Chapter 1   Chapter 2   Chapter 3

METAPHYSICAL LIFE
ANGELS AND CELESTIAL PERSONAGES
THE HEAVENLY HOST


Luke 2:13-"And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God."

Rev 5:11-"I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne . . . and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands."

Rev. 5:11-"I Heard the voice of many angels round about the throne. . . and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands."

I Nephi 1:7-"And being thus overcome with the Spirit, he was carried away in a vision, even that he saw the heavens open, and he thought he saw God sitting on his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God."

D. and C. 76:5-"These are they who are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly place, the holiest of all; these are they who have come to an innumerable company of angels."

THE MINISTRY OF ANGELS

*Gen. 19:l-"And it came to pass, that there came three angels to Sodom in the evening; and Lot sat in the door of his house, in the city of Sodom."

Exod. 23:20, 2 l-"Behold, I send an angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions; for my name is in him."

I Kings l9:7-"And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee."

Ps. 34:7-"The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them."

Dan. 8:16-"And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision."

Dan. 9:21-"Yea, while I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation."

Dan. 10:5, 6-"Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz; his body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in color to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude."

Matt. 26:51-"Thinkest thou that I can not now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?" (53).

*Matt. 28:2, 3-"For two angels of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it, And their countenance was like lightning, and their raiment white as snow."

Mark 1:11-"And the angels ministered unto him" (13).

*Luke 1:11, 19, 30-"And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. . . . And the angel answering, said unto him, I am Gabriel, who stand in the presence of God, and am sent to speak unto thee, and to show you these glad tidings. . . . And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favour with God."

Luke 2:9, 13-"And lo, an angel of the Lord appeared unto them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid . . .And suddenly there was with the angel, a multitude of the heavenly host."

Luke 22:43-"And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him."

Acts 1:10-"And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel."

*Acts 12:7, 8-"And, behold, the angel of the Lord came unto him, and a light shined in the prison; and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals; and so he did."

Acts 18:9, 10-"Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace; for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee; for I have much people in this city."

Acts 23:11-"And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul; for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome."

Acts 27:23, 24-"For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar; and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee."

*Heb. 1:7, 14-"And of the angels he saith, Angels are ministering spirits. . . . Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?"

Heb. 13:2-"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers; for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."

Rev. 10:l-"And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud; and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire."

*Gen. 18:1, 2; Num. 22:22-27, 31-35; Dan. 6:22; Matt. 13:42; 24:40; *Luke 24:2; Rev. 10:5; 14:6; *16:1-12, 17; 18:21.

Helaman 2:113-"When they heard this, they cast up their eyes as if to behold from whence the voice came; and behold, they saw the heavens open: and angels came down out of heaven, and ministered unto them."

3 Nephi 8:25, 26-"They saw the heavens open, and they saw angels descending out of heaven as it were, in the midst of fire; and they came down and encircled those little ones about . . . and the angels did minister unto them, and the multitude did see and hear, and bear record."

D. and C. 104:10-"The power and authority of the lesser, of Aaronic, priesthood is, to hold the keys of the ministering of angels."

ANGELS SENT FROM GOD

†Gen. 4:6. To Adam. †Gen. 5:44. Declare gospel. *Gen. 16:8. To Hagar. *Gen. 19:1. To Sodom. Num. 22:23. To Balaam. *2 Sam. 24:16. To Jerusalem.

I Kings 19:5. To Elijah. *1 Chron. 21:15. To Jerusalem.

2 Chron. 32:21. Against Assyrians. *Matt. 2:3 (1:20). To Joseph.

Luke 1:11. To Zacharias. *Luke 2:9. To shepherds. Luke 22:43.

To Jesus.

Acts 12:23. To Herod. Acts 27:23. To Paul. *Rev. 1:1. To John.

Rev. 7:1; *8:5-13; 14:15-19. Executing judgments.

Rev. 14:6-8; 16; 18; 19:17. Messengers of judgments.

D. and C. 83:4. Key of ministering of angels.

D. and C. 85:25-35. Announcing final judgment.

D. and C. 100:3-". . . for I say not unto you as I said unto your fathers, Mine angels shall go up before you, but not my presence; but I say unto you, Mine angels shall go before you, and also my presence, and in time ye shall possess the goodly land."

D. and C. 38:3; 43:6; 45:6.

1 Nephi 1:93-To the defense of Nephi.

I Nephi 3:192-197-Nephi's vision, instructions by an angel.

SATAN AND THE PRINCIPLE OF EVIL

THE ORIGIN OF EVIL

†Genesis 3:4, 5-"Because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him; and also that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten I caused that he should be cast down; and he became Satan. Yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive, and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken to my voice."

Ps. 78:49-"He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them."

*Luke 10:19-"And he said unto them, As lightning falleth from heaven, I beheld Satan also falling" (18).

2 Cor. 11:14-"And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light."

Jude 6-"The angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains."

D. and C. 28:10-". . . behold, the Devil was before Adam, for he rebelled against me, saying, Give me thine honor, which is my power; and also a third part of the hosts of heaven turned he away from me because of their agency; and they were thrust down, and thus became the Devil and his angels."

D. and C. 76:4-". . . for they are vessels of wrath, doomed to suffer the wrath of God, with the Devil and his angels, in eternity.

Matt. 25:42; 2 Pet. 2:4; *Rev. 12:6, 8; D. and C. 28:7, 8; 36:5; Jacob 2:65; 3 Nephi 4:22; 2 Nephi 6:20, 21, 39; 11:93, 95; Mosiah 8:75, 78, 81, 84, 85, 88.

2 Nephi 1:81, 101, 102-"For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. . . . An angel of God, according to that which is written, had fallen from heaven; wherefore he became a devil, having sought that which was evil before God."

2 Nephi 1:117, 118; D. and C. 28:10.

SATANIC POWER USED TO DECEIVE

†Gen. 3:7-"And Satan put it into the heart of the serpent, for he had drawn away many after him; and he sought also to beguile Eve."

*Mark 13:25-"For in those days there shall also arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch, that if possible, they shall deceive the very elect, who are the elect according to the covenant" (22).

Acts 8:9-11, 23-"But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one; to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. . . . For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity."

2 Cor. 11:3-"But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ."

*2 Thess. 2:9-"Yea, the Lord, even Jesus, whose coming is not until after there cometh a falling away, by the working of Satan with all power, and signs and lying wonders."

Rev. 13:13, 14-"And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do."

Rev. 16:13, 14-"And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty."

3 Nephi 1:39-"The power of the devil, to lead away and deceive the hearts of the people."

Rev. 19:20-"And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast."

SATAN'S POWER TO TEMPT AND AFFLICT

*Job 1:6, 7-"Now there was a day when the children of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them. And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it."

Job 2:6, 7-"And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand: but save his life. So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown."

Zech. 3:1, 2-"And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan."

*Matt. 4:3, 6, 9-"And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. . . . Then the devil came unto him and said, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down. . . . And the devil came unto him again, and said, All these things will I give unto thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me."

Luke 13-:16-"And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?"

EVIL WORK OF WIZARDS, MAGICIANS,

AND FAMILIAR SPIRITS

Exod. 7:11, 12-"Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers; now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents; but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods."

Exod. 8:7, 18-"And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt. . . . And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not; so there were lice upon man, and upon beast."

Lev 19:31-"Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them; I am the Lord your God."

I Sam. 28:15, 16-"Saul, why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams; therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do. Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?"

*Isa. 8:19, 20-"And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep and that mutter; should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to hear from the dead? To the law and to the testimony; and if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."

Isa. 19:3-"And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof; and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards."

Lev. 20:6, 7; I Kings 22:2-23; 2 Chron. 18:4-6, 12, 13, 16, 18-22.

2 Nephi 9:57, 58-"And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to hear from the dead? To the law and to the testimony: and if they speak not according to the word, it is because there is no light in them."

Helaman 5:23, 24, 41, 45, 46, 49-"And it shall come to pass saith the Lord of hosts, yea, our great and true God, that whoso shall hide up treasures in the earth, shall find them again no more, because of the great curse of the land, save he be a righteous man, and shall hide it up hide up unto the Lord, For I will, saith the Lord, that they shall hide up their treasures unto me save it be the righteous; . . . behold, he hath cursed the land, because of your iniquity; and behold, the time cometh that he curseth your riches, that it becometh slippery, that ye can not hold them; . . . O that we had remembered the Lord our God, in the day that he gave us our riches, and then they would not have become slippery, that we should lose them; for behold, our riches are gone from us. Behold, we lay a tool here, and on the morrow it is gone; . . . Behold we are surrounded by demons, yea, we are encircled about by the angels of him who hath sought to destroy our souls."

Mormon 1:19, 20-"The inhabitants thereof began to hide up their treasures in the earth; and they became slippery, because the Lord had cursed the land, that they could not hold them nor retain them again. And it came to pass that there were sorceries, and witchcrafts, and magics; and the power of the evil one was wrought upon all the face of the land."

WARNINGS

Deut. 13:1-3-"If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams; for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul."

Acts 13:8, 10-"But Elymas the sorcerer . . . withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. Then Saul . . . said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?"

2 Thess. 2:10-12-"And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie; that they all might be damned who believed not the truth."

I Tim. 4:l-"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils."

Num. 22:12-38; Deut. 18:9-14; 2 Kings 17:17; 21:6; Isa. 66:4.

THEY ENTER INTO MEN AND BEASTS

Mark 1:30-"And cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him" (34).

*Mark 5:9, 15-"And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine. . . . And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil, spoke to Jesus, and prayed that he might be with him" (12, 18).

Acts 16:16-"And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possesed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying."

Acts 19:15, 16-"And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded."

Gen. 41:8; 2 Kings 23:24; Dan. 2:2; 11:12; *Matt. 8:29-33.

SATANIC POWERS TO BE RESISTED AND OVERCOME

Isa. 59:19-"When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him."

Mal. 3:5-"And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages."

John 12:31-"Now is the judgment of this world; now shall the prince of this world be cast out."

*John 14:30-"Hereafter I will not talk much with you; for the prince of darkness, who is of this world, cometh, but hath no power over me, but he hath power over you."

John 16:11-"Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged."

Eph. 2:2-"Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience."

Eph. 6:11-"Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."

*2 Thess. 2:3-10; Rev. 19:20; 20:10.

SATAN'S POWER IS LIMITED

D. and C.6: 7-"There is none else save God, that knowest thy thoughts and the intents of thy heart."

SATAN CANNOT TEMPT LITTLE CHILDREN

D. and C. 28:13-"Little children are redeemed from the foundation of the world . . . wherefore they can not sin, for power is not given unto Satan to tempt little children, until they begin to become accountable."

Mosiah 8:11-20.

OUR DEFENSE AGAINST SATAN

Matt. 4:10, ll-"Then said Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan. . . . Then the devil leaveth him."

Matt 17:18-21-"Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief. . . . Howbeit, this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting."

Mark 16:17-"In my name shall they cast out devils."

John 14:13, 14-"Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it."

Anything that is in the name of Jesus must be harmonious with his will, his wisdom, his love, and his purpose.

Acts 4:12-"There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

Acts 16:18-"Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour."

D. and C. 6:16-"Fear not, little flock, do good, let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my Rock, they can not prevail."

Church History, Volume 1, page 9, the testimony of Joseph Smith:

I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such astonishing influence over my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction. But exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction, (not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in my being,) just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun; which descended gradually until it fell upon me. It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound.

This example shows us how we should call upon God for help and deliverance when we are assailed by evil powers of a spiritual character.

SPIRIT OF CONTENTION CONDEMNED

Prov. 13:10-"Only by pride cometh contention; but with the well-advised is wisdom."

Titus 3:9-"But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain."

Prov. 22:10; Jer. 15:10; Hab. 1:3; Rom. 13:13; I Cor. 11:16; Gal. 5:20, 21; Phil. 1:15, 16; James 3:14.

D. and C. 98:3-". . . there were jarrings, and contentions, and envyings, and strifes, and lustful and covetous desires among them; therefore by these things they polluted their inheritances."

D. and C. 117:13-"Let contentions and quarrelings among you cease. Sustain each other in peace, and ye shall be blessed with my Spirit, in comforting and strengthening you for my work."

D. and C. 119:5-"Contention is unseemly; therefore, cease to contend respecting the sacrament and the time of administering it."

D. and C. 133:2; 134; 135; 136.

STRIFE AND DIVISIONS CONDEMNED

Rom. 16:17, 18-"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple."

I Cor. 3:3-"For ye are yet carnal; for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?"

I Cor. 13: 4-"Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up.

2 Cor. 12:20-"For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not; lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults."

WARNINGS AGAINST JEALOUSY AND ENVY

Job 5:2-"For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one."

Ps. 37:l-"Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity."

Prov. 3:31-"Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways."

Prov. 6:34-"For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance."

Prov. 14:30-"A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones."

Prov. 27:4-"Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?"

Eccles. 4:4-"I consider all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbor. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit."

Rom. 13:13-"Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, . . . not in strife and envying."

I Cor. 3:3-"For whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal?"

I Cor. 13:4-"Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not."

Gal. 5:26-"Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another."

James 3:16-"For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work."

I Pet. 2:l-"Laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings."

D. and C. 67:3-". . . inasmuch as you strip yourselves from jealousies and fears, and humble yourselves before me, for ye are not sufficiently humble, the veil shall be rent, and you shall see me and know that I am."

D. and C. 120:3-"There should be no conflict or jealousy of authority between the quorums of the church; all are necessary and equally honorable, each in its place."