D&C 76, received February 1832, appears to teach robust deification. The passage reads:
And he makes them equal in power, and in might, and in
dominion. (D&C 76:95)
Here are some commentaries
on this verse:
The vision boldly proclaims that those who become part of
the Church of the Firstborn will receive a fulness of the Savior’s grace and
become His, “equal in power, and in might, and in dominion” (verse 95),
becoming “joint-heirs with Jesus Christ” (Romans 8:17). In an 1844 discourse,
Joseph Smith exhorted the Saints, saying:
You have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves, and to
be Kings and Priests to God . . . heirs of God, and joint heirs with Jesus
Christ. What is it? to inherit the same power, the same glory, and the same
exaltation, until you arrive at the station of a God, and ascend the throne of
eternal power the same as those who have gone before. What did Jesus do? Why I
do the things I saw my Father do, when worlds came rolling into existence. My
Father worked out his kingdom with fear and trembling, and I must do the same,
and when I get my kingdom I shall present it to my Father, so that he may
obtain kingdom upon kingdom, and it will exalt Him in glory. He will then take
a higher exaltation, and I will take his place, and thereby become exalted
myself. (Joseph Smith, in History, 1838-1856, volume E-1 [1 July 1843-30 April
1844], 1971, josephsmithpapers.org) (Casey Paul Griffiths, Scripture Central
Commentary on the Doctrine and Covenants, 4 vols. [Springville, Utah: CFI,
2024], 2:347-48)
Hyrum M. Smith and Janne M.
Sjodahl in their Doctrine and Covenants Commentary:
Those who dwell in the presence of God are faithful
members of the Church of the Firstborn. They are equal. In the celestial world
all the ransomed are equal in authority, in strength, in opportunities, and in
possessions. Is it any wonder, then, that our Lord instituted the United Order,
with equality, in the Church, as a school in which to obtain some understanding
of, and training for, a place in celestial glory? Can anyone, after a life of
selfishness, fill a position in a kingdom where all are equal?
Stephen E. Robinson and H.
Dean Garrett, A Commentary on the Doctrine and Covenants, volume 2:
All the sons and daughters of God who are exalted in the
celestial kingdom are equal with each other and with Christ in receiving all
the power and might and dominion of that kingdom (see D&C 88:107). This is
the celestial principle upon which the law of consecration rests. In order to
establish Zion upon the earth, "every man [must be] equal according to his
family, according to his circumstances and his wants and needs" (D&C
51:381; see also D&C 70:14; 78:5–6; 82:17–19). This celestial principle is
the same in eternity.
This does not necessarily mean that celestial beings will
all be the same or that their situations in eternity will be identical, for
there, as here, one individual's family, wants, needs, and other circumstances
may differ from another's. Consequently, their individual, celestial
stewardships or kingdoms may likewise be different. All will have, however,
equal access to all the corporate resources of the exalted family.
The Lord Jesus Christ also observes the eternal
principles of the law of consecration. His eternal consecration is essentially
himself—his own perfection, his own merits, his own righteousness. In sharing
these, his "earnings," with us, he raises us to his level, thus
making us equal to himself as well as to each other, and making us joint-heirs
with him of all that the Father has (see D&C 88:107; Romans 8:17). In
consecrating ourselves and our resources for the establishment of Zion here in
mortality, we are following the example of Jesus Christ in consecrating himself
and the "earnings" of his infinite atonement for the good of all in
eternity.
In a sermon dated September
10, 1854, Orson Pratt referred to D&C 76:95:
Temporal things are a type of heavenly things, as the
Lord says, in one of the revelations, "All things have their likeness,
both things which are temporal, and things which are spiritual." Does this
order of things—the equality of property—have its likeness? Yes, in the
heavens, and it is typical of that celestial order that we are all praying for,
that we all desire the Lord to bestow upon us. We all feel very anxious to
enter into the fulness of celestial glory, and inherit thrones and dominions,
principalities and powers, and to have kingdoms appointed to us, and to receive
crowns and to sway a sceptre over kingdoms, as wise rulers. If we want to get
there, we must begin here, and learn the order that is to be there. If we
should have a division of property here, as we have had heretofore, and
continue this order of things, as has been for many years back, and never
should begin to practise upon this equality of things which God has ordained in
His law, when we come to enter the courts above, we should be ignoramuses; we
could say, "We read in your law something about it, but the people did not
practise it, they were careless, and did not keep the law." And now we do
not know how to manage this celestial glory, and these kingdoms, and these worlds
placed under our charge; for we are to give an account, not only in time, but
in eternity, of our stewardship; consequently we must improve upon the true
order of things here, which is typical of that which is hereafter; and if we
learn the lessons here, everything there will be plain before us, and we will
be able to enter into the very things we have been practising years before.
There will be an inequality, no doubt, in some respects in the eternal worlds,
in proportion to the eternal things that will be intrusted to the servants, as
in temporal things; but there will be a perfect equality in another respect;
the revelation says, "He maketh them equal in might, and in power, and in
dominions."
Did you ever think of that? It is only in one respect.
Each one will be made joint heir of all things in heaven, and upon earth. What
more can a person want, if he is made a joint heir of all things; and one
revelation says, he that is a faithful and wise steward in time shall inherit
all things; consequently they are equal in dominion, and in power, and in
might, as the vision states. This don't say that each one shall actually
control, and govern, and manage all things; that is a very different thing; just
as it is here in temporal things, though each person may be considered as the
inheritor of all the properties of the Church; yet when he comes to the
management of property, he has only a share; so in heavenly things, a person
may have the management of only one world, or of two, or of three, or of as
many as there are particles of dust that compose our globe, yet, after all,
each can proclaim himself as the inheritor of all things, being a joint heir of
the grand universal inheritance.
There is no division of celestial glory, imparting to
each one an equality of dominion, and
might, and power; it is not to be divided, but there is an equality in the
union of all these things. That is what we want to get at here; we want to
learn the alphabet of it here, and advance to the a, be, abbs, and get over
into two syllables, and keep on until we understand all about the celestial
order by practise in this world, and then we will learn the laws that are to
govern the different individuals that control and manage certain portions of
the great joint stock inheritance; we will learn the laws that are to rule and
govern between man and man; and we will act be ignorant of it when we go into
the next world, we will find there that one kingdom will not have the right to
encroach upon the royalty of another and take away its right, but each one will
be governed by true and holy laws. Upon this principle, and this only, can we
understand those revelations which so often speak of the principles of equality
in the eternal worlds. Equality of dominion we cannot understand, by supposing
each person that comes into the celestial glory is going to have the same
number of worlds, and of kingdoms, and thrones set off to him that those have
who have been in the celestial glory millions of ages—that he is going to have
the same number of principalities and powers, and servants or angels to wait
upon him to carry out his commands. An equality of dominion is that that I have
already explained, each one inheriting all things, according to the laws God
has ordained for celestial beings, but not directly or personally controlling
only that which is placed under his management. Orson Pratt, “Consecration,”
September 10, 1854, Journal of Discourses, 26 vols. [Liverpool: F.D.
Richards, 1855], 2:102-3)
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