During a missionary discussion, a friend asked: "How come Joseph Smith could see God, but Moses couldn't? We read in the 33rd chapter of Exodus, that Moses spoke "face to face," like a friend, with God. But then towards the end of the chapter it tells us that Moses couldn't see God, or he would die. Now I know it has something to do with being transfigured. But I'm not too knowledgeable. Not enough to explain it to someome who has never even heard that word. So please, if you can send me some scriptures, or just tell me what I should tell her. It would help me out a lot.

As to the question your friend asked, here is the passage:

"And he [i.e. Moses] said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee ... And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. And the Lord said, Behold, [there is] a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen." (Exodus 33:18-23)

This is an interesting passage, since in the same chapter, on verse 11 we read the following: "And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend." (Exodus 33:11)

Oops! It appears that we are reading another of those translation problems in the Bible. How can one speak to the Lord "face to face" and a few minutes later not be allowed to see his face? And the scriptures are clear in stating that Moses spoke to the Lord face to face: "And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face" (Deuteronomy 34:10)

So, in order to solve this confusion, we must go to latter-day revelation. This is why in our first discussion we bring the testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith. Without latter-day revelation we would have the same unanswered questions as the rest of the Christian world. In the Pearl of Great Price we find the following important piece of information:

"But now mine own eyes have beheld God; but not my natural, but my spiritual eyes, for my natural eyes could not have beheld; for I should have withered and died in his presence; but his glory was upon me; and I beheld his face, for I was transfigured before him. ... And behold, the glory of the Lord was upon Moses, so that Moses stood in the presence of God, and talked with him face to face." (Moses 1:11, 31)

So it appears that one of the keys to understand that first passage in Exodus lies in understanding that prophets can speak with the Lord face to face, but only when transfigured before him. Our mortal bodies cannot withstand the overwhelming power, glory, and refulgence of the presence of our Heavenly Father. As Moses himself declared, "... my natural eyes could not have beheld; for I should have withered and died in his presence ..." (Moses 1:11) Transfiguration means a temporary change from mortality to immortality, and that enables prophets to endure the presence of the Lord without dying. As the prophet Joseph Smith summarized, "Flesh and blood cannot go there; but flesh and bones quickened by the Spirit of God, can. ... God Almighty Himself dwells in eternal fire; flesh and blood cannot go there, for all corruption is devoured by the fire." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp.326, 367)

Keep one thing in mind: the most important step for your friend at this time is to acquire a testimony by the power of the Holy Ghost. Simply showing scriptures to prove our point may convince an investigator, but will not produce a testimony. The full-time missionaries understand this principle well.

This essay is published as a support for and an extension of classroom discussion and in no way represents an official statement from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or its General Authorities. Dr. Marcus H. Martins assumes full responsibility for the opinions, views, and interpretations contained herein.