I’ve always been curious about the “return and report” methodology. In the temple, it’s obvious there’s a chain of communications — from God the Father to Jehovah to Peter, James, and John to Adam. In fact, I’ve noticed that Adam and Eve pray for messengers from God after being banned from the garden and living in a mortal telestial land. Before that, when they were living the higher law of the terrestrial Garden of Eden, they conversed with Jehovah in person. And now, having fallen to a lower level (this crappy earth we live in now), they do not at first get to be in the presence of Jehovah. And although they pray to the Father, the Father sends Jehovah, who sends his apostles to answer the prayer of Adam and Eve. These apostles are angels in all respects. And they deliver the message.
Go and see if Adam has been true and faithful to his covenants.
I’m not saying that God doesn’t answer your prayers, He does, but he sends His messengers or angels. Angels bring us answers through the Holy Ghost. Our guardian angels are probably the ones who bring us these messages. And our guardian angels are most likely our ancestors or future progeny (according to Spencer in his NDE accounts in Visions of Glory). But sometimes, higher-up angels may be called upon to deliver a message.
Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do. (2 Nephi 32:3)
Nephi is explaining how the doctrine of Christ works — which he outlines as having faith in God, repenting of your wayward ways, and being baptized in the water as a sign to God that you want to keep the Lord’s commandments. And then, at a time, God decides right for you; he will baptize you with fire and the Holy Ghost. And then you can talk with the tongue of angels. This is the first comforter and the way we can communicate with Christ on this earth — through the Holy Ghost, which we receive after our baptism of fire, a singular event that you will not miss.
You can hear the words of Christ via those messenger angels who speak by the power of the Holy Ghost and have recorded their experiences in scripture. Or they may appear to you personally. But we must “feast” on those words they have left us in scripture. And perform many good works of our own volition — all this will lead you to the second comforter, which also will come when God decides is right for you.
After your baptism of fire, angels are the ones who speak to you. The words come from Christ via the power of the Holy Ghost to our angels, who whisper inspiration to our hearts and minds. It is part of the return and report. It’s how we remain in contact with the Lord while in the lone and dreary world. If we do not hear these promptings, we do not understand how the Lord communicates with us — through our angel messengers through the Holy Ghost.
To have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, we must enter into the way and receive the baptism of fire and learn how to access our connection to Christ and hear His voice to each of us individually. This is how He communicates with us. And after we learn to hear His voice through the Holy Ghost, we have our choice to obey it.
… if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do. (2 Nephi 32: 5)
All this must be done before we can come into Christ’s presence, as did the brother of Jared. Nephi explains:
This is the doctrine of Christ, and there will be no more doctrine given until after he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh. And when he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh, the things which he shall say unto you shall ye observe to do. (2 Nephi 32: 6)
Nephi will not share anymore. He is constrained to stop with that information. We must first receive the Holy Ghost through the baptism of fire, be cleansed of our sins, and have access to this chain of communication before we can advance to receiving Christ personally.
And now I, Nephi, cannot say more; the Spirit stoppeth mine utterance, and I am left to mourn because of the unbelief, and the wickedness, and the ignorance, and the stiffneckedness of men; for they will not search knowledge, nor understand great knowledge, when it is given unto them in plainness, even as plain as word can be. (2 Nephi 32: 7)
This is the Doctrine of Christ that will lead us to know our savior.
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel. (2 Nephi 31: 13)
The Doctrine of Christ explained.
(as noted by Avraham Gileadi, in Studies in the Book of Mormon):
1. Feast upon the words of Christ, for they will tell you what to do. (2 Nephi 32:3)
2. If you enter by the way and receive the Holy Ghost through the baptism of fire, it will show you what to do. (2 Nephi 32:5)
3. When Christ manifests himself in the flesh unto you, the things which He shall say unto you shall ye observe to do. ( 2 Nephi 32:6)
If you want to be on this path, you must continually “ask” and “knock” and “pray” every step of the way.
Otherwise, we perish in the dark.
Wherefore, now after I have spoken these words, if ye cannot understand them it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye knock; wherefore, ye are not brought into the light, but must perish in the dark. (2 Nephi 32: 4)
Originally posted 2014, updated 2021
