Be sure to check out the December 2009 Ensign, which has a wonderful article by BYU professor George S. Tate on President Joseph F. Smith, his intimate acquaintance with death, the catastrophic loss of life in World War I and the Spanish Influenza, and the great vision of the redemption of the dead. It is a wonderful complement to the very first entry in this blog, with additional details on the family deaths, and some beautifully poetic journal entries President Smith wrote in his loss. It also tells us that just before the pandemic mysteriously waned in January of 1919 and then disappeared (with just a brief resurgence the following spring), the Church leaders had designated December 22 as a day of fasting "for the arrest and speedy suppression by Divine Power of the desolating scourge that is passing over the earth."
George S. Tate, "I Saw the Hosts of the Dead," Ensign, December 2009, p. 54-59
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Doctrine and Covenants Lesson #46 Zion: The Pure in Heart
(D&C 57:1-3; 64:33-43; 97:8-28; 105:1-12; Moses 7:12-19,61-63,68-69; Article of Faith 10; OH p. 37-38,145-146)
"If ye are not one, ye are not mine" (D&C 38:27).
One thing I have struggled with over my life, as you probably have as well, is being one with others. It's a common, almost universal, problem among anyone over the age of six. The natural man wants to be an enemy, to compare himself to others, to criticize others if they are different, to be intimidated by others if they seem better than him, to be annoyed by others if they don't meet his specifications, to put others down in an effort to build himself up. We all do this. But it doesn't solve any problems or make any situation better. It creates feelings of enmity, however small the act or thought. It turns us away from Zion.
As I have battled this tendency of the natural man, and tried to be one with others, I have noticed a wonderful side effect: Life is a lot more fun when you genuinely like other people!
Imagine going to a party where all the guests are your best friends. You know it's going to be a fun time, you are going to feel relaxed and happy, and the time is going to fly. Now imagine going to a party where all the guests are people you can't stand. It's miserable and you can't wait to get out of there. But the irony is that we choose what kind of party our life is. We choose whether we consider people friends or foes by our reactions to them. It's entirely up to us.
Most of us reserve some particular neighbors, relatives, ward members, or a whole category of people as our irritants. Criticizing others feels satisfying; it can even become a hobby. It's hard to give it up. Comparing ourselves to others feels gratifyiing if we put them down to build ourselves up. Noticing a fault in someone that they seem clueless about makes us feel smarter than them. Sometimes it seems like it would be completely impossible to not be annoyed by some other person--we rationalize that anyone would be annoyed by such behavior. These various attitudes of enmity create a feeling of superiority and it kind of feels good. But it is a lie, because we are not superior.
Comparing ourselves to others feels noble, if it results in our putting ourselves down. But this is not humility. It's just enmity again, with ourselves as the focus this time. Comparison usually leads to depression, to despair. And "despair cometh because of iniquity" (Moroni 10:22). It is another lie, because we are not inferior.
Despite the immediately gratifying feelings enmity brings, it never feels as good as genuinely liking others, despite their faults, their virtues, or their personal quirks. "God is no respecter of persons" (Acts 10:43), and neither should we be. Every single person ever born on this earth is a child of God, equal to you and me, even our relatives and coworkers. There is no way we can ever understand what made each person the way he is, so there is no possibility of fair judgment on our part. But giving everyone the benefit of the doubt, assuming that they have a good reason for how they are, being confident that they are doing the best with what they have, and celebrating their uniqueness can bring us great joy in our unlimited friendships. We can be confident in any social situation if we bring love to the table. Every encounter is more enjoyable when love is the dominant factor in our attitude, even if the other person has a different attitude. Considering ourselves on the same team with every other child of God, partly responsible for their salvation and their earthly welfare, doubles our joys and divides our sorrows. And besides that, it's the truth.
We need to pay close attention to our reactions to others; they will guide us as to how we can achieve more unity. We can tell if we feel a "wall" go up between ourselves and another person. We feel an instant hardness inside. It's a physical sensation. That's a warning that our attitude is one of enmity. We need to let love soften and dissolve that wall so that we can be kinsmen, countrymen and "fellowcitizens with the saints." That is the way to find enjoyment in every relationship. That is the way to find peace in life. That is the way to find Zion.
"If ye are not one, ye are not mine" (D&C 38:27).
One thing I have struggled with over my life, as you probably have as well, is being one with others. It's a common, almost universal, problem among anyone over the age of six. The natural man wants to be an enemy, to compare himself to others, to criticize others if they are different, to be intimidated by others if they seem better than him, to be annoyed by others if they don't meet his specifications, to put others down in an effort to build himself up. We all do this. But it doesn't solve any problems or make any situation better. It creates feelings of enmity, however small the act or thought. It turns us away from Zion.
As I have battled this tendency of the natural man, and tried to be one with others, I have noticed a wonderful side effect: Life is a lot more fun when you genuinely like other people!
Imagine going to a party where all the guests are your best friends. You know it's going to be a fun time, you are going to feel relaxed and happy, and the time is going to fly. Now imagine going to a party where all the guests are people you can't stand. It's miserable and you can't wait to get out of there. But the irony is that we choose what kind of party our life is. We choose whether we consider people friends or foes by our reactions to them. It's entirely up to us.
Most of us reserve some particular neighbors, relatives, ward members, or a whole category of people as our irritants. Criticizing others feels satisfying; it can even become a hobby. It's hard to give it up. Comparing ourselves to others feels gratifyiing if we put them down to build ourselves up. Noticing a fault in someone that they seem clueless about makes us feel smarter than them. Sometimes it seems like it would be completely impossible to not be annoyed by some other person--we rationalize that anyone would be annoyed by such behavior. These various attitudes of enmity create a feeling of superiority and it kind of feels good. But it is a lie, because we are not superior.
Comparing ourselves to others feels noble, if it results in our putting ourselves down. But this is not humility. It's just enmity again, with ourselves as the focus this time. Comparison usually leads to depression, to despair. And "despair cometh because of iniquity" (Moroni 10:22). It is another lie, because we are not inferior.
Despite the immediately gratifying feelings enmity brings, it never feels as good as genuinely liking others, despite their faults, their virtues, or their personal quirks. "God is no respecter of persons" (Acts 10:43), and neither should we be. Every single person ever born on this earth is a child of God, equal to you and me, even our relatives and coworkers. There is no way we can ever understand what made each person the way he is, so there is no possibility of fair judgment on our part. But giving everyone the benefit of the doubt, assuming that they have a good reason for how they are, being confident that they are doing the best with what they have, and celebrating their uniqueness can bring us great joy in our unlimited friendships. We can be confident in any social situation if we bring love to the table. Every encounter is more enjoyable when love is the dominant factor in our attitude, even if the other person has a different attitude. Considering ourselves on the same team with every other child of God, partly responsible for their salvation and their earthly welfare, doubles our joys and divides our sorrows. And besides that, it's the truth.
We need to pay close attention to our reactions to others; they will guide us as to how we can achieve more unity. We can tell if we feel a "wall" go up between ourselves and another person. We feel an instant hardness inside. It's a physical sensation. That's a warning that our attitude is one of enmity. We need to let love soften and dissolve that wall so that we can be kinsmen, countrymen and "fellowcitizens with the saints." That is the way to find enjoyment in every relationship. That is the way to find peace in life. That is the way to find Zion.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Doctrine and Covenants Lesson #45 The Family is Ordained of God
(The Family: A Proclamation to the World)
"Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children...Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations" (The Family: A Proclamation to the World).
Of course, this responsibility to teach our children to joyfully live the gospel is more easily said than done. Each one of our children is different than any other child who has ever lived. The circumstances of every person's life is different than every other person's life. The variety of situations we can come across in raising a single child is staggering. There is no parenting manual that can cover every contingency, so how do we get it right? There is only one way: We must be in constant touch with the Spirit of the Lord. The Lord knows our children, and can tell us exactly how to deal with every situation.
"And now, verily, verily, I say unto thee, put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good—yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously; and this is my Spirit. Verily, verily, I say unto you, I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy; And then shall ye know, or by this shall you know, all things whatsoever you desire of me, which are pertaining unto things of righteousness, in faith believing in me that you shall receive" (D&C 11:12-13).
To be able to yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, we must have faith (1 Nephi 10:17), and hope (Romans 15:13), and charity (Mosiah 3:19). In turn, as we heed the Holy Ghost, he will give us more of these three qualities (Mosiah 3:19). Faith, hope, and charity and the guidance of the Holy Ghost will lead us and our families to Eternal Life (Ether 12:28; Moroni 10:21-21).
THE PROBLEM WITH PERFECTIONISM
During his mortal ministry, Jesus said, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matt. 5:48). After his resurrection, he said, "Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect" (3 Nephi 12:48). Of course, the implication here is huge. Even Jesus, who committed no sin, was not perfected in this earthly life.
Why is it important to know this? Because giving up the illusion that perfection is possible in earthly life allows us to be patient, and that attribute is absolutely necessary for the exercise of faith, hope, and charity, and for our eventual perfection. "But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing" (James 1:4).
GIVING UP PERFECTIONISM BUILDS OUR FAITH
If everything in life went as we expected, as we thought was fair, we would never have need to exercise faith. Conversely, understanding the truth that this life is not going to be perfect, fair, or logical (to our minds), means we won't react with shock and disappointment when something unpleasant happens. Instead we can remember that this unwanted circumstance is an opportunity to trust in the Lord. "We can grow in faith only if we are willing to wait patiently for God's purposes and patterns to unfold in our lives, on His timetable" (Elder Robert C. Oaks, "The Power of Patience," October 2006 General Conference).
In our family, this principle was most powerfully taught to us as we tried to adopt a child from Russia. The short version is that after my husband had spent several years working on a joint U.S./Russian project, we felt powerfully guided by the Lord to go to Russia and look for a four-year-old girl to join our family. The first adoption we attempted became "stuck" as, before the paperwork went through, the child's birthmother decided to try to come back to her daughter after she was released from prison. We were bewildered as we felt the Lord had guided our steps, and now we were at a stalemate. As we continued to ask the Lord what to do, and as the opportunity to adopt other children became available, the answer to our prayers for a year and a half was always the same: "Just continue in the same direction." Then our facilitator emigrated to America, leaving us high and dry without any connection in Krasnodar. This was a great trial to our faith.
But suddenly, a different path opened up: Through an on-line adoption support group, I found a new facilitator in Krasnodar, who immediately took up our case, looked into the situation, and then sadly told us it was hopeless. "But," he wrote in an e-mail, "it is my experience that when this happens, it means God has another child for you." These words went straight to our hearts as truth, and we knew it was finally time to let the first child go. A few days later, we received an e-mail with five photographs of a beautiful little four-year-old girl, with a melancholy expression, who was available for immediate adoption. The first photograph made my heart skip a beat. I felt it was the Spirit telling me, "This is your child." Our facilitator had chosen this child because she looked like the first one. The Department of Education let us easily adopt her despite their opposition to our large family, because the previous administration had already approved us. They believed we were sincere, because we had waited two years without giving up. They were impressed that we were able to speak some Russian, which the two-year wait had allowed us to learn. In addition, the long delay allowed me to study and learn a great deal about foreign and older child adoption and attachment, which was immensely helpful in our daughter's successful integration into American family life. She even fit every article of clothing I had purchased or made for the first child two years before. And there is also the possibility, although we will probably never know, that our persistence in trying to adopt the first child may have actually cleaned up her birthmother's life and reunited the two of them.
The first photo we saw of our daughter.
GIVING UP PERFECTIONISM INCREASES OUR HOPE
"...Neither can ye be saved in the kingdom of God if ye have not faith; neither can ye if ye have no hope. And if ye have no hope ye must needs be in despair; and despair cometh because of iniquity" (Moroni 10:21-22). Hope is so important a principle that failing to exercise it is "iniquity!" When we expect perfection, it is easy to give in to despair, because somewhere along the way things will go wrong, at least according to our plan. Then we find ourselves breaking the Savior's commandment to "be of good cheer" and that iniquity brings us to despair (D&C 78:18). But we can "inherit the promises" when we exercise the "full assurance of hope unto the end" (Hebrews 6:11-12).
"Hope we have as an achor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec" (Hebrews 6:20). Inasmuch as Jesus was made perfect beyond the veil in the next life, his Atonement makes it possible to hope that our families may also be perfected there.
GIVING UP PERFECTIONISM ALLOWS US TO FREELY LOVE
"No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering [elements of patience], by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; by kindness [elements of charity], and pure knowledge [the guidance of the Holy Spirit], which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile...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..." (D&C 121:41, 45, italics added).
In order to lead others, it is necessary for us to be patient with others, to love them deeply, and to be guided by the Spirit. We are commanded to exercise this kind of patience and love towards all of our family members, not just to those who are presently following the gospel plan (the household of faith). Love is not just the method that ought to be employed in order to influence others; it is the only way we can influence others.
As we look around us, we can see evidence that God loves each person, regardless of where they stand in life and in gospel understanding, and He extends His tender mercies to them. Despite being perfect Himself, He is infinitely patient with His imperfect children, and will keep the way open for them to come closer to Him. Every step, however small, that a person makes toward God will be rewarded by Him, and another step will be encouraged. Though our progress may be slow, He continues His offer to lead us along, to the last day of our lives on this earth. "The scriptures warn us, 'Do not procrastinate the day of your repentance.' But, in this life, it is never too late to repent" (Elder Neil L. Anderson, "Repent...That I May Heal You," October 2009 General Conference).
IMPERFECTION BLESSES US
It is an ironic gospel truth that the perfect condition for this mortal existence is imperfection.
The fallen state of this earth and its inhabitants allows us the perfect opportunity to grow in faith, hope and charity, and to rely upon the influence of the Holy Ghost. As we do so, we will be lead with our families safely to exaltation if we "continue in patience until [we] are perfected" (D&C 67:13). For "God...will render to every man according to his deeds: to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life" (Romans 2:5-7).
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Doctrine and Covenants Lesson #44 "Being Good Citizens"
(D&C 58:21-22,26-28; 98:4-10; 134; Article of Faith 12; OH p. 133-134)
It would be hard to find a better example of good citizens than Pat and Clyde Braegger. Pat and Clyde lived one block from my home in Providence, Utah when I was growing up. During the time when Providence City changed from being a small agricultural town to becoming a bedroom community for employees of large corporations, a lot of conflict developed between the different factions. Subdivisions were cropping up with no zoning guidelines. The city officials came under attack of a grand jury. (Later the charges were dropped.) Nasty letters were written to the newspaper and to the city government.
At this time, my neighbor, Clyde, was approached and asked to run for mayor. Nothing had been further from his mind. He had never been to a city council meeting. His wife, Pat, quipped that she would divorce him if he did. Both were very opposed to getting involved in the hotbed of conflict in the community. But the question was posed to Clyde, "Providence has been good to you. What have you ever done for Providence?"
So Clyde decided to run. He won, and he did a great job as mayor. People got angry at him. He got anonymous letters. But he worked well with the various factions, he was honest and upfront, and he was smart. He felt effective enough that he ran for a second term and got it. Many of the issues were resolved. Providence experienced a 63% growth in population fairly graciously. A new city office and two city parks were built using grants and donations. One of them, Zollinger Park, was furnished with 125 trees purchased and planted together by families of the community. The Braeggers formed close friendships with the other mayoring couples of the valley and enjoyed a lot of the aspects of their tenure.
Years later, after Clyde died, Pat ran as mayor, and served for several years.
It adds a little to the story to know that Pat and Clyde were both polio victims. Clyde was paralyzed from the waist down as an infant and had never walked in his life. He had a wheelchair, a rollerskate he sat on to get around the house and yard, and a modified car. Pat was paralyzed at the age of 16 from the neck down, but with some use of one arm. She was confined to a motorized wheelchair, needed a lift to get in and out of bed, and had frequent lung problems. She could not even comb her own hair; her neighbor across the street did it for her every morning. Most people with such physical challenges would not expect to become public servants, but to be served by the public. Such was not the case with Pat and Clyde, however. They necessarily received much service from others, but they always gave back more.
D&C 58:27 "Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness."
Sources: Personal knowledge; Pat Johnson Braegger, Clyde, pp. 91-99; Pat Braegger and Marie Olson, "They Said It Couldn't Be Done," Ensign, January 1984.
It would be hard to find a better example of good citizens than Pat and Clyde Braegger. Pat and Clyde lived one block from my home in Providence, Utah when I was growing up. During the time when Providence City changed from being a small agricultural town to becoming a bedroom community for employees of large corporations, a lot of conflict developed between the different factions. Subdivisions were cropping up with no zoning guidelines. The city officials came under attack of a grand jury. (Later the charges were dropped.) Nasty letters were written to the newspaper and to the city government.
At this time, my neighbor, Clyde, was approached and asked to run for mayor. Nothing had been further from his mind. He had never been to a city council meeting. His wife, Pat, quipped that she would divorce him if he did. Both were very opposed to getting involved in the hotbed of conflict in the community. But the question was posed to Clyde, "Providence has been good to you. What have you ever done for Providence?"
So Clyde decided to run. He won, and he did a great job as mayor. People got angry at him. He got anonymous letters. But he worked well with the various factions, he was honest and upfront, and he was smart. He felt effective enough that he ran for a second term and got it. Many of the issues were resolved. Providence experienced a 63% growth in population fairly graciously. A new city office and two city parks were built using grants and donations. One of them, Zollinger Park, was furnished with 125 trees purchased and planted together by families of the community. The Braeggers formed close friendships with the other mayoring couples of the valley and enjoyed a lot of the aspects of their tenure.
Years later, after Clyde died, Pat ran as mayor, and served for several years.
It adds a little to the story to know that Pat and Clyde were both polio victims. Clyde was paralyzed from the waist down as an infant and had never walked in his life. He had a wheelchair, a rollerskate he sat on to get around the house and yard, and a modified car. Pat was paralyzed at the age of 16 from the neck down, but with some use of one arm. She was confined to a motorized wheelchair, needed a lift to get in and out of bed, and had frequent lung problems. She could not even comb her own hair; her neighbor across the street did it for her every morning. Most people with such physical challenges would not expect to become public servants, but to be served by the public. Such was not the case with Pat and Clyde, however. They necessarily received much service from others, but they always gave back more.
D&C 58:27 "Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness."
Sources: Personal knowledge; Pat Johnson Braegger, Clyde, pp. 91-99; Pat Braegger and Marie Olson, "They Said It Couldn't Be Done," Ensign, January 1984.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Doctrine and Covenants Lesson #43 "Take Upon You My Whole Armour"
THE ARMOUR OF GOD
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
(Ephesians 6:11-17)
THE ARMOUR OF MORONI
...Moroni, had prepared his people with breastplates and with arm–shields, yea, and also shields to defend their heads, and also they were dressed with thick clothing--
Now the army of Zerahemnah was not prepared with any such thing; they had only their swords and their cimeters, their bows and their arrows, their stones and their slings; and they were naked, save it were a skin which was girded about their loins; yea, all were naked, save it were the Zoramites and the Amalekites;
But they were not armed with breastplates, nor shields—therefore, they were exceedingly afraid of the armies of the Nephites because of their armor, notwithstanding their number being so much greater than the Nephites.
(Alma 43:19-21)
Just as Moroni outfitted his soldiers with armour which Zerahemnah's army did not have, we as Christian Soldiers have armour that Satan and his troops do not have. It doesn't matter if there are less in the Army of God; the armour makes each member much less vulnerable and much more able in battle than the soldiers of Satan. With the Armour of God, we are certain to win.
LOINS GIRT ABOUT WITH TRUTH
The loins were considered the seat of the emotions and passions in Biblical times. Jesus said things such as, "My bowels are filled with compassion toward you." (See, for example, 3 Nephi 17:6.) The reproductive organs are also in the loins. The human passions and emotions can be protected from sin and error by being "girt about with truth," which is a knowledge of things as they were, as they are, and as they will be (D&C 93:24). Truth gives us the ability and the perspective to make virtuous and compassionate choices. "Girding up your loins" was the action of pulling up the long robe to make a shorter skirt and tying it around the waist, converting the attire to make it suitable for work or battle. Therefore, it implies action, not just squelching passion or remaining innocent. We must use our passions and our emotions to reach out virtuously and compassionately, to do the work of the Lord in service to others, and to act in ways of truth. "But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God" (John 3:21).
THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
The heart, in Biblical times, refered to thoughts and motives: "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God" (Matt. 5:8). "Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart" (Matt. 5:28). "And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?" (Matt. 9:4) "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts" (Matt. 15:19). The protection for the heart, or in other words, the thoughts and motives, is the breastplate of righteousness. Paul defined righteousness very specifically for us, when in his Epistle to the Thessalonians he refered to this breastplate of righteousness as "the breastplate faith and love" (1 Thess. 5:8). This aligns perfectly with the two great commandments, to love God and to love our neighbor (Matt. 22:36-39). Our motives will always be correct if they are based on faith in God and love for him and for others. They will always be incorrect if they are based on anything else.
FEET SHOD WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE
The feet symbolize our foundation, and also our motion. If our feet are shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, there is neither a better foundation, nor a better direction. "And this is my gospel—repentance and baptism by water, and then cometh the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost, even the Comforter, which showeth all things, and teacheth the peaceable things of the kingdom" (D&C 39:6). With the purity provided by the Atonement through repentance, the covenant of baptism, and the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, our foundation is sure, and as long as we continue to repent, continue to keep our covenants, and continue to listen to the Holy Ghost, nothing will be able to shake us from our firm stand, and we will always be moving in a heavenward direction.
THE HELMET OF SALVATION
The helmet of salvation protects the head, of course. If the heart, in Biblical times, was the center of thought, what would the head be? One interpretation might be that it is the center of receiving direction from others (the ears), providing direction and focus to the rest of the body (the eyes), and giving direction to others (the mouth). If we are wearing the helmet of salvation, we are going to be attuned to the voice of the Lord, and we are going to have the things of eternity, or our salvation, as our priority and our direction in all that we do. Eight times the Savior said, "He who hath ears to hear, let him hear," as he preached his gospel. He also said, "And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things" (D&C 88:67). Having ears to hear the Lord, and eyes single to his glory, our words will be as the words of the Lord. "If ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels" (2 Nephi 31:13).
THE SHIELD OF FAITH
As an active defensive measure, we have the shield of faith. A shield can protect any one of the other body parts, as an attack is waged against it. The greater our faith, the larger and thicker the shield of protection against the wiles of the devil. A shield requires active use, however; it is not simply a force field. We must watch for the fiery darts, and block them with our faith. Hard trials may come upon us, injustices may be done to us, or doubts may be inflicted upon our beliefs. We must actively call upon our faith to endure the challenges, be healed from the hurts, or outlast the doubts.
THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT
Lastly we have the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. The sword is the only weapon needed in the battle against evil. It is the only article of the Armour of God to be used in the offense; its purpose is not just to defend or protect, but to conquer. "And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God" (Alma 31:5). The preaching of the Word was very effective for Ammon and the Sons of Mosiah, and brought many Lamanites to become converts to the Church and friends of the Nephites. "They did lay down the weapons of their rebellion, that they did not fight against God any more, neither against any of their brethren" (Alma 23:7). The sword of the Spirit can also be effective for us against our enemies, if we use it in harmony with the breastplate of faith and love, as did Ammon with his benelovent service to the King of the Lamanites.
SOLDIERS OF CHRIST
Every bit of the Armour of God pertains directly to Jesus Christ and his Atonement, and is employed only through his grace. The words of Alma the Younger to his son, Shiblon: "And now, my son, I have told you this that ye may learn wisdom, that ye may learn of me that there is no other way or means whereby man can be saved, only in and through Christ. Behold, he is the life and the light of the world. Behold, he is the word of truth and righteousness" (Alma 38:9).
(For Elder Harold B. Lee's interpretation of the armour of God [some elements of which were included here], see http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=690&tid=2, or the LDS Institute manual, The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles, p. 352-353.)
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
(Ephesians 6:11-17)
THE ARMOUR OF MORONI
...Moroni, had prepared his people with breastplates and with arm–shields, yea, and also shields to defend their heads, and also they were dressed with thick clothing--
Now the army of Zerahemnah was not prepared with any such thing; they had only their swords and their cimeters, their bows and their arrows, their stones and their slings; and they were naked, save it were a skin which was girded about their loins; yea, all were naked, save it were the Zoramites and the Amalekites;
But they were not armed with breastplates, nor shields—therefore, they were exceedingly afraid of the armies of the Nephites because of their armor, notwithstanding their number being so much greater than the Nephites.
(Alma 43:19-21)
Just as Moroni outfitted his soldiers with armour which Zerahemnah's army did not have, we as Christian Soldiers have armour that Satan and his troops do not have. It doesn't matter if there are less in the Army of God; the armour makes each member much less vulnerable and much more able in battle than the soldiers of Satan. With the Armour of God, we are certain to win.
LOINS GIRT ABOUT WITH TRUTH
The loins were considered the seat of the emotions and passions in Biblical times. Jesus said things such as, "My bowels are filled with compassion toward you." (See, for example, 3 Nephi 17:6.) The reproductive organs are also in the loins. The human passions and emotions can be protected from sin and error by being "girt about with truth," which is a knowledge of things as they were, as they are, and as they will be (D&C 93:24). Truth gives us the ability and the perspective to make virtuous and compassionate choices. "Girding up your loins" was the action of pulling up the long robe to make a shorter skirt and tying it around the waist, converting the attire to make it suitable for work or battle. Therefore, it implies action, not just squelching passion or remaining innocent. We must use our passions and our emotions to reach out virtuously and compassionately, to do the work of the Lord in service to others, and to act in ways of truth. "But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God" (John 3:21).
THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
The heart, in Biblical times, refered to thoughts and motives: "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God" (Matt. 5:8). "Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart" (Matt. 5:28). "And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?" (Matt. 9:4) "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts" (Matt. 15:19). The protection for the heart, or in other words, the thoughts and motives, is the breastplate of righteousness. Paul defined righteousness very specifically for us, when in his Epistle to the Thessalonians he refered to this breastplate of righteousness as "the breastplate faith and love" (1 Thess. 5:8). This aligns perfectly with the two great commandments, to love God and to love our neighbor (Matt. 22:36-39). Our motives will always be correct if they are based on faith in God and love for him and for others. They will always be incorrect if they are based on anything else.
FEET SHOD WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE
The feet symbolize our foundation, and also our motion. If our feet are shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, there is neither a better foundation, nor a better direction. "And this is my gospel—repentance and baptism by water, and then cometh the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost, even the Comforter, which showeth all things, and teacheth the peaceable things of the kingdom" (D&C 39:6). With the purity provided by the Atonement through repentance, the covenant of baptism, and the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, our foundation is sure, and as long as we continue to repent, continue to keep our covenants, and continue to listen to the Holy Ghost, nothing will be able to shake us from our firm stand, and we will always be moving in a heavenward direction.
THE HELMET OF SALVATION
The helmet of salvation protects the head, of course. If the heart, in Biblical times, was the center of thought, what would the head be? One interpretation might be that it is the center of receiving direction from others (the ears), providing direction and focus to the rest of the body (the eyes), and giving direction to others (the mouth). If we are wearing the helmet of salvation, we are going to be attuned to the voice of the Lord, and we are going to have the things of eternity, or our salvation, as our priority and our direction in all that we do. Eight times the Savior said, "He who hath ears to hear, let him hear," as he preached his gospel. He also said, "And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things" (D&C 88:67). Having ears to hear the Lord, and eyes single to his glory, our words will be as the words of the Lord. "If ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels" (2 Nephi 31:13).
THE SHIELD OF FAITH
As an active defensive measure, we have the shield of faith. A shield can protect any one of the other body parts, as an attack is waged against it. The greater our faith, the larger and thicker the shield of protection against the wiles of the devil. A shield requires active use, however; it is not simply a force field. We must watch for the fiery darts, and block them with our faith. Hard trials may come upon us, injustices may be done to us, or doubts may be inflicted upon our beliefs. We must actively call upon our faith to endure the challenges, be healed from the hurts, or outlast the doubts.
THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT
Lastly we have the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. The sword is the only weapon needed in the battle against evil. It is the only article of the Armour of God to be used in the offense; its purpose is not just to defend or protect, but to conquer. "And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God" (Alma 31:5). The preaching of the Word was very effective for Ammon and the Sons of Mosiah, and brought many Lamanites to become converts to the Church and friends of the Nephites. "They did lay down the weapons of their rebellion, that they did not fight against God any more, neither against any of their brethren" (Alma 23:7). The sword of the Spirit can also be effective for us against our enemies, if we use it in harmony with the breastplate of faith and love, as did Ammon with his benelovent service to the King of the Lamanites.
SOLDIERS OF CHRIST
Every bit of the Armour of God pertains directly to Jesus Christ and his Atonement, and is employed only through his grace. The words of Alma the Younger to his son, Shiblon: "And now, my son, I have told you this that ye may learn wisdom, that ye may learn of me that there is no other way or means whereby man can be saved, only in and through Christ. Behold, he is the life and the light of the world. Behold, he is the word of truth and righteousness" (Alma 38:9).
(For Elder Harold B. Lee's interpretation of the armour of God [some elements of which were included here], see http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=690&tid=2, or the LDS Institute manual, The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles, p. 352-353.)
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Doctrine and Covenants Lesson #42 Continuing Revelation
(D&C 1:38; 68:1-4; 84:109-110; 107:25,34,93-98; 132:8; OD 2; OH p. 117-119; 125-127)
THE REVELATION ON THE PRIESTHOOD
June 8, 1978 a joyous letter was sent to all the local Church leaders throughout the world stating that "the long-promised day has come when every faithful, worthy man in the Church may receive the holy priesthood, with power to exercise its divine authority, and enjoy with his loved ones every blessing that flows therefrom, including the blessings of the temple" (Official Declaration--2). Thus ended the 140-year era when the policies of the Church withheld the blessings of the priesthood from the Blacks.
Not many people know, however, that there was a very brief time period at the beginning of the Restoration, when the priesthood was denied to no man. Why did that policy of exclusivity arise, and why did it take so long for it to come full circle and allow Blacks the priesthood again?
THE FIRST BLACK PRIESTHOOD HOLDER--ELIJAH ABEL (1810-1884)
"A black skin may cover as white a heart as any other skin, and the black hand may be as neat and clean as the white one, and all the trouble arises from want of familiarity with the two." --Willard Richards, 1838
Elijah Abel was a free Black man who was baptized by Ezekiel Roberts in 1832, just two years after the Church was organized. He was ordained an elder on March 3, 1836, and a member of the Third Quorum of the Seventy within the year. Elder Abel moved with the Saints from Kirtland to Nauvoo and was a friend to the Smith family, being one of seven elders sent to rescue the Prophet Joseph when he was arrested in Quincy, receiving a patriarchal blessing from Joseph Smith, Sr., and visiting Father Smith on his deathbed. He was a member of the Kirtland Safety Society; he helped build the Nauvoo Temple and the Salt Lake Temple; and he served three full-time missions, first in the 1830's, then in the 1840's, and the last in 1884, when he was 74 years old. He returned home from that last mission early because of illness, and he died on Christmas Day.
THE CULTURAL DIFFICULTIES PREVENTING EQUALITY
In 1832 when Elijah Abel joined the Church, both he and Joseph Smith may have been capable of understanding the concept that all men were created equal, that, as the Book of Mormon says, Christ "denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female" (2 Ne. 26:33). But the rest of the world was not ready. Trouble arose. It quite soon became apparent that the social climate in America did not allow for this kind of equality. Elder Abel, in his position of priesthood authority, chastised some white women in 1843 and they were appalled and affronted. This was a potentially dangerous situation 100 years before the Civil Rights Movement. In consequence, the Brethren decided to limit Brother Abel's ministry to those of his own race, and segregated the Cincinnati congregation where he lived. Elijah obeyed humbly, and continued to serve in that limited capacity. Later he moved to Salt Lake City. Although he was able to do some baptisms for the dead, Elder Abel's requests to receive his endowments in the temple were denied by several consecutive Church Presidents.
THE LAND OF THE FREE (WHITE MEN)
The gospel was restored in the place best prepared for it: The United States of America, the most religiously free country in the world. But it was a country that still practiced slavery. In the very early days of the Church, when Elijah Abel was ordained, this wasn't a big problem. Only a handful of Blacks lived in Kirtland, and Ohio was a free state. But when the Saints moved to the regions in and around Missouri, Black Church membership was a very touchy situation. Slavery was legal, and Joseph Smith's Articles of Faith stated that "we believe in honoring and sustaining the law." How does a slave join the Church, obey the Prophet, and gather with the Saints without becoming a runaway, in danger of the death penalty? Sometimes Joseph Smith solved the dilemma by buying the slave's freedom, but that couldn't always work. Surprisingly, moving the Saints to Utah did not eliminate the problem, just changed it a bit.
JOHN BROWN AND THE MISSISSIPPI SAINTS
In 1846, John Brown, a missionary to the Southern states, following the Prophet's orders, emigrated a group of 14 convert families west to join with the Saints. Yes, that date of 1846 is correct: due to lack of communication, John Brown's Mississippi saints actually went as far as present-day Colorado the year before Brigham Young and the vanguard group left Winter Quarters. When it was discovered that the rest of the Saints had wintered over in Nebraska, the Southern saints waited out the winter at a fort, and in 1847, they met up with Brigham Young's wagon train, and finished the rest of the journey to the Salt Lake Valley. And here was the challenge: These 14 families were slaveholders from Mississippi and brought their slaves with them. From day one, there were slaves in Salt Lake City.
Feb. 15, 1851, Elder Orson Hyde addressed the subject in The Millennial Star: "We feel it to be our duty to define our position in relation to the subject of slavery. There are several men in the Valley of the Salt Lake from the Southern States who have their slaves with them. There is no law in Utah to authorize slavery, neither any to prohibit it. If the slave is disposed to leave his master, no power exists there, either legal or moral, that will prevent him. But if the slave chooses to remain with his master, none are allowed to interfere between the master and the slave."
JOHN BANKHEAD
John Bankhead was a slaveholding Southern plantation owner who tried to teach his slaves to be self-sufficient. He provided each family with their own little home, a garden plot and farming equipment. He got medical care for them when needed. If one of his slaves wanted to marry a slave from another plantation, he either bought the mate or sold his slave so they could be united.
John Bankhead joined the Church, moved west with his slaves, and settled in--believe it or not--Wellsville, Utah. His slaves were provided for and looked after. Following the Civil War, he had to force some of his more loyal slaves to leave his service and accept their liberty. "Now the war is over," he said. "You must be free men." He set them up, and offered to help them in any way they needed. They, in turn, promised that they would defend him to the death.
Many years passed, as the Lord influenced people and nations to change the culture of inequality, in order to make it possible for everyone everywhere to partake freely of the full blessings of the gospel.
CONVERTS IN BLACK AFRICA
In 1965 Anthony Obinna, a Black Nigerian schoolteacher and convert to Christianity, had a remarkable dream in which a man showed him the rooms inside a beautiful building. In 1971 he saw a picture of the Salt Lake Temple in the Reader's Digest magazine and recognized it as the building from his dream. He wrote to the Church for literature, read it prayerfully, and gained a testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel. Then he began writing letters, asking for baptism for himself and a congregation of believers he had taught, including his own family. There were hundreds of non-baptized Latter-day Saints meeting in other various groups in Ghana and Nigeria as well, brought to the knowledge of the gospel by the Spirit in various ways. Petitions from these saints came before President Spencer W. Kimball and weighed heavily upon his mind. As had been previously evident in the South African Mission, the Church's growth and direction would not be possible if local members could not provide priesthood leadership. In South Africa, President McKay had revised the policy from requiring potential priesthood holders to prove themselves free of Black ancestry, to allowing ordination unless there was proof that there was a Black ancestor. In Nigeria and Ghana, there was no doubt the unbaptized saints were completely Black.
President Kimball and the Brethren studied and considered what should be done for many months. He reported, "I prayed with much fervency. I knew that something was before us that was extremely important to many of the children of God. I knew that we could receive the revelations of the Lord only by being worthy and ready for them and ready to accept them and put them into place. Day after day I went alone and with great solemnity and seriousness in the upper rooms of the temple, and there I offered my soul and offered my efforts to go forward with the program. I wanted to do what he wanted."
Finally, the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve met and all expressed their views. They felt an outpouring of the Spirit upon them. They knelt around the altar and prayed, with President Kimball as the voice. Elder Gordon B. Hinckley later recalled, "For me, it felt as if a conduit opened between the heavenly throne and the kneeling, pleading prophet of God who was joined by his Brethren...Every man in that circle, by the power of the Holy Ghost, knew the same thing...Tremendous eternal consequences for millions over the earth are flowing from that manifestation."
Elder Bruce R. McConkie (who had previously published his opinion that the Blacks would not receive the Priesthood until the Millenium) said, "On this occasion, because of the importuning and the faith, and because the hour and the time had arrived, the Lord in his providence poured out the Holy Ghost upon the First Presidency and the Twelve in a miraculous and marvelous manner, beyond anything that any then present had ever experienced." There was no doubt in anyone's mind that the Lord wanted all men to now have every blessing. And opening the temple to the living Blacks also provided for every blessing to their ancestors.
JOY IN AFRICA
Immediately after this revelation was received, three missionary couples were sent to Africa. On November 21, 1978, they baptized Brother Obinna, ordained him to the priesthood, and set him apart as Africa's first Black branch president. He baptized his wife, Fidelia, and set her apart as the first Black Relief Society President. His two brothers were set apart as his counselors. 19 members joined that day, forming the first branch of the Church in which all members were Black.
Within one year these three missionary couples baptized over 1,700 Black Africans.
WHY THE WAIT?
Decades passed between the ordination of Elijah Abel (and a handful of other early Black saints), and the revelation rescinding the policy that had evolved in the Church prohibiting Blacks from the priesthood. Why did the Black members have to wait so long for equal blessings? Let's look carefully at what President Kimball said: "I knew we could receive the revelations of the Lord only by being worthy and ready for them and ready to accept them and put them into place" (emphasis added). The fact that Black people, including slaves, joined the Church and endured to the end during those 130-140 years of being denied blessings is a testament to their faith and their worthiness. Although the Church leadership has never given a reason for the delay, my personal opinion is that it took much longer for the social climate to evolve in the world in which they lived so that the non-Black members of the Church and society as a whole could be "ready to accept it and put it into place."
It took many years for the "want of familiarity with the two" to be alleviated.
But, step by step, it eventually was.
In March 1954, three weeks after his return from a visit to the South African Mission, President David O. McKay stated to Sterling M. McMurrin, "There is not now, and there never has been a doctrine in this Church that the Negroes are under a divine curse...It is a practice, not a doctrine, and the practice will some day be changed." Leonard J. Arrington reported hearing Elder Adam S. Bennion say that President McKay "had pled with the Lord without result and finally concluded the time was not yet ripe."
President Harold B. Lee remarked during a United Press interview, November 16, 1972: "For those who don't believe in modern revelation there is no adequate explanation. Those who do understand revelation stand by and wait until the Lord speaks...It's only a matter of time before the black achieves full status in the Church. We must believe in the justice of God. The black will achieve full status, we're just waiting for that time."
The Lord is patient with his children. He waits and works and influences ideas to change and cultures to evolve in order to bring about His purposes. He touches one person at a time, and eventually moves whole nations. Then He steps outside the constraints of time to make blessings available through vicarious temple ordinances to those who missed them in life. He works everything together perfectly to accomplish His divine plan, despite the faults and ignorance of men, and the persistent efforts of Satan. Sometimes it takes many centuries, as it did for the Restoration of the Gospel. And sometimes it only takes 130 years.
Sources:
Kate B. Carter, Negro Pioneer
THE REVELATION ON THE PRIESTHOOD
June 8, 1978 a joyous letter was sent to all the local Church leaders throughout the world stating that "the long-promised day has come when every faithful, worthy man in the Church may receive the holy priesthood, with power to exercise its divine authority, and enjoy with his loved ones every blessing that flows therefrom, including the blessings of the temple" (Official Declaration--2). Thus ended the 140-year era when the policies of the Church withheld the blessings of the priesthood from the Blacks.
Not many people know, however, that there was a very brief time period at the beginning of the Restoration, when the priesthood was denied to no man. Why did that policy of exclusivity arise, and why did it take so long for it to come full circle and allow Blacks the priesthood again?
THE FIRST BLACK PRIESTHOOD HOLDER--ELIJAH ABEL (1810-1884)
"A black skin may cover as white a heart as any other skin, and the black hand may be as neat and clean as the white one, and all the trouble arises from want of familiarity with the two." --Willard Richards, 1838
Elijah Abel was a free Black man who was baptized by Ezekiel Roberts in 1832, just two years after the Church was organized. He was ordained an elder on March 3, 1836, and a member of the Third Quorum of the Seventy within the year. Elder Abel moved with the Saints from Kirtland to Nauvoo and was a friend to the Smith family, being one of seven elders sent to rescue the Prophet Joseph when he was arrested in Quincy, receiving a patriarchal blessing from Joseph Smith, Sr., and visiting Father Smith on his deathbed. He was a member of the Kirtland Safety Society; he helped build the Nauvoo Temple and the Salt Lake Temple; and he served three full-time missions, first in the 1830's, then in the 1840's, and the last in 1884, when he was 74 years old. He returned home from that last mission early because of illness, and he died on Christmas Day.
THE CULTURAL DIFFICULTIES PREVENTING EQUALITY
In 1832 when Elijah Abel joined the Church, both he and Joseph Smith may have been capable of understanding the concept that all men were created equal, that, as the Book of Mormon says, Christ "denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female" (2 Ne. 26:33). But the rest of the world was not ready. Trouble arose. It quite soon became apparent that the social climate in America did not allow for this kind of equality. Elder Abel, in his position of priesthood authority, chastised some white women in 1843 and they were appalled and affronted. This was a potentially dangerous situation 100 years before the Civil Rights Movement. In consequence, the Brethren decided to limit Brother Abel's ministry to those of his own race, and segregated the Cincinnati congregation where he lived. Elijah obeyed humbly, and continued to serve in that limited capacity. Later he moved to Salt Lake City. Although he was able to do some baptisms for the dead, Elder Abel's requests to receive his endowments in the temple were denied by several consecutive Church Presidents.
THE LAND OF THE FREE (WHITE MEN)
The gospel was restored in the place best prepared for it: The United States of America, the most religiously free country in the world. But it was a country that still practiced slavery. In the very early days of the Church, when Elijah Abel was ordained, this wasn't a big problem. Only a handful of Blacks lived in Kirtland, and Ohio was a free state. But when the Saints moved to the regions in and around Missouri, Black Church membership was a very touchy situation. Slavery was legal, and Joseph Smith's Articles of Faith stated that "we believe in honoring and sustaining the law." How does a slave join the Church, obey the Prophet, and gather with the Saints without becoming a runaway, in danger of the death penalty? Sometimes Joseph Smith solved the dilemma by buying the slave's freedom, but that couldn't always work. Surprisingly, moving the Saints to Utah did not eliminate the problem, just changed it a bit.
JOHN BROWN AND THE MISSISSIPPI SAINTS
In 1846, John Brown, a missionary to the Southern states, following the Prophet's orders, emigrated a group of 14 convert families west to join with the Saints. Yes, that date of 1846 is correct: due to lack of communication, John Brown's Mississippi saints actually went as far as present-day Colorado the year before Brigham Young and the vanguard group left Winter Quarters. When it was discovered that the rest of the Saints had wintered over in Nebraska, the Southern saints waited out the winter at a fort, and in 1847, they met up with Brigham Young's wagon train, and finished the rest of the journey to the Salt Lake Valley. And here was the challenge: These 14 families were slaveholders from Mississippi and brought their slaves with them. From day one, there were slaves in Salt Lake City.
Feb. 15, 1851, Elder Orson Hyde addressed the subject in The Millennial Star: "We feel it to be our duty to define our position in relation to the subject of slavery. There are several men in the Valley of the Salt Lake from the Southern States who have their slaves with them. There is no law in Utah to authorize slavery, neither any to prohibit it. If the slave is disposed to leave his master, no power exists there, either legal or moral, that will prevent him. But if the slave chooses to remain with his master, none are allowed to interfere between the master and the slave."
JOHN BANKHEAD
John Bankhead was a slaveholding Southern plantation owner who tried to teach his slaves to be self-sufficient. He provided each family with their own little home, a garden plot and farming equipment. He got medical care for them when needed. If one of his slaves wanted to marry a slave from another plantation, he either bought the mate or sold his slave so they could be united.
John Bankhead joined the Church, moved west with his slaves, and settled in--believe it or not--Wellsville, Utah. His slaves were provided for and looked after. Following the Civil War, he had to force some of his more loyal slaves to leave his service and accept their liberty. "Now the war is over," he said. "You must be free men." He set them up, and offered to help them in any way they needed. They, in turn, promised that they would defend him to the death.
Many years passed, as the Lord influenced people and nations to change the culture of inequality, in order to make it possible for everyone everywhere to partake freely of the full blessings of the gospel.
CONVERTS IN BLACK AFRICA
In 1965 Anthony Obinna, a Black Nigerian schoolteacher and convert to Christianity, had a remarkable dream in which a man showed him the rooms inside a beautiful building. In 1971 he saw a picture of the Salt Lake Temple in the Reader's Digest magazine and recognized it as the building from his dream. He wrote to the Church for literature, read it prayerfully, and gained a testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel. Then he began writing letters, asking for baptism for himself and a congregation of believers he had taught, including his own family. There were hundreds of non-baptized Latter-day Saints meeting in other various groups in Ghana and Nigeria as well, brought to the knowledge of the gospel by the Spirit in various ways. Petitions from these saints came before President Spencer W. Kimball and weighed heavily upon his mind. As had been previously evident in the South African Mission, the Church's growth and direction would not be possible if local members could not provide priesthood leadership. In South Africa, President McKay had revised the policy from requiring potential priesthood holders to prove themselves free of Black ancestry, to allowing ordination unless there was proof that there was a Black ancestor. In Nigeria and Ghana, there was no doubt the unbaptized saints were completely Black.
President Kimball and the Brethren studied and considered what should be done for many months. He reported, "I prayed with much fervency. I knew that something was before us that was extremely important to many of the children of God. I knew that we could receive the revelations of the Lord only by being worthy and ready for them and ready to accept them and put them into place. Day after day I went alone and with great solemnity and seriousness in the upper rooms of the temple, and there I offered my soul and offered my efforts to go forward with the program. I wanted to do what he wanted."
Finally, the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve met and all expressed their views. They felt an outpouring of the Spirit upon them. They knelt around the altar and prayed, with President Kimball as the voice. Elder Gordon B. Hinckley later recalled, "For me, it felt as if a conduit opened between the heavenly throne and the kneeling, pleading prophet of God who was joined by his Brethren...Every man in that circle, by the power of the Holy Ghost, knew the same thing...Tremendous eternal consequences for millions over the earth are flowing from that manifestation."
Elder Bruce R. McConkie (who had previously published his opinion that the Blacks would not receive the Priesthood until the Millenium) said, "On this occasion, because of the importuning and the faith, and because the hour and the time had arrived, the Lord in his providence poured out the Holy Ghost upon the First Presidency and the Twelve in a miraculous and marvelous manner, beyond anything that any then present had ever experienced." There was no doubt in anyone's mind that the Lord wanted all men to now have every blessing. And opening the temple to the living Blacks also provided for every blessing to their ancestors.
JOY IN AFRICA
Immediately after this revelation was received, three missionary couples were sent to Africa. On November 21, 1978, they baptized Brother Obinna, ordained him to the priesthood, and set him apart as Africa's first Black branch president. He baptized his wife, Fidelia, and set her apart as the first Black Relief Society President. His two brothers were set apart as his counselors. 19 members joined that day, forming the first branch of the Church in which all members were Black.
Within one year these three missionary couples baptized over 1,700 Black Africans.
WHY THE WAIT?
Decades passed between the ordination of Elijah Abel (and a handful of other early Black saints), and the revelation rescinding the policy that had evolved in the Church prohibiting Blacks from the priesthood. Why did the Black members have to wait so long for equal blessings? Let's look carefully at what President Kimball said: "I knew we could receive the revelations of the Lord only by being worthy and ready for them and ready to accept them and put them into place" (emphasis added). The fact that Black people, including slaves, joined the Church and endured to the end during those 130-140 years of being denied blessings is a testament to their faith and their worthiness. Although the Church leadership has never given a reason for the delay, my personal opinion is that it took much longer for the social climate to evolve in the world in which they lived so that the non-Black members of the Church and society as a whole could be "ready to accept it and put it into place."
It took many years for the "want of familiarity with the two" to be alleviated.
But, step by step, it eventually was.
In March 1954, three weeks after his return from a visit to the South African Mission, President David O. McKay stated to Sterling M. McMurrin, "There is not now, and there never has been a doctrine in this Church that the Negroes are under a divine curse...It is a practice, not a doctrine, and the practice will some day be changed." Leonard J. Arrington reported hearing Elder Adam S. Bennion say that President McKay "had pled with the Lord without result and finally concluded the time was not yet ripe."
President Harold B. Lee remarked during a United Press interview, November 16, 1972: "For those who don't believe in modern revelation there is no adequate explanation. Those who do understand revelation stand by and wait until the Lord speaks...It's only a matter of time before the black achieves full status in the Church. We must believe in the justice of God. The black will achieve full status, we're just waiting for that time."
The Lord is patient with his children. He waits and works and influences ideas to change and cultures to evolve in order to bring about His purposes. He touches one person at a time, and eventually moves whole nations. Then He steps outside the constraints of time to make blessings available through vicarious temple ordinances to those who missed them in life. He works everything together perfectly to accomplish His divine plan, despite the faults and ignorance of men, and the persistent efforts of Satan. Sometimes it takes many centuries, as it did for the Restoration of the Gospel. And sometimes it only takes 130 years.
Sources:
Kate B. Carter, Negro Pioneer
History of the Church 4:365
Leonard J. Arrington, "Mississippi Mormons," Ensign, June 1977
Garr, et. al, Encyclopedia of L.D.S. History
Gregory A. Prince, et.al., David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism, p. 79-80
Marjorie Draper Conder, "A People Prepared: Latter-day Saints in West Africa," Ensign, August 1993
Our Heritage, p. 126-127
Anthony U. Obinna, "Story of a Nigerian Member," Liahona (Tambuli), June 1981
For the Church's official statement about the history of blacks and the priesthood, read "Race and the Priesthood."
For a brief, carefully documented treatment of this subject, see
http://en.fairmormon.org/Blacks_and_the_priesthood/Origin_of_the_priesthood_ban#endnote_lee2
For a huge and detailed treatise on President McKay's role in preparing the way for the revelation later received by President Kimball, see Gregory A. Price, et. al, "Blacks, Civil Rights, and the Priesthood," David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism, University of Utah Press.
For more on the Bankhead slaves in Wellsville, Utah, go to Wellsville Historical Society.
Leonard J. Arrington, "Mississippi Mormons," Ensign, June 1977
Garr, et. al, Encyclopedia of L.D.S. History
Gregory A. Prince, et.al., David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism, p. 79-80
Marjorie Draper Conder, "A People Prepared: Latter-day Saints in West Africa," Ensign, August 1993
Our Heritage, p. 126-127
Anthony U. Obinna, "Story of a Nigerian Member," Liahona (Tambuli), June 1981
For the Church's official statement about the history of blacks and the priesthood, read "Race and the Priesthood."
For a brief, carefully documented treatment of this subject, see
http://en.fairmormon.org/Blacks_and_the_priesthood/Origin_of_the_priesthood_ban#endnote_lee2
For a huge and detailed treatise on President McKay's role in preparing the way for the revelation later received by President Kimball, see Gregory A. Price, et. al, "Blacks, Civil Rights, and the Priesthood," David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism, University of Utah Press.
For more on the Bankhead slaves in Wellsville, Utah, go to Wellsville Historical Society.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Update on Joseph's and Emma's Posterity
I ordered the new DVD mentioned in my Lesson 40 post, and it came within days. It is a half-hour documentary, not really dramatized but with a few clips from the Emma movie. Most of it is Joseph's and Emma's descendants who are members of the Church speaking, as well as other historians, giving the history of the family briefly, and then the history of the gathering they have been doing.
As of the production time of the DVD, which was very recent, there were 129 descendants of Joseph and Emma who have joined the Church, but each time they gather, they find the number has increased. There are only about 1,000 living descendants altogether, so over one-tenth have been gathered back to the Church in these fourth and fifth generations, the generations in which it was prophecied by Elder George A. Smith that their children would return!
A few people claiming, through their family's oral history, to be descendants of Joseph Smith through plural wives have gone through DNA testing, and all have been proved not to be descended from Joseph Smith, so all of the known descendants of Joseph are Emma's children. (See http://en.fairmormon.org/Joseph_Smith/Polygamy/Children_of_polygamous_marriages for explicit test results. The results are also noted in the DVD.)
"I believe that Joseph and Emma are deeply involved from beyond the veil in all the things that are unfolding in our lives today." --Gracia Jones, Great-Great Granddaughter
(Source: "Children of Joseph: The Unknown Story" DVD)
As of the production time of the DVD, which was very recent, there were 129 descendants of Joseph and Emma who have joined the Church, but each time they gather, they find the number has increased. There are only about 1,000 living descendants altogether, so over one-tenth have been gathered back to the Church in these fourth and fifth generations, the generations in which it was prophecied by Elder George A. Smith that their children would return!
A few people claiming, through their family's oral history, to be descendants of Joseph Smith through plural wives have gone through DNA testing, and all have been proved not to be descended from Joseph Smith, so all of the known descendants of Joseph are Emma's children. (See http://en.fairmormon.org/Joseph_Smith/Polygamy/Children_of_polygamous_marriages for explicit test results. The results are also noted in the DVD.)
"I believe that Joseph and Emma are deeply involved from beyond the veil in all the things that are unfolding in our lives today." --Gracia Jones, Great-Great Granddaughter
(Source: "Children of Joseph: The Unknown Story" DVD)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
