2/5/2018 - Section 79:1-4

February 5, 2018

Section 79:1-4

Missionary Attitude, Missionaries & the Comforter, Glad Hearts, Work Ethic,

Joseph gave no explanation for this section, But Jared Carter—the man to whom this section is addressed—explained that he had inquired of Joseph regarding the will of the Lord for him. The Lord answers in v 1 that Jared should go “again” east “from city to city, in power of the ordination wherewith he has been ordained, proclaiming glad tidings of great joy, even the everlasting gospel.” He had already served a mission. But after this revelation, he and his brother started out again. Jared wrote in his journal that he labored 6 months and two days and converted 79 souls.

This section is only 4 verses long—but what wonderful advice it contains for us as missionaries:

v 2 “And I will send upon him the Comforter, which shall teach him the truth and the way wither he should go;” Being righteous for and desirous of the Comforter can solve many of our life’s dilemmas.

V 3: “And inasmuch as he is faithful, I will crown him again with sheaves.”  We see sheaves in the fields after the grain is harvested and stacked. There is certainly ‘work enough to do til the sun goes down..’  But the Lord is promising that if we thrust in our sickles, we will obtain a very good harvest.

V 4. “Wherefore, let your heart be glad, my servant Jared Carter, and fear not, saith your Lord, even Jesus Christ. Amen” This is the attitude we should have toward missionary work: GLAD HEARTS!!!. This is exactly what Bob and I have been talking about as we have looked at the challenges of the mission here—and trying to not allow those challenges to cause us to miss the rewards of the mission work here.

We promise the Lord hard work and glad hearts. He promises the Comforter who teaches truth and guides us in the correct paths. Once again, the Lord provides very simple formulas for our success.

7/12/2021 - D&C 79-80

These are both such short sections…only 4 verses each. But these two sections have amazing ‘heavenly facts’. The synopsis of each of these sections are also short: “Jared Carter is called to preach the gospel by the Comforter.” and “Stephen Burnett & Eden Smith are called to preach in whatever place they choose.”

Elder Bednar spoke about these two sections: “Perhaps one of the lessons the Savior is teaching us…is that an assignment to labor in a specific place is essential and important but secondary to a call to the work.” Isn’t that true about any calling and/or assignment we are given in the Church? 

The other thing I learned is that in section 79, Jared Carter was not a farmer at the time this revelation was given. He was a missionary, already doing his best to bring people to the gospel. I don’t know how Jared felt when he got this news. An unexpected extension to the work we are called to do would always be surprising. I hope I could accept the extended calling as Jared (and most likely Stephen Burnett and Eden Smith did). The promises the Lord gives to us in section 79 are amazing: “And I will send upon him [Jared] the Comforter, which shall teach him the truth and the way wither he shall go.” I will always be thankful for the amazing directions I received as a mission nurse in Manila Philippines. I knew so little about tropical diseases and poisonous caterpillars and the multiple parasites that thrived there, but I almost always ‘just knew’ what to do when a call came in. Words would come to my mind and appropriate action would be taken. When we left for that mission, I knew I would be working FOR the Lord. I did not realize how much I would be working WITH the Lord! 

I love the promise in 79:2 “And I will send upon him the Comforter, which shall teach him the truth and the way whither he shall go”. Being righteous for, and desirous of, the Comforter can solve so many of our life’s dilemmas.  

Then there is 79:4 “…let your heart be glad...and fear not.” That’s the attitude that I want for every day of my life here on earth. 

Section 80 is not just excellent advice on just how to serve in a mission, but it is also excellent advice on how to live each day. “Wherefore, go ye and preach my gospel, whether to the north or to the south, to the east or to the west, it mattereth not, for ye cannot go amiss. Therefore, declare the things which ye have heard, and verily believe, and know to be true.” (v’s 3-4) This is essentially sharing our testimony and our love of Christ and Heavenly Father, and our experiences of their guidance and comfort and aid in our lives. That’s just another way of looking at the direction of ‘lift where you stand’. I need to work harder on doing just that!