12/27/2018 - Section 130:1-23

December 27, 2018

Section 130:1-23

Correction in the Church, Time Earth VS Eternity, Intelligence Gaining, Learning, Earthly Lessons Available, Obedience, Gospel Promises, Thy Ways My Ways,

This section and the next section contain ”items of instruction”. I feel that the way these section came about may be as important as the information contained within these verses.

“On the 2^nd of April, 1843, the Prophet Joseph attended a meeting at which Orson Hyde spoke and, alluding to the coming of the Savior said, ‘when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, etc. He will appear on a white horse as a warrior, and may be we shall have some of the same spirit. Our God is a warrior. It is our privilege to have the Father and Son dwelling in our hearts.’  Now, this is the great lesson: “At dinner time the Prophet called the attention of Orson Hyde to these statements and told him that he would offer some corrections. Orson Hyde replied that they would be thankfully received, whereupon the Prophet gave the explanations contained in these paragraphs [v 1-17], first privately and afterwards in the meeting.”  Still later in the evening, after a meeting, the Prophet answered some questions and gave the additional instructions [v 18-23]”.  Smith and Sjodahl commentary pp 812-13. Corrections will always need to be made, for we are all humans working with humans. But what a proper way these corrections were given and received. That is a great lesson and example!

Lael Woodbury, dean of BYU’s College of Fine Arts and Communications talked about man’s perception of time and God’s perception o time in an address sponsored by CES. He spoke of Einstein’s Theory of Relativity and the space-time continuum. Basically according to this theory,” if a being achieved the speed of light, to that being all space would contract to the point that it would be ‘here’ for him, and all time would slow down until it became now for him. The theory of relativity thus may suggest how, for a being of light and glory like God, all space and all time could be present. As  difficult as such a concept is to understand, increasingly sophisticated experiments continue to substantiate Einstein’s theoretical description of the realities of the universe.” P 322  This is very interesting reading for me, but I really don’t feel the need to know the scientific how’s and why’s. I just need to know that I voted to come here to earth in order to advance an important step in my eternal development. I understood that we would have the Lord’s commandments, and our test would be whether or not we could follow those commandments…to love, to help, to lift ourselves and others closer to Heavenly Father

In verses 18-19, the Savior speaks of the principle of intelligence. I don’t know if earth-facts will help us in our next state, but the Lord assures us that “if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.” (v  18-19) I think the most important words in those verses are “through his diligence and obedience”. There is a difference in my life with I am diligent and obedient to studying the scriptures. There is a difference in my life when I try to look beyond the petty things that might irritate me a bit and try instead to see into the heart of my fellow being. If I could learn to do this all the time, I would certainly be living on a higher level, and I would certainly feel deeper and stronger feelings of attachment to, and admiration for, those people with whom I live and work.  In the Oct Gen Conf of 1937 Elder Albert E Bowen said: “If through diligence, observation of correct principles, discipline of mind and of the spirit, a man attains to a fine development of personality in this life, surely it is not unreasonable to suppose that that will be his imperishable possession and glory in the life he enters upon after death. On the contrary, if through lethargy or sin his self-realization in his life is dwarfed, he shall be handicapped to the extent as he enters upon the new world.”

And I will close today’s readings with another General Conference quote. This one is from Marion G Romney, Oct 1956 and is well worth reading again and again: “The perfection upon which exaltation hangs, I repeat, is an individual matter. It is conditioned upon the observation of celestial laws as they apply to earth life. The Word of Wisdom is one of them, so also are chastity, tithing, observance of the Sabbath day, prayer, honesty, industry, love of God and fellow men, patience, kindness, charity, and all the ret of the principles and ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ Each individual who observes one or more of these laws shall receive the blessings predicated thereon, and each Church member who will with all the energy of his soul diligently strive to live them all, shall receive the blessings predicated upon such striving. Eternal life, the greatest gift of God, is that blessing, and it will follow the living of the gospel as the night the day, regardless of statistics or averages, or of what others think or say or do.”

My ultimate goal is to try to make ‘thy ways’ ‘my ways’.

11/9/2021 – D&C 130

I found the reasons for this section to be very interesting. Here’s the story: On April 1, 1843, Joseph and 3 other leaders in the church left Nauvoo and traveled 20 miles to Ramus, Illinois to visit family and friends. Joseph held a meeting with the Church members there, and during that meeting Orson Hyde (one of the men who had come with him) gave a talk about the Savior’s Second Coming, and in that talk he gave his interpretation of the passages in the New Testament. 

Joseph’s sister, Sophronia, lived in Ramus. After the meeting, Joseph and his companions had lunch at  Sophronia’s home. During lunch the Prophet said, “Elder Hyde I am going to offer some corrections to you.” Elder Hyde humbly responded, “They shall be thankfully received.” The Prophet then corrected Elder Hyde’s interpretation of scripture. (See The Joseph Smith Papers, Journals, Volume 2: December 1841–April 1843, 323–24; spelling standardized.) Responding to a question William Clayton asked, the Prophet shared additional doctrinal insights (see Lyndon W. Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith [1985], 289). The Prophet addressed Church members in Ramus during two other meetings held that afternoon and evening. In his remarks the Prophet repeated the correction he had given Orson Hyde and taught about the true nature of the Godhead. He also taught the importance of gaining spiritual knowledge and the necessity of obeying God’s laws in order to receive His blessings (see The Joseph Smith Papers, Journals, Volume 2: December 1841–April 1843, 324–26). The Prophet’s teachings were recorded in his journal, and they became the text of Section 130.

William Clayton was one of the four on that journey. He was Joseph’s secretary at that time. During their dinner conversation, William wrote down the answers to some of the questions those around the table were asking: questions about the nature of God, the Second Coming, the Millennium, and more. They were wondering and seeking and yearning to learn more about God and His plans. The things they learned were significant, and because of that, were put into the Doctrine and Covenants. 

As I read v’s 1-2, I took it to mean that when Christ makes His second coming, we will see Him as He is: a resurrected being. We will not change: “that same sociality which exists among us here will exist among us there, only it will be coupled with eternal glory…” To me that means that my goal is to have a loving and considerate relationship with all those I come into contact with.

V’s 5-9 describes the place where Heavenly Father and Christ dwell.  We are then told that at the end of the earth’s being used for our mortal experience, it will be changed into “it’s sanctified and immortal state”. 

The dinner quests were curious as to when Christ would come. That was spoken of, but the time was not given. The Lord has told us in other scriptures that no man will know when Christ will come, not even the angels in heaven know. But God knows, and it is His hope that no matter when that time is, we will be working to prepare our thoughts and our actions to be closer the His commandments, and those efforts will be for our good and for the good of those around us. 

In v’s 18-19 He assures us that “whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life will rise with us in the resurrection. And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.” That is comforting to me. Even while so many things seem to slip from my mind at this age, they will return to me! And as I study and ponder with what feels at this age to be a porous brain, those things that enter my mind will be returned to me, and be for my good, when I’m ready to go on in the eternities. In the meantime, my main goal is to study the commandments of my Lord, and work to be obedient to them. For He tells us here that “when we obtain nay blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.” (v 21)

V 23 is a short, but a very helpful verse to me: “A man may receive the Holy Ghost, and it may descend upon him and not tarry with him.” That makes it important to me to record the things I feel from the Holy Ghost, and that I should return to that record often to treasure those helps that were meant especially for me, and to increase my efforts to live up to those enlightened helps. 

That verse was short, but I found a long explanation in my study guide that I didn’t want to ever forget: 

“Using the example from the New Testament of the Roman centurion Cornelius (see Acts 10), the Prophet Joseph Smith explained how the Holy Ghost can influence—but not “tarry,” or stay, with—someone who has not been baptized or received the gift of the Holy Ghost: “There is a difference between the Holy Ghost and the gift of the Holy Ghost. Cornelius received the Holy Ghost before he was baptized, which was the convincing power of God unto him of the truth of the Gospel, but he could not receive the gift of the Holy Ghost until after he was baptized. Had he not taken this sign or ordinance upon him, the Holy Ghost which convinced him of the truth of God, would have left him. [See Acts 10:1–48.]” (Teachings: Joseph Smith, 97).

In addition, the Holy Ghost will “not tarry” (D&C 130:23) with those who have received the gift of the Holy Ghost but then withdraw themselves from His companionship. Elder Bednar has encouraged Church members to consider how their choices affect their ability to enjoy the companionship of the Holy Ghost: “We should … endeavor to discern when we ‘withdraw [ourselves] from the Spirit of the Lord, that it may have no place in [us] to guide [us] in wisdom’s paths that [we] may be blessed, prospered, and preserved’ (Mosiah 2:36). …

The standard is clear. If something we think, see, hear, or do distances us from the Holy Ghost, then we should stop thinking, seeing, hearing, or doing that thing. If that which is intended to entertain, for example, alienates us from the Holy Spirit, then certainly that type of entertainment is not for us. Because the Spirit cannot abide that which is vulgar, crude, or immodest, then clearly such things are not for us. Because we estrange the Spirit of the Lord when we engage in activities we know we should shun, then such things definitely are not for us….I recognize we are fallen men and women living in a mortal world and that we might not have the presence of the Holy Ghost with us every second of every minute of every hour of every day. However, the Holy Ghost can tarry with us much, if not most, of the time—and certainly the Spirit can be with us more than it is not with us. As we become ever more immersed in the Spirit of the Lord, we should strive to recognize impressions when they come and the influences or events that cause us to withdraw ourselves from the Holy Ghost” (“That We May Always Have His Spirit to Be with Us,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2006, 30).”