Work and Glory

By far one of the most oft-quoted scriptures by general authorities is Moses 1:39 which states that God’s “work and glory” is to “bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”  Using the BYU scripture citation index, it shows that the verse has been referenced every year in general conference since 1942 except for one (1977).  The index also shows that in has been referred to over 300 times in that period, giving an average of over two times for every general conference.  One of those who has spoken a fair amount about Moses 1:39 is Elder Wirthlin, and I really like the way that he explained what these terms mean.  He said, “Because of the Savior, we will live forever. Immortality means that we will never die. But eternal life means to live forever in exalted spheres in companionship with those we cherish, encompassed about by profound love, exquisite joy, and glory.”  He also gave this metapor: “Because of Jesus the Christ, we will live forever. We are immortal.  Eternal life, however, is something altogether different. Immortality is about quantity. Eternal life is about quality.  To use a metaphor, immortality is how long the dinner lasts. Eternal life is what is on the menu and who is with us at the table.”  Ultimately our life is about decided what we really want on that menu and who we really want to be with eternally. 

Why is the verse so important for us to remember and understand?  Perhaps part of the reason is that it shows us the priorities that God has as well as those that we should have.  When we consider the verse in context I think the message is even more powerful.  The Lord was showing Moses all of his creations and told him “worlds without number have I created” and “the heavens, they are many, and they cannot be numbered unto man” (Moses 1:33, 37).  And yet despite the incomprehensible magnitude of His physical creations, it is man and man’s salvation that concerns Him most.  God is less concerned about His possessions and creations than He is about His children’s progression.  Surely there is a lesson in that for us, especially as we are bombarded by the world which tells us to value its things more than our relationship with God and our family.  Many of us are more similar to the rich young man than we would like to admit.  He was keeping the commandments and wanted to do what was right, and yet when push came to shove his riches were of more value to him than eternal life.  Jesus showed that He really does value our salvation over our anything else that we might value, promise the young man “treasure in heaven” if he would forsake the world (Luke 18:22).  Forsaking the world in our day is no easier than it was then, and the treasures of the earth are constantly trying to pull us away from the treasure in heaven that the Lord “glories” in giving us. 

While the Lord’s “work” is our own salvation, the Lord told Hyrum Smith what our “work” is: “Behold, this is your work, to keep my commandments, yea, with all your might, mind and strength” (D&C 11:20).  Our work is to do what the Lord commands us; and knowing the big picture—that His great goal for us is our salvation—should help us to see the why of following God’s commands with all out heart.