7/10/2017 - Section 47:1-4

July 10, 2017

Section 47:1-4

Record Keeping, Scripture Study Documentation, Journals, Journals of Spiritual Revelations & Experiences, Callings Growth Opportunities, Callings Seek the Spirit to Do Your Best,

This short section emphasizes the importance of record keeping. I found the preface quite interesting. “John Whitmer [he had already served as a secretary to Joseph and had recorded many of the revelations received in Fayette NY] had not sought an appointment as historian, but being asked to serve in this capacity, he had said that he would obey the will of the Lord in the matter.” The study manual states that John’s reaction to this call was by his own report quite negative, and in fact, said “The will of the Lord be done, and if He desires it, I wish that He would manifest it through Joseph the Seer” (History of the Church 1:166n) Could this be that he didn’t understand the importance of this calling? Or maybe he didn’t enjoy writing? No matter what the reason was for his hesitancy, On March 8, 1831 in Kirtland, Ohio, Joseph inquired of the Lord and received this revelation.

This reminded me of some of the callings I have received, but have not looked forward to. Some of those callings, I grew to love…or at least, grew to love the people I served and served with…and they provide sweet memories and appreciated times of growth. Other times, I found I although I performed in the calling, I did not embrace the calling. I did my ‘duty’ well, but did not experience the deep love of the people I served. That was to my detriment, and I learned a lesson there that I hope I will never have to repeat. Callings are opportunities given us by the Lord to either bless us or those around us. Either way the Lord is helping us to grow and expand our horizons. Our growth—of lack thereof-- depends on how we approach that calling, and how much we include the Lord in our efforts.

This keeping of records was nothing new in the Lord’s dealing with his children. Adam kept a book of remembrance written by the spirit of inspiration (see Moses 6:5). Enoch kept a history of his people according to the pattern given by God (see Moses 6:46). Lehi sent his sons back to Jersalem to obtain a record of their forefathers (see 1 Nephi 3:2-4). Nephi painstakingly kept two histories of his people, a secular record and a sacred record (see 1 Nephi 91-6).

P 102 on v1 “John Whitmer’s history of the Church is a mere sketch of events that transpired between 1831 and 1938 [he served for 7 years] His work consisted of eighty-five pages, which included many of the revelations given to the Prophet Joseph Smith. He later left the Church and took his history with him. In 1893, may years after his death, the Church obtained a copy of his history.” There has got to be so much more of a story in that brief description….

Here are Joseph Smith’s thoughts on the value of accurate records:  “It is a fact, if I now had in my possession, every decision, which had been had upon important items of doctrine and duties since the commencement of this work, I would not part with them for any sum of money; we have neglected to take minutes of such things, thinking, perhaps, that they would never benefit us afterwards; which, if we had them now, would decide almost every point of doctrine which might be agitated. But this has been neglected, and now we cannot bear record to the Church and to the world, of the great and glorious manifestations which have been made to us with that degree of power and authority we otherwise could, if we now had these things to publish abroad.” (History of the Church 2:198-99; see also Alma 37:8)

Maybe this is why I feel so compelled to write down the things I ponder in my scripture studies. Maybe this is why I also feel compelled to protect the letters of our family by organizing and scanning them and making them easily available. Both of these efforts are amazingly time consuming. But both bring me wonderful moments of enlightenment and learning and remembering. I hope and pray these efforts can do the same for my children and my children’s children.

5/5/2021- D&C 47

I loved reading the background of John Whitmer: “one of the Eight Witnesses of the Book of Mormon, had assisted the Prophet Joseph Smith as a scribe during a portion of the Book of Mormon translation and later during the Prophet’s inspired translation of the Bible. John’s duties increased after Oliver Cowdery departed in October 1830 for his mission to the Lamanites. John helped take notes at Church conferences and continued to compile the revelations Joseph Smith had received and copy them into a manuscript record book that would become known as the Book of Commandments and Revelations. In March 1831, the Prophet Joseph Smith appointed John Whitmer to write the history of the Church. John later recounted, “I would rather not do it but observed that the will of the Lord be done, and if he desires it, I desire that he would manifest it through Joseph the Seer” (in The Joseph Smith Papers, Histories, Volume 2: Assigned Histories, 1831–1847, 36).

I’ve been given several callings that I would rather have avoided. I’ve never asked for that calling to be confirmed by a revelation to a prophet. But as I look at these men in these times—they are men who are close to the Lord. Christ is teaching them and training them as they progress in doing His work. I love the honesty and openness of John Witmer, and I love his commitment to the Lord’s work. And as far as the callings I had that were not easy for me, I can look back and realize how they helped me to grow—in understanding the more ways the gospel should affect my life, in compassion, and in forming life-long friendships. 

I also love v 4, as the Lord explains to John Whitmer, through Joseph Smith just how He (the Lord) works with and for us: “Wherefore, it shall be given him, inasmuch as he is faithful, by the comforter, to write these things. Even so. Amen” That is the end of this section, but I always feel like I need to have one more verse which would read: “now that I’ve explained how this works, you need to get busy!”  And that’s exactly what John Whitmer did! He went to work and prepared a 96 page narrative history that primarily described events from fall 1830-the mid 1830’s. His narrative can be found in The Joseph Smith Papers, Documents, Volume1:July 1828-June 1831, 285).

Elder Marlin K Jensen, a 70, spoke of the importance of keeping a history of the Church: 

1: to help Church members build faith in Christ and keep their sacred covenants.

2. to bear witness of and defend the foundational truths of the restoration. 

3. we have a scriptural charge to help preserve the revealed order of the kingdom of God on earth

I think I’ve felt this too, but on a family scale. I’ve spent much of my last five years scanning the Waits Family Lifetime Correspondence, for that is OUR history, and I will continue to work until I scan the last letter in my files.  It includes our good times and our difficult times. It includes our thoughts and feelings. It includes many of the stories of our life. And best of all it includes so much evidence of the love that exists, and flows, between us all. Those are the gold nuggets of my life with all of you!