D&C 88: The Olive Leaf and the Light of Christ

I have a north-facing window in my shop. It is the only window. On a cloudy day I have to stop what I am doing and turn on the overhead lights just to see the pencil line. On a clear morning the light comes in at an angle and I can see every scratch, every grain, every mistake I made the day before. The light does not change the wood. It changes what I can see.

I thought about that window when I read D&C 88 this week. The revelation is called the Olive Leaf. Joseph Smith said it was a leaf plucked from the tree of paradise, sent to bring peace to the Saints. It covers a lot of ground. The Light of Christ, the kingdoms of glory, the laws that govern them, the School of the Prophets, the order of the house of God. It is a big chapter. But it all comes back to the same idea. Light is real. It has laws. And the more you live by those laws, the more light you can receive.

What Is the Light of Christ in D&C 88

Verses 6 through 13 describe the Light of Christ in terms that sound almost physical. It is the light that is in all things. It gives life to all things. And it is the law by which all things are governed, filling the immensity of space. That is a lot to hold in one sentence.

I have read that passage a dozen times and it still catches me. The Light of Christ is not just a feeling you get in a sacrament meeting. It is the actual power that holds the universe together. It is the same light that lets me see the grain in a piece of walnut and the same light that lets me know when I have said something I should not have. One light that operates at every level.

The degree of light you can receive depends on the law you are willing to live by. That is the key idea in this section. Light is not distributed evenly to everyone regardless of how they live. It is given according to the law that a person is willing to obey. If you want more light, you live a higher law. It is that direct.

He that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.

D&C 88 Kingdoms of Glory Laws

Verses 21 through 40 lay out the relationship between law and glory. The idea is simple. You are not assigned to a kingdom of glory by random selection. You are reconciled to the law of the kingdom you are willing to abide by. If you are willing to live the celestial law, you receive celestial glory. If you are willing to live the terrestrial law, you receive terrestrial glory. And if you are willing to live the telestial law, you receive telestial glory.

It is like wood. You cannot build a dining table out of green lumber and expect it to hold. The wood has to be dried and seasoned first. The law is not a restriction. It is the process that prepares you for what you are trying to become. You cannot skip the seasoning and get the same result.

I read D&C 87 a while back and it talks about war and prophecy. This section feels like the other side of that coin. D&C 87 is about what happens when people reject the laws of God. D&C 88 is about what happens when they accept them. The same God who warns about the sword also sends the olive leaf.

Seeking Learning by Study and Also by Faith

Verses 118 through 126 describe the School of the Prophets. The Lord tells the Saints to organize themselves and seek learning. But the way He describes it is specific. He says to seek learning by study and also by faith.

I have been thinking about what that means in practice. Study is the part you do with your mind. You read, take notes, ask questions, and work through the material. Faith is the part where you open yourself to the Spirit and let God show you what the material actually means. They are not competing approaches. They are two hands working together.

The Lord also gives some practical instructions for how to conduct yourself in a learning setting. He says to cease from light-mindedness and loud laughter and excessive talking. He says to let your conversation be without guile and to pray always. These are not arbitrary rules. They are the conditions that make real learning possible. You cannot hear a still small voice if you are filling the room with noise.

I have a rule in my shop. When I am working on a joint that needs to be exact, I do not listen to music or podcasts. I need to hear the tool. I need to feel the cut. The School of the Prophets was the same idea. Create a space where you can hear what matters.

The Order of the House of God

The last part of the chapter is about the house of the Lord. The Lord commands the Saints to build a house where they can gather and learn and worship. He calls it a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order.

I think about that when I look at my own home. Not the building. The life that happens inside it. The order of the house of God is not about having a clean kitchen. It is about creating an environment where the Spirit can operate without being crowded out. It is the difference between a cluttered workbench where you spend half your time looking for the right chisel and a clean bench where you can actually work.

I read Exodus 36 recently and it describes the skilled workers building the tabernacle framework. The same idea shows up here. God cares about the details and the order. He is not rigid about it, and the order creates the conditions for His presence.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is D&C 88 called the Olive Leaf

Joseph Smith called it the Olive Leaf because the olive branch is a symbol of peace. The revelation was meant to bring peace to the Saints during a time of turmoil and preparation. It is a message of hope and spiritual order.

What is the relationship between law and glory in D&C 88

The section teaches that you are not assigned to a kingdom of glory by chance. You are reconciled to the law of the kingdom you are willing to live by. The law is the mechanism that prepares you for the level of light and glory you can receive.

What does it mean to seek learning by study and also by faith

It means that real understanding requires both intellectual effort and spiritual openness. You use your mind to study the facts. You rely on the Spirit to show you what they mean and how to apply them. One without the other is incomplete.

What is the School of the Prophets

The School of the Prophets was a gathering of Church leaders in Kirtland where they studied scripture and learned together. D&C 88 provides the rules for how that school was to operate. It emphasizes reverence, prayer, study, and faith working together.

— D.