6/7/2017 - Section 38:10-28

June 7, 2017

Section 38:10-28

Weakness How the Lord Views It, Weakness How to Overcome, Companions, Unity, 

V 14: The Lord knows our weaknesses and our iniquities. He knows, too, the status of our hearts and our faith. And yet He says “…But I will be merciful unto your weaknesses.” Then, in His very next sentence in the very next verse, He shows us that He has no intention of helping us to continue in our iniquities or in our wavering faith. He commands (v 15) “Therefore be ye strong from henceforth; fear not, for the kingdom is yours.” He has given us our next goal. We determine how we bring that goal to fruition.

As the Lord tells us how to live a higher law He explains in v 24 --and reinforces in v 25—what we should do: “And let every man esteem his brother as himself, and practice virtue and holiness before me. 25. And again I say unto you, let every man esteem his brother as himself.”  Anything the Lord repeats is of great importance and that is His way of letting us know that. (Woe, woe, woe, or verily, verily) And then, after this repetition he restates it a 3^rd time in parable form: v 26 “for what man among you having twelve sons, and is no respecter of them, and they serve him obediently, and he saith unto the one: Be thou clothed in robes and sit thou here; and to the other: Be thou clothed in rags and sit thou there—and looketh upon his sons and saith I am just?  27. Behold, This I have given unto you as a parable and it is even as I am. I say unto you, be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine.”

Elder Harold B Lee spoke of this in the 1950 general conference: “If we are not united, we are not his. Here unity is the test of divine ownership as thus expressed. If we should be united in love and fellowship and harmony, this Church would convert the world, who would see in us the shining example of these qualities which evidence that divine ownership. Likewise, if in that Latter-day Saint home the husband and wife are in disharmony, bickering, and divorce is threatened, there is an evidence that one or both are not keeping the commandments of God.    If we, in our wards and our branches, are divided, and there are factions not in harmony, it is but an evidence that there is something wrong. If two persons are at variance, arguing on different points of doctrine, no reasonable, thinking person would say that both were speaking their different opinions by the Spirit of the Lord….    If it is so important, then, that this people be a united people, we might well expect that upon this principle the powers of Satan would descend for their greatest attack. We might well expect, also, that if there be those of apostate mind among us, they would be inclined to ridicule and to scorn this principle of oneness and unity as being narrow-minded or as being unprogressive. We would likewise expect that those who are enemies would also seek to fight against that principle.”

4/14/2021 – D&C 38: 1-25

I’ll start with a bit of background for this section: “The Prophet Joseph Smith described Edward Partridge as “a pattern of piety, and one of the Lord’s great men” (in Manuscript History of the Church, 1838–1856, vol. A-1, page 78). Edward was a successful businessman from Painesville, Ohio, who was well respected in his community. He and his wife, Lydia, heard the restored gospel taught by Oliver Cowdery, Parley P. Pratt, and their companions. Lydia was soon baptized, but Edward remained skeptical. Lydia wrote that her husband “partly believed but he had to take a journey to New York State and see the Prophet” before he could be satisfied (account of Lydia Partridge, in Edward Partridge genealogical record, 1878, 6, Church History Library, Salt Lake City). Edward traveled with Sidney Rigdon to New York, arriving in December 1830. After hearing the Prophet Joseph Smith preach, Edward declared his belief in the restored gospel and said he was ready to be baptized if the Prophet would baptize him. Soon thereafter, the Prophet dictated a revelation, now recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 36, for Edward. Two days later, on December 11, 1830, Joseph Smith baptized Edward Partridge.” (D&C Study Guide)

The Lord had commanded the saints to gather in Ohio, but not everyone saw the wisdom in it right away. This is when section 38 was given to Joseph. V’s 31-32 clearly give His reasons for the gathering:  “That ye might escape the power of the enemy, and be gathered unto a righteous people….ye should go to the Ohio; and there I will give unto you my law; and there you shall be endowed with power from on high.” (v 31-32)

This section begins with Christ clearly telling them who He is and what He has done and what He will do, and then in v’s 7-9 he gives this small group (the Church now has about 120 members) His full attention: “But behold, verily, verily [truly, truly] I say unto you that mine eyes are upon you. I am in your midst and ye cannot see me. But the day soon cometh that ye shall see me, and know that I am for the veil of darkness shall soon be rent….Wherefore, gird up your loins and be prepared. Behold, the kingdom is yours, and the enemy shall not overcome.”  Christ can by with US too, and all we need to do is to live worthily, to follow His commandments and be prepared. He helps us by warning us to stay near Him, for “the powers of darkness prevail upon the earth….which causeth silence to reign and all eternity is pained…” (v 11-12)

Christ then explains to them in v 13: “And now I show unto you a mystery, a thing which is had in secret chambers, to bring to pass even your destruction in the process of time, and ye know it not; But now I tell it unto you…” He also tells them that they have let their weaknesses guide them, but that he “will be merciful unto your weakness. Therefore, be ye strong from henceforth; fear not, for the kingdom is yours.” ((v 14-15) The Lord often reveals more details to us as we come unto Him with our questions and our worries. He is there for us. He knows our weaknesses and he still loves us, AND He will support us as we seek His help. His advice to this small, new congregation is “be ye strong from henceforth; fear not…I give unto you a commandment, for I have heard your prayers” (v’s 15-16). Just like with these early saints, I remind myself that I must realize that I will not always know or understand all the ‘why’s’ of the Lord’s request. But in my 71 years, I have learned that when I lean on the Lord, and follow his commandments, I am calmer, happier, more productive, more settled…more “right”. 

The Lord reminds us of this in v 22-24: “Wherefore, hear my voice and follow me, and you shall be a free people, and ye shall have no laws but my laws when I come….But, verily I say unto you teach one another…and let every man esteem his brother as himself and practice virtue and holiness before me.” 

He gives us the map.  In order for us to end up at our desired destination, all we have to do is follow that map!

In this situation, “some felt that Joseph had invented the revelation, and they refused to receive it as the word of the Lord. Others struggled to come to grips with it and eventually chose to obey. But my favorite response as from Newel Knight, a faithful brother from the Colesville branch, Joseph’s friend. ‘Having returned home from conference, in obedience to the commandment which had been given, I, together with the Colesville Branch, began to make preparations to go to Ohio…As might be expected we were obliged to make great sacrifices of our property….Having made the best arrangement we could for the journey, we bade adieu to all we held dear on this earth and in the early part of April started for our destination.”  (This last paragraph was from David Butler…a seminary teacher here in Utah.) I love being able to ‘hear’ the words of Newel Knight, for they touch my heart.

4/15/2021 – D&C 38:26-42

I did a bit of extra reading this morning and was amazed by what I read. Joseph received the revelation (section 37) in late December of 1830 while he was working on his inspired translation of the Bible in which the Lord gave a commandment to the Church “that it is expedient in me that they [the saints] should assemble together at Ohio” (37:3). It was on January 2, 1831, during a Church conference, that Joseph announced the Lord’s commandment for the Saints to gather to Ohio. Many of the saints desired to know more about this commandment, so the Prophet inquired of the Lord during the conference and that’s when Joseph received the revelation recorded in section 38. Now here is the amazing part: It was near the end of January 1831, that Joseph, Emma, and others traveled by sleigh from New York to Ohio, arriving in Kirtland Ohio in the early part of February 1831. The Lord spoke, and they responded about as immediately as they could. I’ve never made a move within 30 days of making the decision to move---and I had easy access to moving trucks! This impresses on me even more: when I hear, or feel, the Lord speak—or even nudge me—I need to respond right then!

Now, back to section 38. After the Lord has instructed the saints in how to live in a loving and caring way, he explains: “I tell you these things because of your prayers”. His commandment to move to Ohio saved the saints from much harm. That’s how the Lord works: if we ask, He will answer—then it is up to us to do the things, or make the changes, that the Lord has shown to us need to be done. Our role is to ask for that help, to listen for His response, and then act on what we have heard, or felt. 

Then in verse 32 the Lord again shows how He works with us: He reminds them of his commandment, and then promises them additional knowledge and help: “Wherefore, for this cause I gave unto you the commandment that ye should go to the Ohio; and there I will give unto you my law; and there you shall be endowed with power from oh high.” He only directs us in whys that will help us.

The Lord then goes on to give directions that will help ALL the saints. He says that specific people will be called to make sure that those without the means to make this move will be helped and “administered to” for their relief and that they not suffer in this move. The Lord knows that they will have trouble selling their homes and farms before they move, and so he tells them “farms that cannot be sold, let them be left or rented as seemeth them good.” (v 37)  He then goes on to explain “…it ye seek the riches which it is the will of the Father to give unto you, ye shall be the richest of all people, for ye shall have the riches of eternity; and it must needs be that the riches of the earth are mine to give; but beware of pride lest ye become as the Nephites of old.”

Newel Knight said: “Having returned home from conference, in obedience to the commandment which had been given, I, together with the Colesville Branch, began to make preparations to go to Ohio….As might be expected, we were obliged to make great sacrifices of our property…Having made the best arrangements we could for the journey, we bade adieu to all we held dear on this earth and in the early part of April started for our destination.” I wonder, was Newel’s delayed move because of his help to those who needed help? 

And then He ends this revelation that every person should “with the labor of his hands, …prepare and accomplish the things which I have commanded”. And they are to warn their neighbors, thus helping themselves and those around them. This says to me, we are to follow the Lord to the very best of our ability, and we should not be so focused on ourselves…but that with the example of His love, we should share OUR with all those around us.