BEING WISE AGENTS
Section
58 of the Doctrine and Covenants was received August 1, 1831. It contains the
great promise that God holds much greater things in store for us if we obey His
commandments and endure to the end than we can possibly imagine for ourselves.
(See verses 2-3.)
This
is followed by specific instructions to specific members, many of which can be
relevant to us, as the Spirit reveals. The most well-known counsel in this section
is:
"For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward. 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; for the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward" (D&C 58:26-28).
As “agents unto ourselves” we can be anxiously engaged in good causes of our own choice. This pleases the Lord. We all have our own interests, our own personalities, and if we seek to bring to pass righteousness, we can do that in the career we choose to pursue, in the neighborhood where we choose to live, with the person we choose to marry, and through the hobbies and interests we choose to love. We can also choose to serve missions, particularly those of us in our later years, and senior missionaries can even choose to a great degree where they would like to serve. [If you are a senior couple reading this in 2025-2027, check out the "Sierra Leone Bo Mission President" account on Facebook and see if you would like to serve in this explosively fast-baptizing mission led by my brother and sister-in-law, Scott and Kathy Wyatt. They would love your help and you would have so much joy working among these amazing people, poorest in money and richest in Spirit!]
The point of life is to use our agency (the
only thing that is truly ours) to do good.
Doctrine and Covenants Section 59 begins with a great promise:
"Behold, blessed, saith the Lord, are they who have come up unto this land with an eye single to my glory, according to my commandments. For those that live shall inherit the earth, and those that die shall rest from all their labors, and their works shall follow them; and they shall receive a crown in the mansions of my Father, which I have prepared for them" (D&C 59:1-2).
We receive marvelous blessings if we have “an eye single to [God’s]
glory" and if we do works of righteousness. This revelation gives guidance on
how to make this easier.
THE LAW OF THE LORD
First, the Lord reminds the Saints of His Law, which is eternal
and was given to the ancient Israelites and repeated by Jesus Christ to the
primitive Church.
"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all
thy might, mind, and strength” (D&C
59:5-6). (See also Deut. 6:4,5 and Matt. 22:37-40.)
The Old Testament version begins with the great pronouncement, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord,”
something that was a new
and key understanding for these ancient people who lived in a land of
polytheists (people who worshiped multiple gods).
The New Testament version of the Lord’s law adds another key that
was important to the Jews to understand, a people who had for millenia
considered themselves “chosen” and therefore better than others: “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Matt. 22:39). In describing who may be
considered a neighbor, the Lord chose a story of a Samaritan—someone who worshipped
differently than they did, someone of mixed race and culture—thus expanding the
circle of the new Christian’s loving influence. (See Luke 10:25-37.)
For the Latter-day Saints, an additional new key of understanding
this eternal law is given, a key that may be difficult for us to understand and
do: “…and in the name of
Jesus Christ thou shalt serve him” (D&C
59:5).
As Section 58 invites us to be “agents unto ourselves” to bring about righteousness, Section 59 invites us to be agents unto Christ—to serve in His name. How do we serve in the name of Jesus Christ? All our prayers and our priesthood ordinances are done in the name of Jesus Christ, but I think this section refers to much more than ordinances. An agent is one who acts in the place of another person, and who does what that person would want done. To act as agents for Jesus Christ, we must know Him, we must know His will, and we must unite our will with His. The rest of this section gives us amazing tools for doing so.
THE LAW OF GRATITUDE
“Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things” (verse 7).
Is this a law? Keeping a law brings a specific outcome. Being
grateful brings happiness, pure and simple. Being grateful to God brings
us closer to Him, more aware of His presence, more in tune with His purposes. It’s
amazing how often we forget this very clear path to increased joy. Being
grateful includes not only giving thanks, but also not complaining. The crazy
extremes of weather in my home town often made me miserable throughout my life.
One day several years ago, I realized how futile it was to complain about the
weather and I stopped. I was shocked that winter to discover how much happier I
was, just because I accepted the weather every day as a neutral or positive aspect
of life.
Think of one thing that is giving you frustration right now in
your life. Now—stop complaining about it. Just stop. Increasing your happiness
is that simple.
Yes! Northern Utah weather!
THE LAW OF THE SABBATH
“Thou shalt offer a sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in
righteousness, even that of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And that thou
mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the
house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day” (verses 8-9).
Keeping the Sabbath day helps us keep our heart broken (open to
the Lord’s input) and our spirits contrite (teachable). It is a tithing of our
time. Note that the Lord requires 1/10th of our money to be fully given to Him, but even
more of our time—1/7th! We use the Sabbath day to remember the
Savior, repent, reprioritize, and realign our will with His. We use it to
become better agents unto Christ.
THE LAW OF THE FAST
"…Let thy food be prepared with singleness of heart that thy fasting
may be perfect, or, in other words, that thy joy may be full.
"Verily, this is fasting and prayer, or in other words, rejoicing and
prayer" (verses 13-14).
Why is a proper fast joyous? Well, there are two parts to the Law of the Fast, and both contribute to the joy felt by the fasting saint.
Part One: Fasting and Prayer
Look at footnote a to verse 13 which tells us
that we can make our physical fast symbolic of a spiritual hungering and
thirsting after righteousness. Now where have we heard this phrase before,
“hungering and thirsting after righteousness”? Of course, in the Beatitudes!
Let’s turn to the Nephite version in 3 Nephi 12:6:
"And blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after
righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost."
When you are filled with the Holy Ghost, what emotions do you
experience? Peace and joy!
"…I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your
mind, which shall fill your soul with joy." (D&C 11:13)
And D&C 6:23 as well as many other scriptures tell us that the
Spirit brings peace.
So fasting in the correct manner, is going to result in peace and
joy. It will also give us many other fruits of the Spirit.
(Quotes from Elder Wirthlin below come from
April 2001 General Conference)
Now, if we are fasting because we are hungering and thirsting
after righteousness, we will be praying as well. As Elder Wirthlin explains,
"…If we want our fasting to be more than just going without
eating, we must lift our hearts, our minds, and our voices in communion with
our Heavenly Father. Fasting, coupled with mighty prayer, is powerful. It can fill
our minds with the revelations of the Spirit. It can strengthen us against
times of temptation.
"Fasting and prayer can help develop within us courage and
confidence. It can strengthen our character and build self-restraint and
discipline…Each time we fast, we gain a little more control over our worldly
appetites and passions."
Further, he says,
"I don’t mean just missing one meal, then eating twice as
much the next meal." (I
think he’s talking about me here.)
Another thing Elder Wirthlin says is that “Often when we fast, our righteous prayers and
petitions have greater power.” Our spiritual hunger and thirst is going to be filled to a greater
level. Our requests for blessings of other kinds will also have more power.
So what sorts of things might we pray for as we fast?
1-Personal righteousness (as Elder Wirthlin mentioned)
2-Special blessings to help with problems (surgery, job hunt, troubled child...)
3-Increased abilities for our church callings (as the sons of
Mosiah did, see Alma 17:2-3)
4-Gratitude (See Alma 45:1)
5-To align our will with God’s
Elder Wirthlin says that teaching our children to fast will give
them increased power to resist temptations along their life’s path.
I love the way one Primary President in our ward taught fasting to
the children. She told them that it was great to feel hunger pangs when you
fast, because whenever you feel them, you are reminded that you are fasting,
and that will remind you to say another little prayer in your heart.
If we are giving up 2 meals each month to fast, and if we normally
eat 3 meals each day, in a 30-day month, we are only giving the Lord 1/45th
of our monthly food intake. Even the poorest Saint can give this much.
Fast Offerings
Sometimes we may feel that the Lord is not answering our prayers
despite our faith and request. One reason may be that our desire is not in
harmony with His plan. But there may be another reason as well. We may not be
keeping the second part of the Law of the Fast. To quote Brother Wirthlin
again:
"…Amulek explained that often our prayers have no power
because we have turned our backs on the needy (Mosiah 4:26). (See also Isaiah
58:6-11.) If you feel that Heavenly Father is not listening to your petitions,
ask yourself if you are listening to the cries of the poor, the sick, the
hungry, and the afflicted all around you.
"Some look at the overwhelming need in the world and think,
What can I do that could possibly make a difference?
"I will tell you plainly one thing you can do. You can live
the law of the fast and contribute a generous fast offering."
Fast offerings are one reason that joining the Church of Jesus Christ is a better way to serve God than simply "being spiritual" on your own. Alone, we can each do lovely things to help those within our sphere of influence. As members of a powerful Church with excellent stewards, and often combining with other powerful churches and charities, we can contribute massively, such as in the recent efforts to bless women and children in the poorest of countries.
When fasting, we take command of our physical bodies, we worship God with more clarity, and we have an easy way to contribute to the wellbeing of our neighbors. We can help God “bring to pass…the eternal life of man” (His work) and we can therefore participate in His joy (His glory) (See Moses 1:39).
At
the end of Section 59, we receive another beautiful promise:
"But learn that he who doeth the works of righteousness shall receive his reward, even peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come. I, the Lord, have spoken it, and the Spirit beareth record. Amen" (D&C 59:23-24).
Every
day is a great day to act as agents unto Christ and agents unto ourselves to serve
His children and build up His kingdom. When we are agents unto Christ, we act
in specific ways He commands. When we are in situations where we may choose
between multiple good actions and the Spirit doesn’t direct towards one or the
other, we can be agents unto ourselves and do the one we want to do. Both uses
of agency can bring about righteousness, unity and love, and together they will earn an eternal
reward.
