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Welcome to Talking Scripture. I'm Mike. And I'm Bryce. And today we are going to be in Section 137 and 138 of the Doctrine Covenants.

Now, 137 actually fits back in the Curtland era. Yeah. Section 137 was given in January of 1836. And if you remember

when we talked about Section 110 and Section 109, when Joseph is giving the initiatory ordinances

to select members of the church, he is also having a visionary experience. In the journal or in the records of

Oliver Cowdery and John Coral, they talk about how their bodies were washed with pure water and

anointed with holy oil in preparation for having visions. In fact, Oliver Cowdery says, the glorious

scene is too great to be described.

Therefore, I only say that the heavens were opened to many and great and marvelous things were shown.

So in the context of this section, we're back in the Kirtland era.

It's before the temple's dedicated and individuals are having visions and they're having marvelous experiences.

And Bryce, this section is an interesting section because it's a vision that Joseph is having.

And yet in the visionary experience, there are people in the room that are alive that he's seeing in the context of redemption for the dead theology.

This is absolutely brilliant teaching. We get to see

God as a teacher in this section. So let me take you back to the early days of church history,

the loss of Alvin Smith. Do you remember how much that affected Joseph? Alvin was probably the most

interested in all that was going on in Joseph's life. Alvin was probably the most interested in all that was going on in Joseph's life.

Alvin was there behind Joseph. And you might ask, Heavenly Father, why would you take such an

ardent supporter at a time when Joseph needed them so much? His law struck Joseph very deep into

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