Willard Richards rightly entitled the sacred compilation The Pearl of Great Price. Though the contents of this book of scripture have undergone revisions since Richards’ time, the five components currently within The Pearl provide meaningful and pointed insight into the Savior and His atonement, the most important and the defining topic of any book that would fain be scripture. We can see how each of the five contents of The Pearl contribute powerfully to this testimony.
The first chapter of the Book of Moses has a special history, being the only portion of Moses that wasn’t received as part of Joseph Smith’s translation effort of the Bible. Received while resting under a tree after escaping from a jail cell before an angry mob, Joseph Smith was overcome by the Spirit of Revelation and uttered forth a vision which his scribe recorded. This vision, Moses chapter 1, was of an event that contextualizes the first chapters of Genesis in the bible and provides a unique account of one of the sacred events of Moses’ life and of a glorious personal encounter with God. The contributions of this single chapter would validate the term “Great Price” in the title of the book.
Moses 1 contains one of the most well-known verses within LDS scriptures, 1:39. Nowhere else in scripture do you find so direct and telling a statement of God’s purposes: His work and His glory is to help us achieve the highest blessings possible. This theme can be tracked throughout the Pearl of Great Price. We see it again later on as God pours out a similarly miraculous vision upon Enoch (Moses 7), where Enoch beholds the Lord weeping for those children who will not allow him to help them achieve this eternal potential (7:29-32).
These lofty purposes of the Lord are satisfied in Abraham, who we learn desired greater knowledge, understanding, and Priesthood (Abraham 1:2). Somewhat like Moses he partakes of a transcendent vision which becomes nothing less than a personal tutoring session with the Eternal Father, God of the Universe (Abraham 3-5).
God’s yearning to speak with His children and to teach them is an evidence of this great work and glory, and the crux of this plan is the Son, Jesus Christ. In every case that God is communing with man in the Pearl of Great Price – and we see it in each narration – it is the Savior who is visiting, who is imparting of divine knowledge.
As we look on the Old Testament of the bible we are easily led to the principle of sacrifice, which was of great importance to the Jews. But The Pearl makes clear precisely what and who these sacrifices represent. The first man, Adam was taught that these sacrifices are a token of the great sacrifice of Jesus Christ (Moses 5:7). And Abraham couldn’t have failed to notice the bitter-sweet irony when the Angel of the Lord delivers him from becoming a sacrifice (Abr 1:15-16), which is itself the fate of The Rescuer.
Although Christ’s great sacrifice was wrought in the meridian of time shortly after the mortal Savior gave the teachings of Joseph Smith: Matthew, the full effect of that divine action will not be brought to bear until the closing scenes of this Plan of Salvation. This time line, too, is repeatedly made clear throughout The Pearl. Enoch beheld that in the day of the Second Coming the Earth shall begin one hundred years of rest, and the elect be gathered (Moses 7:60-67). Abraham, in receiving his covenant, learns of the role his posterity will fill in preparing for that great and dreadful day (Abr. 2:9-11), particularly in spreading the gospel and ministering in the Priesthood. Christ Himself delivers one of the most lengthy and important prophecies in the scriptures regarding those last days, speaking to His twelve apostles (the entirety of Joseph Smith: Matthew). And the Lord’s preparation for this divine time-line is apparent in all the life of Joseph Smith, starting with the First Vision (JSH 1:15-19). Continuing in the manner we have seen throughout the Pearl of Great Price, Joseph Smith sees a vision and communes with the Lord face to face, like Moses, Adam, Enoch, and Abraham before him. A few years later Joseph is ministered to by the angel Moroni, who repeats scriptural verses pertaining particularly to the last days for which Joseph has been called to prepare (JSH 1:36-41).
The Pearl of Great Price, brought forth by Joseph Smith, is, itself, a precious part of the latter-day work in the conclusion of this portion of the Plan of Salvation, bringing to the world a greater knowledge of Jesus Christ and His Atonement. It seems appropriate that it should conclude in the most direct statements of doctrine and faith, the 13 Articles of Faith. These, too, explain the happenings of the Last Days (Articles of Faith 1:10). But even more precious is the statement of the nature of the Godhead (1:1) and the functioning of the Atonement (1:2-5). These statements make a good overview of some of the critical points of teaching within the Pearl.
We learn that the Godhead consists of two particular personages (Articles of Faith 1:1; JSH 1:17; Abraham 3:23-24; Moses 4:2), and that the Holy Ghost is an operating power in God’s plan (Moses 5:14; 6:60, 64-66).
We discover that the Atonement of Jesus Christ has overcome the original guilt or sin and that children are born clean and pure (Articles of Faith 1:2; Moses 6:53-54), and that the mercy of God enacted by the Atonement is open to even all mankind who are willing to obey and repent (Articles of Faith 1:3; Moses 5:23; 6:29). We also learn that the blessings of the Atonement are administered through the gospel of faith, repentance, and baptism (Articles of Faith 1:4; Moses 8:24), which is disseminated in and by the order of God (Abr. 2:9-10). This requires authority, and together this authority and order are called the Priesthood (Abr. 1:4; 2:9-11). This Priesthood has existed from the beginning and will continue to the end of the world (Moses 6:7), and is after the Order of the Son (Moses 6:67). We also learn that this Priesthood is a power and authority that can be sought from the righteous (Abraham 1:4) but not claimed without authorized ordination (Articles of Faith 1:5; Abraham 1:26-27).
The depth and elegance of the doctrines of the Pearl of Great Price in testifying of the nature of this Plan of Salvation and Christ’s central role in it are far more than could be included here, or even than could be included in any mortal-authored document of comparable size to the Pearl. But these few, so well outlined in the Articles of Faith, serve as an excellent basis in the primary principles of the Gospel, for which every Latter-day Saint should feel grateful and by which we are empowered.