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Section 048 · The Turning Point

The Transfiguration

On the holy mount Jesus is transfigured before Peter, James, and John — his face shining as the sun — and Moses and Elias appear in glory; a cloud overshadows them, and the Father’s voice declares, “This is my beloved Son… hear him.”

Matt 17:1–13; Mark 9:2–13; Luke 9:28–363 of 5 accountsReading: CCE

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Study — reading text with parallel accounts; changes available.
? How to read this edition

The reading is the Covenant Christian Edition — the Joseph Smith Translation reading — carried beside each Gospel and set against the King James baseline. Headers give both numbering systems: the CCE chapter and verse, and the traditional KJV reference.

JST
Green — Joseph Smith Translation. Where the Covenant Christian Edition departs in substance from the King James text and the change is in the JST (confirmed against the parallel-column edition). Modernized English (“has” for “hath,” “you” for “thou”) is not marked.
CCE
Burgundy — Covenant Christian Edition. Where the CCE’s reading departs from the King James but the change is not in the Joseph Smith Translation — the CCE’s own editorial reading (e.g. “this day I have begotten you” at the baptism).
DS
Plum — Testimony of St. John. The TSJ (a separate scripture text) and Denver Snuffer’s later commentary share the plum mark.
MatthewKJVMatthew 17:1–13CCEMatthew 9:4–5NT 1NT 2

1And after six days, Jesus took Peter, Jacob, and John his brother, and brought them up into a high mountain apart, 2and was transfigured before them. And his face did shine as the sun and his raiment was white as the light. 3And behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. 4Then answered Peter and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you are willing, let us make here three tabernacles: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elias. 5While he yet spoke, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. And behold, a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear him. 6And when the disciples heard the voice, they fell on their faces and were sorely afraid. 7And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. 8And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man save Jesus only.

9And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man until the Son of Man is risen again from the dead. 10And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? 11And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come and restore all things, as the prophets have written. 12And again I say unto you that Elias has come already — concerning whom it is written: Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me — and they knew him not, and have done unto him whatever they desired. Likewise shall also the Son of Man suffer of them. But I say unto you, who is Elias? Behold, this is Elias: whom I send to prepare the way before me. 13Then the disciples understood that he spoke unto them of John the Baptist, and also of another who should come and restore all things, as it is written by the prophets.

MarkKJVMark 9:2–13CCEMark 5:5–7NT 2

2And after six days, Jesus took Peter, and Jacob, and John, who asked him many questions concerning his saying. And Jesus leads them up into a high mountain, apart by themselves, and he was transfigured before them. 3And his raiment became shining, exceedingly white as snow, so white as no fuller on earth could white them. 4And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses, or in other words, John the Baptist and Moses; and they were talking with Jesus. 5And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here, and let us make three tabernacles: one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elias; 6for he knew not what to say, for they were sorely afraid. 7And there was a cloud that overshadowed them. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my Beloved Son; hear him.

8And suddenly, when they had looked round about with great astonishment, they saw no man anymore, save Jesus only with themselves. And immediately they departed. 9And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.

11And they asked him, saying, Why do the scribes say that Elias must first come? 12And he answered and told them, saying, Elias truly comes first, and prepares all things, and teaches you of the prophets, how it is written of the Son of Man that he must suffer many things and be set at naught. 13Again I say unto you that Elias has indeed come, but they have done unto him whatever they desired, and even as it is written of him. And he bore record of me, and they received him not. Truly this was Elias.

LukeKJVLuke 9:28–36CCELuke 7:5NT 2

28And it came to pass, eight days after these sayings, that he took Peter, and John, and Jacob, and went up into a mountain to pray. 29And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was changed and his raiment became white and glittering. 30And behold, there came and talked with him two men, even Moses and Elias, 31who appeared in glory and spoke of his death and also his resurrection which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. 32But Peter and they who were with him were heavy with sleep. And when they were awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 33And after the two men departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three tabernacles: one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elias — not knowing what he said. 34While he thus spoke, there came a cloud and overshadowed them all, and they feared as they entered into the cloud. 35And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my Beloved Son; hear him. 36And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And these things they kept close, and they told no man in those days any of the things which they had seen.

Cross-references · other works
Exodus 24:15–18 — Moses on Sinai, the cloud and the glory↗Exodus 34:29–30 — Moses’ face shone↗Deuteronomy 18:15 (CCE 6:4) — a prophet like Moses; hear him↗Daniel 7:9 (CCE 6:2) — raiment white as snow↗Malachi 4:5 (CCE 1:12) — Elijah sent before the day of the Lord↗2 Peter 1:16–18 (CCE 1:5) — eyewitnesses of his majesty in the holy mount↗Revelation 1:14–16 (CCE 1:5) — the glorified Son of Man↗
Joseph Smith on the Mount

Keys on the Mount; the More Sure Word; Elias, Elijah & Messiah

Keys Given to Peter, James, and John on the Mount

Joseph Smith taught that the Transfiguration was where the keys of the priesthood were conferred on the three apostles — the same pattern by which the priesthood was restored in the last days.

Instruction, 5 January 1841, Nauvoo · Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 158

The Priesthood is everlasting. The Savior, Moses, and Elias gave the keys to Peter, James, and John, on the mount, when they were transfigured before him.

How have we come at the Priesthood in the last days? It came down, down, in regular succession. Peter, James, and John had it given to them, and they gave it to others. Christ is the Great High Priest; Adam next.

The More Sure Word of Prophecy

Expounding 2 Peter 1 — Peter’s own appeal to the voice he heard “in the holy mount” — Joseph made the Transfiguration the pattern for a believer’s assurance of eternal life.

Discourse, 21 May 1843, Nauvoo · Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 298, 305–306

“We have a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto you do well to take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place. We were eyewitnesses of his majesty, and heard the voice of his excellent glory.” And what could be more sure? When He was transfigured on the mount, what could be more sure to them? Divines have been quarreling for ages about the meaning of this.

The more sure word of prophecy means a man’s knowing that he is sealed up unto eternal life, by revelation and the spirit of prophecy, through the power of the holy priesthood.

It is one thing to be on the mount and hear the excellent voice, etc., and another to hear the voice declare to you, You have a part and lot in that kingdom.

Elias, Elijah, and Messiah

The disciples’ question on the way down — “Why say the scribes that Elias must first come?” — Joseph answered in this late Nauvoo sermon, distinguishing three spirits and offices: Elias the forerunner (John the Baptist), Elijah the sealing power, and Messiah last of all.

Discourse, 10 March 1844, Nauvoo · Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 335–341

For while the spirit of Elias is a forerunner, the power of Elijah is sufficient to make our calling and election sure.

The spirit of Elias is first, Elijah second, and Messiah last. Elias is a forerunner to prepare the way, and the spirit and power of Elijah is to come after, holding the keys of power, building the Temple to the capstone, placing the seals of the Melchizedek Priesthood upon the house of Israel, and making all things ready; then Messiah comes to His Temple, which is last of all. Messiah is above the spirit and power of Elijah, for He made the world, and was that spiritual rock unto Moses in the wilderness.

Hugh Nibley

The Mount as Temple — the Restoration of All Things

Nibley read the Transfiguration as a private endowment on the mountain — Moses and Elias ministering as living “two men,” the cloud screening the Father’s glory — strikingly like the latter-day restoration “by the ministrations of the same heavenly beings.”

Mormonism and Early ChristianityCollected Works of Hugh Nibley, Vol. 4 — “Christian Envy of the Temple”
The unfolding of the great plan of salvation with “the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven” was continued a week after the “gates of hell” discussion, when the Lord took Peter, James, and John with him up onto the mount… there is the same great care to insure privacy, the same limited and selected number of participants, the same mention of a long and important conversation, with the same reluctance to reveal what was said… The whole thing reminds one strikingly of the restoration of the gospel in the latter-days, when the great key revelations came in just such quick, wonderful succession to just such a selected few and by the ministrations of the same heavenly beings.
Mormonism and Early ChristianityCollected Works of Hugh Nibley, Vol. 4 — “Christian Envy of the Temple”
On the mountain the three apostles saw Moses and Elias not as essences, historic allegories, or lovely old legends, but simply as “two men.” They also saw Jesus glorified… “The fashion of his countenance was altered,” as was his raiment, but he still had a countenance and wore raiment… He did not see the Father, however, because, we are explicitly told, a cloud came and “screened” or “shielded” them from the sight.

Ellipses mark omissions within Nibley’s own sentences.

Margaret Barker · the temple glory

Seeing the LORD Shining Forth — the Kingdom Revealed

For Barker the Transfiguration is the temple vision itself: the three see the LORD shining forth, as in the ancient Holy of Holies — and because they saw the brightness, they had become part of it.

Gazing on the Mystery© Margaret Barker, 2006 ↗
Jesus revealed the Kingdom to his disciples at his transfiguration. He told them that some would see the Kingdom “come with power” before they died, and then He took Peter, James and John up the mountain where they saw Him transfigured. They saw the LORD shining forth, as in the ancient temple visions. This was the Kingdom.
The Secret Tradition© Margaret Barker, 1993 ↗
The Transfiguration made the inner group aware of Jesus’ experience of transformation. The description is authentic; as Jesus was praying, his face shone and his clothes became dazzling white… The fact that the disciples saw the brightness means that they had become a part of it.

Ellipses mark omissions within Barker’s own sentences.

Points to Ponder
  • Peter wants to build three tabernacles and stay; the voice answers not Peter but the disciples — “hear him” — and then there is “no man, save Jesus only.” What is being corrected in Peter’s impulse to hold the moment?
  • The glory the three saw was real — “the fashion of his countenance was altered” — yet they were charged to tell no one until after the resurrection. Why entrust such a vision and then seal it up?
  • Coming down, the talk turns to Elias and the restoration of all things. How does the mount — Moses and Elijah, the keys, the Father’s voice — gather up the whole law and prophets into the one they are told to hear?