To Have the Heavens Opened

In Doctrine and Covenants 107:18-19, God declares that the Melchizedek Priesthood holds “the keys of all the spiritual blessings of the church,” including:

1. “To have the privilege of receiving the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven,”
2. “to have the heavens opened unto them,”
3. “to commune with the general assembly and church of the Firstborn,”
4. “and to enjoy the communion and presence of God the Father, and Jesus the mediator of the new covenant.”

One way to interpret this list is that when the heavens are opened, we receive knowledge (mysteries) and deeper relationships (communion). Obviously the two go hand in hand: we learn from those we commune with, and the shared knowledge strengthens our bond with them.

In the scriptures, the opening of the heavens is generally associated with seeing and being in the presence of heavenly beings. For example:

• Ezekiel opens his record by declaring, “The heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God” (Ezekiel 1:1).
• At the baptism of Jesus, the heavens were opened to John the Baptist, so that he saw the Holy Ghost descending like a dove and heard the voice of God the Father. (See Matthew 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:21; Doctrine and Covenants 93:15.)
• As Stephen was being stoned to death, he cried, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God” (Acts 7:56).
• The heavens were opened to Lehi, and he saw “God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels” (1 Nephi 1:8).
• After Jesus blessed the children, the multitude in Bountiful “saw the heavens open, and they saw angels descending out of heaven as it were in the midst of fire” (3 Nephi 17:24).
• A few months before the dedication of the Kirtland Temple, the heavens were opened to Joseph Smith, and he saw his brother Alvin in the Celestial Kingdom (Doctrine and Covenants 137:1, 5). A week after the dedication, the heavens were opened again to Joseph Smith and to Oliver Cowdery, and they saw and spoke with Jesus, Moses, Elias, and Elijah. (See Doctrine and Covenants 110:11.)

Even though these experiences all involved actually seeing and hearing heavenly beings, President Russell M. Nelson has reminded us that the heavens can open to us in more quiet, personal ways:

Because the Melchizedek Priesthood has been restored, both covenant-keeping women and men have access to “all the spiritual blessings of the church” …

The heavens are just as open to women who are endowed with God’s power flowing from their priesthood covenants as they are to men who bear the priesthood.

“Spiritual Treasures,” October 2019 general conference

In response to this assurance, Sister Emily Belle Freeman testified that the Lord will part the veil so that we can receive understanding from Him (“Live Up to Your Privileges,” October 2024 general conference).

President Henry B. Eyring suggested how we might approach this transcendent promise:

One way to respond to such awe-inspiring descriptions of the power of the priesthood is to assume that they do not apply to us. Another way to respond is with soul-searching questions, asked in our own hearts, such as these: Have I ever felt that the heavens have been opened to me? Would anyone use the phrase “ministering of angels” to describe my priesthood service? Do I bring the “power of godliness” into the lives of those I serve? Have I ever broken a mountain, defied an army, broken someone’s bands, or subdued worldly powers—even if only figuratively—in order to accomplish God’s will?

Such introspection always brings a feeling that we could be doing more in the service of the Lord. I hope it also brings you a feeling that you want to do more—a longing to participate more fully in the Lord’s miraculous work.

“Walk with Me,” April 2017 general conference

Today, I will trust the Lord’s promise to open the heavens to me. I will open my mind to receive knowledge, and I will open my heart to grow closer to Him. I will be grateful that He magnifies my service as I consecrate my efforts to Him.