Today's Favorite Verse: Nehemiah 7:64

Today's Favorite Verse: Nehemiah 7:64
"These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but it was not found: therefore were they, as polluted, put from the priesthood."

I was reminded of Ezra 2:62 which is a similar verse. Because their genealogies were lost these men lost the priesthood. I sat pondering again on how important keeping the genealogies were, and why it's so important to us today. Then I heard this verse come into my mind "We without our dead would be lost."

I went over the 128th section of the Doctrine & Covenants an epistle from Joseph Smith to the church, with direction on baptism for the dead.

"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."
(Malachi 4:5-6)

"And now, my dearly beloved brethren and sisters, let me assure you that there are principles in relation to the dead and the living that cannot be lightly passed over, as pertaining to our salvation. For their salvation is necessary and essential to our salvation, as Paul says concerning the fathers - that they without us cannot be made perfect - neither can we without our dead be made perfect.
I might have rendered a plainer translation of 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 suckling in this, the dispensation of the fulness of times."
(Doctrine & Covenants 128:15,18)

Joseph Fielding Smith
"Now, some members of the Church have wondered just what was meant by the words of the Prophet, that we without our dead could not be made perfect. Will not a man who keeps the commandments of the Lord, who is faithful and true so far as he himself is concerned, receive perfection? Yes, provided his worthy dead also receive the same privileges, because there must be a family organization, a family unit, and each generation must be linked to the chain that goes before in order to bring perfection in family organization. Thus eventually we will be one large family with Adam at the head, Michael, the archangel, presiding over his posterity.... "

"It matters not else we have been called to do, or what position we may occupy, or how faithfully in other ways we have labored in the Church, none is exempt from this great obligation.  It is required of the apostle as well as the humblest elder.  Place, or distinction, or where it may have been, will not entitle one to disregard the salvation of one's dead.  Some may feel that if they pay their tithing, attend their regular meetings and other duties, give of their substance to the poor, perchance spend one, two, or more years preaching in the world, that they are absolved from further duty.  But the greatest and grandest duty of all is to labor for the dead."
(Pres. Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, vol.2, pp.148-9)

I wondered, if providing temple ordinances is necessary for my perfection, does that mean that priesthood blessing would be lost if someone were not to do it? Just like the priesthood was lost to those that did not keep their genealogies?


Day 995