5/15/2017 - Section 28:4-16

May 15, 2017

Section 28:4-16

Teaching in the Church, Missionary Work Instructions, Counsel One Another in Love, Revelation How It Works,

This section, directed expressly to Oliver Cowdery who is counselor to Joseph explaining that his role is as Aaron’s. He is “to declare faithfully the commandments and the revelations with power and authority unto the church” (v 3) “And if thou are led at any time by the Comforter to speak or teach, or at all times by the way of commandment unto the church, thou mayest do it.”(v4) “…and thou shalt have revelations, but write them not by way of commandment.” (v 8) This verse appropriately tells me that our personal revelations are for us alone. And then, v 15, referring to his missionary work to the Lamanites telling him that “it shall be given thee from the time thou shalt go, until the time thou shalt return, what thou shalt do.” I particularly love that verse, for it confirms that if I seek for things I should do on while on our official missions—or while I am in my home being about my personal business, if I seek for inspiration in planning and establishing my goals, then it SHALL BE GIVEN ME. V 16 completes this section nicely by reminding me of the attitude I must seek to have: “And thou must open thy mouth at all times, declaring my gospel with the should of rejoicing. Amen”

(v 12)We all have times when—by ignorance or by pride—we fail to follow the patterns the Lord has given us in governing and running His church. This was a time known for religious fervor. Hiram Page had convinced himself, and many others, that he had been given revelations…revelations for the Church as a whole. That is not how the Lord has set up the leadership of the Church. Oliver was the one who was given the task of teaching and guiding Hiram in the proper functionings of the Church. It was to be done with love and with understanding: “thou shalt take thy brother, Hiram Page, between him and thee alone, and tell him that those things which he hath written from that stone are not of me and that Satan deceiveth him.” Oliver was commanded to correct him in private, telling him that what he had done was not within the established order of the church--that the revelations he had received were, in fact, not of God. This had to be a delicate time of teaching, completely covering the specific mistakes he had made, and doing so with love and encouragement in order that he, Hiram, could continue on to grow in the gospel and in the Church.