns? Kings and queens, and a crown suggests authority and power and dominion.

78:19 We shall be made glorious, and the things of this earth shall be added unto him even an hundred fold, yea, more. Another manifestation of the great outpouring of God's blessings upon those who love and serve Him. An hundred fold or more. I'll come back to that idea.

78:21 Take you up in a cloud, and appoint every man his portion. There is a place appointed for each individual in God's kingdom. A little piece of heaven for each of us.

78:22 shall inherit all things

Each of those verses seem to suggest glory, might, power, and dominion. Words we saw used multiple times in section 76.

TRUTH

So what's the overall truth you've learned from these sections? I'm going to put it this way.

We can't even begin to comprehend how wonderful Celestial Glory will be.

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

To liken the scriptures. What was your favorite thing you learned about heaven today?

CONCLUSION

To conclude. Whatever heaven is exactly like, as it said back in verse 19, it will at least 100 times greater than anything we can imagine here. To try to get at least some semblance of an understanding of that glory, I think of the blessings I enjoy here and then try to imagine what they might be like 100 times greater.

Think of the way it feels here on earth to come home to those you love after being away for months or even years. I think about the way I felt when I came home from my mission and saw my family for the first time in two years. That feeling was amazing. The way it feels to see those we love after a long time, multiply that feeling by at least 100 and you'll begin to get an idea of what obtaining Celestial glory might be like.

Think of the way it feels to succeed at something difficult. Passing a test, earning a degree, winning a championship, running a marathon or some similar athletic feat. The way that feels, multiply it by at least 100 and you'll begin to get an idea of what obtaining Celestial glory might be like.

Think of the way it feels to be in the most beautiful or awe-inspiring place you've ever seen. Imagine that scene and multiply it by at least 100 and you'll begin to get an idea of what Celestial glory might be like.

Think of the way it feels when school is out, when the holidays begin, when a project is completed, or when you get to the end of an incredibly strenuous physical activity, how good it feels to rest and know that you are done. That you have finished, and now you get to rest and be at peace. Imagine that rest and multiply it by at least 100 and you'll begin to get an idea of what Celestial glory might be like.

Imagine the way it feels to be forgiven. If you've ever had to work through the repentance process after a serious sin, or if you’ve ever received forgiveness from someone that you've hurt. Think of the way it feels to have that guilt let go, that anxiety, and have hope and optimism that take its place. Imagine that feeling and multiply it by at least 100 and you'll begin to get an idea of what Celestial glory might be like.

We could go on and on. Imagine any of the good things of life and realize that they too will be found in heaven but coupled with eternal glory. If we manage to find ourselves there, we will probably look around and say "Do I really deserve all this? This is so much better than anything I could have ever imagined".

The hike is worth it! God has prepared a spectacular place for us. Hopefully, we will prepare ourselves as well. Perhaps Doctrine and Covenants 133:45 says it best:

45 For since the beginning of the world have not men heard nor perceived by the ear, neither hath any eye seen, O God, besides thee, how great things thou hast prepared for him that waiteth for thee.