From the time Jesus Christ “gave up the ghost” on the cross to the current day, nearly 2000 earth years have elapsed. As a resurrected being, what has He been doing? Where has He gone? We have glimpses of His post-mortal ministry in the scriptures and the words and writings of the prophets to help us answer these questions.
Like I’ve told you, I’m a spreadsheet guy. The usefulness of a structural grid system has helped me organize long strings of historical events, with the ability to cut-and-paste and move things from row to row and column to column. It’s actually very handy when you’re organizing scripture study notes.
I’m also a BIG fan of “throwing” things down digrammatically in Photoshop. I’m a visual learner and find the digital format of the Adobe apps helpful in creating a “physical/pictorial” image. Modern-day scripture study has become A LOT MORE FUN (enjoyable) with flexible, creative app platforms.
The immediacy of succeeding events following the Savior’s crucifixion cannot be over emphasized. Since the moment our Father’s Plan was accepted by His children, events and circumstances were set in motion to provide the process and pathway by which His children could become perfected like their Heavenly Parents. Billions, maybe even trillions, of spirits have anticipated the completion of the Perfect Atonement.
Until the Savior’s resurrection (aka the First Fruits), ALL of Father’s children would have to wait for their chance to acquire a glorified, resurrected body. Worlds have come and gone (maintaining their spirit world status like ours) without the specific point in time when they would be freed from the bonds of physical (and spiritual) death.
Who knows how long some of our Father in Heaven’s children have waited for the Savior’s resurrection–the final event of the three saving events of the Atonement.
The evolution of this post is going to take a minute to properly format. However, the basic hypothetical idea is:
- The Savior dies on the cross
- His spirit immediately enters the Spirit World–multiverse transferance
- The missionary (gathering of Israel) program to spirits in “prison” is organized
- The Savior leaves the Spirit World as an unembodied spirit
- As a spirit, Jesus Christ appears to Mary Magdalene (and others) prior to ascending to his Father
- He ascends to his Father
- The Father performs the Ordinance of Resurrection on His Only Begotten Son
- The resurrected Christ returns to the earth and appears to the Apostles (and others)
- He then appears to the Nephites in Bountiful at the temple (aka the Other Sheep)
- He explains to the Nephites that He has been commanded by the Father to visit Other “Other Sheep” (yes, two “others”). This group, the Savior explains, have never seen Him (so that rules out the Jews, the Nephites, and the spirits in the Spirit World associated with our earth)
- Some have postulated/hypothesized these “Other, Other Sheep” may be the Lost Tribes, as substantiated by 3 Nephi 17:4
- However, the “Other, Other Sheep” are perhaps not just the Lost Tribes, but, other “off-earth” begotten sons and daughters of God located on other habitable creations (worlds, earths, lands), who are bodied and/or disembodied, and were (or, are) having their mortal and post-physical mortal spirit world experiences, who were also waiting for the resurrection of the Savior like those spirits on our world, as descibed by the Prophet Joseph Smith–we’ll call the “Additional, Other, Other Sheep”
- He is visiting the “Additional, Other, Other Sheep” instituting the preaching of the gospel to the spirits in prison who have not yet accepted the gospel on other worlds (see D&C 138). Afterall, if as the Smithsonian and other notable scientific institutions have extrapolated that there may be billions of other potential life sustaining planets, many within our own Milky Way galaxy, then it stands to reason that the Savior has been on quite a journey, establishing the programs of gathering Israel, within the boundaries of His Father’s Kingdom.
So:
Sheep = Jews
Other Sheep = Lehites
Other Other Sheep = Lost Tribes? (Other Sheep who have not yet seen him)
Additional Other Other Sheep = Off Earth Children of Elohim (perhaps including The City of Enoch, Zion hath fled)
The vastness of this Plan are incomprehensible. (Infinite and Eternal)
Draft diagram.
