The Centrality of Joseph Smith in the Restoration In Latter-day Saint belief, Joseph Smith is foundational to every doctrine that distinguishes the Restoration from traditional Christianity. Teachings about the nature of God, premortal life, exaltation, eternal families, redemption of the dead, and continuing revelation all depend on his prophetic calling. If Joseph truly received divine … Read more
Introduction Doctrine and Covenants 76 — often referred to simply as “the Vision” by early Saints — presented a radical doctrine to the nineteenth-century Protestant world. Among its teachings are the idea of degrees of glory (celestial, terrestrial, and telestial), the rejection of an eternal hell in the classical Protestant sense, and the affirmation … Read more
Doctrine and Covenants 76 in Early Latter-day Saint Thought Doctrine and Covenants 76, known among early Latter-day Saints simply as “the Vision,” was regarded as one of the most important revelations ever received by Joseph Smith. In Joseph’s time, when people said “Joseph Smith’s vision,” they were usually not referring to the First Vision, but … Read more