Jacob's Ladder

you have probably heard references to Jacob's ladder. you may have even read Genesis chapter 28 many times and still not understood what Jacob's ladder is. to explain Jacob's ladder let me begin by first summarizing the relevant content of Genesis chapter 28

at the begging of Genesis chapter 28 it says that Isaac blessed Jacob and commanded him to not marry a Canaanite. Isaac then commanded Jacob to go to Padan-aram to marry one of the daughters of Laban. In verse 10 Jacob begins the first leg of his journey to Padan-aram and leaves a place called Beer-sheba, and went toward Haran. In verse 11 we find that while en route, Jacob stops for the night along the way and seems to have slept outside. In verses 12 through 15 Jacob has a dream wherein is featured the aforementioned ladder. and it says

"12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.

  

13 And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;

  

14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

  

15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of."

in verse 16 Jacob wakes from his dream and acknowledges that he feels the Lord's presences in that place were he had dreamed. In verse 17 Jacob says "and this is the gate of heaven"

In the next three verses Jacob sets up a stone "pillar" or monument in a way that seems in line with ancient traditions of Hebrew temples. he then named the place Bethe-el which is a condensed version of the of the Hebrew words Beth Eloheim which is interpreted to me house of God.

Joseph Smith said “Paul ascended into the third heavens, and he could understand the three principal rounds of Jacob’s ladder—the telestial, the terrestrial, and the celestial glories or kingdoms” 

President Marion G. Romney explains that the rungs of the ladder were covenants. He further explains that the place Jacob made promises with lord, Bethel, was essentially like a temple and today modern temples can be a ‘gate to heaven’ for us like Bethel was to Jacob. President Romney further expounds that because Jacob kept the covenants he made, he not only approached the gate of heaven but ultimately entered in. I am grateful for men of God like Joseph Smith and President Romney for opening up the scriptures to me as they may have never have been otherwise.