Turn Your Hearts

This week we studied 1 Peter 3:18-19, 1 Peter 4:6, D&C 138:18-20, 27, 57-59

I don't know how other religions interpret it when Peter tells us that Christ went and preached to the spirits in prison but it seems pretty clear to me.  We learn from other scriptures that Christ taught those that were righteous while on earth and that he did not go in to prison.  D&C 138 says:

 18 While this vast multitude waited and conversed, rejoicing in the hour of their ^adeliverance from the chains of death, the Son of God appeared, declaring ^bliberty to the ^ccaptives who had been faithful;

 19 And there he ^apreached to them the everlasting ^bgospel, the doctrine of the ^cresurrection and the redemption of mankind from the ^dfall, and from individual sins on conditions of ^erepentance.

These people were waiting and talking about the day that the chains would be released from them and they could hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and that day finally came.  This happened between the time of Christ's crucifixion and his resurrection.   The next verses tell us that Christ organized his forces to teach in spirit prison.

 30 But behold, from among the righteous, he ^aorganized his forces and appointed ^bmessengers, ^cclothed with power and authority, and ^dcommissioned them to go forth and carry the light of the gospel to them that were in ^edarkness, even to ^fall the spirits of men; and thus was the gospel preached to the dead.

This makes me think that he set up missions just we have on earth.  I have no doubt that everything is being done in an organized fashion and people are being called to serve missions in spirit prison and receive their commission from Jesus Christ.

Then I read a talk by Henry B Eyring that was given in 2005 called "Hearts Bound Together".  He talks about how as a missionary you are so excited when someone accepts the truth and wants to be baptized.  When they accept that truth some of the waiting is over but then they have to wait for someone on earth to do the work.  I have always thought of the person who has converted and how their life changes but I hadn't really considered the missionary.  It must be so hard waiting for those you have worked so hard to help understand the gospel to have to wait to receive the full blessings of the gospel.  

They are both waiting for us to stop making excuses and get the work done and then get to the temple!!