Received of His Fullness by Denver Snuffer

Received of His Fullness When the heavens opened to Joseph and Sidney Rigdon jointly in 1832, they saw and heard many things. Among the many things shown them was the Father sitting on His Throne and the Son beside Him. (D&C 76: 23.) The Vision included not just the final state of mankind in the various kingdoms of glory, but also included an explanation of the rebellion by an angel in a position of authority before God. (D&C 76: 25.) They saw the heavens weep over this rebellious angel. (D&C 76: 26.) They saw the terrible, inexpressible end to him, and all who follow him. (D&C 76: 44-48.) They saw the final state of mankind. They also beheld many things they were not permitted to write. (D&C 76: 114-115.) Their knowledge exceeded what is lawful for man to know. Because of this knowledge, they were not like the others of their generation. They entered into the Throne Room of the Father, and beheld Him in His glory. Because of this, both Joseph and Sidney received of his fulness (D&C 76: 20). This is how the fullness is received. It can be symbolized, ritualized, or conferred by an ordinance, but the fullness itself involves God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ, personally. Therefore, when we speak of fullness through symbol, ordinance and ritual, we are speaking of the type. When we speak of the fullness itself, we are speaking of the real thing. There is a custom to accept the rites and symbols in place of the real thing. This is so much so that, today, some doubt the need for the real thing. The fullness of the Father includes the fullness of the priesthood. It also includes more. Joseph and Sidney joined the holy angels who stood before God. (D&C 76: 21.) Therefore, they would be among those who came to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of Enoch, and of the Firstborn. (D&C 76: 67.) By 1841 the fullness of the priesthood had been forfeited by the church. (D&C 124: 28.) Christ offered, on condition of the completion of the Nauvoo Temple, to come and restore that fullness again to the church. That required Him to come. (D&C 124: 28.) If He came, then men would be redeemed from the fall and return to Gods presence. (Ether 3: 13.) To have Zion, God must come and dwell with His people. (Moses 7: 69.) To have Zion is to have people who: -are of one heart, and -are of one mind, and -dwell in righteousness, and -have no poor among them. (Moses 7: 18.)

There are many things which occupy the attention of Latter-day Saints. This short list, however, would seem to be the most important place to begin, assuming we were interested in having Zion return. We are not currently unified and for the most part are fragmenting. This is the inverse of what brings Zion. Received of His Fullness, Part 2 It will only be when the gentiles begin to have faith like the Brother of Jared that the Lord will make the fullness known again. (Ether 4: 6-7.) It was the plan to withhold the fullness from the gentiles, and not confer it upon them. The Lord told Moroni they shall not go forth unto the Gentiles until the day that they shall repent of their iniquity, and become clean before the Lord. (Id.) Joseph and Sidney received of His fullness in the vision. (D&C 76: 20.) The Lord once offered it again. Joseph may or may not impress you as a valiant soul (he certainly does me), but almost no one looks at Sidney Rigdon and sees a great, valiant soul. There has been nearly two hundred years of disparaging of Sidney by those who voted to follow Brigham Young and the Twelve and their descendants. It would be well to remember that Sidney received of His fullness and Brigham Young died hoping the Lord would visit him if he lived to be 85 years old. If Sidney, despite all you have heard and read concerning him, and despite his subsequent disaffection from the church, received of His fullness then you should recognize this is NOT so great a thing as to be impossible for you. Take heart. What is it that the Vision tells us about the exalted hosts? They are the church of the Firstborn. (D&C 76: 54.) Meaning they are all sons and daughters of God. The Father has given into their hands what is called all things. (D&C 76: 55.) That is, they have handled something. They have received of His fullness and of His glory. (D&C 76: 56.) Both Joseph and Sidney recite this as having taken place. (D&C 76: 19-20.) Though it would not be until sometime in 1843 before Joseph began to unfurl in private the process of becoming a king and priest unto God, Sidney and Joseph were acquainted with this in the Vision in 1832. (D&C 76: 56-57.) This is the only way such kings and priests can be made; although you can have a ceremony which symbolizes it. Joseph and Sidneys accomplishment was an invitation for others to follow. It was not intended to be the end of the restoration process, but a harbinger of what would follow. If Joseph and Sidney were the only ones who were to receive of His fullness then the prophecies promising a return of Zion could never be fulfilled.

Why are we allowing the restoration to end? Why are we not looking to see a return of Zion? Why are we content to trust others will bring it, when each of us has a responsibility to individually prepare to see it return? What good does it do to study the revelations if we are unwilling to do the works required by the revelations? Is theoretical knowledge and symbolic ritual enough? Will Zion only return as a distant symbol in this dispensation? Will the Lord only symbolically return? Will the world only symbolically end? Will the wicked only be symbolically destroyed? What is it that you find so compelling about your current plight that you wont awake, arise and look into the matter of the fullness as set out in scripture? To receive it you only need to love him, and purify yourself before him and He will grant this privilege of seeing and knowing for yourself. (D&C 76: 116-117.) But this must be while in the flesh and not after you leave here. (D&C 76: 118.) This is the only way you can then be able to bear his presence in the world of glory. (Id.) Received of His Fullness, Part 3 The often quoted verses in Section 84 have an objective event that is consistently ignored. It is not merely the ordinances of the priesthood which are of value. The power of godliness (D&C 84: 20) is inseparably connected with these ordinances. (D&C 121: 36.) Without the power of godliness our rites are much like the apostate world Christ condemned in His initial visit with Joseph. (JS-H 1: 19.) D&C 84: 20-22 tells us about: -Power of Godliness -Authority of the Priesthood -Seeing the face of God the Father These verses do not vindicate ordinances as an end in themselves. Far from it. Instead, they commend us to reach upward. If the ordinances alone were enough, there would be no mention of power of godliness and authority of the priesthood and seeing the face of God, even the Father. Therefore, how ought you to view the ordinances? If they have value, what value do they have? Why do we want or need them? What should they inspire within us? Where and how did Joseph and Sidney receive of His fullness? (D&C 76: 20.) Why, in speaking of the power of godliness and the authority of the priesthood, does it then connect with seeing the face of God, even the Father? (D&C 84: 22.)

Why, in the oath and covenant of the priesthood (as we have taken to identifying it), does it mention receiving Christ? (D&C 84: 36.) Is this to be taken as descriptive of receiving the priesthood, or as merely some future vague promise for the afterlife? If you read it as the afterlife, where do you find support for that reading in the revelation? Is that reading consistent with mortals having priesthood? If the priesthood is gained in mortality, why then is receiving Christ only post-mortality? Or, does the priesthood then become post-mortal as well? Why does the Lord say if we receive Him we will also receive His Father? (D&C 84: 37-38.) How is coming into Christs presence related to coming into the Fathers presence? Are these connected? How? And how does this connect with priesthood since that is the topic of the revelation? Is the priesthood proprietary, meaning that it belongs like a franchise to some group, institution or individuals? Or is the priesthood instead best viewed as a relationship between God and man? If a relationship between God and man, then is it based on trust? Personal trust between God and the specific man? If that is the case, what is required to receive priesthood? Who are His servants He requires you to receive? (D&C 84: 36.) How would such a servant aid you in coming to God and receiving priesthood? What is the relationship between receiving a servant, then receiving Christ, then receiving the Father? How is Joseph Smith an example of this? Does the statement given in 1835 in D&C 107: 1 describe the condition of the church at that time? Or, does it describe a continuing presence of priesthood forever thereafter? Can priesthood be lost? (D&C 121: 37.) Do you have His fullness? Why not? How do the scriptures say you receive it? Is this what Nephi said he did in his record? Why does he walk us through his own experience? Is he bragging, or is he instructing and inviting us to do likewise? Are ordinances enough? Do they testify to an underlying truth? Why receive the testimony of the ordinances and ignore the underlying truth? No matter what we have received, retained or discarded from Joseph Smith, doesnt his entire ministry come down to affirming James 1: 5? Can you ask of God also? Will He not give liberally to you? Then it is not lack of faith in Josephs ministry or your personal lack of keys held by those in higher priesthood offices that keeps you apart from God. Instead it is your unwillingness to do as James instructs, and your failure to ask God in faith. Moroni told Joseph that Joel had not yet been fulfilled, but would be soon. He linked this to the fulness of the Gentiles which signals their end. (JS-H 1: 41; see also Joel 2: 28-32.) Is that time upon us?

Is the reason so few are chosen even though many are called related to this very subject? (D&C 121: 34.) Would you be better off trying to please God rather than getting noticed by other men? Does it occur to you that this process in these revelations is the fullness of the Gospel in action? That the fullness of the Father, as well as the fullness of the priesthood, are part of the relationship which you are required to develop with God? Directly between you and Him, and not between you and someone else? If this is so, then what light is shed when the open vision given to Joseph and Sidney where the past rebellion of an angel in a position of authority is revealed, and the future final destiny of man is shown to them? Why is a man saved no faster than he gains knowledge? (TPJS, p. 217.) Why did Joseph comment on the vision (in Section 76) by stating: I could explain a hundred fold more than I ever have of the glories of the kingdoms manifested to me in the vision, were I permitted, and were the people prepared to receive them. (TPJS, p. 304.)