Doctrine and Covenants Commentary - Section 45

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
Commentary & Explanation
Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet to the Church, at Kirtland, Ohio, March 7, 1831. HC 1:158—163. Prefacing his record of his revelation, the Prophet states that "at this age of the Church many false reports and foolish stories were published and circulated, to prevent people from investigating the work or embracing the faith; but to the joy of the saints ... I receive the following." This revelation is one of the most revealing, succinct, concise and clear statements the Lord Jesus Christ Jehovah has made respecting the events, order and signs of the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in scripture. It is well to study and take notes concerning this section of the Doctrine and Covenants in comparison to the rest of the scriptural canon.
    1—5, Christ is our Advocate with the Father;
    6—10, The gospel is a messenger to prepare the way before the Lord;
    11—15, Enoch and his brethren received by the Lord unto himself;
    16—23, Christ revealed signs of his coming as given on the Mount of Olives;
    24—38, The gospel shall be restored, the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled, and a desolating sickness cover the land;
    39—47, Signs, wonders, and the resurrection are to attend the Second Coming;
    48—53, Christ shall stand on Mount of Olives, and Jews shall see the wounds in his hands and feet;
    54—59, The Lord shall reign during the Millennium;
    60—62, The Prophet is instructed to begin the translations of the New Testament, through which important information would be made known;
    63—75, The saints are commanded to gather and build the New Jerusalem, to which people from all nations will come.

Jesus Christ Jehovah is our Advocate with the Celestial Father

 IN this section of the Doctrine and Covenants it is Jesus Christ, who is the same as Jehovah, who is speaking from the beginning to the end of this section. In it Jesus speaks of events immediately following his crucifixion and of the razing of the temple in Jerusalem to the ground and the sactering of the Jews. This happened at the hand of the Romans and so forth. Jesus speaks of the conditions and events preceeding his second coming and he alludes to the coming Civil War in America per the timing of when section 45 was given. He speaks and giving direct directions to his saints of this time, that they may be preserved by standing in 'holy places,' one of which is our own homes if we have so estatblished and made them a place of holiness and refuge. He speaks of the final gathering implied to be about the Zion of Missouri's Independence and as the forces of evil settle in agains the people of righteousness, they will either stand and fight and if not they must flee to Zion, which will become a defenced city - nation protected by the power of the Lord.
D&C 45:1 HEARKEN, O ye people of my achurch, to whom the bkingdom has been given; hearken ye and give to him who laid the foundation of the earth, who cmade the heavens and all the dhosts thereof, and by whom all things were made which elive, and move, and have a being.
D&C 45:2 And again I say, hearken unto my voice, lest adeath shall overtake you; in an bhour when ye think not the summer shall be past, and the charvest ended, and your souls not saved.

 1a TG Jesus Christ, Head of the Chruch
   b D&C 38:9; D&C 50:35
   c Jer. 14:22; Mosiah 4:2; 3 Ne. 9:15
     D&C 14:9; TG Jesus Christ, Creator
   d Gen. 2:1; D&C 38:1; Moses 3:1; Abr. 5:1
   e Acts 17:28
 2a Alma 34:33-35
   b Matt. 24:44
   c Jer. 8:20; D&C 56:16;
     D&C 76:79; TG Harvest
D&C 45:3 Listen to him who is the aadvocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him—
D&C 45:4 Saying: Father, behold the asufferings and bdeath of him who did no csin, in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be dglorifieda;
D&C 45:5 Wherefore, Father, spare these my abrethren that bbelieve on my name, that they may come unto me and have ceverlasting life.

 4a that thyself might be glorified As pointed out in his advocate pleading of our case before the Father, when the Savior stated in the preexistence that the glory of his work would be unto the Father, Christ recalls before the Father that the Father does receive His Glory by the blood of the Son which was shed for the sins of mankind. Thus the Savior has the right to so plead mercy for mankind, that their sins be forgiven them, because he has suffered for them and this glory of the suffering of the Son is carried back to the Father, that the Father himself is glorified through the work and the sacrifice of the blood of the Son. This is a most powerful leverage point of pleading by our advocate, Jesus Christ, before the Father, the Father of our Spirits.  3a Isa. 59:16; D&C 62:1;
     TG Jesus Christ, Advocate
 4a TG Jesus Christ, Atonement trough;
     TG Jesus Christ, Redeemer;
     TG Pain; TG Suffering
   b TG Jesus Christ, Death of;
   c Heb. 4:15; Heb. 7:26
   d John 12:28; Moses 4:2
 5a 1 John 3:14 (10-18)
   b John 17:20; D&C 20:25;
     D&C 35:2; D&C 38:4
   c John 3:16

The Restoration of the Gospel is a Messenger to prepare the way before the Lord

It is stated to be and may be looked to as the Ensign to the world that has been raised up in the Latter-Days for the world to see, know and understand that the preparation for the Second Coming of the Lord God Jesus Christ Jehovah is afoot and the day is at hand.
D&C 45:6 Hearken, O ye people of my church, and ye elders listen together, and hear my voice while it is called atoday, and harden not your hearts;
D&C 45:7 For verily I say unto you that I am aAlpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the light and the life of the world—a blight that shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not.

 6a John 9:4; Heb 3:13; D&C 64:23-25
 7a Rev. 1:8; Rev. 21:6; D&C 19:1
   b John 1:5

D&C 45:8 I came unto mine own, and mine own areceived me not; but unto as many as received me gave I bpower to do many cmiracles, and to become the dsons of God; and even unto them that ebelieved on my name gave I power to obtain eternal flifea.
D&C 45:9 And even so I have sent mine aeverlasting bcovenant into the world, to be a clight to the world, and to be a dstandard for my people, and for the eGentiles to seek to it, and to be a fmessenger before my face to prepare the way before me.

 8a power to obtain eternal life The power to obtain eternal life is to be found in the order of the priesthood after the Son of God, and in the saving ordinances thereof. These are the critical performances of compliance coupled to the living to the standards thereof which bring men along the stright and narrow path to God. Beginning with entering in at the gate of baptism and then receiving of the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost under the hand of the high priesthood of God. And from thence keeping the commandments of God as given and as revealed by that Spirit, entering into all the higher ordinances of the everlasting gospel including that of celestial marriage.  8a TG Prophets, Rejection of
   b TG Priesthood, Power of
   c TG Miracle
   d TG Sons and Daughters of God
   e TG Believe; TG Faith
   f 2 Pet. 1:3 (2-4)
 9a TG New and Everlasting Covenant
   b Jer. 31:33 (31-34); Hosea 2:18 (14-23);
     Morm. 5:20; TG Covenants
   c 2 Cor. 4:6
   d TG Ensign; TG Israel, Gathering of
   e Isa. 42:6; Matt. 8:11-12; Luke 13:29 (28-30);
     Acts 10:45; 2 Ne. 10:18 (9-18)
   e Mal. 3:1; Matt. 11:10; Luke 7:27

Even as Enoch and His Brethren Were Received by the Lord unto Himself
D&C 45:10 Wherefore, come ye unto it, and with him that cometh I will areason as with men in days of old, and I will show unto you my strong reasoning.

 10a Isa. 41:21; D&C 50:10-12
D&C 45:11 Wherefore, hearken ye together and let me show unto you even my awisdom—the wisdom of him whom ye say is the God of bEnoch, and his brethren,
D&C 45:12 Who were aseparated from the earth, and were received unto myself—a bcity reserved until a cday of righteousness shall come—a day which was sought for by all holy men, and when they found it not because of wickedness and abominations;
D&C 45:13 And confessed they were astrangers and pilgrims on the earth;
D&C 45:14 But obtained a apromise that they should find it and see it in their flesh.

 1a TG Jesus Christ, Head of the Chruch
   b D&C 38:9; D&C 50:35
   c Jer. 14:22; Mosiah 4:2; 3 Ne. 9:15
     D&C 14:9; TG Jesus Christ, Creator
   d Gen. 2:1; D&C 38:1; Moses 3:1; Abr. 5:1;
   e Acts 17:28
 2a Alma 34:33-35
   b Matt. 24:44
   c Jer. 8:20; D&C 56:16;
     D&C 76:79; TG Harvest

Jesus Christ Jehovah Reveals Signs of His Coming Given on the Mount of Olives
D&C 45:15 Wherefore, hearken and I will reason with you, and I will aspeak unto you and prophesy, as unto men in days of old.
D&C 45:16 And I will show it plainly as I showed it unto my adisciples as I stood before them in the flesh, and spake unto them, saying: As ye have asked of me concerning the bsigns of my coming, in the day when I shall come in my cglory in the clouds of heaven, to fulfil the promises that I have made unto your fathers,

 1a TG Jesus Christ, Head of the Chruch
   b D&C 38:9; D&C 50:35
   c Jer. 14:22; Mosiah 4:2; 3 Ne. 9:15
     D&C 14:9; TG Jesus Christ, Creator
   d Gen. 2:1; D&C 38:1; Moses 3:1; Abr. 5:1;
   e Acts 17:28
 2a Alma 34:33-35
   b Matt. 24:44
   c Jer. 8:20; D&C 56:16;
     D&C 76:79; TG Harvest
D&C 45:17 For as ye have looked upon the long aabsence of your bspirits from your bodies to be a bondage, I will show unto you how the day of redemption shall come, and also the crestoration of the dscattered Israel.
D&C 45:18 And now ye abehold this temple which is in Jerusalem, which ye call the house of God, and your enemies say that this house shall never fall.

D&C 45:19 But, verily I say unto you, that adesolation shall come upon this generation as a thief in the night, and this people shall be destroyed and bscattered among all nations.
D&C 45:20 And this atemple which ye now see shall be thrown down that there shall not be left one stone upon another.
D&C 45:21 And it shall come to pass, that this ageneration of Jews shall not pass away until every desolation which I have told you concerning them shall come bto pass.

The Gospel Shall be Restored
The Times of the Gentiles Shall Be Fulfilled
A Desolating Sickness Shall Cover ~ Covers the Land

The Gospel has been restored. That has come to pass and is.

The times of the Gentiles, which Gentiles are but the mixture of the seed of Ephraim mixed, scattered and sifted throughout the nations of the earth that the fulfillment of the Covenant, even the Covenant made unto Abraham, might be fulfilled unto the blessing of the nations of the earth in, through and of him and his promised SEED and seed, even Ephraim.

The Desolating Sickness is or shall cover the Land, whether it be the desolation of that sickness of mind and body that rejects the Plan of God of the Family of God or that further desease, sickness and curse to come upon the people as a result of the sickness of mind that will continue into being a sickness of body as well. The Liberal movement has spearheaded it and it both grips the nation of Christ as well as the world today in its false mind set to the utter destruction that will come upon the earth at the Second Coming of Christ.

D&C 45:22 Ye say that ye know that the aend of the world cometh; ye say also that ye know that the heavens and the earth shall pass away;
D&C 45:23 And in this ye say truly, for so it is; but these things which I have told you shall not apass away until all shall be fulfilled.
D&C 45:24 And this I have told you concerning Jerusalem; and when that day shall come, shall a remnant be ascattered among all bnations;

D&C 45:25 But they shall be agathered again; but they shall remain until the times of the bGentiles be fulfilled.
D&C 45:26 And in athat day shall be heard of bwars and rumors of wars, and the whole earth shall be commotion, and mens' hearts shall cfail them, and they shall say that Christ ddelayeth his coming until the end of the earth.

D&C 45:27 And the alove of men shall wax cold, and biniquity shall abound.
D&C 45:28 And when the times of the aGentiles is come in, as blight shall break forth among them that sit in darkness, and it shall be the fulness of my cgospel;

D&C 45:29 But they areceive it not; for they perceive not the light, and they turn their bhearts from me because of the cprecepts of men.
D&C 45:30 And in that generation shall the atimes of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
D&C 45:31 And there shall be men standing in that ageneration, that shall not pass until they shall see an overflowing bscourge; for a desolating csickness shall cover the land.

D&C 45:32 But my disciples shall astand in holy places, and shall not be moveda; but among the wicked, men shall lift up their voices and bcurse God and die.
D&C 45:33 And there shall be aearthquakes also in divers places, and many desolations; yet men will harden their hearts against me, and they will take up the bsword, one against another, and they will kill one another.

 32a my disciples shall stand in holy places
D&C 45:34 And now, when I the Lord had spoken these words unto my disciples, they were troubled.
D&C 45:35 And I said unto them: be not atroubled, for, when all these things shall come to pass, ye may know that the promises which have been made unto you shall be fulfilled.

D&C 45:36 And when the alight shall begin to break forth, it shall be with them like unto a parable which I will show you—
D&C 45:37 Ye look and behold the afig-trees, and ye see them with your eyes, and ye say when they begin to shoot forth, and their leaves are yet tender, that the summer is now nigh at handa;
D&C 45:38 Even so it shall be in that day when they shall see all these things, then shall they know that the hour is nigh.

Parable of the Trees 
Whether the trees be fig trees or olive trees, it is the same parable. The complete parable was given by the prophet Zenos and is quoted from the plates of brass by Jacob the brother of Nephi and may be found in Jacob chapter five of the Book of Mormon. Other allusions to the parable are given throughout the scriptures. 		 37a when they begin to shoot forth, and their leaves are yet tender, that the summer is now nigh at hand When the signs of the time are seen then you know the time is nigh at hand. That is in this instance, when the signs given concerning the Second Coming of the Lord appear then the Second Coming is close to being ready to come forth. Look therefore for the signs and be not caught unprepared for the coming of Jesus Christ.

Signs, Wonders, and the First Resurrection Are to Attend the Second Coming
D&C 45:39 And it shall come to pass that he that afeareth me shall be blooking forth for the great cday of the Lord to dcome, even for the esigns of the coming of the fSon of Man.
D&C 45:40 And they shall see signs and awonders, for they shall be shown forth in the heavens above, and in the earth beneath.
D&C 45:41 And they shall behold blood, and afire, and vapors of bsmoke.

D&C 45:42 And before the day of the Lord shall come, the asun shall be darkened, and the moon be turned into blood, and the stars fall from heaven.
D&C 45:43 And the aremnant shall be gathered unto this place;
D&C 45:44 And then they shall look for me, and, behold, I will come; and they shall see me in the aclouds of heaven, clothed with power and great bglory; with all the holy angels; and he that cwatches not for me shall be cut off.

D&C 45:45 But before the arm of the Lord shall fall, an angel shall sound his atrump, and the bsaints that have slept shall ccome forth to meet me in the dcloud.
D&C 45:46 Wherefore, if ye have slept in apeace blessed are you; for as you now behold me and know that I am, even so shall ye bcome unto me and your souls shall clive, and your redemption shall be perfected; and the saints shall come forth from the dfour quarters of the earth.

Christ Shall Stand on Mount of Olives ~ Jews See Wounds in His Hands and Feet
D&C 45:47 Then shall the aarm of the Lord fall upon the nations.
D&C 45:48 And then shall the Lord set his foot upon this amount, and it shall cleave in twain, and the earth shall btremble, and reel to and fro, and the cheavens also dshall shake.
D&C 45:49 And the Lord shall utter his voice, and all the ends of the earth shall hear it; and the nations of the earth shall amourn, and they that have blaughed shall see their cfolly.
D&C 45:50 And calamity shall cover the amocker, and the scorner shall be consumed; and they that have watched for iniquity shall be hewn down and bcast into the cfire.

D&C 45:51 And then shall the aJews blook upon me and say: What are these cwounds in thine hands and in thy feet?
D&C 45:52 They shall then know that I am the Lord; for I will say unto them: These wounds are the wounds with which I was awounded in the house of my friends. I am he who was lifted up. I am Jesus that was bcrucified. I am the cSon of God.
D&C 45:53 And then shall they aweep because of their iniquities; then shall they blament because they cpersecuted their dking.

The Lord Jesus Christ Jehovah Shall Reign During the Millennium
D&C 45:54 And then shall the aheathen nations be bredeemed, and they that cknew no dlaw shall have a part in the efirst fresurrection; and it shall be gtolerable for them.
D&C 45:55 And aSatan shall be bbound, that he shall have no place in the hearts of men.

D&C 45:56 And in that day, when I shall come in my aglory, shall the parable be fulfilled which I spake concerning the ten bvirgins.
D&C 45:57 For they that are wise and have received the atruth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their bguidea, and have not been deceived—verily I say unto you, they shall not be hewn down and cast into the cfire, but shall abide the day.
D&C 45:58 And the aearth shall be given unto them for an binheritance; and they shall cmultiply and wax strong, and their dchildren shall egrow up without fsin unto gsalvation.
D&C 45:59 For the Lord shall be in their amidst, and his bglory shall be upon them, and he will be their cking and their dlawgiver.

 57a the Holy Spirit for their guide In Lehi's dream of the tree of life the guiding angel did lead Lehi along the straight and narrow path to the tree of life. That path had as its support an iron rod which was the Word of God. Coupled with the Word of God is the guiding hand of that angel to us known as the Holy Ghost. It (he) is bestowed upon us to be our constant companion to guide us along the path to God, opening unto our minds, souls and hearts the understanding of the Words of God by the inspiration of revelation by the spirit, conveying into our inner being the truths and ways of God that we may follow and become one day even AS GOD IS.

Joseph Instructed to Translate the New Testament
Important Information To Be Made Known in Conjunction with That Effort
D&C 45:60 And now, behold, I say unto you, it shall not be given unto you to know any further concerning this chapter, until the aNew bTestament be translated, and in it all these things shall be made known;
D&C 45:61 Wherefore I give unto you that ye may now translate it, that ye may be prepared for the things to come.
D&C 45:62 For verily I say unto you, that great things await you;

Saints Commanded to Build New Jerusalem ~ Nations Will Gather unto It
D&C 45:63 Ye hear of awars in foreign lands; but, behold, I say unto you, they are nigh, even at your bdoors, and not many years hence ye shall hear of wars in your own lands.
D&C 45:64 Wherefore I, the Lord have said, gather ye out from the aeastern lands, assemble ye yourselves together ye elders of my church; go ye forth into the western countries, call upon the inhabitants to repent, and inasmuch as they do repent, build up churches unto me.
D&C 45:65 And with one heart and with one mind, gather up your riches that ye may apurchase an inheritance which shall hereafter be appointed unto you.

D&C 45:66 And it shall be called the aNew Jerusalem, a bland of cpeace, a city of drefuge, a place of esafety for the saints of the Most High God;
D&C 45:67 And the aglory of the Lord shall be there, and the bterror of the Lord also shall be there, insomuch that the wicked will not come unto it, and it shall be called Zion.

D&C 45:68 And it shall come to pass among the wicked, that every man that will not take his sword against his aneighbor must needs flee into bZion for safety.
D&C 45:69 And there shall be agathered unto it out of every bnation under heaven; and it shall be the only people that shall not be at cwar one with another.
D&C 45:70 And it shall be said among the wicked: Let us not go up to battle against Zion, for the inhabitants of Zion are aterrible; wherefore we cannot stand.

D&C 45:71 And it shall come to pass that the righteous shall be gathered out from among all nations, and shall come to Zion, singing with asongs of everlasting bjoy.

D&C 45:72 And now, I say unto you, keep these things from going abroad unto the world until it is expedient in me, that ye may accomplish this work in the eyes of your enemies, that they may not know your works until ye have accomplished the thing which I have commanded you;
D&C 45:73 That when they shall know it, that they may consider these things.

D&C 45:74 For when the Lord shall appear he shall be aterrible unto them, that fear may seize upon them, and they shall stand afar off and tremble.
D&C 45:75 And all the nations shall be afraid because of the terror of the Lord and the power of his might. Even so. Amen.