5/7/2018- Section 95:1-2

May 7, 2018

Section 95:1-2

God’s Love, Chastisement, Chasten, Parenting, Agency, Adult Children,

The commandment to build a temple was first given in December 1832 (D&C 88:119). This section was given just about one month after Section 94, which spoke of building edifices ‘for the work of the ministry’ as well as the temple. Joseph reported that when this section was given “great preparations were making to commence a house of the Lord,” but “the church was poor” and the work lagged. (history of the church 1:349-50)

The first verse comes from a loving God: “Verily (truly), thus saith the Lord unto you whom I love, and whom I love I also chasten that their sins may be forgiven, for with the chastisement I prepare a way for their deliverance in all things…”

Brigham Young once said: “At times I may to many of the brethren appear to be severe. I sometimes chasten them; but it is because I wish them to so live that the power o God, like a flame of fire, will dwell within them and be round about them. These are my feelings and desires.” (Journal of Discourses, 8:62)

I read these things and my mind shifts from 1833 to 2018, and I think of our children who have taken themselves out of the church and away from the gospel. As parents, our response was first to express our grief and worry regarding their eternal welfare and progression, and also to express our deep, unchanging love for them, and to recognize their agency. I read that President Kimball, when counseling priesthood leaders, said: “We are concerned that too many times the interviewing leader in his personal sympathies for the transgressor, and in his love perhaps for the family of the transgressor, is inclined to waive the discipline which that transgressor demands. Too often a transgressor is forgiven and all penalties waived when that person should have been disfellowshipped or excommunicated. …Do you remember what was said by the prophet Alma? ‘Now’ he said, ‘repentance could not come unto men except there were a punishment.’ (Alma 42:16) Ponder on that for a moment. Have you realized that? There can be no forgiveness without real and total repentance, and there can be no repentance without punishment. This is as eternal as is the soul….Please remember these things when somebody comes before you who has broken the laws of God….”

These are the things I struggle with when our adult children make decisions that we feel will change the course of eternity for them. Do I simply tell them I love them no matter what—letting them know that we disagree with them and worry about them and then just watch as they move further and further from the gospel? I would gladly give my life for them. Am I honoring their agency, or am I am I too worried about harming our relationship here on earth (which would cause me grief and despair) and paying no attention to the rest of eternity (which will most certainly cause me eternal grief and despair if they continue in their current paths)? This is my constant quandary!

8/31/2021 – D&C 95

The study guide gives a very good historical background to this section: “The commandment to build a temple was first given in December 1832 (see D&C 88:119). The Prophet Joseph Smith reported that when Doctrine and Covenants 95 was given, “great preparations were making to commence a house of the Lord,” but “the Church was poor” and the work lagged (History of the Church, 1:349–50.) On 1 June 1833 the temple committee, composed of Hyrum Smith, Reynolds Cahoon, and Jared Carter, sent a circular to all the members, encouraging them to assist spiritually and temporally in building the temple. On the same day the Prophet Joseph Smith received section 95, in which the Lord reproved the Saints for neglecting the commandment to build a temple.”  This is covered in v 3 “For ye have sinned against me a very grievous sin, and that ye have not considered the great commandment in all things, that I have given unto you concerning the building of mine house;”  This commandment was for the benefit of the saints: “Yea verily I say unto you, I gave unto you a commandment that you should build a house, in the which house I design to endow those whom I have chosen with power from on high”(v 8) And in v 10 Christ also called their contentions with one another ”a very grievous sin.” We are not to live in a contentious way—we are to live in a loving way.

Yes, He had given them a very difficult commandment, but they didn’t even try and instead they put it off indefinitely. But the Lord told them” “If you keep my commandments, you shall how power to build it.” (v11) And then in v 12, He tells us of the dangers of not keeping His commandments: “If you keep not my commandments, the love of the Father shall not continue with you, therefore you shall walk in darkness.”

The Saints had neglected to act on the revelation of Dec 1832. If you look at their daily lives, they had lots of other things that could easily need their attention. I’m learning that when I get one of those sudden ideas, I better write it down, and then I better be figuring out how to make that idea into reality. If I make myself do that, I feel that I really do get more ‘sudden ideas’. The Lord always knows what our priorities should be. Sometimes it is due to our needs and our growth, but often times it is for another’s need or growth. 

In the very first verse of Section 95 Christ teaches us: “thus saith the Lord unto you whom I love, and whom I love I also chasten that their sins may be forgiven, for with the chastisement I prepare a way for their deliverance in all things...”  This is how He helps us to cleanse ourselves and how he works to purify us.

At the end of this section, after all the things He taught us about our attention to His commandments, he then tells them exactly how to build this building. This reminds me of the verse that I love so much: “in the strength of the Lord I can do all things.” And the wonderful thing about this section is that those same Saints DID build the Kirtland Temple. It still stands.