Continuing Revelation to the Prophets

This week we will discuss, among other things, Official Declaration 2, from the appendix to the Doctrine and Covenants. I am excited about this. There is so much about this that is interesting, like the fact that it is one of only two revelations received in the 20th century to be included in the standard works.

That must indicate that it's kind of important.

Lesson 29, In Retrospect

Three weeks of looking forward to this lesson. I hope it went well.

In that, I hope someone felt inspired to do a little more, to be a little better.

I think the question of the day was, "In what way does the Relief Society stand as a beacon of governing by love to the world?"

There is so much to be said about the Kingdom of God, but I think what we discussed hit the mark.

At least I hope it did.

Lesson 30, Looking Ahead

The Sunday after next we'll be studying, among other sections, D&C 128. I have a very soft spot in my heart for this section. There are so many things about it that I love.

One is the language that Joseph uses in it. The section comes from a letter Joseph Smith wrote to the church while he was in exile because authorities from Missouri were seeking to extradite him and try him for crimes he didn't commit. Unlike the tone of the letter he wrote while imprisoned in Liberty Jail (D&C 121-122), this letter, as well as the one in section 127, is full of uplifting, excited language. And why not? In these letters, Joseph addresses the incredible, merciful, gracious doctrine of salvation for the dead. And it is clear that he loves this doctrine. In fact, from the language he uses, it sounds as if he views this as the apex of the Restoration, that all that occurred, all that was restored before this, was leading up to this climactic revelation. In a way, I agree with that, because this doctrine is intrinsically linked to the temple, and the establishment of the temple, with all the accompanying blessings of the temple, is in my mind the apex, the climax, the most glorious of all the blessings of the Restoration.

More on this later, I'm sure.

The Nauvoo Period

This coming week the lesson focuses on the Nauvoo Period of church history. Specifically, the material relates to the building of the kingdom of God in Nauvoo. Inasmuch as I will not be teaching this week, I'll just list a few thoughts about God's kingdom and the Nauvoo Period.

• The Relief Society was organized in Nauvoo. Much can be said about the Relief Society, and much is said about it. First of all, I think that the creating of such a group is a testament to the incredible inspiration and foresightedness of Joseph Smith. Not being a woman myself (duh?), I don't know a whole lot about RS from personal experience, but I am aware of the power of such an organization. Heavenly Father has blessed His daughters with gifts that cannot be comprehended by men, but that bring so much goodness, kindness, compassion, and peace into the world. Jack Christianson is fond of quoting Elder Matthew Cowley who said that women belong to a Sorority of Saviorhood. Suffice it for me to say that most of the really Christlike people I know happen to belong to the Relief Society. And that's no mistake.
  
• The temple endowment, as we understand it, was first introduced in Nauvoo. The potential for leadership, especially in families, that comes as a part of the Endowment, is immeasurable. The Kingdom of God is built on the foundation of families. God's kingdom is His family. There's a lot to be considered here.
• Hundreds served missions during the Nauvoo Period. Mass conversions took place in Great Britain at this time. It has been said that the conversion of so many British saints was the salvation of the church.
• Joseph Smith's revelations, mostly not published in the D&C, did much to inspire the saints, and convince them of his prophetic mantle.
  

And other things. But this list suffices for the time. I look forward to the discussion on Sunday.

How Long? A Small Moment

I often times am not sure where any lesson will take us on a given day. I know what I have planned, but rarely do we follow my outline from start to finish. And so it was today.

D&C 121:2-3- In both these verses as Joseph is pleading with the Lord about the afflictions of the Saints, he asks "How long" will the trials last. The Lord responds, in more than one place, that the trials will last but a small moment. We spent a lot of time talking about how to gain the perspective of viewing our trials as small moments. I appreciated all the insights that were shared.

It is one of the most difficult principles, to actually believe that our afflictions, whatever they may be, are all to give us experience, and for our good (D&C 122:7), but there is some secret to be found, some peace to be gathered, as we contemplate what the Son of Man has done, and continues to do, for us all.

Whom I Love I also Chasten

D&C 95:1- "Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you whom I love, and whom I love I also chasten that their sins may be forgiven, for with the chastisement I prepare a way for their deliverance in all things out of temptation, and I have loved you."

Last week we ended our discussion with a promise to talk more about chastisement, and I'm certain everyone was thrilled with the prospect of talking more about this subject.

However, the subject is one that in modern revelation is spoken of in very hopeful and loving terms, as it is above. For your consideration, I'll quote a few more:

Mosiah 23:21-22- "Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith. Nevertheless--whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day. Yea, and thus it was with this people [the people of Alma in the wilderness]."

Helaman 15:3- "[T]he people of Nephi hath he loved, and also hath he chastened them; yea, in the days of their iniquities hath he chastened them because he loveth them."

D&C 1:24-28- "Behold, I am God and have spoken it; these commandments are of me, and were given unto my servants in their weakness, after the manner of their language, that they might come to understanding. And inasmuch as they erred it might be made known; And inasmuch as they sought wisdom they might be instructed; and inasmuch as they sinned they might be chastened, that they might repent; and inasmuch as they were humble they might be made strong, and blessed from on high, and receive knowledge from time to time."

There are others, but let these suffice to demonstrate that our Father in Heaven chastens us because He loves us. It may take me a while, but hopefully before Sunday I'll locate a quote that illustrates this principle with clarity and profundity (one of my favorite words).

More to come...

Where Art Thou?

D&C 121-122 contain some principles of sanctification in them. Sanctification is no easy road to follow. I think to begin considering this lesson, I'll review (as in re-read) part of a talk from Elder Holland. Here is an excerpt:

Anyone who does any kind of missionary work will have occasion to ask, Why is this so hard? Why doesn’t it go better? Why can’t our success be more rapid? Why aren’t there more people joining the Church? It is the truth. We believe in angels. We trust in miracles. Why don’t people just flock to the font? Why isn’t the only risk in missionary work that of pneumonia from being soaking wet all day and all night in the baptismal font?

You will have occasion to ask those questions. I have thought about this a great deal. I offer this as my personal feeling. I am convinced that missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience. Salvation never was easy. We are The Church of Jesus Christ, this is the truth, and He is our Great Eternal Head. How could we believe it would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy for Him? It seems to me that missionaries and mission leaders have to spend at least a few moments in Gethsemane. Missionaries and mission leaders have to take at least a step or two toward the summit of Calvary.

Now, please don’t misunderstand. I’m not talking about anything anywhere near what Christ experienced. That would be presumptuous and sacrilegious. But I believe that missionaries and investigators, to come to the truth, to come to salvation, to know something of this price that has been paid, will have to pay a token of that same price.

For that reason I don’t believe missionary work has ever been easy, nor that conversion is, nor that retention is, nor that continued faithfulness is. I believe it is supposed to require some effort, something from the depths of our soul.

If He could come forward in the night, kneel down, fall on His face, bleed from every pore, and cry, “Abba, Father (Papa), if this cup can pass, let it pass,” 16 then little wonder that salvation is not a whimsical or easy thing for us. If you wonder if there isn’t an easier way, you should remember you are not the first one to ask that. Someone a lot greater and a lot grander asked a long time ago if there wasn’t an easier way.

The Atonement will carry the missionaries perhaps even more importantly than it will carry the investigators. When you struggle, when you are rejected, when you are spit upon and cast out and made a hiss and a byword, you are standing with the best life this world has ever known, the only pure and perfect life ever lived. You have reason to stand tall and be grateful that the Living Son of the Living God knows all about your sorrows and afflictions. The only way to salvation is through Gethsemane and on to Calvary. The only way to eternity is through Him—the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

I testify that the living God is our Eternal Father and that Jesus Christ is His living and Only Begotten Son in the flesh. I testify that this Jesus, who was slain and hanged on a tree, 17 was the chief Apostle then and is the chief Apostle now, the Great High Priest, the chief cornerstone of His Church in this last and greatest of all dispensations. I testify that He lives, that the whole triumph of the gospel is that He lives, and because He does, so will we.

On that first Resurrection Sunday, Mary Magdalene first thought she saw a gardener. Well, she did—the Gardener who cultivated Eden and who endured Gethsemane. The Gardener who gave us the rose of Sharon, the lily of the valley, the cedars of Lebanon, the tree of life.

I declare Him to be the Savior of the world, the Bishop and Shepherd of our souls, the Bright and Morning Star. I know that our garments can be washed white only in the blood of that Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world. I know that we are lifted up unto life because He was lifted up unto death, that He bore our griefs and carried our sorrows, and with His stripes we are healed. I bear witness that He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities, that He was a man of sorrows acquainted with grief because upon Him were laid the transgressions of us all. 18

I bear witness that He came from God as a God to bind up the brokenhearted, to dry the tears from every eye, to proclaim liberty to the captive and open the prison doors to them that are bound. 19 I promise that because of your faithful response to the call to spread the gospel, He will bind up your broken hearts, dry your tears, and set you and your families free. That is my missionary promise to you and your missionary message to the world.

Nephi, You Have My Sympathy

Look at my presumption.

This blog has proven to be more challenging than I first suspected. It's very difficult to create (or recreate as the case may be) a lesson in which we are led by the Spirit to discuss things, and follow the flow of the experience in writing. But I'll attempt it anyway.

Challenges are a good thing.

Yesterday's lesson, one in which we discussed Thomas B. Marsh (because D&C 112 is directed to Brother Marsh), was on missionary work, among other things.

D&C 112:2- The Lord tells Thomas that there are "some few things" in his heart which were not pleasing to the Lord. This is merciful language; language from a Being who knows how to encourage His children to repentance. I'm absolutely certain there are more than a few things in my heart that are displeasing to the Lord, but the use of this phrase gives hope, a feeling of do-able-ness.

D&C 112:3- "Nevertheless," usually a very blessed term when used in the scriptures; so it is in this case, even though there are things not pleasing to the Lord in Thomas's heart, the Lord promises (and even grants(?)) forgiveness. And He uses a simple parallelism to do it: "inasmuch as thou hast abased thyself thou shalt be exalted." This phrase contrasts to one later in the revelation, in which the Lord tells Thomas and all the Twelve, to "Exalt not yourselves" (D&C 112:15). We ought to know (I think we do, but sometimes we don't realize) that we don't have any power within ourselves unto salvation. Our merits will always fall short. And so the only way to salvation is to abase ourselves, to see ourselves as less than the dust of the earth, to fall on our faces before God, as we remember how Jesus fell on His face before His God because of us, because of what we do every day--our disobedience. When we are thus brought to this kind of humility, or abasement, we then find ourselves worthy through the merits and mercies of the Savior to be exalted.

D&C 112:11- "Be not partial towards them in love above many others." Simply put, don't show favoritism. But how difficult is this! With our co-workers, our neighbors, our parents, our siblings, our children, those we share the road with, etc.

D&C 112:13- The last part of this verse brings to mind the warning/counsel Jesus gave to Peter at the Last Supper: "And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren" (Luke 22:31-32). Yes, Jesus prays for us, in so many ways. He prayed for us specifically at the Last Supper (John 17), He prayed for us in the Garden of Gethsemane, I wonder if His plea to the Father to "forgive them; for they know not what they do," could not be applied to us as to the Roman soldiers who parted His garments (Luke 23:34). He pleads for us before the Father even now, for His infinite and eternal Atonement is forever the ground on which we make our case for salvation (D&C 45:4-5).

It is my faith that we can be forgiven, that we can be healed, that we can find safety, only in the grace of our Master and in emulating His life.

Lesson 9; March 1st

The Lord described the church established by Joseph Smith on April 6th, 1830 "the only true and living church" on the earth (D&C 1:30). Very often I hear members use the former adjective, but rarely if ever do I hear anyone use the latter.

So what makes the church a "living" church?

• A living prophet
• Communication with a living God
• An open canon of scripture
• Revelation through the Holy Ghost, not only to the prophet, but to all baptized and confirmed members

When asked by the President of the United States what the difference was between his religion and all other religions, Joseph Smith answered that Mormonism differed in the mode and manner of baptism and of the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, and that all other differences and distinctions were contained in the gift of the Holy Ghost (History of the Church, 4:42).

How is it that all the distinctions of the Lords one true and living church can be summed up and brought back to the gift of the Holy Ghost?

How might we, as members of the church, take for granted this marvelous gift?

What does the gift of the Holy Ghost allow for us to do?

• The Holy Ghost gives us revelation and teaches us the truth of all things (Moroni 10:5).
• The Holy Ghost comforts us (John 14:26).
• The Holy Ghost enables us to discern between good and evil (Moroni 7:16-17).
• The Holy Ghost is the means whereby we are baptized with fire (3 Nephi 11:35), and is therefore the means whereby we are sanctified and purified. Purged from all stain and made holy.
• The Holy Ghost is a member of the Godhead (A of F 1). When we are in His presence we are literally in the presence of God. No unclean thing can dwell with God. If we learn to live so that we can have this gift with us often, and strive for it always, we will be walking with God. Small wonder, then, that the one promise given in both Sacrament prayers is simply this, "that they may always have his spirit to be with them" (D&C 20:77, 79).

The gift of the Holy Ghost is the manifestation of God's grace, because of the matchless gift of the Atonement of Christ, that enables us to see, to discern, to know, to grow, and to become like our Father in Heaven.

Lessons 7 and 8; February 15th and 22nd

The lessons from this week and last built on each other, so I'll outline them together.

Introduction:

As a missionary I attended a meeting where I listened to a recorded BYU Devotional talk by a man who was then president of BYU-Idaho, David A. Bednar. The talk is entitled "In the Strength of the Lord," and it very literally changed my life.

Brother Bednar outlined the doctrine of grace, and explained that grace is the enabling and strengthening power of God in our lives, and is possible only because of Christ's Atonement. He then went on to explain further how Christ's grace is active in our lives, and did so by quoting President David O. McKay and King Benjamin.

President McKay taught that the purpose of the gospel is to make bad men good and good men better, and to change human nature. King Benjamin said:

"For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord ..." (Mosiah 3:19, emphasis added).

There are two ways in which Christ's grace is active in our lives:

1. Enabling us to repent of our sins and be clean
2. Enabling us to do more good "in the strength of the Lord" than we could with our own power, talents, and abilities

In other words, God's grace enables and strengthens us in putting off the natural man (repenting of our sins), and in becoming a saint (doing more good).

Lesson 7 was about the first principles and ordinances of the gospel. These are outlined in the Articles of Faith, specifically in the fourth article of faith.

(For the background on the origin of the Articles of Faith, see this Ensign article.)

Question: If the FIRST principles and ordinances of the gospel are found in the fourth article of faith, what comes before them? What comes before the "first"?

Articles of Faith 1, 2, and 3 establish critical doctrines, and without them the first principles and ordinances would be meaningless. These critical doctrines are:

1. God lives (He created us; He created the world and the laws that govern us)
2. We will be punished for our sins (though not responsible for Adam and Eve's choice, yet we each fall any time we break one of God's laws)
3. Through Jesus' Atonement, we can be saved from the punishment of sin

These three doctrines have been called the three pillars of eternity: The Creation, the Fall, and the Atonement.

The central and most important of these doctrines is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. To discuss the first principles and ordinances of the gospel without discussing the Atonement is to look beyond the mark (see Jacob 4:14). It is only through Christ and His Atonement (that is, it is only through Jesus' grace, His enabling and strengthening power) that we can exercise faith, repent of our sins, be baptized for the remission of sins, and receive the Holy Ghost.

Question: In what way has the grace of Christ enabled/strengthened your faith?

Jesus is the author and the finisher of our faith (see Moroni 6:4); He can help the unbelieving parts of us (see Mark 9:23-24); without Him we could have no faith unto salvation.

Question: In what way does the grace of Christ enable/strengthen us in repentance?

Only through Jesus' grace can we truly confess and really forsake our sins (see D&C 58:42-43).

I know that Jesus' atonement makes bad people good and good people better. I know of the power of the atonement to heal and to strengthen.

Lesson 8 covers the restoration of the Priesthood.

D&C 13 is the ordination prayer that John the Baptist offered when ordaining Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery to the Aaronic Priesthood. Note the keys of this priesthood:

• keys of the ministering of angels
• keys of the gospel of repentance and baptism by immersion for the remission of sins

It is through the keys of the Aaronic Priesthood that we can access Jesus' grace to put off the natural man (repent of our sins).

D&C 84:19-22 describes some of the keys of the Melchizedek Priesthood:

• key of the mysteries of the kingdom
• key of the knowledge of God

It is through the keys of the Melchizedek Priesthood that we can access Jesus' grace to become saints (sanctified, holy)

Question: How do the ordinances of the Melchizedek Priesthood (specifically the bestowal of the gift of the Holy Ghost) enable us to know the mysteries of the kingdom and ultimately to know God Himself?

I know that Christ's atonement blesses, strengthens, and enables us in every aspect of our lives. I know that through the ordinances of the priesthood we can access the powers of heaven to put off the natural man and truly become saints, enabled to do more and be better than we could with our own limited capacities.

Welcome to the Gospel Doctrine Blog

Brothers and Sisters of the Aspen Tenth Ward, welcome to our Sunday School blog. My sweet wife, Jessica, has been insisting that I do something like this for some time now, and so I have ceased my procrastination.

The purpose of this blog is to outline what was discussed in Gospel Doctrine on a given week and provide a forum for further discussion for those who perhaps wanted to say something in class, but time didn't permit it, or maybe they don't like having to project their voice across the cultural hall. It also provides for those who are unable to be a part of the discussion in church, whether because they have other callings that keep them from class or whatever, to engage the material for themselves.