6/13/2017 - Section 41:1-12

June 13, 2017

Section 41:1-12

United Order, Leadership, With Caution and Some Wisdom, Obedience with the Right Attitude, If-Then Scriptures, Proper Heart, Selfishness Won’t Work, Keep the Commandments There Is Flexibility, Hypocrite, Zion,

This is the first revelation received after Joseph and Emma moved to Kirtland (Jan 1831). P 81 “…the Kirtland Branch had grown to nearly one hundred members. Many of the new converts had belonged to a religious society known as “Disciples”. Even after Joining the Church, these converts continued to practice what was called ‘common stock,” or holding all property in common. But discord arose among members over the manner in which this system should operate. Some considered that what belonged to one member belonged to anyone in the branch. ‘Therefore,’ wrote John Whitmer, ‘they would take each others clothes and other property and use it without leave, which brought on confusion and disappointments, for they did not understand the scripture.’  The prophet Joseph Smith wrote: ‘The branch of the Church in this part of the Lord’s vineyard which had increased to nearly one hundred members, were striving to do the will of God, so far as they knew it, though some strange notions and false spirits had crept in among them. With a little caution and some wisdom, I soon assisted the brethren and sisters to overcome them. The plan of ‘common stock’ which had existed in what was called ‘the family,’ whose members generally embraced the everlasting Gospel, was readily abandoned for the more perfect law of the Lord; and the false spirits were easily discerned and rejected by the light of revelations.”

The Lord is speaking to a branch that is trying hard to follow His highest laws, but some of those people use this ‘common stock’ for solely for their own advantage. In v 1, the Lord addresses those who are sincerely trying: “…ye whom I delight to bless with the greatest of all blessings, ye that hear me;” The Lord wants to bless us. But to those whose motives and actions were for themselves only: “…ye that hear me not will I curse with the heaviest of all cursings” –and that was because they shifted His law to the benefit of themselves. This is one of the most solemn and pointed declarations that can be found in any scripture against the hypocrite and the person who professes in sincerity but doesn’t intend to live up to the law.  

In v 2 the Lord shows them the way out of these problems and frustrations: “O ye elders of my church whom I have called, behold I give unto you a commandment that ye shall assemble yourselves together to agree upon my word;  (3) And by the prayer of your faith ye shall receive my law, that ye may know how to govern my church and have all things right before me.”  Leadership doesn’t just happen. Leaders must pray—then they are guided.  And with this comes Joseph’s statement from above: “With a little caution and some wisdom, I soon assisted the brethren and sisters to overcome them.”

And just in case we didn’t get it yet, He gives us v 5 “He that receiveth my law and doeth it, the same is my disciple; and he that saith he receiveth it and doeth it not the same is not my disciple.” ‘Two characteristics of the disciples of the Lord: they receive his law and they do it.’ P81  President Spencer W Kimball: “As  important  as it is to have this vision in mind [becoming a Zion people], defining and describing Zion will not bring it about. That can only be done through consistent and concerted daily effort by every single member of the Church. No matter what the cost in toil or sacrifice, we must ‘do it’.”  (Apr 1978 Gen Conf)

Keep the Commandments There Is Flexibility: v 8 “…it is meet that my servant Sidney Rigdon should live as seemeth him good, inasmuch as he keepeth my commandments.”

(meet: idea of being proper, fit, acceptable, permissible, right, necessary or desirable.”

V 11: Edward Partridge was called as the first bishop, “… because his heart is pure before me”. If my heart were truly pure, I believe a lot of the irritations and frustrations I now feel throughout an ordinary day, would instead not even occur. I believe I have a new goal to work toward. And the neat thing is that any progress at all will make for a better life!

4/19/2021 – D&C 41

Joseph and Emma have arrived in Kirtland Ohio, and Sidney Rigdon and Edward Partridge had made the trip with them. Joseph stopped at the Newel K Whitney’s store. Newel and his wife, Ann were recent converts to the Church. They had never met the prophet, Joseph. When Joseph entered their store, he reached his hand across the counter, and said, “Newel K Whitney, thou art the man.” When Newel said that he was at a disadvantage because he did not know to whom he was speaking, the Prophet replied, “I am Joseph the Prophet; you have prayed me here, now what do you want of me?”  (Ensign Apr 2005, 37)

Joseph wrote in the explanation of this section “The members were striving to do the will of God, so far as they knew it, though some strange notions and false spirits had crept in among them…[and] the Lord gave unto the Church the following.”  

The first verse indicates the fact that the Lord wants to bless us…but we must do our part. “Hearken [hear and do] and hear, O ye my people, saith the Lord and your God, Ye whom I delight to bless with the greatest of all blessings…[and here comes our part]…ye that hear me;”

V 3 tells us what to do if we are having trouble ‘hearing him’: “And by the prayer of your faith ye shall receive my law, that ye may know how to govern my church [and I would add: how to govern ourselves] and have all things right before me.”

V 5 gives us a definition that can be of great value to us: “He that receiveth my law and doeth it, the same is my disciple;” The question that helps me determine how I am doing is: Am I willing to do what He asks of us? 

Elder Dallin H Oaks described a true disciple of the Lord: “Following Christ is not a casual or occasional practice but a continuous commitment and way of life that applies at all times and in all places.”  (Apr  2013 Gen Conf)

Elder Dieter F Uchtdorf said: “It is not enough merely to speak of Jesus Christ or proclaim that we are His disciples. It is not enough to surround ourselves with symbols of our religion. Discipleship is not a spectator sport. We cannot expect to experience the blessings of faith by standing inactive on the sidelines any more than we can experience the benefits of health by sitting on a sofa watching sporting events on television and giving advice to the athletes. And yet for some, ‘spectator discipleship’ is a preferred if not a primary way of worshipping.   Ours is not a secondhand religion. We cannot receive the blessings of the gospel merely observing the good that others do. We need to get off the sidelines and practice what we preach.” ( Apr 2009 Gen Con)

In verse 9, the Lord calls Edward Partridge to be a bishop. And in v 11 He tells us why: “And this is because his heart is pure before me, for he is like unto Nathanael of old, in whom there is not guile.”

And the Lord finishes with v 12, He tells us straight: “These words are given unto you, and they are pure before me; wherefore, beware how you hold them, for they are to be answered upon your souls in the day of judgment. Even so. Amen.”