The Vision of Peter and The Resurrection

I have created this blog as part of my assignments for an BYU-Idaho online religion class that  I am taking  We are studying the second part of the New Testament.

The first part of my post is about the vision of Peter as found in Acts 10:1-27; 11:1-18 The second part is about the Resurrection as found in 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17; D&C 88:96-102; 45:54

The Vision of Peter

An Angel Appeared to Cornelius telling him that his prayers and alms had been heard by God. He then told him to send his men to Joppa and look for Peter. Peter also received a vision while he was praying upon the housetop. He saw “heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth. Wherein were all manner of four footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. (Acts 10:11-13). Peter didn’t understand the meaning of the vision and his first reaction was to tell the Lord that he could not eat something “common or unclean.” But the voice told him “What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.” (Acts 10:15) This was repeated three times, and was necessary so the message could penetrate Peter’s heart. Peter was still debating about the vision when Cornelius’s men came looking for him. When they arrived at Cornelius’s house, he told Peter about the vision he had. Peter then understood the meaning of his vision: the time had come for the Gentiles to receive the gospel and baptism. He understood that the Lord had “clean” these people to receive the blessing of the gospel.   


The Resurrection

We believe in a resurrected Savior. Jesus Christ dies but conquering death rose again. We also have the promise that we can live again.

When the time comes, at the sound of the trump of the Angel of God, the righteous dead will rise from the tombs and among with those faithful children of God who are alive by the second coming of the Lord will meet with Him. In 1 Thessalonians 4:17 (JST footnotes), says that they will caught up together in the clouds to meet Him in the air. D&C 88:97 gives us more details and says that they meet “in the midst of the pillar of heaven.” These righteous Saints will be the first fruits, the participants of the first resurrection. They will have the blessing of descending from the midst of heaven alongside Christ.

A second trump will sound and “and then cometh the redemption of those who are Christ’s at his coming; who have received their part in that prison which is prepared for them, that they might receive the gospel, and be judged according to men in the flesh.”  Sadly, “the spirits of men who are to be judged, and are found under condemnation” (D&C 88:100) will remain in their tombs until after the Millennium has passed.

We don’t know the time of the second coming, and it is not important to know the exact date. What it is important is the way we live faithful to the covenants.