6/14/2017 - Section 42:1-17

June 14, 2017

Section 42:1-17

Missionary Short Course, Missionaries as Angels, Teach Correct Doctrine, False Teachers and Teaching, Astray Leading Others, Teach by the Spirit,

Very interesting background to this section in the study manual p 82: “Once the Prophet moved to Kirtland Ohio, he acted swiftly to set the Church in order. Under direction from the Lord, he appointed the first bishop of the Church, put an end to an incorrect system of having all things in common (section 41), and defined many policies and procedures. Several problems developed as other members from New York began flooding into Kirtland. This place was already an area of rapid growth for the Church, because many of the people there had been prepared by Sidney Rigdon to embrace the truth. The Prophet had been told that the Lord would reveal His law to the Saints once they had moved to Ohio (D&C 38:32). However, after Joseph Smith arrived in Kirtland, the Lord added one further stipulation: the elders had to agree upon the word of the Lord and were to unite in a prayer of faith. Only then would they receive the law designated to help the Saints live peaceably together (41:2-3). Accordingly, on 9 February 1831 twelve men were called together by Joseph Smith and united in prayer and in faith and desire to receive the law. (History of the Church 1:148) Only verses 1-73 of section 42 were given at that time. The rest of the revelation was received two weeks later, on 23 February. This latter part, according to President Joseph Fielding Smith, was ‘given for the establishment of the City of Zion—New Jerusalem—which was to be built by the law of consecration and obedience to the fullness of the Gospel” (Church History and Modern Revelation 1:184)

The scripture synopsis at the beginning gives a wonderful short course on missionary work: “1-10 The elders are called to preach the gospel, baptize converts, and build up the Church; 11-12, they must be called and ordained, and are to teach the principles of the gospel found in the scriptures; 13-17, They are to teach and prophesy by the power of the Spirit” My favorite of these scriptures is v 6—a picture of how missionaries should be: “And ye shall go forth in the power of my Spirit, preaching my gospel, two by two, in my name, lifting up your voices…declaring my word like unto angels of God.  V 14 And the spirit shall be given you by the prayer of faith…V 16 And as ye shall lift up your voices by the Comforter, ye shall speak and prophesy as seemeth me good;” As missionaries, do we have the feeling of angels? Do we have that glow of love and pure intent? Are we intent upon our assignment, or only upon ourselves? Are we focused, with love, upon those to whom we are sent and those with whom we work? And then v 8 gives us a little more to do: “…ye shall build up my church in every region.”

President Joseph Fielding Smith shed great insight on what it means to teach by the spirit: “no one should be called upon to teach and no one should attempt to teach the doctrines of the Church unless he is fully converted and has an abiding testimony of their truth. This testimony can only be received through prayerful study and obedience to all the commandments of the Lord. No man or woman can teach by the Spirit what he or she does not practice. Sincerity, integrity, and loyalty are essential factors and these will be accompanied by the spirit of prayer. The Comforter, ‘who knoweth all things’. We should rely on, and then our teaching shall be approved of our Father in Heaven.”

So far every mention of Edward Partridge in the D&C has always as a man with a pure heart—this description is from Christ himself. But v 10 is a warning to pure-hearted Edward, and most certainly to me who has yet to reach that milestone—that he is to “stand in the office wherewith I have appointed him. And it shall come to pass, that if he transgress another shall be appointed in his stead.” This life is our school. Even if we have made exemplary and scholarly progress in our earth life schooling—there is always the possibility that we might allow ourselves to neglect our learning, to skip our ‘homework’, to sluff our ‘classes’, to no longer bother to take notes or update our knowledge base…and that would be such a waste of our amazing educational opportunities. In this life we are never still. We are either moving forward or slipping back. We will be much happier if we avoid all slipping—and we do that by moving forward.

Spencer W Kimball on the special obligations resting on those who teach the gospel, from Apr 1948 Gen Conf: “Apparently there were in the early church those who taught for doctrines the sophistries of men. There are those today who seem to take pride in disagreeing with the orthodox teachings of the Church and who present their own opinions which are at variance with the revealed truth. Some may be partially innocent in the matter; others are feeding their own egotism; and some seem to be deliberate. Men may think as they please but they have no right to impose upon others their unorthodox views. Such persons should realize that they own souls are in jeopardy. The Lord said to us though the Prophet Joseph; [D&C 42:12-14].   The great objective of all our work is to build character and increase faith in the lives of those whom we serve. If one cannot accept and teach the program of the Church in an orthodox way without reservations, he should not teach. It would be the part of honor to resign his position Not only would he be dishonest and deceitful but he is also actually under condemnation, for the Savior said that it were better that a millstone were hanged about his neck and he be cast into the sea than that he should lead astray doctrinally or betray the cause or give offence, destroying the faith of one of these little ones’ who believe in him. And remember that this means not only the small children, it includes even adults who believe and trust in God…   In our own society, the murderer who kills the body is hunted, imprisoned, and executed, but the character who kills the soul by implanting doubt and shattering faith is permitted not only to go free but also is often retained in high places. The body which is killed will rise again in the resurrection with little damage to its eternal welfare, but he whose faith has been shattered may suffer long ages before complete restoration of spiritual stature can be had, if at all.”

4/20/2021 – D&C 42:1-29

I appreciated David Butler’s introduction to this section: “Have you ever started a new job or moved to a new school or even played a game for the first time? The beginning stages are filled with all sorts of questions. It was like this for the Saints once they arrived in Ohio. They obeyed the call to move, and the elders obeyed the call to go forth and preach, but once they began, the questions started coming. The Lord had promised them in New York that He would give them His law—teach them how to preach and live as Saints would and should. For each of the questions, the Lord poured out knowledge and revelation that led to peace and joy….The Saints referred to this revelation as “the Law’, and in the heading we learn that Joseph specified it as “embracing the Law”. 

Just the synopsis of this section takes up a lot of room. But these are the verses I hope to cover today: 1-10, The elders are called to preach the gospel, baptize converts, and build up the Church; 11-12, They must be called and ordained, and are to teach the principles of the gospel found in the scriptures; 13-17, They are to teach and prophesy by the power of the Spirit; 18-29, The saints are commanded not to kill, steal, lie, lust, commit adultery, or speak evil against others;  

Build up the Church (1-10): This section was given shortly after the Saints started arriving in Kirtland, Ohio. In this case 12 elders of the Church met and prayed together, as the Lord had commanded them to do (v 2-3) His first commandment: “Again I say unto you, hearken and hear and obey the law which I shall give unto you.” He is pleased that they have “assembled yourselves together” as He had commanded, and they have asked for His help and guidance. And His answer to these actions: that they “have asked the Father in my name, even so ye shall receive” (v 3). Then, as He has asked them to preach the gospel, he explains how they are to do that: “…ye shall go forth in the power of my Spirit [He doesn’t ask them to do this all by themselves…they will have a companion, and they will have access to the Lord’s spirit], preaching my gospel, two by two, in my name, lifting up your voices…” (v 6) He even tells them the direction he wants them to go. (v 8).  As I read these verses, I thought that leaving for missions hasn’t changed: we still go two by two, and we are still directed, by his apostles, as to where we are to go.

The importance of being called and ordained & teaching from the scriptures (11-12): No one is to go on missions, or to do things to build up the church unless that have been “ordained by someone who has the authority” (v 11). Bob and I were just called to teach the Temple Preparation Class. The bishop had not yet called the people who would be in that class, but we’ve been studying and working on organizing the lessons. Then last Sunday we were set apart, and the guidance and blessings we were given in that procedure, were so strengthening, and at the same time, comforting. 

The importance of the Spirit in our lives (13-17): The Lord tells us just how to work with the Holy Ghost: “And they shall observe the covenants and church articles to do them, and these shall be their teachings, as they shall be directed by the spirit. And the Spirit shall be given unto you by the prayer of faith…” (v’s 13-14) He reminds us of the importance of the Spirit in our efforts. And He also reminds us of our part of that partnership, in that we must pray for that help and when it comes, it is up to us to follow through as we are directed.

We are commanded not to kill, steal, lie, lust, commit adultery, or speak evil against others (18-29): These are the basic things that will allow us to be close to Heavenly Father. They are the very things the Lord commanded of the Children of Israel under Moses’ care. These are, and have always been, the ways to live so that we could benefit from the Lord’s always available help and directions. And in v 29, He gives us the secret: “If thou lovest me thou shalt serve me and keep all my commandments.” Love is the key. And as we grow in our love of Heavenly Father, we will also grow in our love for our fellow man (that means our families and all of the people we come into contact with). It’s a tall order, but the work we put into loving all changes not just our lives, but the lives of those with whom we connect. 

Elder L. Tom Perry : “It is our privilege to have the Holy Ghost, a member of the Godhead, as our constant companion, to edify and inspire us in our preparation as teachers. We should prepare ourselves through obedience to God’s commandments, that our confidence will wax strong when we call upon the Lord, that His Spirit might magnify us as we teach. When we have the Spirit to direct us, we are capable of teaching with great power” ( Ensign, May 1999, 8).

Elder Dallin H. Oaks: “If we have the Spirit of the Lord to guide us, we can teach any person, no matter how well educated, any place in the world. The Lord knows more than any of us, and if we are his servants, acting under his Spirit, he can deliver his message of salvation to each and every soul.

“President Joseph Fielding Smith taught: ‘The Spirit of God speaking to the spirit of man has power to impart truth with greater effect and understanding than the truth can be imparted by personal contact even with heavenly beings. Through the Holy Ghost the truth is woven into the very fiber and sinews of the body so that it cannot be forgotten’ (Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols. [1954–56], 1:47–48)” (“Teaching and Learning by the Spirit,” Ensign, Mar. 1997, 7).