Rather than posting a new lesson for these sections, I'm sharing links to old related posts. I so enjoyed researching and writing about these topics! I hope you will find them useful.
Sunday, October 31, 2021
Doctrine and Covenants 124-128
Saturday, October 30, 2021
Doctrine and Covenants 121-123
EXAMPLES OF FEAR
James Campbell: "Zion's Camp was located on the bank of the Grand River. After the meeting in Liberty, James Campbell, one of the residents of Jackson County, decided to return to Jackson, raise an army, and go out and meet Joseph Smith and Zion's Camp. Campbell vowed, 'The eagles and turkey buzzards shall eat my flesh if I do not fix Joe Smith and his army so that their skins will not hold shucks, before two days are passed.'
"They went to the ferry and undertook to cross the Missouri River after dusk, and the angel of God saw fit to sink the boat about the middle of the river, and seven out of the twelve that attempted to cross, were drowned. Thus, suddenly and justly, went they to their own place. Campbell was among the missing. He floated down the river some four or five miles, and lodged upon a pile of drift wood, where the eagles, buzzards, ravens, crows and wild animals ate his flesh from his bones, to fulfill his own words." (Joseph Smith, History of the Church 2:99)
Mr. Bazill: "A young lawyer named Bazill, who came into Independence and wanted to make himself conspicuous, joined the mob, and swore he would wade in blood up to his chin.
"He was shot with two balls through his head, and never spoke. There was another man, whose name I fail to remember, that lived on the Big Blue, who made a similar boast. He was also taken at his word. His chin was shot off, or so badly fractured by a ball that he was forced to have it amputated, but lived and recovered, though he was a horrible sight afterwards." (Philo Dibble, quoted in Brian and Petrea Kelly, Latter-day History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
Church Leaders who were excommunicated:
John Whitmer, misused Church funds (see Church History in the Fulness of Times, p. 184-185)
W.W. Phelps, misused Church funds, and later returned dramatically and wrote "Praise To the Man"--more on that in another lesson. (ibid.)
Oliver Cowdery, sued Church leaders, sought to destroy the character of Joseph Smith, disobeyed Church leaders, sold Jackson County lands (later returned). (See CHFT, p. 186-187.)
David Whitmer, broke Word of Wisdom, usurped authority, wrote letters of dissension to apostates. (See CHFT, p. 184.)
Lyman Johnson, "brought distress to the innocent," assaulted another brother, skipped meetings, broke Word of Wisdom, conducted himself "unrighteously" (Susan Black, Who's Who in the Doctrine and Covenants, p. 159).
Thomas Marsh (D&C 112:1,2,10) When his wife got in a dispute with a neighbor over cream, and it seemed quite obvious that she was lying, he "declared that he would sustain the character of his wife, even if he had to go to hell for it" (George A. Smith, quoted in Black, p. 159) (later returned).
Orson Hyde "affixed his signature to a slanderous affidavit of Thomas B. Marsh that villified the Prophet" (Black, p. 142). When he returned to the Church just a few months later, he said, "Few men pass through life without leaving some traces which they would gladly obliterate. Happy is he whose life is free from stain and blemish...I sinned against God and my brethren; I acted foolishly...I seek pardon of all whom I have offended, and also of my God" (Quoted in Black, p. 142).
D&C 105:24-25
"We all felt more sorrowful at seeing Apostles leave the Church than we did over our trials and persecutions" (Elizabeth Barlow, quoted in Church History in the Fulness of Times, p. 190).
The four apostles who apostacized were replaced by John Taylor, John Page, Wilford Woodruff, and Willard Richards.
EXAMPLES OF FAITH
Alexander Doniphan, non-Mormon general and lawyer: Defended and aided the saints and saved the life of the Prophet at risk of a court-martial. When commanded to shoot the Prophet and others, he refused, calling it cold-blooded murder. "He warned the general who commanded the militia that if he continued his efforts to kill these men, 'I will hold you responsible before an earthly tribunal, so help me God'" (Our Heritage, p. 49).
Philo Dibble, a church member, was mortally wounded in a battle with the mob in Independence, shot with a ball and two buckshot in the belly. Taken to a former war doctor the next day, the doctor replied it was a worse wound than he had ever seen in someone who lived, and told him he would definitely die. David Whitmer, however, sent word that he would live. A blessing was given by Newel Knight, after which Brother Dibble felt a powerful energy course through his body from his head to his toe in a ring. He felt the ring encircle the bullet holes. He immediately rose up and "discharged three quarts of blood or more" including some fabric from his clothing that had entered his body with the bullets. He got up, dressed himself, and went out. The next day he walked around a field, the second day he rode a horse eight miles, and the third day he walked three miles (Kelly, Latter-day History, p. 131).
Benjamin Johnson, a 20-year-old church member, was shot at three times at point-blank range, and the gun did not discharge. On the fourth try, the gun exploded and killed the mobster instantly (See Our Heritage, p. 49).
David Patten, mortally wounded at Crooked River battle. At his death-bed, he said of those who had apostacized, "O that they were in my situation! For I feel that I have kept the faith." Turning to the men in the room, he begged, "Brethren, you have held me by your faith, but do give me up, and let me go, I beseech you." He very shortly passed on. (See Church History in the Fulness of Times, p. 200 or Our History, p. 46-47.)
Amanda Smith's husband and son were killed at Haun's Mill. In the carnage, she found her littlest son, still alive but with his hip shot out. She begged the Lord to show her how to heal the hip, which she was told in great detail by a voice, and which instructions she followed exactly. She promised her son that the Lord would make him a new hip. Five weeks later, he was able to walk; his body had grown a flexible gristle in replacement of the hip socket and joint. (See Church History in the Fulness of Times, p. 204 or Our History, p. 47-48.)
Joseph Smith, of course, endured great trials, and although he nearly despaired, he never gave up.
ANSWERS REGARDING TRIALS
D&C 121:
- v. 1-6 Joseph's faith in God. He knew God was in charge and the saints would triumph; his only question was when.
- v. 7-10 Words of comfort from God; promise
- v. 11-15 Why the persecution was allowed to continue
- v. 13-25 Consequences to the wicked
- v. 26-32 Consequences to the faithful
- v. 33 Reassurance that God and Zion will prevail
- v. 34-36 How do we approach life?
- v. 37-40 Fear, Despair Hatred
- v. 41-46 Faith, Hope, Charity
Sunday, October 3, 2021
General Conference
Fun facts about General Conference:
"A Brief History of General Conference"
Monday, September 27, 2021
Doctrine and Covenants 109-110
THE TRAGEDY AND TRIUMPH OF THE INDEPENDENCE AND KIRTLAND TEMPLES
1 Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you whom I love, and whom I alove I also chasten that their sins may be bforgiven, for with the cchastisement I prepare a way for their ddeliverance in all things out of etemptation, and I have loved you—
2 Wherefore, ye must needs be chastened and stand rebuked before my face;
3 For ye have sinned against me a very grievous sin, in that ye have not considered the great commandment in all things, that I have given unto you concerning the building of mine ahouse;
4 For the preparation wherewith I design to prepare mine apostles to aprune my vineyard for the last time, that I may bring to pass my bstrange act, that I may cpour out my Spirit upon all flesh—
5 But behold, verily I say unto you, that there are many who have been ordained among you, whom I have called but few of them are achosen.
6 They who are not chosen have sinned a very grievous sin, in that they are awalking in bdarkness at noon-day.
7 And for this cause I gave unto you a commandment that you should call your asolemn assembly, that your bfastings and your cmourning might come up into the ears of the Lord of dSabaoth, which is by interpretation, the ecreator of the first day, the beginning and the end.
8 Yea, verily I say unto you, I gave unto you a commandment that you should abuild a house, in the which house I design to bendow those whom I have cchosen with power from on high;
9 For this is the apromise of the Father unto you; therefore I command you to tarry, even as mine apostles at Jerusalem.
10 Nevertheless, my servants sinned a very grievous sin; and acontentions arose in the bschool of the prophets; which was very grievous unto me, saith your Lord; therefore I sent them forth to be chastened.
11 Verily I say unto you, it is my will that you should build a house. aIf you keep my commandments you shall have power to build it.
Verse 8 "referred to the revelation given initially in December 1830 (D&C 37) and expanded on January 2, 1831, commanding the Saints to 'go to the Ohio; . . . and there you shall be endowed with power from on high (D&C 38:32). This was a watershed moment for Joseph and the Kirtland Saints. This unexpected realization changed everything. Any ambiguity about the urgency of the work was eliminated" (Manscill, 49).
That very day, the committee sent a letter to the Saints, expressing the urgency which they now understood: “Unless we fulfill this command . . . we may all despair of obtaining the great blessing that God has promised to the faithful of the Church of Christ."
It still took time to raise money. Land had been purchased in early 1833. And still the committee did not know what to build. Hyrum delegated the design back to the First Presidency, Joseph Smith, Frederick G. Williams, and Sidney Rigdon. As the three knelt in prayer, the design came to them in a magnificent 3-D vision. (Is it too irreverent to say it seems similar to the way Tony Stark’s designs appear in the Marvel movies?)
When Joseph Smith shared the design with the building committee, Hyrum ran to the farmhouse and grabbed some tools to begin clearing the land. Within days, the committee went to a rock quarry and hauled some stones they thought would be suitable. They dug the trench for the foundation and laid the rocks. In the meantime, they had been making their own bricks for the temple because they could not afford to buy bricks, but when they went to lay them, they discovered they were no good.
Hyrum found out from Brigham Young that a new convert in Canada, Artemus Millet, was a professional mason. Brother Millet came down in October for a consultation and recommended they use a different type of construction called rubble and stucco. It’s basically building with junk rocks and then covering them over. They began stockpiling supplies for Brother Millet’s return in he spring. But then they found out the Independence Saints were in crisis and Zion's Army was called out to the rescue. When Brother Millet arrived, only 10 or 15 men remained in Kirtland to help. Nevertheless, they got the walls up.
“Our women were engaged in knitting and spinning, in order to clothe those who were laboring at the building. And the Lord only knows the scenes of poverty, and tribulation and distress, which we all passed through to accomplish it. My wife [Vilate Kimball] would toil all summer. She took 100 pounds of wool to spin on shares which, with the assistance of a girl, she spun, in order to furnish clothing for those engaged in building the temple. And although she had the privilege of keeping half the quantity of wool for herself, as her recompense for her labor, she did not reserve even so much as would make a pair of stockings. She spun and wove and got the cloth dressed and cut and made up into garments, and gave them to the laborers. Almost all the sisters in Kirtland labored in knitting, sewing, spinning, etc, for the same purpose, while we went up to Missouri” (Heber C. Kimball quoted in Kelly, Latter-day History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 163).
As the temple went up, the money disappeared too fast. Hyrum and his committee went on multiple missions to ask the Saints scattered throughout the Eastern United States to donate. They also had to travel to buy supplies back east, and ask banks to secure loans in a very volatile economy. Just as things were looking rough something good would happen and they could limp along a little further. For example, a convert from Hyrum's missionary work several years earlier, Noah Packard, loaned the Church $1,000. Vienna Jacques, a single working woman, gained a testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel on her own in Boston through reading the Book of Mormon. She moved to Ohio to join the Saints and brought $1,400 in savings with her, which she consecrated to the Church (Susan Easton Black, Who's Who in the Doctrine and Covenants, Bookcraft, 145-7).
(See Kirtland Temple.)
Monday, September 20, 2021
Doctrine and Covenants 106-108
Rather than focus specifically on the verses and history of Sections 106-108, which are about priesthood and its order, I am going to focus this post on how to use priesthood in our everyday lives as women and men of God. (Also because I spent all my time this week preparing this for a sacrament meeting talk in the married student ward in which I serve and received a great deal of enlightenment personally as I did so.)
THE ORDER OF THE PRIESTHOOD
The oath and covenant of the priesthood can be found in Doctrine and Covenants 84:33-44. Here is the first part of it.
“For whoso is faithful unto the obtaining these two priesthoods of which I have spoken [Melchizedek and Aaronic], and the magnifying their calling, are sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies.
“They become the sons [and daughters—the present temple ceremony shows us this term is neutral] of Moses and of Aaron and the seed of Abraham, and the church and kingdom, and the elect of God.
“And also all they who receive this priesthood receive me, saith the Lord;
“For he that receiveth my servants receiveth me;
“And he that receiveth me receiveth my Father;
“And he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father’s kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him.
“And this is according to the oath and covenant which belongeth to the priesthood.
“Therefore, all those who receive the priesthood, receive this oath and covenant of my Father, which he cannot break, neither can it be moved” (D&C 84:33-41).
Elder M. Russell Ballard has told us, “The blessings and promises of the oath and covenant of the priesthood pertain to both men and women” (M. Russell Ballard, Visiting Teaching Message, Ensign, April 2014).
SO WHAT IS THE OATH?
The oath comes from God our Father, an immutable promise that the ordinances that issue from the Melchizedek Priesthood will save and exalt us. (See Heb. 7:21.)
THE COVENANT
The covenant is the promise we make with God to use priesthood power to gather, unite, and sanctify our family and His entire family through the saving ordinances offered through His Restored Church. This is the New and Everlasting Covenant of the Gospel, the highest order of which is the New and Everlasting Covenant of Marriage.
President Ezra Taft Benson said, “Adam and his posterity were commanded by God to be baptized, to receive the Holy Ghost, and to enter into the order of the Son of God… This order is…an order of family government where a man and woman enter into a covenant with God—just as did Adam and Eve—to be sealed for eternity, to have posterity, and to do the will and work of God throughout their mortality” (ETB, August 1985 Ensign).
President Oaks tell us, “The Church exists to provide the doctrine, the authority, and the ordinances necessary to perpetuate family relationships into the eternities” (DHO, April 2020 General Conference).
My husband created this visual of the scaffolding currently around the Salt Lake Temple which illustrates this idea perfectly. The scaffolding is like the Church priesthood organization that supports and strengthens the family priesthood organization.
FAMILIAL PRIESTHOOD
When we enter into the Fulness of the Melchizedek Priesthood in the temple, we enter into a Family Priesthood and we covenant, with our temple sealing, to bring spirit sons and daughters to earth and nurture them to return to our Heavenly Parents.
Elder Oaks said, “The greatest power God has given to His sons cannot be exercised without the companionship of one of His daughters, because only to His daughters has God given the power ‘to be a creator of bodies’” (General Conference April 2014). But His daughters also cannot do it without His sons.
In the conception of a child, a mother and a father are the conductors of priesthood power, connecting heaven and earth and physically facilitating the entry of a spirit child into an earthly body. In pregnancy, childbirth, and infancy, ideally, a mother’s body creates an environment of safety and nourishes the baby as it grows through the power of God.
My husband and I have had the marvelous privilege of being parents through biology, through adoption, and through guardianships. In every instance, we can testify that priesthood power accompanied the entrance of that child into our family.
ECCLESIASTICAL PRIESTHOOD
Just as priesthood power in the family brings spirit children to earth and ideally into family life, priesthood power in the Church brings humans back to God. As there is only one way to enter earth life—in a family—there is only one way to enter the Celestial Kingdom: being reborn into the Family of God, the House of Israel. We do this by entering into the New and Everlasting Covenant of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and accepting all the ordinances carried out by those authorized and ordained with priesthood authority. After this life (which includes earth life and spirit world life), Christ’s ultimate priesthood power allows the spirit to re-enter a now glorified resurrected physical body.
PRIESTHOOD AUTHORITY
Priesthood authority is an order of stewardships that helps you know who you can trust as authorized leaders to receive revelation for the Church or for you. It also makes sure that everyone has a link to priesthood blessings.
Priesthood keys are the authority to give authority. “Whoever functions in an office or calling received from one who holds priesthood keys exercises priesthood authority in performing her or his assigned duties” (DHO 2014).
For example, our ward chorister can receive revelation by virtue of priesthood authority about which hymn to sing when it is particularly important. Last week in our ward, the speaker had hoped and prayed that “Have I Done Any Good in the World Today?” might be sung in the meeting to emphasize the message of her talk, but asking for a hymn change at the last minute is insensitive to the practice efforts of the organist. The chorister, however, had previously been inspired to choose that very hymn. This is priesthood authority exercised in a Church calling.
As spouses and parents, we also have familial priesthood authority. We can receive revelation for our family members and the spirit can ratify it to them. Can you think of times in your life that those in stewardship over you have guided you through revelation?
HOW PRIESTHOOD OPERATES
To the woman at the well in Samaria, Jesus Christ offered living water. Water was the greatest force known to ancient Israel. They didn’t know about electricity or jet propulsion. But they knew about water and its mighty power—to heal, to give and sustain life, and to change the shape of the land.
The Priesthood is a living power, a flow from God through humans to other humans, linking them back to God. A person ordained to the priesthood is not really a priesthood “holder” but a priesthood bearer, a conductor through which God’s power can flow to others. Knowing this is essential to understanding how to call upon this power. You have never heard anyone—not even a prophet of the Lord—say, “I was terribly sick, but fortunately I hold the Priesthood so I gave myself a blessing.”
The key to using priesthood power is the desire to bless others. It’s an inverted pyramid scheme, with Christ at the point on the bottom serving everyone who ever lived. In our ward, the Bishop and the Relief Society president are at the bottom. In the home, it’s the parents, forgoing their wants for their children’s needs. You are more like Christ when you are at the bottom, washing feet and faces, stopping issues of blood, looking for those on the fringes, watching for prodigals to return, giving even your body for others. This is where the real joy is: in helping others to progress. This is God’s work and His glory.
The rules for using priesthood power are clearly laid out in D&C 121:
The short version is to:
“Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly;
“THEN shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven. The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall FLOW unto thee forever and ever” (D&C 121:45-46).
PRIESTCRAFT
Satan will try to influence you into abandoning your covenants, your priesthood power. I guarantee it. He will do this through priestcraft. Priestcraft is not a flow of power to others but a hoarding of power to oneself. This is contrary to the nature of God. Study the Book of Mormon carefully to recognize priestcraft. Never give up your covenants, no matter what!
Signs that you are being influenced by priestcraft include desires that are focused on yourself.
- The desire to have more authority.
- The desire to refute, negate, or counter those authorized by Christ
- The desire to keep autonomy rather than basing your life’s purpose on the growth of your family.
- The desire to be negative: cynical, critical, sarcastic, pessimistic.
- The desire to be seen in a positive “light” by those of the world, rather than by the light of Christ.
- The desire to think in terms of “us” and “them.”
- The desire to rush revelation rather than study, prepare, and wait for it to come in the Lord’s time.
- The desire to avoid forgiving offense and hold onto pain instead of handing it to Christ.
Rather than being shocked by new information that challenges your viewpoint of the Church or the gospel, get excited! Revelation comes in response to questions. This is your chance to “level up!” If you are interested enough to ask and motivated enough to study and trusting enough to wait for answers, God knows you have the capacity to receive and be responsible for the answers.
In a similar vein, do not think there is something wrong when you have problems. You will have lots of big problems! Our purpose on earth is to solve problems as we covenant with God, receive priesthood power, use it to bless others, and draw heaven and earth together in one eternal family. This brings great joy (eventually if not immediately).
CHALLENGE
General Relief Society President Linda K. Burton issued this call to every female member of the Church through the Visiting Teaching Message in April 2014: “I invite you to memorize the oath and covenant of the priesthood, which can be found in Doctrine and Covenants 84:33-44. By doing so, I promise you that the Holy Ghost will expand your understanding of the priesthood and inspire and uplift you in wonderful ways” (Visiting Teaching Message, Ensign, April 2014).
President Linda K. Burton
To ensure that this call reached every woman in the Church, President Burton’s invitation and promise was quoted in General Conference that month by Elder Oaks (April 2014).
President Nelson restated the call to women to study the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood in the October 2019 General Conference. You men, of course, have also been encouraged to memorize the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood. If we have the oath and covenant memorized, we can take it to the temple with us and learn more from the blessings there.
Recently President Nelson has said, “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. I pray that truth will register upon each of your hearts because I believe it will change your life” (RMN, “Spiritual Treasures,” October 2019 General Conference).
THE MELCHIZEDEK FAMILIAL PRIESTHOOD IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
After his resurrection, Jesus Christ appeared to his followers and invited them to accept “the promise [the oath] of the Father” if they would tarry in Jerusalem until they were “endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49).
“[The 11 remaining disciples then] went up into an upper room [and] continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren” (Acts 1:13-15). The congregation numbered about 120. They kept their sacramental covenant to meet together to worship and remember Christ.
At the day of Pentecost, 50 days after the Passover during which Jesus was crucified, this same group “were all with one accord in one place.” (Acts 2:1). The sound of the power of God came as a rushing wind and filled the house where they were sitting and “cloven tongues like as of fire…sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:2-4). Word of this spread and many came to see.
Peter announced to them, “This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; and it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: and on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit…” (Acts 2:16-18).
“Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added about 3,000 souls” (Acts 2:41). Notice the genderless term “souls” instead of “men.”
TESTIMONY
I add my testimony to President
Nelson’s, President Oaks’, and President Burton’s that an ongoing effort to
better understand and experience priesthood power in our families and in our
callings will change our lives and the lives of those we influence. It will
insulate us against the power of the Adversary and fortify us to meet the
challenges life will hold for us with faith and confidence in the Lord. If we
cling to our covenants, we will experience the incredible joy of union with our
Heavenly Parents and family.
Additional source: Barbara Gardner, The Priesthood Power of Women: In the Temple, Church, and Family, Deseret Book, 2019
Doctrine and Covenants 102-105
ZION'S CAMP
Parley P. Pratt and Lyman Wight took an arduous journey from Jackson to Kirtland to report the persecutions to Joseph Smith, arriving on February 22, 1834. The Prophet said he would go to redeem Zion and the High Council ratified this decision. 30-40 of the men present volunteered. "That same day Joseph Smith received a revelation concerning the recruitment and size of this army...They were to recruit a company of 500 men if possible--but no fewer than 100...(see D&C 103:11,15,22,29-40)" Pairs of missionaries headed off to the branches in the eastern states to recruit. The result was not favorable. Joseph was displeased. Better success was found in Kirtland. On the appointed day, May 1, only 20 people were ready to go on the 1,000-mile march. They started off. May 5, over 80 joined them with Joseph Smith as commander. They mustered a few more recruits on the way, and by the time the various camps joined on June 8th, there was a total of 207 men, 11 women, 11 children and 25 baggage wagons.
The march was as challenging as most army marches: The men walked beside the wagons carrying packs and guns. They often marched 35 miles a day in the oppressive heat and humidity. They suffered hunger, thirst and blisters. They woke at 4:00 a.m. to the bugle call. Feeding and watering the group was very challenging. Sometimes the best they had was rancid butter, maggot-infested bacon, rotten ham, cornmeal mush...Sometimes they had to drive swamp water full of mosquito larvae, which they strained with their teeth. (Ewww!) Although they drank milk while marching through an area that was infected with "milk sickness" and "puking fever," the Prophet promised they would not get the sicknesses and they didn't.
Often they were frightened by the threats of enemies around them. They tried to keep their identity and purpose a secret. When marching through Indianapolis under great threat, the Prophet promised they would be safe. They divided into small groups and all got through the city undetected.
"Potential enemies notwithstanding, quarreling and contention within the camp became its most vexing problem..." (Church History in the Fulness of Times, p. 141-145)
The following are some notes on the bickering and fighting that occurred within the camp: