7/22/2018 - Section 104:53-59

July 22, 2018

Section 104:53-59

Scripture Purposes, Doctrine and Covenants contains revelations from God,  

In this section the Lord has explained exactly why the United Order has not worked well. And because so many of the Saints have not be ‘saints’, he has had to water down what he expects of them…which means he has to also water down their opportunities for growt and blessings. This was true in the early days of the Church, and it is just as true today. The Lord gives us commandments and challenges. It’s up to us whether we grow or shrink. He then gives this specific commandment in v’s 58-59: “58. And for this purpose I have commanded you to organize yourselves, even to print my words, the fullness of my scriptures, the revelations which I have gien unto you, and which I shall, hereafter, from time to time give unto you—59. For the purpose of building up my church and kingdom on the earth, and to prepare my people for the time when I shall dwell with them, which is nigh at hand.” The scriptures are for us! The scriptures are our training manual…our instruction manual. They tell us what to do AND what not to do! We can take time to read them and to follow them, and our lives will go well. Or we can disregard them thinking we can figure this out on our own, or that it can’t be all that hard, and in doing that we can very easily wind up with a mess on our hands.

There is an interesting quote in the student manual: from President Joseph F Smith, after speaking of the Bible ad the Book of Mormon and how they bear witness of Jesus as the Christ, added: “But is this all? No. We have here another book, the Doctrine and Covenants’, which contains revelations from God through the Prophet Joseph Smith, who lived comtemporary with ourselves. They are Christ’s words, declaring that he was the same that came to the Jews, that was lifted up on the cross, was laid in the tomb, burst the bands of death and came forth out of the grave…Here, then is another testimony of this divine truth; hence we have three witnesses.” Journal of Discourses, 19:262

9/16/2021 – D&C 104:47-86

There were so many saints who did not work wholeheartedly to accomplish what the Lord had asked them to do. There were probably many reasons for this: selfishness, lack of faith in the Lord’s promises, and possibly their believing that promised blessings come immediately. V 52 tells us that their downfall came from “the covenants being broken through transgression, by covetousness and feigned words.” President Joseph Fielding Smith spoke of this: “They were to understand that all the properties were the Lord’s, otherwise their faith was vain, and therefore they were stewards before the Lord….All of this was done for the purpose of building up the Church and kingdom of God on the earth, and to prepare the people for the time when the Lord should come to dwell upon the earth.” (Church History and Modern Revelation, 1:489-90) I want to remember this, and to learn from them. 

The Lord goes on in v’s 54-57 explaining His wanting us to be “stewards over mine house” and “for this purpose I have commanded you to organize yourselves….” (v’s 57-58)  He then speaks of the importance of the revelations He has given, and which He shall give, and that He has done this “for the purpose of building up my church and kingdom on the earth, and to prepare my people for the time when I shall dwell with them, which is nigh at hand.” (v 59) He is leading us step by step to a higher form of living together and working together.

He goes on to speak of the individual, instead of the saints as a group, and His instructions are to be “diligent and humble, and exercise the prayer of faith” (v 80) as we work to stay out of debt and/or pay our debts. And as we work in this way the Lord will support our efforts. He repeats again “And inasmuch as ye are humble and faithful and call upon my name, behold, I will give you the victory.” (v 82) 

The Lord cares about every part of our lives. As I read His scriptures, I find so many of the ways that He assures us will help us to increase our strength, and our happiness, and our peace. I love reading His scriptures, and then giving time to pondering just how to make those important adjustments –whether big or small--in my life. It changes everything for the better!