The Veils Being Dropped

The week leading up to April 3, 1836 had been the most dramatic week for divine manifestations, angelic ministrations, and spiritual gifts in the history of the young church. It’s fair to say that a spiritual outpouring of this magnitude has not occurred since, and such a melding of heaven and earth will not likely occur again until the prophesied gathering at Adam-ondi-Ahman.

Sunday March 27, 1836—the temple is dedicated and during an evening meeting a noise like the sound of rushing wind enters the temple, the Brethren prophesy and speak in tongues and angels fill the temple.

Tuesday March 29, 1836—the Prophet administers the ordinance of the washing of feet to the leading brethren.

Wednesday March 30, 1836—Again the brethren attend to the ordinance of washing the feet and the sacrament followed by another Pentecostal outpouring in which many prophecy, others speak in tongues, angels appear, and some of the brethren see the Savior.

Thursday March 31, 1836—A second Temple Dedication meeting is held for those who could not get in the preceding Sabbath. (See History of the Church, 2:410-432)

Sunday April 3, 1836—Joseph records he “attended meeting in the Lord’s House, and assisted the other Presidents of the Church in seating the congregation, and then became an attentive listener to the preaching from the stand. Thomas B. Marsh and David W. Patten spoke in the forenoon to an attentive audience of about one thousand persons. In the afternoon, I assisted the other Presidents in distributing the Lord’s Supper to the Church, receiving it from the Twelve, whose privilege it was to officiate at the sacred desk this day. After having performed this service to my brethren, I retired to the pulpit, the veils being dropped, and bowed myself, with Oliver Cowdery, in solemn and silent prayer. After rising from prayer, the following vision was opened to both of us…” (History of the Church, 2:434-435)

I retired to the pulpit, the veils being dropped

For those unfamiliar with the Kirtland Temple, perhaps it should be explained that the assembly hall on the main floor had a stand and pulpit on each end of the large room. On one end were places for the presidents of the Melchizedek Priesthood to sit. On the other end were places for the presidents of the Aaronic Priesthood to sit.

There were curtain partitions which could be dropped around a portion of the pulpit on the Melchizedek Priesthood end of the room. These veils would isolate the Prophet and Oliver from other brethren on the stand and from the congregation. It was while these curtains were dropped that Joseph and Oliver saw the vision. The rest of the congregation was kept from seeing the Lord only by the veil dropped behind the Prophet and Oliver as shown in the painting below. The Kirtland Temple did not have a veil like is common in modern temples because the endowment as performed today had not yet been revealed in its fullness.

We saw the Lord (D&C 110:2)

For Joseph Smith to see the resurrected Lord was not a new thing. However, in previous visions, the Prophet never really described what he saw because the Father and the Son were so glorious as to “defy all description” (JS-Hist. 1:17, see also D&C 76:20-24). We should be thankful that in this account, the Prophet describes the indescribable—penned with language as sublime as any prophet of any age.

Here was the Lord, risen, glorified, and exalted. He had gone to his Father. He had received a fulness. He revealed himself as he was in 1836…

There is no doubt that Joseph Smith knew, loved, and worshiped the Lord with all his heart. He knew by seeing and by hearing that God lives and that Jesus is the Christ. His mission was to bear that witness so that we all could understand the truth of it, and understanding, accept and learn to part the veil and come into the presence of the Lord. All of us may know the same truths, by reading, pondering, and asking for the same knowledge. Let us fully realize these potent words:

“Verily, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am.” (D&C 93:1.)

Then, by doing as he says, we may find him and see him and know him as he is. (“What Joseph Smith Teaches Us of Christ,” Ensign, Dec. 1973, 44)