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Who Was the Angel in Heaven with the Everlasting Gospel that John Saw? #703 · Scripture Central

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  And I saw another Angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the
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  everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the
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  earth and to every nation and kindred and tongue and people.
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  Hello listeners. This is Nick from Scripture
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  Central and today's podcast addresses the question, Did Book
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  of Mormon prophets know about Jesus Christ before his birth?
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  Just over 200 years ago, the Angel Moroni appeared to the
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  young Joseph Smith on the evening of September 21st, 1823.
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  Throughout the night, Moroni instructed Joseph Smith about a
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  record written on gold plates and buried nearby.
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  Joseph Smith would eventually translate this record by the
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  gift and power of God as the Book of Mormon.
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  The visitation of Moroni to Joseph Smith has traditionally
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  been interpreted by Latter Day Saints to be a fulfillment of
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  one of the events that John saw and recorded in the Book of
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  Revelation. According to John, he saw
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  another Angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the
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  everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the
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  earth and to every nation and kindred and tongue and people.
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  This Angel would also come to announce that the hour of his
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  judgment is come, therefore preparing the world for the
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  Lord's second coming. As noted by Duane S Crowther,
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  many aspects of this prophecy connect neatly to the Angel
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  Moroni. As the Angel in Revelation is
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  said to one come bringing the everlasting gospel.
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  Two, he said he would bring the gospel with him, implying that
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  he would come in a time of apostasy. 3 This gospel would be
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  preached throughout the world. Four, He would come before the
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  hour of God's judgment, and five, the angel's message would
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  include the admonition to worship and fear the creator of
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  heaven and earth. As such, although additional
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  fulfillments of this prophecy can be observed, these five
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  points combine to give clear indication that the coming of
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  Moroni on September 21st, 1823 offered one powerful fulfillment
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  of this prophecy in a complete and literal manner.
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  First, just as this Angel had the everlasting gospel to preach
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  to those on the earth, the Lord sent Moroni to Joseph Smith,
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  declaring that I have sent him unto you to reveal the Book of
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  Mormon containing the fullness of my everlasting gospel.
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  The designation of the Book of Mormon as containing the
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  everlasting gospel was apparently made known to Joseph
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  Smith during Moroni's visits throughout the night.
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  As Joseph later reported, he Moroni, said there was a book
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  deposited written upon gold plates.
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  He also said that the fullness of the everlasting gospel was
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  contained in it as delivered by the Savior.
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  That is to say, Moroni's first meeting with Joseph Smith was
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  directly connected to sharing the everlasting gospel, just as
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  the Angel in Revelation was prophesied to do.
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  Second. This announcement came at the
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  end of a long period when precious things had been lost
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  from the gospel and covenants had been taken away through
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  Joseph Smith. The Lord restored His church and
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  His gospel. The Book of Mormon, the
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  everlasting gospel delivered by Moroni, was critical in that
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  process, as important truths regarding the nature of mankind
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  and the plan of salvation were restored to the earth.
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  As such, Joseph Smith could rightly declare take away the
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  Book of Mormon and the revelations and where is our
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  religion? We have none. 1/3 Component to
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  the fulfillment of this prophecy, as noted by Crowther
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  above, is that the gospel would be sent to every nation, and
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  kindred, and tongue, and people. The Book of Mormon came forth to
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  speak to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, and for that
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  reason the Three Witnesses proclaimed their testimony of
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  the Angel and the Book of Mormon plates unto all nations,
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  kindreds, tongues, and people unto whom this work shall come.
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  Latter day. Saints today participate in the
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  fulfillment of this aspect of the prophecy, as implied in a
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  revelation given in November 1831 that uses language from
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  Revelation chapter 14, verses 6 through 7.
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  As Richard D Draper and Michael D Rhodes have noted in this
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  revelation, the Lord broadens the interpretation to include
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  not only Moroni, but also all Church members serving in their
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  callings as missionaries who are taking the teachings of that
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  book and a warning message to all the nations of the earth.
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  4th Many of Moroni's instructions to Joseph Smith
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  involved quoting scriptures from the Old and New Testaments
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  regarding the need to prepare for the Lord's coming.
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  Furthermore, according to Joseph Smith, Moroni informed me of
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  great judgments which were coming upon the earth with great
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  desolations by famine, sword, and pestilence, and that these
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  grievous judgments would come on the earth in this generation.
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  The Book of Mormon likewise contains many injunctions to
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  prepare for the second Coming of the Lord so that we may stand
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  before God. Finally, Moroni's message was
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  ultimately, as John prophesied, directed for us to fear God and
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  give glory to him and worship him that made heaven and earth
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  and the sea and the fountains of waters.
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  Speaking about the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith taught that
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  a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts than any
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  other book. As such, it is a message to
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  point us to Christ so that we might know that Jesus is the
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  Christ, the eternal God, manifesting Himself unto all
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  nations. Such, ultimately, is the reason
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  the gospel has always been shared.
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  Another notable aspect about this Angel as revealed in
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  Doctrine and Covenant, section 133, verse 36 includes how he
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  hath appeared unto some, thus showing that multiple people may
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  have had divine experiences with this Angel prior to 1831.
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  Many early Saints have recorded, meaning an Angel in connection
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  with the plates, such as the Three Witnesses or Mary Whitmer.
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  This Angel is often presumed to be Moroni due to his role as the
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  guardian and revealer, especially of the everlasting
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  gospel contained in the Book of Mormon.
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  And of course, like other prophecies, this prophecy in
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  Revelation chapter 14 could likewise have multiple
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  fulfillments. Joseph Smith, for example,
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  stated that the Lord in the last days would commit the keys to a
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  witness over all people. After quoting Revelation chapter
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  14 verse 6, Joseph Smith then remarked that John saw the Angel
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  having the priesthood who should preach.
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  This has LED John A Perry and Donald W Perry to observe that
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  Moroni certainly had the priesthood, but he did not
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  commit any priesthood keys. That was done by Peter, James,
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  and John, Elijah, Moses, and others, as well as John the
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  Baptist, who restored the Aaronic Priesthood.
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  When John began writing his revelation, he was instructed to
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  write the things which thou hast seen and the things which are,
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  and the things which shall be hereafter.
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  Because of this instruction, it is clear that many of his
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  writings pertain to events that had not yet happened.
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  As he wrote. Naturally, then, His prophecies
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  are especially important to Latter Day Saints and others
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  living in turbulent times. Due to the timing of this
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  angel's appearance, it is especially evident that this
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  Angel pertains to the last days. While never identified by name
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  in the Revelation, clear fulfilments of this prophecy can
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  be found in the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter
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  Day Saints. Heavenly messengers, including
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  Moroni, John the Baptist, Peter, James, and even John the
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  Revelator himself, as well as others, came bringing essential
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  components to the everlasting gospel that was to be preached
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  to the entire world. As this gospel was found within
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  the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, it is
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  important to recognize the importance of this prophecy's
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  fulfillment. Beginning in 1823 / 200 years
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  ago. As the Angel Moroni appeared,
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  serving as the first major fulfillment of this prophecy, he
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  revealed information about the Book of Mormon, which Moroni had
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  himself completed and sealed up, and which now has been
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  translated into over 100 languages and published to
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  people all over the world. Indeed, it is clear that the
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  everlasting gospel is being shared with every nation and
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  kindred and tongue and people, as countless faithful Saints are
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  working to flood the earth with the Book of Mormon.
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  Thank you for listening to this presentation from Scripture
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  Central. For more information, please
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  visit scripturecentral.org.