5/7/2017 - Section 23:1-7

May 7, 2017

Section 23:1-7

Pride, Patriarchal Blessings, Missionary Advice, Missionary Promise, Prayer Personal Family & Public, Take Up the Cross,

When the Lord speaks to Oliver Cowdery in v 1, He lets him know that all is well in his spiritual life, BUT He gives Oliver a ‘heads-up’ to “beware of pride, lest thou shouldst enter into temptation.” Oliver had this revelation given to him. Remembering this small sentence later during the difficult days in Kirtland, he would not have forfeited his membership in the church and his life, then and forever, would have been very different. We have our patriarchal blessings. There are small sentences in those blessings that we should pay more particular attention to, for by heeding those one sentence warnings, we can avoid our hardest problems before they ever develop.

V 2 can be applied to all missionaries: “Make known thy calling unto the church, and also before the world, and thy heart shall be opened to preach the truth from henceforth and forever. Amen.” As missionaries, if we make our quest known to all we meet—with love and sincerity and humility—it will change OUR hearts as well as the hearts of those to whom we speak. That’s like a double rainbow!

V 3, spoken to Hyrum: “Wherefore thy duty is unto the church forever, and this because of thy family.” I read that thinking that families bring great joy, but also bring great responsibilities. We are not in this world to chart a solitary course. We are here to return to Heavenly Father and to encourage all around us to make that their course also—for that is where the greatest happiness will be discovered.

In v 4, Samuel Smith is told that it is “not as yet called to preach before the world.”

And yet, p 48 says “…it was not long after this revelations when he was sent forth to teach, which he did with marked success, far beyond his own realization.” I believe it was Samuel who placed the Book of Mormon that eventually made it’s way to Brigham Young. We need to stay close to the Lord to understand His timing for our lives.

V 6 councils Joseph Knight Sr to pray. At the time of this revelation he was very interested in the church, but was not baptized. He was a Universalist, and possibly did not turn to prayer very much. My personal prayers helped me so much in my youth, and especially in my life as a mother and a wife, and today I see it not just as a help but as a necessity. And so I pray in the morning as I begin my scripture study, and also as I end my scripture study, and I pray before I crawl into bed at night.  It is my comfort and my help.  I will always regret, that we never managed to sustain our family prayers and that I checked on teeth brushing more than personal prayers—for I fear my neglect has been a terribly significant detriment to my children. The scriptures make the importance of prayer extremely clear, and I let fatigue interfere with my obedience and my responsibility as a mother. That is one of the few things in my life that causes me such deep and great sadness.

 V 6 uses the phrase I have always wondered about: ‘take up your cross’. Ludlow, Companion 2:56: “The term ‘take up our cross’ is found in both ancient and modern scripture, including at least three references in the D&C (23:6;56:2;112:14). In Matthew 16:24 the Savior says, ‘If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.’ The [Joseph Smith Translation]of the bible provides the meaning of this term as given by Jesus Christ himself: ‘And now for a man to take up his cross, is to deny himself all ungodliness, and every worldly lust, and keep my commandments.’”     In the Vitality of Mormonism p 339, Elder James E Talmage wrote: “The cross to be taken up may be heavy, perhaps to be dragged because too burdensome to be borne. We are apt to assume that self-denial is the sole material of our cross; but this is true only as we regard self-denial in its broadest sense, comprising both positive and negative aspects. One man’s cross may consist mostly in refraining from doings to which he is inclined, and another’s in doing what he would fain escape. One’s besetting sin is evil indulgence; his neighbor’s a lazy inattention to the activities required by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, coupled perchance with puritanical rigor in other observances.”

3/8/2021 – D&C 23

The Church has now been officially organized. These 5 men: Oliver Cowdery, Hyrum Smith, Samuel Smith, Joseph Smith Sr., and Joseph Knight, Sr. are ready to go to work…they just don’t know exactly what they should do. 

It is interesting that following the laws of the country, and organizing the church as was legally required—did nothing to stop the persecution that was continuing…in fact, the persecution increased. One example comes from when they were preparing for a baptism that included Emma. They had built a small dam in the river to provide deep enough water in which to preform baptisms. But those who were against Joseph, and the Church he had organized, destroyed the dam. The men of the Church repaired the dam. But as the baptism began the persecutors watched and came close enough that those who had come to participate in this sacred ordinance did so in the midst of the shouted threats and constant mocking of the persecutors. Then after the baptism, when Joseph was just about to confirm these newly baptized people, he was arrested for upsetting the community by preaching about the Book of Mormon.  

The Lord didn’t stop the persecution, but he certainly taught, and encouraged, and hopefully strengthen those of this new Church. This revelation was given April 6, 1830 –on the day of the official organization. 

The Lord first speaks of Joseph Smith: “Behold, there shall be a record kept among you; and in it thou shalt be called a seer, a translator, a prophet, an apostle of Jesus Christ, an elder of the church through the will of God the Father, and the grace of your Lord Jesus Christ. Being inspired of the Holy Ghost to lay the foundation thereof, and to build it up unto the most holy faith.” (V1-2)  I love hearing that a prophet who has already had multiple revelations is also promised the guidance of the Holy Ghost. That emphasizes the importance of the Holy Ghost, and also helps me to realize even more fully the great privilege that I have because as long as I work to live up to the Lord’s commandments, then I have this very same privilege every day of my life. I just have to work harder on hearing Him, and then acting promptly on what I have felt or heard.

In v 4 the Lord speaks directly to these 5 men…and to me! “Wherefore, meaning the church, thou shalt give heed unto all his [the president of the Church] words and commandments which he shall give unto you as he receiveth them, walking in all holiness before me. For his word ye shall receive as if from mine own mouth, in all patient and faith.” (v’s 5-6) And then the Lord promises us, once again using the words my mother heard repeated to her out loud when she read them in the Book of Mormon for the first time: “For by doing these things the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; yea, and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his names glory.” ((v 6)

In v 7 the Lord states that HE has inspired Joseph, and the Lord praises Joseph for his diligence. The Lord recognizes the hard times Joseph has gone through [and we know the many hard times that Joseph went through after this revelation], but that the time will come when Joseph will rejoice, and feel ‘the manifestations of my blessings upon his works.” (v8) 

And then my favorite verse in this section: “For behold, I will bless all those who labor in my vineyard with a mighty blessing and they shall believe on his words, which are given him through me by the Comforter…” 

The three things I feel from this section are 1) there are great blessing that come to us from our work in the Church; 2) God’s formula seems to be: working for the Lord = and an increase in our faith; and probably the most important 3) we all have the opportunity to live with the influence of the Holy Ghost always available to us—it is usually our thoughts and efforts that determine the amount of help we receive from Him.