3/29/2017 - Section 9:1-14

March 29, 2017

Section 9:1-14

Patience, In the Lord’s Time, Revelation, Prayerful Requests, Best Our Best,

I found a great truth described in the Historical Background of Section 9—one that is  often difficult to live with, but I think probably more important than we will know in our mortal life. Oliver Cowdery has expressed a desire to not just be the scribe, but to work on the translation of the plates also. “ Oliver is admonished to be patient, and is urged to be content to write, for the time being….” The Lord knows what we can handle, and what we should handle, and He also knows when we need more preparation—but He always acts for our benefit and growth: v 3, 4, 6 & 13 to Oliver who was not up to the work of translation:  3“Be patient, my son, for it is wisdom in me, and it is not expedient that you should translate at this present time.   4 Behold, the work which you are called to do is to write for my servant Joseph. 6  Do not murmur, my son, for it is wisdom in me that I have dealt with you after this manner.  13 Do this thing which I have commanded you, and you shall prosper. Be faithful, and yield to no temptation.”

I have always loved President Hinckley’s succinct instructions: “Get on your knees to pray, then get on your feet and work”. If we do that, it shows the Lord that we are committed, and that we are willing to work and to grow in the ways in which he would have us grow.  On the same theme, but with more description: “Be true to the Lord. He is your strength. He is your salvation. It is He who can bless you. It is He who desires to bless you. Look to Him for every gift and grace and blessing. Get on your knees and pray and stand on your feet and do His will and put your trust and faith in Him and God will bless you. I make that promise as His servant” (regional conference, Santiago, Chile, 26 Apr. 1999). And one last time, from an address he gave to just the Relief Society sisters: “Now, my dear sisters, that is the way with you. You are doing the best you can, and that best results in good to yourself and to others. Do not nag yourself with a sense of failure. Get on your knees and ask for the blessings of the Lord; then stand on your feet and do what you are asked to do. Then leave the matter in the hands of the Lord. You will discover that you have accomplished something beyond price.” (Oct 2003 Gen Conf)

1/29/2021 – D&C 9

This section starts with our learning that Oliver Cowdery did attempt to translate, but could not do what the Lord had promised he could do. I’m sure Oliver was surprised, and saddened, and frustrated that he could not do what the Lord had said he could do. President Joseph Fielding Smith once pointed out that “it seems probable that Oliver Cowdery desired to translate out of curiosity, and the Lord taught him…by showing him that translating was not the easy thing he had thought it to be. In …Sec. 9 the explanation was made that Oliver’s failure came because he did not continue as he commenced, and the task being a difficult one, his faith deserted him.” The Lord continued to explain in v 6 & 7: “Do not murmur, my son…behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me.” And then the Lord instructs him how he should have gone forward. He’s telling us that there is a process as to how we receive inspiration, and then He explains it to Oliver:  “…you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn with in you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right…but if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought…” (v’s 8-9). The Lord goes on to explain: “for it is wisdom in me”.  I think that same principle holds true for all of us as we sit down simply to READ the Book of Mormon—or any of the Lord’s scriptures for that matter. We are so blessed to have the Old & New Testament, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine & Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price. And the Lord has told us that there are other scriptures that we will eventually have. But if we read our current scriptures to just get through the pages to say ‘that’s done’, then why would the Lord give us additional scriptures. I know that if I read with prayerful intent, I am enlightened. I look forward to my early mornings of scripture study because so often I feel lifted and helped and directed. I don’t think that any of us have to be scholars of the scriptures, we simply need to come to the scriptures with prayerful faith, and thoughtful pondering. It involves both physical effort AND spiritual effort.

The Lord doesn’t get upset that Oliver was not successful, but He lovingly uses this experience as a time for life instruction teaching: “Be patient, my son….” (v 3) And then he continues with “Behold, the work which you are called to do is to write for my servant Joseph. (v 4) The first thought that came to my mind when I read this was “lift where you stand”—that was from a conference talk by Elder Uchtdorf: Stand close together and lift where you stand" —these were the instructions to a group of men trying to move a piano in a meetinghouse and Elder Uchtdorf went on to teach us how it can apply to the service we give in our daily lives.

The Lord closes this revelation with His understanding instructions: “Do this thing which I have commanded you, and you shall prosper. Be faithful, and yield to not temptation.” (v 13) It’s not the job that we are doing that matters so much, but it is the work and the faith we put into our efforts. Wherever we truly serve, we will make a difference—to ourselves and to others.

1/30/2021 - D&C 9

I read Emily Belle Freeman’s study guide on D&C 9 this morning. I enjoy her book—she devotes one page to each section usually focusing on one verse and how it affected her life. 

For this section she picked v 7: “Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you when you took no thought save it was to ask me.” How many times when I have received a calling I was worried about being able to do, or when I have come up with some difficult goals for myself—and then wondered how in the world will I accomplish that? I’ve always had trouble overcoming my tendency to shyness. One of the reasons is that I always think I am imposing on other people, I am taking up their time that is needed for other things, and besides that, in reality I am really pretty boring. But I long for friends. That was one of my goals I had set up for myself when the pandemic began…probably the wrong time to institute this goal…because I’ve made no progress on it. It’s been very much like the feeling when I’ve been given a big calling and am so worried about my abilities to do a good job. But with a calling, I am pushed into action, and I usually grow to fill the calling. But with this goal to make more friends, I haven’t been pushed into action—in fact everything points to isolating ourselves.  

As Emily speaks of Oliver and the reasons he found that made him unable to translate, even though the Lord had given him the gift of translation. Emily points out that Oliver “took no thought save it was to ask”—he was the one who didn’t give it enough thought or effort. And secondly, as he started to translate, and found it was more difficult than he had imagined, then fear took over.

This is how Emily interprets the meaning this section has for us: “Oliver teaches us the importance of accepting God’s call and then having the courage to move forward into that capacity even if we feel inadequate. It requires us to study, ask, and feel. The Lord doesn’t intend to give us all the answers immediately There is growth that comes from engaging and obtaining an understanding for ourselves.”  

And so now, as I look at my tremendous goal of trying to develop more friendships, do I simply sit here and wait for people to line up at the door asking to spend some time with me?  No—my efforts are simply to BE a friend to all at every possibility. I have to be ready to spend the time that is required for good friendships. Even if I can’t reach out in person, there are certainly enough ways for me to reach out with email, texting, or even the dreaded Facebook! 

One of the good things of reading the scriptures, and ‘liking them to myself’ is that I AM making progress. Almost every time I sit down to study the scriptures, I not only learn more about the why’s and the how’s of the Lord’s gospel and the commandments he gives us to help us to better understand the gospel, but I find something in my life or my thoughts that I can tweak and hopefully become just a little bit better. That’s progress!

And then I also found a quote from Emma Smith that I don’t remember having ever heard before: “When my husband was translating the Book of Mormon, I wrote a part of it, as he dictated each sentenced, word for word, and when he came to proper names he could not pronounce, or long words, he spelled them out, and while I was writing them, if I made any mistake in spelling, he would stop me and correct my spelling although it was impossible for him to see how I was writing them down at the time.”  If we really work our hardest to do our part, the Lord will often step in and help us along our way. I treasure the times I have felt His help.