6/20/2017 - Section 44:1-6

June 20, 2017

Section 44:1-6

General Conference, Gemma, Members of the Church Duties Of, Ward Spirit Of, Welcome, Kindness to All, Do It Do It Now, Obedience,

The Lord requires that Joseph Smith call another all Church conference. This will be the 4^th such conference. The first 3 were held in Fayette, New York. This one will be held in Ohio. The Lord says that “it is expedient in me” to call everyone together “from the east and from the west, and from the north and from the south” (v1). And then comes the promise in v 2: “…inasmuch as they are faithful, and exercise faith in me, I will pour out my Spirit upon them in the day they assemble themselves together.”

In the 1938 Oct Gen Conf, President David O McKay explained some of the purposes for conferences: “…First, to transact current Church business (D&C 20:62), Second, to hear reports and general Church statistics (D&C 73:2), Third, to ‘approve of those name which I (the Lord) have appointed, or to disapprove of them’ (D&C 124:144), Fourth, to worship the Lord in sincerity and reverence, and to give and to receive encouragement, exhortation, and instruction (D&C 58:56; 72:7)”

Elder Hugh B Brown “These great conferences are called for the purpose of inspiring us to prepare for the battle.” (Church News, July 1968 p 10)  In this 4^th conference they approved the names of the brethren who were called to go to Missouri to learn the location of the city of Zion. P 91 states: “The conference was to prepare the Saints for events and challenges yet to come.”

At the conclusion of the 1977 Apr Gen Conf, President Spencer W. Kimball said: “We have all felt the outpouring of the Spirit of the Lord as we have assembled in his name to worship and be instructed by the power of the Holy Ghost. This has always been the pattern of the meetings of the saints.”

And in the 1900 Apr Gen Conf, Joseph F. Smith said this: “When the Lord restored the Gospel the spirit of gathering came with it. The Lord commanded the people to gather together, and that they should not only be organized as a Church, but that they should be organized under the laws of the land, so that they might not be helpless and dependent and without influence or power, but that by means of united effort and faith they should become a power for the accomplishment of righteousness in the earth.”

But most important are the words of scripture: v 5 “That your enemies may not have power over you; that you may be preserved in all things; that you may be enabled to keep my laws; that every bond may be broken wherewith the enemy seeketh to destroy my people.” This is the power of general conference “inasmuch as they are faithful, and exercise faith in me, I will pour out my Spirit upon them in the day that they assemble themselves together.” That verse 2 deserves repeating, and each time I read it or type it I remember the general conference that was just after Sarah and Daniel learned that Gemma—still in utero—had severe birth defects and that if she survived until delivery, she would not live very long. Sarah and Daniel struggled with how they should react to that pregnancy and to the doctor’s advice to terminate the pregnancy. They prepared for that televised conference, and their prayers were answered. They knew immediately when their prayers were answered. Months later, at the end of an extremely difficult pregnancy, Gemma was born. The doctor said she would only live for 10 minutes at the most, but she stayed with us for almost an hour. We felt her spirit so strongly, the room was filled with love. It is one of the most tender and spiritual experiences I have ever felt. I so look forward to being with her again.

And then in v 6, the Lord gives his directions to this still new church: “I say unto you, that ye must visit the poor and the needy and administer to their relief.”  Joseph did this. George Q Cannon spoke of Joseph’s adherence to this command: “At no time during the Prophet’s career did the care of the poor escape his attention or become a matter of indifference to him. He was a man of large benevolence, and his sympathies were quickly aroused by any tale of sorrow or appeal for relief. In the most busy and trying periods of his life those who went to him for counsel in their troubles, always found him willing to listen, and they were sure to receive encouragement and assistance. To extend comfort to the bruised spirit, and to help the needy and distressed appeared a constant pleasure to him. His hospitality, also, was a marked feature in his character. His house was always open to entertain the stranger. One of the most cherished recollections of many of the old members of the church is the kindness with which they were treated by “Brother Joseph’, and the warm welcome he gave them in his house upon their arrival at Kirtland and other places where he lived. (Life of Joseph Smith PP 109-110)

Surely I, who have much less stress and responsibilities in my life, can do more to be more like Joseph. He heard the word of the Lord and he did it. That’s when the blessings come…to those we help and also to ourselves. The Lord is a multiplier of blessings.

4/25/2021 – D&C 44

Many of the saints have gathered to Kirtland Ohio, but there are still many who have not journeyed to Ohio. This revelation is helping the saints to follow the plan that the Lord has set forth for them. 

V 1: “…it is expedient in me that the elders of my church should be called together, from the east and from the west, and from the north and from the south, by letter or some other way.”  Then He encourages them and teaches them that good will come wihen they follow His word: “…inasmuch as they are faithful, and exercise faith in me, I will pour out my Spirit upon them in the day that they assemble themselves together.” (v 2)

It’s important to remember that these revelations teach us, also. Elder Joseph B Wirthlin, in the November 1997 General Conference reinforced the truths Christ was teaching the saints almost 200 years ago: “In general conferences and in other Church meetings around the world, we come together seeking companionship—the good company of brothers and sisters in the gospel and the comfort of sweet communion with the Spirit of God. In our worship services, the presence of that Spirit fills our hearts with love for God and for our fellow Saints” And I think we work to do the same thing in our ward and stake meetings. I need to remind myself of these commandments and promises, and open myself more to the teaching and the spirit that is around me.

And I love v’s 5 & 6. The saints at this time were going through turbulent times, and those of us who are alive today are promised in the scriptures that times will get more turbulent as we approach the time of Christ’s coming. These two verses give us straight talk on how to live during tumultuous times. They promise us that “Your enemies may not have power over you; that you may be preserved in all things; that you may be enabled to keep my laws…and then He tells us how to better manage our lives: “I say unto you, that ye must visit the poor and the needy and administer to their relief…” That’s what the church does as a whole. I love reading what LDS Charities is doing here and around the world, bring help and hope to people—sometimes one by one. We can follow that example for doing the same thing in the more intimate settings in which we live. That’s a worthy goal for my everyday planning.