INTERESTING SCRIPTURAL EVIDENCE
There are numerous other scriptures that are only explained with the principle of reincarnation. For the sake of space we shall just highlight a few.
The Doctrine and Covenants quotes some of the words of Jesus while he was with his apostles in the flesh wherein he told them: “For as ye have looked upon the long absence of your spirits from your bodies to be a bondage…” D&C 45:17
The natural question here is when did the twelve apostles ever have their spirits separated from their bodies if that was their first life on the earth? Jesus had to be referring to the space of time between lifetimes in the past lives of the Twelve when their spirits were separated from their bodies.
It is clear that reincarnation was a common belief in the days of Jesus for at one time he asked: “Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some Elias; and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets.” Matt 16:13-14
It is revealing that many of the people thought that Jesus may have been Isaiah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets born again. Jesus said nothing to indicate that anyone was wrong in considering this.
An interesting power was given to the first Elders of the church: “And verily I say unto you, that they who go forth, bearing these tidings unto the inhabitants of the earth, to them is given power to seal both on earth and in heaven, the unbelieving and rebellious; Yea, verily TO SEAL THEM UP UNTO THE DAY WHEN THE WRATH OF GOD SHALL BE POURED OUT UPON THE WICKED without measure.” D&C 1:8-9
This is interesting that the Elders had the power to seal the wicked of 1831 to the fate of suffering the wrath of God on the earth, which wrath would be over 150 years in coming.
How could the wicked of 1831 suffer in the latter-day tribulations if they are not reborn here on the earth to experience them?
Now we understand why eternal life is spoken of as being plural: “This is ETERNAL LIVES – to know the only wise and true God and Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent. I am he. Receive ye, therefore, my law. Broad is the gate, and wide is the way that leadeth to the DEATHS: and many there are that go in thereat.” D&C 132:24-25
Later in this section Joseph receives an interesting promise: “And I command mine handmaid, Emma Smith, to abide and cleave unto my servant Joseph, and to none else. But if she will not abide this commandment she shall be destroyed, saith the Lord; for I am the Lord thy God, and will destroy her if she abide not my law. But if she will not abide this commandment, then shall my servant Joseph do all things for her, even as he hath said; and I will bless him and multiply him and give unto him an HUNDREDFOLD IN THIS WORLD, OF FATHERS AND MOTHERS, BROTHERS AND SISTERS, HOUSES AND LANDS, WIVES AND CHILDREN, AND CROWNS OF ETERNAL LIVES IN THE ETERNAL WORLDS.” D&C 132:54-55
First we see that men will live eternal lives (plural) and others will suffer deaths (plural). Next we are told of an amazing promise made to Joseph Smith that he will be blessed in “this world”, meaning on this earth, with a hundred mothers, fathers, houses, wives, and that he will live in a hundred different lands…How is this possible??? How could he have a hundred different fathers and mothers unless he was born at least a hundred times?
Then after he leaves this world we are told he will have “eternal liveS in the eternal worldS” In other words, when he has finished his missions in this world he will leave this planet and work on even greater tasks on other worlds visible and invisible and attain many crowns.
This is why Jesus is spoken of as having “many crowns” (Rev 19:12). He has has many victorious lifetimes.
Copyright by J J Dewey
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