A Personal Visit

Jesus told His apostles, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”  One of the apostles followed up with this question: "Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us?”  His reply was, “If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him” (John 14:21-23).  So what did the Savior mean when He promised that He and the Father will come to those who love Him and keep His words? 

Without searching the scriptures further we would probably assume that He was referring to the Holy Ghost which dwells with the righteous and testifies of the Father and Son.  In fact, just a few verses later the Savior even spoke of how the Father would send the Comforter in Christ’s name to the righteous.  So this would likewise suggest that Christ’s earlier reference also spoke of the Holy Ghost.  But that’s not what Joseph said.  As usual, his explanation of the scriptures speaks boldly and shows us that we are living far below our spiritual potential.  He said, “The appearing of the Father and the Son, in that verse, is a personal appearance; and the idea that the Father and the Son dwell in a man’s heart is an old sectarian notion, and is false” (D&C 130:3).  So Joseph understood this passage in John to be literal and to be a promise of the Father and Son appearing in person.  Joseph had had such a visit and made no claim to special privileges—his firm belief was that whatever God had shown and done for him He would also do for others who so sought such blessings and knowledge from heaven.  He said, “God hath not revealed anything to Joseph, but what He will make known unto the Twelve, and even the least Saint may know all things as fast as he is able to bear them” (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church Joseph Smith, 268).  I think Joseph firmly believed that we all could have as great spiritual manifestations and knowledge as he received; he did not claim to be the only one who could commune with God.  As members of the Church who have seen the great fruits of the work of the Prophet Joseph, I think it is generally easy for us to believe that he really saw angels and spoke with God and revealed His word to us.  What’s perhaps much harder for us to believe is that we can also have our own powerful spiritual manifestations.  Can we too have such marvelous spiritual gifts and revelations and visitations?  According to Moroni in order to receive them we must “rend that veil of unbelief which doth cause you to remain in your awful state of wickedness” in order to receive them (Ether 4:15).  We must believe like the brother of Jared and seek the Lord like Joseph so that the Father and Son can indeed “come unto [us], and make [their] abode with [us].”