This talk was given by Brother Berger on December 28, 2024. While it was given in Portuguese, an english transcription was given in the video. This discourse has not been made accessible online in english, so I watched it all and transcribed it. I made a couple light editorial changes to help readability, including organizing it into sections and sub-sections.
While I am intrigued by his exploration of the doctrine of Multiple Mortal Probations, I do not believe many of what he claims, including that he is the reincarnated Joseph Smith Jr. Therefore, I want to make it clear that my posting this is not a direct and/or blanket endorsement.
1. Introduction and Purpose
Since the beginning of my prophetic ministry, there have been few occasions when I have addressed the topic, I intend to discuss this morning. Today, however, I feel that I must do so with all possible clarity. To this end, I will use only my voice, without resorting to video or images, whose gestures or other movements could distract the listeners. This choice is also intended to facilitate understanding by our foreign brothers and sisters, allowing the English subtitles to be fully visible and accessible to all. My goal is to ensure that the message is received clearly, directly, and without distractions.
My subject deals with the prophecies that point to a time when, in the last days, the restored Church would again be in apostasy, and that during that period there would occur a kind of resurrection – a return both of Joseph Smith and of the early Elders of the restoration for the purpose of setting in order the House of God and rescuing His Church from obscurity and darkness.
2. Historical Context and Etymology
I am not referring, however, to the concept of resurrection that is frequently propagated in the meanders of Christianity, whose dogmas were reformulated after the Council of Constantinople in 553 AD. At that time, the Catholic church condemned as heresy the idea of the preexistence of spirits, that is, the notion that souls existed in stages prior to the current life of a human being on Earth. This condemnation resulted in the exclusion of this perspective from the eschatological dogmas not only of Catholicism, but also of the other Christian traditions that originated from it.
This obscured the correct understanding of the resurrection, which had permeated the traditions and beliefs of the Jewish people since ancient times. For them, the process of resurrection was closely linked to the experience of multiple lives, in which the spirit underwent successive improvements. According to this view, over countless existences, humanity would gradually and continuously accumulate knowledge and virtues until, at the end of time, they reached the condition required by Jesus: “to be perfect, just as the Heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48) through a full and definitive resurrection after the coming of the Messiah at the end of the Fullness of Times.
3. Scriptural Support
3.1. Elijah and John the Baptist
This perspective clearly resonates in the teachings of Jesus himself, as when he revealed that Elias had returned in the figure of John the Baptist, suggesting the possibility of a return of the spirit of someone who had already experienced death through a new birth.
This concept becomes clear to any reader who carefully examines the texts of the traditional Bible, in which Jesus indicates in several passages of the Gospels that John the Baptist was, in fact, the prophet Elias. This interpretation finds even more support in the Inspired Version of the Bible translated by Joseph Smith – with regard to the event that took place on the Mount of Transfiguration, the text of Mark 9:3 says: “And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses, or in other words, John the Baptist and Moses; and they were talking with Jesus.”
In this inspired translation by Joseph Smith, it is stated simply but unequivocally that Elijah, who was present at the Transfiguration with Moses, was “ALSO” John the Baptist. How can this claim be plausible? The answer only becomes clear if we allow ourselves to understand that the spirit of Elijah was actually reborn in the meridian of times, manifesting now, under the persona of John the Baptist. This text alone shows that Joseph Smith not only understood that there is more than one existence of our spirit on this planet, since its translation and authorship leave no room for conjecture – but he also understood that these two characters, Elijah and John the Baptist, although separated by different times and by the lineage of their parents, both shared in their respective physical bodies the same spirit. This allows for a single spirit, in two or more stages of mortal existences – to evolve from “time to time” in the knowledge of Christ, for this is the purpose of “eternal lives” as described in Doctrine and Covenants 132:24, which says: “This is ‘eternal lives’ – to know the only wise and true God, and Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent.”
It is for this reason that Joseph Smith, in discussing the “Doctrine of Translation”, draws on the Apostle Paul’s reference, thus providing a firm basis for understanding the multistage resurrection. Quoting Hebrews 11:35, where Paul states that some “obtained a better resurrection,” Joseph Smith points out that “it was evident that there was a better resurrection, for otherwise God would not have revealed it to Paul.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith – p. 170-171)
In speaking these words, Joseph Smith not only expands our understanding of the resurrection but also frames it as a continual process of perfectioning, a progressive journey of eternal experiences toward a “better resurrection.”
Furthermore, Paul’s view of the resurrection occurring in stages of existence in this world is supported by his First Epistle to the Corinthians, chapter 15, verse 19, which states: “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.”
3.2. Jesus Teaches Nicodemus about being “Born Again”
It is precisely this concept that Jesus teaches Nicodemus in the dialogue recorded in the Gospel of John 3:3-4, where he states: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” The immediate reaction of Nicodemus, a learned teacher and deeply versed in the Law of Moses, when he asked: “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?” reveals that he interpreted Jesus’ statement literally, associating it with a new physical birth, like that of a baby in the mother’s womb.
This is an important key of knowledge that I am imparting to the people of this generation. For although Joseph Smith once stated that being “born again” referred to baptism – replicating a belief that reflected the prevailing understanding in Christian circles at the time as it does today – it is important to consider that he could not have revealed what I am making clear to you in this discourse, since the time for a full understanding of this doctrine had not yet come.
A closer look at Jesus’ words reveals that He was not, in fact, referring to baptism as a synonym for being born again. While there is no error in using this passage as a metaphor for baptism – so much so that Joseph Smith himself quoted it in that sense – it is important to note, however, that in this specific context, Jesus does not mention the term “baptism.” If He were referring directly to this practice, it would be natural for Him to cite a clear and objective reference, as was His custom when teaching such fundamental and accessible doctrines as this one.
However, the expression “born of water,” which is the central point to the dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus, had a well-known meaning in the meridian of time. It was often associated with physical birth, a reference to the moment when the placenta ruptures and the baby is expelled from the mother’s womb, accompanied by the amniotic fluid. Hence the expression “born of water.” This understanding explains the reaction of Nicodemus, who, although he was a teacher of the law, with great perplexity, asks: “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?”
In turn, “birth of the spirit,” as explained by Jesus in (John chapter 3) verse 8 is illustrated by the analogy of the wind. Just like the wind – invisible and unpredictable – the spirit that is commanded to be reborn in this world follows an uncertain and unknown path. Jesus states, “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”
This teaching not only emphasizes the mysterious and transcendent character of the spiritual origin of each being, but also reveals the unpredictability of their destiny.
3.3. The Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Joseph Smith, and Mauricio Berger
As revealed by God to me, Mauricio Berger, in Article 24:1 of the Revelations of this Second Invitation which, says: “No man knows his end or his place of stay in this abode for how much he awaits it; these things have not been revealed, are not, and will not be revealed to man, nor who was and who will be, with whom he was, or with whom he should be, or will be, except to those who are made partakers of him, who are raised up in the resurrections of the righteous.”
To confirm this idea, Jesus clearly states in (John chapter 3) verse 13, “no man hath ascended up to heaven” thus clarifying to His listeners that after death, souls are not immediately transported to God in heaven, as many believed – and as some still believe to this day.
In subsequent verses, Jesus reveals the core of this doctrine when He declares: (verses 14-15) “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”
With these words, Jesus reinforces the view that death is not the end, since, as He Himself states, no man has ascended to Heaven, whose conquest is a process of progression throughout the ages. Death, therefore, is nothing more than a transitional stage within a larger and continuous cycle of repentance – the Eternal Round.
In such a cycle, our true spiritual journey, as described in the Book of Mormon text of Alma 42:13, unfolds through “a plan of redemption” that “could not be brought about, only on conditions of repentance of men in this probationary state.” In other words, this plan cannot be accomplished outside of the physical world, inn a spiritual state after earth life – which is why it is necessary to be “born again” over and over again until one reaches the degree of repentance required by God’s mercy, which is manifested through the full knowledge gained throughout the ages of His Son, Jesus Christ, as stated in the text of Alma, which says: “Yea, [only] in this preparatory state; for except inn this condition [in the flesh], mercy could have no effect.”
This is fully in harmony with Doctrine and Covenants 132:24-25 which contain the key to understanding this knowledge. In verse 22, for example, it is mentioned that the path that leads to exaltation involves “a continuation of the lives” – in the plural. This expression clearly suggests that exaltation is a process that requires individuals to pass through a series of mortal existences, a sequence that encompasses several lives, until they reach the degree of perfection required by Jesus in the text of Matthew 5:48.
In Doctrine and Covenants 132:24, we find the term “eternal lives” – also in the plural, whose context points not only to a single experience of eternity after this existence, as erroneously claimed by the dogmas of Christianity, whose spirits of the righteous who have died are in heaven awaiting the call of Christ to be resurrected on the last day and the wicked imprisoned in hell to be judged at the end of the age, but rather to a succession of lives throughout an indeterminate period of plural trials, with which our spirit will know from “time to time, line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, and there a little” about the everlasting gospel until we attain the fullness of the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ, whom he has sent us. Only when such profound knowledge is attained will souls be adequately prepared for their exaltation to the higher heavens.
This harmonizes perfectly with the doctrine of baptism for the dead taught by Joseph Smith in the early days of the Restoration, which makes no sense at all apart from the doctrine described in Alma 42:13, which I have just quoted, which “cannot be accomplished but upon the repentance of men in this probationary state.” Whose plan of redemption cannot be accomplished outside the physical world, in a spiritual state after the earth life, but only in this preparatory state; for except in these conditions in the flesh, mercy would have no effect.
Which is why Joseph Smith taught: “… the salvation of Jesus Christ was wrought out for all men, in order to triumph over the devil; for if it did not catch him in one place, it would in another; for he stood up as a Savior. All will suffer until they obey Christ himself.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith – page 357)
This is why the Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15:29, says: “Else what shall they do which are baptized for the Dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?”
4. Eschatology
4.1. Christ’s Preaching to Spirits in Prison and the Necessity of Baptism for the Dead
But why baptism, considering that these individuals are not only dead, but also imprisoned in spiritual prisons? Just read Jesus’ parable about the rich man and Lazarus to understand that, after death, their spirits were led to different destinations. While Lazarus enjoyed peace and mental balance in the midst of a spiritual paradise, the rich man found himself on the other side of an impassable abyss that separated them, in a place that the Scriptures call Hell, or Hades.
The reason 1 Peter 3:19 states that Jesus “went and preached unto the spirits in prison” is directly related to his redemptive mission and fulfillment of prophecies concerning His victory over death and sin. During the three days that His body was in the tomb, His soul descended into the world of the dead, where, as described inn Revelation 1:18, He took possession of the keys of Hades and the Abyss. These keys symbolize authority and absolute power over the prison that imprisons them. With this authority, Jesus opened the doors of spiritual prisons, allowing missionaries from the spiritual paradise to enter their thresholds to preach the gospel to the spirits in prison.
However, a pertinent question arises: if the prison doors have been opened, why don’t the dead who are in spiritual chains use the same doors to escape directly to paradise? The answer lies in the spiritual principle of purity and balance. As Revelation 21:27 teaches, “nothing unclean shall enter” the Kingdom of God. In this context, “an unclean thing” does not refer only to physical impurity but symbolizes the mental and spiritual state of imprisoned spirits. Disturbed, tormented, and disordered minds do not have the balance and purity necessary to enter paradise, which is the entrance hall to the Kingdom of Heaven. Thus opening the doors does not guarantee automatic liberation. Access to paradise requires an inner transformation. These spirits need to purify their minds, repent of their transgressions, and accept the gospel preached by the missionaries of paradise. Liberation from Hades does not come about simply by having an open door, but by overcoming the spiritual and mental weakness that imprison them. It is necessary that each spirit establish a state of purity, balance, and good conscience before God, so that they can cross the threshold of paradise and enjoy the peace and light that reign there.
4.2. Endless Torment and the State of Paradise
Regarding the condition and state of souls who are cast into this spirit prison, the Prophet Joseph Smith taught: “A man is his own tormentor and his own condemner. Hence the saying, ‘They shall go into the lake that burns with fire brimstone.’ The torment of disappointment in the mind of man is as exquisite as a lake of fire and burning whit fire and brimstone.” (Teaching of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 357)
Based on this teaching of the prophet Joseph, I affirm that this is precisely the state in which men imprisoned in the spiritual prison find themselves. They are consumed, day and night, by the incessant torment of their own consciences, which relentlessly accuse them of iniquities, rebellions, disobediences, and even of refusing to know the gospel of Christ while alive in the flesh. Each one experiences torment according to the level of his transgressions. It is a deep and constant suffering, similar to a fire that never goes out, for the conscience brings to the surface, vividly and repeatedly, the memories of the unworthy actions committed throughout the ages. These torments are called “eternal, or endless” not because of their infinite duration, but because of the crushing intensity with which the memory of “multiple lives” accumulates upon the consciousness, burdening the spirit with the weight of its wrong choices throughout its mortal existences.
Based on this knowledge that clarifies that the lake of fire amd brimstone described in the scriptures refers to endless mental torments, as mentioned in Mosiah, chapter 3, verse 27, I now want to reveal to you that the blessings of paradise, unlike hell, provide each one who inhabits it with a state of tranquility and mental balance like never seen before in the world of humanity. This state of peace allows the righteous who find themselves in this condition to reflect on the correct choices made in their past lives, which guaranteed them the right and privilege of being in spiritual paradise instead of hell.
Furthermore, during this period of rest from earthly tribulations, so to speak, such spirits can, with knowledge of their mistakes and successes in past lives, plan how to improve their conduct in the flesh in relation to the world to come, when they are reborn in the next resurrection in the world of humanity.
4.3. Spiritual Hell, Rebellion, and the Path of Redemption
Now, however, as I address those who still live in the flesh, it is imperative to reflect on the reality of a spiritual hell inhabited by wicked, rebellious, and disobedient spirits since the days of Noah, as recorded in 1 Peter 3:19-20. These spirits are in spiritual prisons, a state of torment that is not limited to them but also includes those who, according to Doctrine and Covenants 128:5, despite having the opportunity to know the Savior in the world, refused the message of truth and thus “died without a knowledge of the gospel.” In addition to these, the biblical text of Revelation 21:8 also mentions those who are destined for this condition, describing them as those who, because of their works in the flesh, remain in a sphere of suffering commensurate with the gravity of their transgressions. This truth is reaffirmed in Section 128 of the Doctrine and Covenants, verse 7, where we learn that they were all “judged according to their works.”
1 Peter 3:20-21 clarifies that the only way of salvation for these spirits is the “water of baptism,” but not in the sense of removing their physical impurities, but rather as a profound renewal of their spiritual consciousness. This purification does not occur instantly, because the weakness of the flesh that they cultivated while alive accompany these spirits after they are freed from spiritual prisons, and now in paradise, they remain in a state of learning and repentance. In order for them to be redeemed from such weaknesses, they must return to the flesh, in this probationary stage, where they will have the opportunity to demonstrate fruits worthy of that repentance.
The redemptive power of vicarious baptism, therefore, manifests itself in a special way in these spirits, but this is only possible for those who, upon hearing the gospel preached by missionaries sent to Hades, open their hearts and accept the message of salvation. It is in this context that the passage in 1 Peter chapter 3 verse 21 is fulfilled, which states that baptism is not a mere removal of impurities of the flesh, but an “inquiry of a good conscience toward God.” This good conscience refers to a renewed state of spirit, a mind that is no longer tormented by the winepress of fire and sulfur – symbols of the eternal torment, which are, remorse and mental confusion that afflict those spirits while imprisoned in this spiritual prison. By accepting the gospel and allowing the power of vicarious baptism to act upon them, enables them to begin a process of gradual liberation.
The mental torment, resulting from a guilty conscience and the recognition of their transgressions, begins to be alleviated by the state of bliss enjoyed in paradise, which provides them with peace of mind and mental balance to rethink the torments suffered as a result of their mistakes in past lives, and with this, plan how to improve their conduct in the flesh in relation to the world to come, when then, they will again have the opportunity to be reborn in the next resurrection in the world of humanity.
Only in this process, though vicarious work, is Divine mercy revealed, for God does not forsake even those who rejected the knowledge of His word while in the flesh. Thus, baptism for the dead becomes a Divine instrument of redemption, enabling these spirits to advance on the path of repentance, progress spiritually, and eventually reach a condition of peace and light – except only those spirits who, after having rejected the Holy Spirit of God, denied Him, and who also rejected the Only Begotten Son of the Father.
4.4. Sons of Perdition and Denying the Holy Spirit
Regarding these, Doctrine and Covenants 76:34-39 states categorically: “there is no forgiveness in this world nor in the world to come … These are they who shall go away into the lake of fire and brimstone, with the devil and his angels … the only ones who shall not be redeemed in the due time of the Lord, after the sufferings of his wrath [while imprisoned in hell]. For all the rest shall be brought forth by the resurrection of the dead”. This statement reveals the gravity of such a transgression, showing that these individuals, by rejecting the full light and knowledge they once possessed after receiving the Gift of the Holy Spirit, have closed the doors of redemption to themselves. This condition is often associated with the so-called “unpardonable sin,” a state of irreversible condemnation, for by denying the Spirit and the Savior, they become sons of perdition, completely cut off from the light of Christ and the reach of His atonement.
Don’t think, however, that denying the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ is something openly exposed or widely propagated. Rather, it involves a subtle and often imperceptible process that rarely occurs abruptly or openly. More often than not, such people remain attached to the name of Christ or to fragments of restored truth, now mixed with human philosophies and precepts. And so, almost unconsciously, they allow small compromises that they believe are adding more knowledge to their faith, and acting like this, they make choices that, although seemingly harmless, deviate them from the covenants they have made with God through the authority of the priesthood of His Son, Jesus Christ. This gradual distancing from submission to priesthood authority, although discreet at first, results in a practical denial of the spirit and of Jesus Christ. It is not an outright rejection, but a rupture that manifests itself in the actions and choices of no longer accepting hierarchical submission from the flock of God and His under shepherds, who are His prophets and other church authorities. This position invalidates the covenants made with God and distances the person, increasingly, from the Divine principles that were previously known and embraced by him or her and therefore is nothing more than a denial.
4.5. Vicarious Baptism and Rebirth Into Future Worlds
Thus, vicarious baptism not only symbolizes but effectively concretizes the liberation of spirits in prison, enabling them to enter the threshold of spiritual paradise. Once there, they can experience a condition of peace and light that they have never before attained, beginning a journey of preparation for a rebirth in the world to come.
In this probationary period, once again in the flesh, they will have the opportunity to obtain knowledge of God and His Son, Jesus Christ, and through the repentance demonstrated in their works in the world of humanity, they will be able to advance in an eternal progression, seeking the exaltation of their spirits.
This cycle of repentance, renewal, and perfection not only reinforces the Divine justice described in the text of Alma 41:2-4 and 14-15, but also reveals the infinite mercy of God, who extends salvation even to those who initially refused to receive His gospel. That is why Baptism for the Dead is essential and vital for the deliverance and perfecting of our dead as described in D&C 128:15, 22. But since they cannot be perfected in a spiritual state, but only in this probationary state in the flesh, they need to be delivered so that after their consciences are clear in the spiritual paradise, they can return to the world of mankind, “that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit”, as described in 1 Peter 4:6.
And how would this be possible if there were no return? Finally, in Doctrine and Covenants 132:25 we read that those who reject Christ in this life remain on a path that leads “to the deaths” – also in the plural. This implies that by rejecting Christ’s invitation in this and other existences, the individual remains trapped in a cycle of successive deaths, passing through multiple experiences of mortality and plural probations over several lifetimes until he or she finally comes to know and accept his or her Redeemer.
5. Multiple Mortalities and the Eternal Round
5.1. Scriptural Examples of Return and the Eternal Round
This is in perfect harmony with what is recorded in 2nd Nephi 6:8-11 in the Book of Mormon. Verse 8 states that the inhabitants of Jerusalem, when the Babylonians carried away the children of Israel captive (approximately 559-545 B.C.), “HAVE BEEN SLAIN”. However, verse 9 reveals that “THEY SHOULD RETURN AGAIN,” that is, there would be a future return “WHEN THE LORD GOD, THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL, SHALL MANIFEST HIMSELF UNTO THEM IN THE FLESH”, implying that some 550 years AFTER THEIR DEATHS, they would return to physical life again in the world of mankind. How else could this matter be explained except by the Doctrine of Return, set in an Eternal Round? Verse 10 makes it clear that they would be the ones who would “scourge and crucify their Redeemer, after they had hardened their hearts and their necks against the Holy One of Israel.” Verse 11 describes the future suffering of these same individuals: “after they had been driven to and fro [in the Eternal Round, obviously],” and the text continues saying, “many would be afflicted in the flesh [in this probationary state] and would not be allowed to perish, but would be scattered, smitten, and hated,” so that when they finally come to know their Redeemer, they would be gathered again to the lands of their inheritance. This passage, therefore, outlines a process of redemption that involves suffering, scattering, and eventually returning to life over and over again, until these individuals obtain, in the flesh, the “knowledge of their Redeemer.”
In other words, human beings can only attain an exalted, immortal, and glorified condition in the Kingdom of Heaven through lives and deaths, passing through several plural trials in this world, until we come to “know in their fullness the only wise and true God, and Jesus Christ, whom He hath sent.” Only then will we be granted a definitive resurrection in the final part of the days.
In fact, this is precisely what Alma 11:42-45 focuses on, reflecting the final promise of resurrection. As Alma concludes his consideration of the day when “the spirit and body shall ‘be reunited again in its perfect form,’” he closes with the words of verse 45, which say: “this mortal body is raised to an immortal body… and their spirits uniting with their bodies ‘never to be divided.’”
Evidently, these words, “so as to be never to be divided,” concisely indicate that until this body is finally reunited in the final resurrection – which will occur only after the coming of Christ at the closing part of the Fullness of Times – we are continually undergoing various mortalities, in which our fleshly bodies are separated from our spirit bodies throughout the ages. Only in the millennium, then, will “this mortal body be raised into an immortal body, so as not to be divided anymore.”
5.2. Return of Early Elders and the Second Invitation
This theme of Multiple Mortalities, then, as taught by Joseph Smith and early Church leaders in the 19th century, raises a number of issues that remain vital to this day. Chief among them is the concept of the return of the early Elders of the Restoration in a Second Invitation – an idea suggested by scriptures revealed to Joseph, which indicate that the early Elders, those who had lived with him in the 19th century, would, after their deaths, return in a future existence to fulfill their assignments in a “world to come.”
The kabbalistic concept of the “world to come” aligns inn complex ways with the revelation found in Doctrine and Covenants 90:3, which postulates the possibility of Joseph’s return – this concept, which originated in a mystical tradition of Judaism of which Joseph Smith was familiar and adept speaks in clearer terms of the idea of a spirit returning to earth in a new life for the Divine purpose of completing a mission or fulfilling a purpose that is still pending.
This concept is first revealed in Doctrine and Covenants 1:24-30, where God’s revelation to His prophet culminates in the powerful declaration: “yea, even my servant Joseph Smith Jr., … and also those to whom these commandments were given, might have power to lay the foundation of this church, and to bring it forth out of obscurity and out of darkness…” Here it is evident that the revelation not only gives Divine authority to the Prophet Joseph Smith and the early Elders to fulfill their initial role in founding the Church, but also reveals a Divine plan that extends beyond its establishment in the 19th century, the knowledge of which they gained – “from time to time” – would not only be for “lay[ing] the foundation of this church,” but also for the times to come when apostasy would set in on the outskirts of the Restoration. When the “man of sin,” as described in the scriptures, would sit in the temple of God and deception would spread throughout the world, just as Joseph Smith predicted in the text of 2nd Thessalonians 2, in his Inspired Version of the Bible, then these same Elders, now endowed with wisdom and authority, would return in a second moment, in what he calls the Second Invitation, together with the prophet Joseph to “rescue the Church from obscurity and darkness.”
The return of the early Elders, therefore, is inevitably and inextricably intertwined with the doctrine of Multiple Mortalities as taught by Joseph Smith in the early days of the Restoration, a doctrine that must surely have been the subject of profound teaching by the Prophet so that the original Elders would be fully aware of their role in the ages to come.
5.3. The “Eternal Circle” and Support in Scripture
This return of faithful servants, as you can see, is not merely a speculation of Mauricio Berger, but a fundamental aspect of the great work of the Restoration of the gospel, which the Scriptures say would extend over several generations in the dispensation of the Fulness of Times. This return also resonates with the idea of the reintroduction of the early laborers into the Lord’s vineyard, as described in detail in Doctrine and Covenants 88:69-84. In this revelation, the Lord, in His infinite wisdom, makes a grand and final promise to “the first laborers in this last kingdom,” as seen in verse 80, where He declares with Divine authority: “that ye may be prepared in all things when I shall send you again to magnify the calling whereunto I have called you, and the mission with which I have commissioned you.”
The doctrine of the “Eternal Circle,” therefore, although widely accepted and transmitted by the Elders of the Second Invitation, should not be reduced to a simple eschatologicacl speculation proposed by Mauricio Berger, nor should it be dissociated from the expression “Multiple Mortalities,” often associated with the first Elders of the Restoration. On the contrary, it is essential to recognize that the term used today by the Elders of the Second Invitation is also cited in some of the teachings of Joseph Smith, pointing to a deeper and more comprehensive concept of eternity and the cyclical nature of our existences in an “Eternal Round.” This term used, both by Joseph Smith in the 19th century and now by Nauricio Berger in the 21st century, goes beyond personal conjecture, since it finds support in the scriptures, as cited in D&C 3:1-2, giving this doctrine a theological dimension that goes beyond the limitations of a mere speculative idea. Thus, the doctrine of the “Eternal Round” must be understood not only as an enigmatic proposal taught by the prophet of the restoration to some Elders in the past and which now gains strength in the Second Invitation, but as an essential key to understanding the plan of redemption, as revealed by Joseph Smith and reiterated by Mauricio Berger to the “first laborers in this last kingdom”.
5.4. Joseph Smith’s April 7th, 1844 Discourse and “Eternal Round”
An example of this is found in Joseph Smith’s discourse given on April 7th, 1844, inn which the Prophet, after asking the Saints for their “deep attention,” explained that he would speak about the dead, addressing the doctrine of the eternity of our spirits when he said: “I take my ring from my finger and liken it unto the mind of man – the immortal part, because it has no beginning. Suppose you cut it in two; then it has a beginning and an end; but join it again, and it continues one ETERNAL ROUND. So with the spirit of man.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, page 354, paragraph 1)
In this context, the prophet Joseph illustrates by the cutting of the ring the separation of the spirit from the body that occurs at death. The words of the prophet Alma, recorded in Alma 11:45, describe this temporary separation in which spirit and body are divided until, through a final and definitive resurrection, spirit and body are reunited in their perfect form, when this mortal body is raised into an immortal body, “and the spirit shall be joined to the body ‘that they may be divided no more.’” Furthermore, he points out: “Intelligence is eternal and exists upon a self-existent principle. It is a spirit from AGE TO AGE…” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, page 354, paragraph 2)
The central idea of this doctrine revealed by Joseph in the early days of the Restoration is that the human spirit, although separated from the body at certain times through physical death, continues to exist in a spirit world. Nevertheless, as taught by Alma in the Book of Mormon, it can only repent or show fruits of repentance in this probationary state in physical existence in the flesh, and therefore can only evolve when the body and spirit are reunited against through a first, second, and consecutive intermediate resurrections before that final RESURRECTION that will occur only after the coming of Christ, whose cycle of his exaltation, if sealed by the eternal bonds of a celestial marriage, both companions will rise together throughout their existences in worlds to come, as described in Doctrine and Covenants section 132:19, which says: “and again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife by my word, which is my law, and by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise, by him who is anointed, unto whom I have appointed this power and the keys of this priesthood; and it shall be said unto them – Ye shall come forth in the first resurrection; and if it be after the first resurrection, in the next resurrection…”
5.5. Multiple Resurrections and Joseph Smith’s Continued Mission
With this understanding, Brigham Young, on October 9th, 1859, made the following statement in one of his discourses, followed by a question of utmost importance in this context, he said: “If there is a first Resurrection, there is a second. And if there is a second, may there not be a third, and a fourth, and so on?”
In full accord with this doctrine, Joseph Smith also expressed a deep confidence in the continuation of his eternal mission in a world to come, in a future predetermined by God among the children of men. before his martyrdom at Carthage, he declared with great conviction in his last discourse to the Nauvoo Legion, in which he had stated that he was going as a lamb to the slaughter, but that he had also said: “This ‘I will promise’ to you, ‘THAT WHEN I COME AGAIN TO LEAD YOU FORTH, FOR I WILL’ to prepare a place for you, so that where I am you shall be with me.” This promise by Joseph himself that after death he would yet return to guide his people does not seem to be limited to some theory he may have created, but seems to be part of his fullest personal conviction and belief that his mission would transcend a single physical existence on earth, extending throughout the entire period – from the beginning to the end of the fulness of times, as revealed to him by God in Doctrine and Covenants 90:3, which says: “Verily I say unto you, the keys of this kingdom shall never be taken from you, while thou art in the world, neither in the world to come.”
6. The Introduction, Teaching, and Partial Loss of the Doctrine
6.1. Motives for Revealing and Teaching This Doctrine
However, as sincere disciples of Jesus Christ and committed followers of the Prophet Joseph, it is essential that we ask ourselves: what was the motive that led Joseph Smith, the prophet called by God to restore the lost truths of his gospel, to introduce this doctrine at a crucial moment when he was committed to restoring Christianity in its purity, fullness, and authenticity?
This would only be permitted by God if such a doctrine was an integral part of the Restoration. Furthermore, it is equally important to try to understand why prominent church leaders such as Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, and Parley P. Pratt taught clearly and explicitly after his martyrdom that Joseph Smith would return to earth to continue his work in the flesh?
For example, on October 9th, 1859, after a clear discourse on the return in multiple mortal existences, Brigham Young stated: “I am now going to tell you something that should comfort every man and woman on the face of the earth. JOSEPH SMITH, JUNIOR, WILL AGAIN BE ON THIS EARTH DICTATING PLANS and calling forth his brethren to be baptized for the very characters who wish this was not so…”
Parley P. Pratt, for his part, was on a mission when news of Joseph’s death reached him. Concerned about the future of the church, he prayed about it and commented: “Suddenly the Spirit of God came upon me and said, ‘Lift up your head and rejoice; for behold! It is well with my servants Joseph and Hyrum. My servant Joseph still holds the keys of my kingdom in this dispensation, and HE SHALL STAND IN DUE TIME ON THE EARTH, IN THE FLESH, and fulfill that to which he is appointed.”
Regarding the quote from Heber C. Kimball, taken from his address given in May 1868, entitled “An Army of Elders”, he states: “Then THE PROPHET JOSEPH AND OTHERS WILL MAKE THEIR APPEARANCE and those who have remained faithful will be selected to return to Jackson County, Missouri and take part in the building of that beautiful city, the New Jerusalem.”
Some argue that beyond these records by Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, and Parley P. Pratt in contemporary newspapers, there are not many other official Church documents on the subject, attesting that Joseph would have taught this doctrine secretly only to a select group of people, without greater relevance to the present times.
6.2. Private Teachings and Temple Parallels
However, even if one accepts the hypothesis that Joseph Smith taught this doctrine privately, intended for a select group of Church members, this circumstance does not diminish its relevance or theological value, nor does it justify its exclusion or classification as irrelevant to current knowledge. The fact that a teaching was transmitted in a restricted or confidential manner does not automatically imply that it is irrelevant or dispensable.
A clear example of this is the doctrines and ordinances of the temple. Joseph Smith did not openly present them to the general public, but rather, some contemporary accounts suggest, he revealed them privately to the apostles and a few faithful members to receive them. Today, these ordinances, whether revealed by Joseph or not, have profound meaning and relevance to Latter-day Saints in Utah. Likewise, the confidential nature of certain teachings does not disqualify them, but may, on the contrary, indicate an intent to preserve profound spiritual truths, intended to be revealed and understood only at the appropriate time or by those who are properly prepared.
This practice is not new in the biblical and theological context. Jesus himself taught publicly in parables, revealing the full meaning of his teachings only to his closest disciples. This strategy allowed deeper truths to be understood gradually, according to the spiritual maturity of each listener.
6.3. The Doctrine’s Disappearance
But if this is true, that Joseph secretly taught this personal conviction of his to a select few, then why did Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Parley P. Pratt, Lyman Wight, and other leaders close to him continue to teach this doctrine openly from the pulpits of the Church after his death? Wouldn’t a plausible explanation be that they were simply replicating what they had learned directly and openly from the prophet while he was still alive in the flesh? This only suggests and reinforces my thesis that such teachings were not perceived by Joseph’s apostles as something hidden or secret, but rather as part of the legacy of doctrines that he had openly transmitted to them, within the spiritual and historical context in which his teachings were gradually being revealed.
According to the Church’s historical records, this doctrine was largely forgotten due to a note left by Joseph Smith, in which he clearly discussed the idea of multiple mortalities with a supposed Jew named Matthias. This man claimed to possess in his body, at that time, the spirits of several important biblical figures. Joseph, obviously, and categorically, classified this particular man’s belief as a “doctrine of the devil,” since it would not be possible for multiple spirits to reincarnate simultaneously in a single person. With this decontextualized statement, Church leaders who entered the 20th century relied on this excerpt from the prophet’s note to abandon once and for all this doctrine that caused them discomfort in the face of a Christian world that accepted the resurrection as the only post-mortem event.
However, while the deletion of relevant records such as these has significantly reduced the availability of documentary evidence, it is still possible to make a careful analysis of the surviving records. The paucity of primary sources on certain teachings of Joseph Smith, especially regarding the doctrine of multiple mortalities, prevents us from knowing exactly how widely he and his apostles taught this doctrine before it was removed from their historical records.
7. Evidence, Restoration Scriptures, and Final Reflection
Still, there is more evidence in Mormonism that the early Saints of the Restoration believed in the migration of souls that we have in Christianity after the Council of Constantinople. And like the spiritualists who argue that there are still traces of this doctrine in the Holy Bible, we as Latter-day Saints are called to hold fast to the iron rod and not to the precepts of men. And, unlike sectarian Christians who often rely on human interpretations, we have not only the Bible to assure us of these lost truths, but also the standard of scriptures of our faith and the word of a living prophet. These scriptures, which form the basis of our doctrine, leave no room for doubt. And anyone who wants to know whether these things are true or not needs only to read carefully and thoughtfully the standard books of the Restoration to see for himself that Joseph Smith restored this lost knowledge of genuine Christianity in his day.
How does this knowledge impact our reality? Obviously when we consider that Joseph Smith restored this doctrine – a doctrine that was also taught by Brigham Young and other prominent leaders of the Restoration, including his own son, Joseph Smith III, who in the Reorganized Church explicitly stated that his father revealed to him in a dream that he would return physically to complete his work then we are led to a critical reflection: What else has been taken from us?