5/30/2017 - Section 34:1-12

May 30, 2017

Section 34:1-12

Belief and Faith, Faith and Belief, Faith and Works, Holy Ghost Miracles are ‘Normal’ to the Lord, Obtaining Lord’s Promises Requires Our Work and Our Study, Faith Blessings Of, Second Coming,

I often love the synopsis statements at the beginning of the section that describe what we will find in the verses. Sometimes their succinctness helps me focus more on the primary message. That’s what happened as I started to read Section 34: “1-4 The faithful become the sons of God through the atonement; 5-9 Preaching of the gospel prepares the way for the Second Coming; 10-12 Prophecy comes by the power of the Holy Ghost.”

The Lord speaks to Orson Pratt as “my son” because as “a young man of nineteen years of age, who had been baptized at the first preaching of his brother, Parley P Pratt” because he believed and he acted on that belief.

V’s 4-5 touched me: “And blessed are you because you have believed;    and more blessed are you because you are called of me to preach my gospel”. Thus it is so important to believe, and of even greater importance to work in the kingdom.

After explaining to Orson the sequence of that which is to come, Christ then tells him exactly what He would have him do: v 10: “Wherefore, lift up your voice and spare not, for the Lord God hath spoken; therefore prophesy and it shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost.”

This is what Orson later wrote concerning his feelings to this beautiful revelation that he received through Joseph Smith: “’Lift up your voice and prophesy, and it shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost.’ This was a particular point in the revelation that seemed to me too great for me ever to attain to, and yet there was a positive command that I should do it. I have often reflected upon this revelation, and have oftentimes inquired in my heart—‘Have I fulfilled that commandment as I ought to have done? Have I sought as earnestly as I ought to obtain the gift of prophecy, so as to fulfill the requirement of heaven?’ And I have felt sometimes to condemn myself because of my slothfulness, and because of the little progress that I have made in relation to this great, heavenly, and divine gift. I certainly have had no inclination to prophesy to the people unless it should be given to me by the inspiration and power of the Holy Ghost; to prophesy out of my own heart is something perfectly disagreeable to my feelings, even to think of, and hence I have oftentimes, in my public discourses, avoided, when a thing would come before my mind pretty plain, uttering or declaring it for fear that I might get something out before the people in relation to the future that was wrong.” (Journal of Discourses 17:290-91)

P 70: “Though Orson Pratt felt inadequate in this calling, a study of his writings clearly shows that he did indeed fulfill the Lord’s admonition to prophesy. His writings are full of prophetic insights and promises.”

And finally, Christ’ s promise to Orson—and to us: v 11 “And if you are faithful, behold, I am with you until I come--“ What a lovely promise to us all, and what a great gift just for doing what brings so much peace and comfort to me!

President Joseph Fielding Smith explained the phrase that Christ used after describing what would happen proceeding the Second Coming: v 12 “…I come quickly…” President Smith: “’I come quickly.’ This is a scriptural expression that occurs frequently, especially in the book of Revelation. This is ‘speaking after the manner of the Lord.’ (D&C 63:53) This does not mean that immediately the Lord will make his appearance, but when he does come he will come suddenly, when he is least expected. He told his disciples that the day would come when men were unawares, as the thief in the night. For this reason we should watch and pray, ‘For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth’ (Luke 21:34-35.) There is no excuse for any of us, then, not to be prepared, for we have been fully and frequently warned.” (Church History an Modern Revelation, 1:157)

4/9/1970 – D&C 34

This section is given to Orson Pratt, who was 19 years old at the time.

Christ describes himself for Orson: 

“The light and the life of the word, A light which shineth in the darkness, and the darkness      comprehendeth it not.”(v2)

“Who so loved the world that he gave his own life, that as many as would believe might become the sons of God. WHEREFORE YOU ARE MY SON” (v 3)

Then Christ speaks directly to Orson: “And blessed are you because you have believed; and more blessed are you because you are called of me to preach my gospel” (v 4-5) 

This tells me that while it is of utmost importance to believe, it is of even greater importance to work for the Lord. 

Then in v’s 7-8 the Lord explained that this work to prepare people for the sure coming of Christ (the only thing we are not sure of is the time of His coming) but the Lord assures us that it will be a day filled with “power and great glory”. 

I found a section of what Orson wrote about that day: “I thought that was a very great and important calling….I felt, therefore, the importance of those sayings; and truly, when I looked at the magnitude and importance of the command given to me to prophesy by the power of the Holy Ghost, I felt oftentimes to tremble and shrink, for fear I never should be able to fulfill and accomplish so great a work.” 

The Lord will sometimes ask us to do hard things. What we need to remember is that after the Lord asks us, he makes sure that the Holy Ghost will linger near us. All we have to do is to ask for help and guidance and then work to follow that guidance. 

P70: “The phrase “I come quickly’ refers to the nearness of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and is found in at least thirteen sections of the Doctrine and Covenants. Although over 170 years have passed since some of these revelations were given, that is a relatively short period of time when compared to the nearly 6000 years that the earth has existed in a telestial condition.  The fulfillment of many of the prophecies pertaining to the Second Coming indicates that that event is indeed near.”