Lynne's Scripture Journal D&C

February 1, 2019 Section 137:1-10 Celestial Kingdom Vision, Works AND Desires, Lord’s Fairness, This section, and 138, were added to the D&C in April 1976. They were originally in the Pearl of Great Price, but the first presidency and quorum of the 12 decided to move them to the new edition of the D&C. It describes Joseph Smith’s vision of Jan 21, 1826 in the Kirtland Temple, of the celestial kingdom. He and the presidency and the patriarch and other leaders were gathered in the temple and were “attending to the ordinance of anointing our heads with holy oil ”. He speaks of some of the blessing that were pronounced upon those in the temple, and also of the visions that were seen by many who were there that evening. In v 5 Joseph speaks of some of those he saw in his vision of the celestial kingdom: Father Adam and Abraham, but also his brother Alvin “ that had long since slept.” As he marveled that Alvin was there, in the celestial kingdom, bu...

January 31, 2019 Section 136:12-42 Obedience, Lord’s Rules for Living, Keep the Commandments, Unity, Draw Near Unto Me, Satan’s Efforts, Smith and Sjodahl summarize verses 18-27 beautifully : “the members of the Church had been disappointed, if not discouraged, because Zion had not been redeemed. No doubt it was trying to the faith of some to be on the way to the unknown region of the Rocky Mountains. All that they had heard of this territory was discouraging and the redemption of Zion seemed farther away than ever from fulfillment. Now they were to take courage, for the Lord had not forgotten Zion, and it should be redeemed in the due time of the Lord. It was well, therefore, for the members to obey counsel and not seek to build themselves at the expense of others; should this be done they would lose the reward. The Lord would lead them as he led the children of Israel, and he was just as mindful of the Saints today as he was then. Every man should respect t...

January 29, 2019 Section 136:1-11 Pioneer Exodus, Lord’s Organization, Lord’s Preparations in Our Lives, Lord’s Rules for Living, Zion, Ministering to One Another, Pure Heart and Faithfulness Winning Combination, This revelation was given about 2 ½ years after Joseph’s and Hyman’s deaths. Mob violence did not stop after the martyrdom at Carthage Jail. Brigham Young, as president of the quorum of the 12, was leading the church. He went forward with plans first spoken about by Joseph to take the saints to the Rocky Mountains where they might be able to live in peace. Under Brigham’s direction, the saints had started leaving Nauvoo in February 1846 (1 ½ years after Carthage). As they moved west across Iowa, they established camps for those who would follow. B H Roberts wrote: “ The serious business of preparing for the continuation of the march into the wilderness, the completion of the exodus from the United States, was not neglected. It was considered in m...

January 28, 2019 Section 135:1-7 Martyrdom of Joseph Smith, Charity, Lord Can Direct Our Lives if We Let Him, Prayers What to Include,   This section, by John Taylor, is written “ to seal the testimony of this book and the Book of Mormon”. John Taylor and Willard Richards, both apostles, were in the room with Joseph and Hyrum when the mob attacked. V 2 speaks of Elder Richards saying “ through the providence of God escaped, without even a hole in his robe.” I never knew the following:   “ Dr Richards’ escape was miraculous; he being a very large man, and in the midst of a shower of balls, yet he stood unscathed, with the exception of a ball witch grazed the tip end of the lower part of his left ear. His escape fulfilled literally a prophecy which Joseph made over a year previously, that the time would come that the balls would fly around him like hail, and he should see his fiends fall on the right and on the left but that there should not ...