Willard Richards Pocket Companion[1]

It is the privilege of the Children of God to come to God & get Revelation. XIV John [verse 1] Let not your heart be troubled &c, [verse 2] There are a great many Mansions in my Father's house. I am going to prepare one for you rather Better than common. It is the privilege of the Sons of God to inherit the same Mansion &c. When any person receives a vision of Heaven, he sees things that he never thought of before. [2] if we should tell of different glories as Paul did, in my fathers house there are Many Mansions, every Man that receives the Gospel receives that inheritance that the Apostles did. [verse 9] Everyone that hath seen me hath seen the Father. [verse 12] He that believeth, any person that believes the works I do shall he do also & greater works [verse 13] The Father could not be glorified in the Son [verse 13] on any other principle than we coming to God, asking, receiving, heavens open visions &c.— They are done away because of unbelief— [verse 16] I will pray the Father & he shall send you another Comforter. There is one Comforter [i.e. the Holy Ghost] & another Comforter to abide with you forever, reach to things within the vail, know that you are Sealed. If you get it, it will stand by you forever. How is it obtained? Keep my commandments & I will pray &c.— [verse 17] It is a privilege to view the Son of Man himself, he dwelleth with you & shall be in you, his spirit shall be in you. [3] [verse 18] I will not have you comfortless, I will come to you, abide with you forever, Seal you up to Eternal life. [verse 19] Yet a little while & you shall see me no more, but ye see me.— [verse 21] He that hath my commandments & keepeth them, he it is that loveth me &c.—I will manifest myself to him. if he does not he has not told the truth. I will put promises in your hearts, that will not leave you that will Seal you up. We may come to the general assembly & church of the first born, Spirits of Just men made perfect, unto Christ. The innumerable company of Angels are those that have been resurrected from the dead. the Spirits of Just men made perfect are those without bodies. [4] It is our privilege to pray for & obtain these things. [verse 22] How wilt thou manifest thyself to us & not to the world? evidently knowing that it would be so that he would manifest himself. [5] There was no cholera, no mobs, before this came. I told them that rejoiced in Mobs that they should have them, they have since come in torrents. they did not receive the testimony of the Servants of the Son of God. [verse 23] If a man love me he will keep my words, & my father will love him, & We both me & my father will take our abode with him. [6] There are certain characters that walked with God, saw him, conversed about heaven &c. [verse 26] but the comforter that I will send, (not the other comforter) shall teach you all things.—who?—He that loveth me &c—This shall bring all things to remembrance whatsoever things I have said unto you, he shall teach you until ye come to me & my father. God is not a respecter of persons, we all have the same privilege. Come to God weary him until he blesses you &c—we are entitled to the same blessings, Jesus, revelations, Just Men &—Angels &c. &c. not Laying again the doctrine of Christ go on unto perfection. Obtain that holy Spirit of promise—Then you can be sealed to Eternal Life. [7]

—Before 8 August 1839 (3)

Notes

[1] The following report in Willard Richards's Pocket Companion was undoubtedly recorded by John Taylor. It is here published for the first time.

[2] Isaiah 64:4; 2 Corinthians 2:9; D&C 76:10.

[3] It is confusing to speak of Christ's dwelling within those sealed up unto eternal life, yet the Savior says that after we enjoy the blessings of the Second Comforter, "then shall [you] know that…I am the true light that is in you, and that you are in me" (D&C 88:50). The same is said in John chapter 14: "At that day [when you receive the Second Comforter] ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you" (see also JST Luke 10:23).

In John 14:17 Christ is also speaking of himself as the source of truth. Similarly, he declared to Joseph Smith, "I am the Spirit of Truth" (D&C 93:26). However, the Savior and the Holy Ghost work in perfect oneness when bestowing these, the highest spiritual blessings of mortality, for the Savior said of the Holy Ghost, "He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you" (John 15:14). The emphasis in John 14:16-17 is the concept that the Savior has been appointed by the Father to be our ultimate source of comfort and truth.

[4] This appears to be the first time Joseph Smith in a sermon explicitly distinguished between the terms angels and spirits of just men made perfect as used in Hebrews 12:22-24 (see D&C 129 and 27 June 1839, note 15.

[5] That is, Joseph Smith found verse 22 conclusive evidence that the apostles understood clearly that Jesus was referring to himself (and not to the Holy Ghost) when he spoke of "another Comforter."

[6] See 2 April 1843 discourse (Joseph Smith Diary by Willard Richards); D&C 130:2.

[7] In a certain limited sense, a sense Joseph Smith used many times, the phrase "Holy Spirit of Promise" has reference to the concept of "making your calling and election sure" or "being sealed up unto eternal life" (D&C 88:3-5). Thus, when the Holy Spirit (who was the one appointed by the Father to give final sanctioning authority for all priesthood blessings) receives authorization from Jesus Christ to unmistakably "seal" the promise of eternal life on a worthy individual, he is placing the seals on the highest gospel ordinances in his office as Holy Spirit of Promise (D&C 132:7). The Prophet expressed this concept in his poetic rendition of D&C 76 (v. 53):

For these overcome, by their faith and their works,
Being tried in their life-time, as purified gold
And seal'd by the spirit of promise, to life
By men called of God, as was Aaron of old.

(Times and Seasons 4 [1 February 1843]: 84).