4/17/2017 - Sections 15 & 16

April 17, 2017

Sections 15-16

Scriptures Value Of, History Value Of, Spiritual Guidance, Lord’s Love and Tender Care, Family History, Waits Family History, Scripture Teaches Us, Prayer, Answers to Prayer, Waits Family Letters,

These two sections are similar to section 14. Each section is addressed to a different member of the Whitmer family, for these 3 men came to Joseph to ask specifically, and with “much earnestness” (the scriptures stipulate the importance of our DESIRE in obtaining answers) to know what the Lord would specifically have them do.

These 3 sections take me back to our time in the Netherlands. I would be in our tiny kitchen there preparing dinner. During the course of my work, each of our 6 children would poke their head in and ask ‘What are we having for dinner?’ The reaction of each child to my answer was not always enjoyable for me to deal with. So in order to save myself the time and energy of repeating all the reasons why we were eating something that might not be their first, second or third choice, after giving my answer to the first child who asked, I would respond to each subsequent request “I’ve already answered that question.” Then, if they really wanted to know, they would have to seek out each sibling until they found one with the answer. (I actually enjoyed hearing their ‘oh-no’ or their ‘oh-boy’ and the subsequent conversations that occurred between them all. Plus by not answering the same question 6 times, it allowed me more time to really talk with anyone who had an actual problem or excitement from the day that they wanted to share.

Why do I mention that here? Because the Lord must also get bombarded with so many of the same questions. That’s one of the reasons we have the scriptures. “What I say unto one, I say unto all”  (D&C 82:5 & Mark 13:37) Everything in them is spoken directly to me, and directly to you. But even after saying that in many times, in many ways, in many places, the Lord continues to answer our individual requests when we seek, knock, ask—and sometimes even patiently wait.

P 31 quotes Elder John A Widtsoe on this subject: “The Doctrine and Covenants is a compilation of the revelations received by Joseph Smith to individuals and for the guidance of the Church. From the first years of work the Prophet kept every scrap of paper pertaining to the progress of the work. In fact this care of things that must have seemed trivial is one of the evidences of the sincerity of the man. For example, when John and Peter Whitmer asked for help, he received for each of them a revelations, substantially the same: [D&C 15-16].    This simple revelation is directed to the individual and at first sight has no permanent value for the Church. Yet as a revelation from God it was preserved and published. An insincere man could have eliminated this and other similar revelations as of little consequence. Not so with Joseph. The Lord had spoken. The words were part of the building of the kingdom of God, and the same advice would be useful to many men then and now. (Joseph Smith, pp251-252)

I am, for the past two years—and for some years to come, working on a wonderful, and wonderfully time consuming project: I’m scanning and putting every scrap of correspondence I have from and/or to any member of our family into the ‘Waits Family Lifetime Correspondence’ blog. In doing this I have re-discovered memories of events, emotions, thoughts, situations, triumphal and not-so-triumphal experiences. It is truly a collection of our collective family experience, and deserving of the untold hours I am putting into this project. While I know it is not scripture, I feel it is of utmost importance to our family. Family history can also have a unifying effect on us, and can cause us to remember, to ponder, to love, and to grow.

2/16/2021 – D&C 15-16

I’ll start with a quote from John A Widtsoe that I love: “This simple revelation is directed to the individual and at first sight has no permanent value for the Church. Yet as a revelation from God it was preserved and published. An insincere man could have eliminated this and other similar revelations as of little consequence. Not so with Joseph. The Lord had spoken. The words were part of the building of the kingdom of God, and the same advice would be useful to many men then and now.”

Here’s a bit of background on John Witmer: His entire family became supporters and defenders of Joseph Smith almost from the beginning. At this point John, and his brothers David and Peter came to Joseph looking for instructions and directions in what they could do to help and assist in the work they felt was so important. 

In 15:4 the Lord is talking to “John” –He KNOWS John Witmer. He had heard John’s prayers. This verse reminds me that if I don’t feel like I’m getting answers from the Lord, I simply need to have patience and remind myself that the Lord knows me, and loves me, and hears all my prayers. I simply have to keep studying it out in my mind and the Lord will give me my answers when I am ready to hear, to understand, and to do.