AboutGene Black Expertise I can answer questions related to LDS beliefs and history as well as doctrinal questions pertaining to the standard works (Bible, Book of Mormon, etc.) I believe strongly in personal revelation and hope that all answers I provide will be carefully considered, and prayed about before being accepted.
Experience I've been a member of the LDS Church all of my life, have served a mission for the Church, have been sealed to my wife in the Washington, DC temple, and enjoy reading books on LDS history and the teachings of the prophets.
Organizations The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Education/Credentials A love for people and a strong desire to seek after the word of God. I try hard to follow the command "Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed; then, if you desire, you shall have my Spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of men."
Question I'm unable to find anything online after a brief search. How did the Lord touch the Brother of Jared's stones if he didn't have a physical body yet?
Thanks for taking time to read and answer. I'm sure I'm not the first person to ask that question, so I'm interested in hearing possible explanations for how that could have occurred.
Thanks.
Answer Somewhere a general authority has probably given a better answer to this question than what I will here, but I'm unaware of where and when such an answer was given if one was.
It is important to remember though that personages of spirit are not beyond influencing things in the "physical realm", particularly if they do so by priesthood power. Consider the burning bush for a minute. In many respects, it's not that different from what took place here. Both occurred before the Lord's mortal birth, both involved causing a physical object to glow. In the case of the Brother of Jared, he saw the body of Christ due to his faith - otherwise the Lord would have remained obscured just as he was with the burning bush.
Also recall that Christ, as were others, were involved in the creation of the earth - obviously before they were born. I believe we can agree that the creation of the earth is a physical feat that far surpasses making a bush appear to burn or some rocks to glow.
One reference you may find useful when considering this though is in D&C 131:7
"There is no such thing as immaterial matter. All spirit is matter, but it is more fine or pure, and can only be discerned by purer eyes;"
From this we see that Spirit is matter just as the physical things we see around us, only a different form of it.
Now I would speculate that touching the stones in and of itself would not make them glow any more than it would if the Brother of Jared had touched them himself. I believe the key to the stones glowing was priesthood power - power the Lord exercised on behalf of the Brother of Jared due to his faith.
I realize my answer here may be rather incomplete, so please feel free to ask additional questions if you'd like.
