Today's Favorite Verse: Isaiah 42:7

Today's Favorite Verse: Isaiah 42:7
"To open the blind eyes, to bring out of the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house."

This chapter is speaking of the Savior and in particular this verse is referencing Christ's visit to the spirit world between his death and resurrection.

"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water."
(1 Peter 3:18-20)

"For this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit."
(1 Peter 4:6)

This is explained further in the 138th section of the Doctrine and Covenants, in the Vision of the Redemption of the Dead, given to Joseph F. Smith. That vision was given October 3, 1918, which had its 100th anniversary this month.

"And as I wondered, my eyes were opened, and my understanding quickened, and I perceived that the Lord went not in person among the wicked and the disobedient who had rejected the truth, to teach them;
But behold, from among the righteous, he organized his forces and appointed messengers, clothed with power and authority, and commissioned them to go forth and carry the light of the gospel to them that were in darkness, even to all the spirits of men; and thus was the gospel preached to the dead."
(Doctrine and Covenants 138:29-30)

I went back and read President M. Russell Ballard's wonderful general conference talk "The Vision of the Redemption of the Dead" given last week in remembrance of its anniversary. It really touched my heart that he prepared his talk before knowing his dear wife, Barbara would pass. Her funeral was the day after his talk. What an amazing gift it is to be involved in ministering on both sides of the veil.

Day 1296