7/25/2017 - Section 55:1-6

July 25, 2017

Section 55:1-6

Contrite Spirit, Eye Single to the Glory of God, Healthy Spiritual Vision, Teach Your Children Well, Gift of the Holy Ghost, Contrite Spirit, Trials and Tribulations Be Ready for Them,

William W. Phelps was a newspaper man by profession. He read an announcement that the Book of Mormon was about to come off the press. He later met Parley P Pratt and purchased a Book of Mormon from him. He read the book and then he went to Kirtland where he met Joseph and asked what the Lord desired of him (William). That’s why we have Section 55.

William Phelps is told to be baptized with an eye single to the Lord’s glory & receive the Holy Ghost (v1). Bruce R McConkie wrote about that phrase “an eye single to the Lord’s glory”in his Doctrinal New Testament Commentary: “Through the natural eyes men see the light which guides them in their physical existence, through their spiritual eyes, the spiritual eyes  light which leads to eternal life. As long as the natural eyes are unimpaired, men can see and be guided by the light of day; and as long as the spiritual eyes are single to the glory of God—that is, as long as they are undimmed by sin and are focused solely on righteousness—men can view and understand the things of the Spirit. But if apostasy enters and the spiritual light turns to darkness, ‘how great is that darkness!’”  I thought that an interesting quote to contemplate. I started to wonder what other things dim the spiritual light, and I think one of those ‘dimming’ qualities is when we focus only on ourselves. We are here to help those around us. If we focus on ourselves, we are blind to them. We can also ask the Lord to help us focus on the proper things. The Lord speaks about being contrite—to me that means that I am watching my ways of behavior and thought in a humble way, and I am ready to change my patterns as I am impressed by the Holy Ghost.

He is promised (v 3) that as an elder “on whomsoever you shall lay your hands, if they are contrite before me, you shall have power to give the Holy Spirit.” I was struck by the responsibilities on both sides of this wonderful bestowal and acceptance of the Holy Ghost. Contrition in the scriptures seems to be an important part of humility. It is a sincere sorrow for one’s sins and, I feel, a humble readiness to take our behavior and our thoughts to better, higher paths.

He is also commanded (v 4) to write books for children “that little children also may receive instruction before me as is pleasing unto me.” In the Nov 1 1845 edition of Times and Seasons—14 years after this section was received-- William Phelps commented upon this calling that was given him and that he still held dear: “As a people we are fast approaching a desired end, which may literally be called a beginning. Thus far, we cannot be reproached with being backward in instruction. By revelation, in 1831, I was appointed to ‘do the work of printing, and of selecting and writing books for schools in this church, that little children might receive instruction’, and since then I have received a further sanction. We are preparing to go out from among the people where we can serve God in righteousness; and the first thing is to teach our children, for they are as the Israel of old. It is our children who will take the kingdom and bear it off to all the world. The first commandment with promise to Israel was, “Honor thy father and thy other, that thy days may be long in the land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee.’ We will instruct our children in the paths of righteousness; and we want that instruction compiled in a book.”

William was instructed to go to Missouri. There was great work to be done there. He had no idea of the great tribulations that would occur there. But he went, he worked, and he continued to work throughout the hard and frightening times. He worked not just for better things, but for the best things—the things of the Lord.