5/25/2017 - Section 31:1-13

May 25, 2017

Section 31: 1-13

Thomas Marsh, Missionary Instructions & Promises, Lord’s Rules for Living, Missions Bless our Family, Anger Beware, Apostasy Spirit Of, Holy Ghost Signs of Him In Us,

This is the last of a series of 4 revelations given to Joseph Smith in Sept 1830,around the time of the first church conference held after the church was officially organized 6 months previously. Section 31 is a revelation to Thomas B Marsh, who had been baptized earlier in the month and ordained to the office of elder.

In Smith and Sjodahl Commentary, p 165 it says: “Thomas B Marsh had embraced the gospel o the testimony of the Spirit concerning 16 pages of the Book of Mormon, and he moved to Palmyra in order to join the Church. This was faith. Many ‘inquirers’ cannot be moved, though they have an entire library from which to draw information. God commends him for his faith.” This section is a beautiful welcome for a new member of the Church. It speaks of wondrous blessings that will come to Thomas, but also gives warnings to him.

A bit of history: Thomas left home at 14 and supported himself. He married in his early 20’s. He studied the Bible and investigated several religious groups, “but he felt impressed that ‘a new church would arise, which would have the truth in its purity.’2

In 1829, Marsh ‘believed the Spirit of God dictated me to make a journey west.’ With a friend, he traveled to western New York and stayed for three months. At one point, a woman asked if he had ‘heard of the Golden Book found by a youth named Joseph Smith.’ Marsh ‘became very anxious to know concerning the matter’ and visited Palmyra. He found Martin Harris at E. B. Grandin’s printing office, where the first 16 pages of the Book of Mormon had just come off the press. Because Joseph Smith was in Harmony, Pennsylvania, Harris took Marsh to Oliver Cowdery, ‘who gave me all the information concerning the book I desired.’

This entire section contains wonderful instructions and promises for all missionaries.

V 1: blessed are you because of your faith in my work                                                             V 2: Lift up your heart and rejoice for the hour of your mission is come; and hour tongue shall be loosed and you shall declare glad tidings.                                                              V 3: Thrust in your sickle with all your soul…you shall be laden with sheaves upon your back for the laborer is worthy of his hire. Wherefore, your family shall live.                       V 8…you shall strengthen them [the church] and prepare them                                         V 9: Be patient in afflictions, revile not against those that revile, Govern your house in meekness, and be steadfast                                                                                                      V 11: Go your way whithersoever I will, and it shall be given you by the Comforter what you shall do and whither you shall go                                                                                     V 12 Pray always, let you enter into temptation  and lose your reward                                 V 13 Be faithful unto the end, and lo, I am with you…these words are not of man …but of me, even Jesus Christ…

Since we are looking back in time, we can compare these beautiful blessings to the actualities of the life of Thomas Marsh, starting where I left off after Thomas came into contact with the Book of Mormon and Oliver Cowdery:

“ ‘Highly pleased’ with all he learned, Marsh returned home to Boston and shared his new knowledge with his wife, who also believed it to be from God. ‘From this time for about one year I corresponded with Oliver Cowdery and Joseph Smith, Jun., and prepared myself to move west,’3 Marsh wrote.

“Learning by letter that the Church of Jesus Christ had been organized on the 6th day of April, 1830,” he continued, ‘I moved to Palmyra, Ontario Co., in September following, and landed at the house of Joseph Smith, Sen., with my whole family. During this month I was baptized by David Whitmer, in Cayuga Lake, and in a few days I was ordained an Elder by Oliver Cowdery with six Elders, at Father Whitmer’s house.’”4

“Later that same month, the second conference of the Church was held in Fayette, New York. During the proceedings, Joseph Smith received revelations for four individuals, including one for Thomas Marsh (that is this section: D&C 31)

“The revelation is rich in content—some wording is similar to other early revelations, and some promises and instructions are personal for Marsh and his family. Marsh was told that he and his family, “yea thy little ones,” would be blessed. At that time, he had three sons, the oldest being nine years old. Marsh was called to serve as a missionary and was told that his sins were forgiven. He was counseled to be patient, to revile not, to pray always, and to give heed to the Comforter.

“There is every indication that for several years Thomas Marsh humbly followed the counsel he received. He was ordained a high priest in 1831 and served missions in 1831 and 1832. He moved his family to “Zion” (Jackson County, Missouri) in 1832, settled on the Big Blue River, and served as branch president of the Big Blue branch. Along with other members of the Church, he was forced out of Jackson County in 1833 and moved to Lafayette County for the winter and then on to Clay County. He was called to the high council in Missouri in 1834 and named, with others, to receive an endowment of spiritual power in the house of the Lord in Kirtland, Ohio, which was then under construction.8

“Agreeable to revelation,” Marsh left for Kirtland in January 1835, preached along the way, and arrived in April. Unbeknownst to him during his travels, he had been called to the newly organized Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in February. Shortly after his arrival in Kirtland, he was ordained to the Quorum. By seniority and revelation, he was named president of the quorum, even though he was still a relatively young man of about 35 years.12

The next month, Marsh and other members of the Twelve left on a mission to the eastern states, returning in September. That fall and winter, he attended the Elders’ School and Hebrew school in Kirtland and participated in spiritual preparations for the endowment of power anticipated with the dedication of the house of the Lord in Kirtland. Marsh attended the dedication on March 27, 1836, as well as the solemn assembly three days later. The following month he began a trek back to his family in Missouri, preaching as he traveled. From July through September, he visited branches of the Church in Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

Troubles Arise

By the following year, relationships among the Twelve Apostles had deteriorated significantly. It was a time of intensifying conflicts and dissatisfaction within the Church in Kirtland. Among the Twelve, youth and inexperience, a lack of precedence, and disagreements about their role and purpose and the bounds of their authority caused disharmony. These difficulties were compounded by distance and communication struggles, as some resided in Kirtland and some in Missouri, and quorum members from both places were often called to serve missions elsewhere.

Hoping to bolster quorum unity, Marsh returned to Kirtland in July, only to find that some Apostles had left for a mission to Great Britain and several others had apostatized. Seeking counsel, Marsh visited Joseph Smith, who dictated a revelation for him (now Doctrine and Covenants 112). The revelation was a source of great guidance and comfort to Marsh, as well as stern admonition. Marsh was told that ‘all thy sins are forgiven’ and that ‘I, the Lord, have a great work for thee to do.’ The Lord also told Marsh, ‘I know thy heart and have heard thy prayers. . . . Thou art the man whom I have chosen to hold the keys of my kingdom (as pertaining to the twelve)’ and ‘how great is your calling.’ Yet Marsh was also told there were a few things in his life ‘with which I, the Lord, was not well pleased.’ Marsh was counseled to ‘be ye faithful before me,’ and for he and the Twelve to ‘exalt not yourselves; rebel not against my servant Joseph’ but to ‘purify your hearts’ and ‘cleanse your hearts’ in preparation for proclaiming the gospel. The revelation also included the oft-quoted promise ‘Be thou humble, and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand and give thee an answer to thy prayers.’

Relationships among the Twelve improved for a season, and in July, Marsh, Joseph Smith, and others departed for a mission to Canada. Returning to Far West, Missouri, Marsh continued his efforts to strengthen the Church and show support for Joseph Smith. A heavy blow to Marsh’s family fell the following May, when his second son, James, died suddenly at the age of 14 after a short illness. Joseph Smith preached his funeral sermon.

A Falling Away

Within a few months, Marsh fell prey to a spirit of apostasy, as had many others. He was among several Latter-day Saints who became disturbed by the increasingly violent relationship between Church members and their Missouri neighbors. Also contributing to his deepening dissatisfaction was the infamous “cream strippings” incident, which occurred in August or September 1838, involving Marsh’s wife, Elizabeth, and Lucinda Harris, the wife of George W. Harris. According to George A. Smith, the women had agreed to exchange milk from their cows for making cheese. But counter to their agreement, Elizabeth allegedly kept the cream strippings—the richer part of the milk that rises to the top—before sending the rest of the milk to Lucinda. According to Smith, the matter went before the teachers quorum, then the bishop, and then the high council, all of whom found Elizabeth to be at fault. Marsh, not satisfied, appealed to the First Presidency, who agreed with the earlier decisions. Further hurt by this chain of events, the already frustrated Marsh was said to have declared ‘that he would sustain the character of his wife, even if he had to go to hell for it.’

Sometime in the fall of 1838, Marsh left Far West with his family and began actively opposing the Saints. He swore out an affidavit in October 1838 that detailed his concerns about acts of violence and destruction he believed were being planned or carried out by members of the Church against their neighbors in Caldwell and Daviess Counties. The affidavit also stated his fear that ‘all the Mormons who refused to take up arms, if necessary in difficulties with the citizens, should be shot or otherwise put to death’ and that ‘no Mormon dissenter should leave Caldwell county alive.’ Orson Hyde added his signature in support of Marsh’s statements.

Although Marsh’s affidavit was just one piece of evidence against the Saints presented to Missouri officials, George A. Smith later declared, ‘That affidavit brought from the government of Missouri an extermination order, which drove some 15,000 Saints from their homes and habitations, and some thousands perished through suffering the exposure consequent on this state of affairs.’Spurned by his former friend and supporter, Joseph Smith harshly characterized Marsh’s two-page affidavit as containing ‘all the vilest calumnies, aspersions, Lies and slanders, towards myself and the Church that his wicked heart could invent.’

Marsh’s bitter feelings toward the Church kept him away for almost two decades. At some point in the mid-1850s, having lost his wife and suffering from health problems, Marsh determined to reunite with the Church. His regret and repentance appeared to be humble and genuine. Writing to Heber C. Kimball in Salt Lake City, Marsh lamented,   ‘The Lord could get along very well without me and He has lost nothing by my falling out of the ranks; But O what have I lost?!’ Marsh further explained that he had ‘met with G W. Harris and a reconciliation has taken place with us.’

“After Marsh’s arrival in Salt Lake City in September 1857, Brigham Young allowed him to address the Saints. In a weakened voice, Marsh explained his apostasy and asked for forgiveness:

‘I have frequently wanted to know how my apostasy began, and I have come to the conclusion that I must have lost the Spirit of the Lord out of my heart.

“The next question is, ‘How and when did you lose the Spirit?’ I became jealous of  the Prophet, and then I saw double, and overlooked everything that was right, and spent  all my time in looking for the evil; and then, when the Devil began to lead me, it was  easy for the carnal mind to rise up, which is anger, jealousy, and wrath. I could feel it within me; I felt angry and wrathful; and the Spirit of the Lord being gone, as the  Scriptures say, I was blinded, . . . I got mad, and I wanted everybody else to be mad.”23

After Marsh spoke, Brigham Young asked for a vote receiving Thomas B. Marsh back into full fellowship as a member of the Church, and not a hand was raised in opposition.24      

Found: https://history.lds.org/article/revelations-in-context-doctrine-and-covenants-thomas-marsh?lang=eng

And from John Dehlin: “A More Accurate Version”

“After Marsh moved to Utah and rejoined the Latter-day Saints, he looked back at his decision to leave the Church with regret. Concerning his actions in Missouri, he wrote:
“ About this time I got a beam in my eye and thought I could discover a mote in Joseph’s eye, though it was nothing but a beam in my eye; I was so completely darkened that I did not think on the Savior’s injunction: ‘Thou hypocrite, why beholdest thou the mote which is in thy brother’s eye, when a beam is in thine own eye; first cast out the beam out of thine own eye, then thou shalt see clearly to get the mote out of thy brother’s eye.’ ”

Years later, in 1864, George A. Smith claimed in a sermon that Marsh had left the church because of a dispute between his wife and other Mormon women over a milk cow.[2] Although this tale has made its way into Mormon folklore, Smith’s statements are not supported by any contemporary evidence.[3] 

Comments: Patricia N. Heaton · 

This article isn't a more accurate version. The accurate versions are those Marsh recorded and are in the possession of his family which verify the "traditional" way the story is told.

I spent a lot of time searching out the history here. It all comes back to Elder Kline’s explanation: We are here on earth on a path to return to Heavenly Father. We are not in a race with anyone. No one stands still on that path. We are either moving toward Heavenly Father or away from Heavenly Father. My quest is to move a little closer to Him each day. President Eyring’s talk in April 2017 gen conf “Heavenly Father’s goal is for us to inch forward in perfection…the Holy Ghost helps gives us hints every single day.    My goal is to inch forward every day. If I feel anger, haughtiness, jealousy, irritation then I better work harder to have the spirit guide me instead of the natural man. Heavenly Father sees all of His with love. He must be disappointed in us all at times, but he loves us all…all of the time. It is when we have His spirit that we have understanding, and that brings a calmness and a love to us and to others.

This is a later entry (5 June 2017). This verse, 31:5, came up in Sunday school yesterday. I hadn’t remembered one particular phrase. I turned to Bob and asked: ‘Is that really in there?’ and he immediately looked the verse up and showed me. V 3: “Therefore, thrust in your sickle with all your soul…” I talked about this verse in the beginning of this entry as dealing with missions, completely skipping the next phrase: “…and your sins are forgiven you, and you shall be laden with sheaves upon your back…Wherefore your family shall live.”  I had always seen this as a missionary verse. I think I skipped over the ‘sins are forgiven part’ because I want my work and desires as a missionary to be unselfish—to be totally dedicated to serving others. I have already found that to be rewarding in so many ways. As I look at it now, I feel that anytime—mission or normal life—we volunteer to thrust in our sickle with all our soul, that we gain enough learning experiences, and usually accompanying joy, that it effects OUR lives positively as well as the lives of those we serve. I see that right now in the life of my Bishop: Bishop Wadsworth. I’m now going to try to remember this every time I feel the pressure to work on my relief society lesson that always takes so long for me to pull it together…

4/6/2021 – D&C 31

Some background to this revelation: Thomas B Marsh had been baptized earlier in the month. He had already been given the priesthood and ordained as an elder. This revelation was given immediately following a conference of the Church.

In v1 the Lord acknowledges Thomas’ faith, and promises Thomas that he will be blessed because of that faith….When we work to come closer to the Lord, and He always comes closer to us. I just need to remember that sometimes he pauses a bit to help us grow a bit more within his gospel. If I stay with Him completely through my “education time”, I am always amply rewarded in multiple ways. 

In v 2 it’s very obvious that Thomas Marsh had been having difficulties within his family. I’m sure that families in every generation have gone through times of difficulties that have been a great struggle to them. The Lord always knows us and our conditions…physically, mentally, spiritually. He was able to calm Thomas’ heart, and remind Thomas of His constant love and His readiness to help us. It works when we live according to the Lord’s promises: “draw near unto me, and I will draw near unto thee”. “Behold, you have had many afflictions because of your family; nevertheless, I will bless you and your family, yea, your little ones; and the day cometh that they will believe and know the truth and be one with you in my church.” (v2) What a wonderful promise to him. But it is very evident that this promise will not be fulfilled immediately. Thomas has been recommended because of his faith, and now the Lord has given him the opportunity to grow his faith. He gives Thomas instructions on how to go forward, with his family and with his new faith: “Lift up your heart and rejoice” (v 3) And the next thing He tells Thomas is to get busy doing what he has been called to do.

Working for the Lord IS work, but the Lord has given us much advice on how to accomplish His work: “Therefore, thrust in your sickle with all your soul [I just read a definition of ‘soul’—it is your body and your spirit combined] and your sins are forgiven you, and you shall be laden with sheaves upon your back, for the laborer is worthy of his hire, wherefore, your family shall live.”  (v 5). The Lord has given Thomas a hard job, along with amazing promises.

These are the Lord’s promises—these are the very things that the Lord can help us with: 

V 6:  “…you go from them [his family] only for a little time and declare my word, and I will prepare a place for them.

V 7:  “I will open the hearts of the people, and they will receive you”

V 8  “you shall strengthen them and prepare them against the time when they shall be gathered”

V 9: “Be patient in afflictions [the Lord never promises that the jobs He gives us will be easy] 

V 9: “revile not against those that revile” Thomas is to “govern your house in meekness and be steadfast”

      That makes me think that the work he does for the Lord, and the work he does within his family should

be given with love and consideration.

V 11:  The Lord promises that the Comforter will be with him wherever he goes and in all that he does. That is

is the same promise that the Lord has given us when we were baptized and given the gift of the Holy 

Ghost. We just need to do our best, always trying to listen for those usually subtle nudges from the Holy

Ghost.

V 12: “Pray always, lest you enter into temptation and lose your reward…”

And his final and most glorious promise, in v 13: “Be faithful unto the end, and lo, I am with you. These words are not of man nor of men, but of me, even Jesus Christ, your Redeemer, by the will of the Father.”

These very same promises can be ours, if we go to the Lord with that request, and do our best to do His will and to come unto Him. It’s so worth the effort!