The Worth of Souls is Great in the Sight of God - ALL Souls

This week's "Come Follow Me" study covers Doctrine and Covenants 18-19. 

When I was a youth growing up in California, I attended Seminary at 6:30 a.m. every school day before going to class, as there was no time to go back home between seminary and school. Part of our program was memorizing especially impactful scriptures, called "Scripture Mastery." Many of you of course will have had similar experiences. I remember that I enjoyed memorizing these scriptures, and as a result, got to know them fairly well. Some scriptures have "stuck" better than others. This is one of them.

Doctrine and Covenants 18:10, 15-16 says:

10 Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God;

15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!

16 And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!

The Lord loves every one of us, equally. He doesn't qualify that his joy will be great if you bring a white soul unto him, or a soul of a man with great wealth or fame, or the soul of the most beautiful woman in the country unto him. He simply says, "save it be one soul unto me." 

When President Russell M. Nelson spoke in October 2020 General Conference he stated:

The gospel net to gather scattered Israel is expansive. There is room for each person who will fully embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ. Each convert becomes one of God’s covenant children,¹⁵ whether by birth or by adoption. Each becomes a full heir to all that God has promised the faithful children of Israel!¹⁶

Each of us has a divine potential because each is a child of God. Each is equal in His eyes. The implications of this truth are profound. Brothers and sisters, please listen carefully to what I am about to say. God does not love one race more than another. His doctrine on this matter is clear. He invites all to come unto Him, “black and white, bond and free, male and female.”¹⁷

        "Let God Prevail," Russell M. Nelson, General Conference 2020

When the Savior came to earth to teach us how to be like him and return to Heavenly Father, he also took upon him the sins of the world so that through baptism and repentance, we could return to Him. After making such a great sacrifice for ALL mankind, of course the Savior would want us to do all we could to follow the path he had created for us.

In Doctrine and Covenants 19:16-19, another piece of "Scripture Mastery" that we memorized as youth in seminary, it says:

16 For behold, I, God, have ^asuffered these things for all, that they ^bmight not suffer if they would ^crepent;

17 But if they would not repent they must ^asuffer even as I;

18 Which ^asuffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might ^bnot drink the bitter cup, and shrink—

19 Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and ^afinished my preparations unto the children of men.

I want to emphasize these words, that "I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent." He has given us the path and the key, and he did this at great sacrifice and with great love "for all." For every single one of us. 

I'm so grateful for our Savior, the shepherd, that humbly walked on earth among us to teach us and to guide us, and that, even now, looks for every one of his lost sheep, and gathers us into his fold, no matter of far we've traveled, what mud we've dragged our wool through. He loves each of us, and his sacrifice was for every single one of us.

Doctrine and Covenants 14-17 - Stand as a Witness

Doctrine and Covenants 14-17 all takes place in June 1829, when Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, and Emma Smith have moved in with the Whitmer family.

I taught adult Sunday School, and two of the participants in class talked about visiting the Whitmer home and being a little surprised to see the reality of how small it was to be housing extra guests. This reminder brings home some of the great sacrifices that the Whitmer family made because they believed that what Joseph Smith was doing was the work of the Lord. Keep in mind that there were three Whitmer sons, a Whitmer daughter, and the parents living in the home at the time, and then Joseph, Oliver, and Emma joined them. This was notably a great strain on Mary Whitmer, the mother, as it increased her workload when she already had quite a lot to do. They also of course, now had extra mouths to feed.

There are so many excellent sources about this time in history that I don't want to re-tell something that can be told elsewhere. Here are a few relevant points for today, and then I will recommend some places for great additional insight.

Mini-summary of background to Doctrine and Covenants 14-17

• Joseph Smith was translating the scriptures, with Oliver Cowdery as scribe, in Harmony, Pennsylvania (with some financial backing from Joseph Knight, Sr.) 
• The locals in Harmony had become hostile and Oliver and Joseph were concerned about their safety. 
• Oliver Cowdery wrote to David Whitmer to ask if he, Joseph, and Emma could move in with them. Oliver asked his father for permission, and after a miracle where the field had been plowed overnight (angels), Peter Whitmer, Sr. said yes, and willingly met with and brought them into their home.
• As Joseph and Oliver were translating the scriptures, some of the Whitmers express concern about what they should be doing, and Joseph, praying on their behalf, received individual revelation fro David Whitmer, John Whitmer, and Peter Whitmer, Jr.

There's so much more between the lines here but the point is the great faith of the Whitmer family, and that with all they were already doing to advance the work of the Lord, that they still wanted to know what else they could. Just as the Lord had replied to Joseph Knight Senior in Doctrine and Covenant 12, he did the same for David Whitmer (D&C14), John Whitmer (D&C14), and Peter Whitmer, Jr. (D&C 16). 

(Click to zoom in/expand)

I think it's meaningful that the Lord responded to these Whitmers separately as every individual is of great worth, but it's also important because the Lord, throughout the scriptures, has emphasized important things through repetition. So, what kind of things does he repeat? He tells all of them the importance of missionary work and bringing souls unto him. The Lord repeatedly reminds us, 

"For behold the field is white already to harvest; therefore, whoso desireth to reap let him thrust in his sickle with his might, and reap while the day lasts, that he my treasure up for his soul everlasting salvation in the kingdom of God." (Doctrine and Covenants 14:3 ... but similar scriptures in D&C 4, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16). 

Behold the Field is White Already to Harvest
I found a little visual lesson in the April 2015 New Era Magazine called, "Thrust in Your Sickle." It talks about how a sickle is a tool, sharp, common, and personal, and what those qualities mean. I am sharing it as I feel like it's a great visual took for a conversation with your family. I talks about how we have many tools, like social media, to open our mouths. One of the reminders is that a sickle is sharp. Elder Kevin R. Duncan, quoted in this visual, talks about how, "we kept a file on hand to sharpen our sickle every day. In missionary work and indeed in all areas of life, we need to keep our spiritual sickles sharp so that we can achieve our own best potential."  (This quote was from his article, "Abandoned Seeds in Rocky Places," New Era, July 14, 18).

Witnesses
Several of these men became witnesses to the gold plates. This is significant because the Lord has said repeatedly throughout the scriptures that "in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established." (Doctrine and Covenants 6:28). 

Dallin H. Oaks said, 

Witnesses and witnessing are vital in God’s plan for the salvation of His children. In the Godhead, the function of the Holy Ghost is to bear witness of the Father and the Son (see 2 Ne. 31:18). The Father has borne witness of the Son (see Matt. 3:17; Matt. 17:5; John 5:31–39), and the Son has borne witness of the Father (see John 17). The Lord has commanded His servants to testify of Him (see Isa. 43:10; Mosiah 18:9; D&C 84:62), and all of the prophets have borne witness of Jesus Christ (see Acts 10:43; Rev. 19:10). ("The Witness: Martin Harris," Dallin H. Oaks, May 1999)

So how do we remain true to what we know? I'd like to share some quotes from church leaders over the years.

Ezra Taft Benson on sharing our witness of the Book of Mormon said:

“The Book of Mormon is the instrument that God designed to ‘sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out [His] elect.’ (Moses 7:62.) This sacred volume of scripture needs to become more central in our preaching, our teaching, and our missionary work.

“… In this age of the electronic media and the mass distribution of the printed word, God will hold us accountable if we do not now move the Book of Mormon in a monumental way.

“We have the Book of Mormon, we have the members, we have the missionaries, we have the resources, and the world has the need. The time is now!

“My beloved brothers and sisters, we hardly fathom the power of the Book of Mormon, nor the divine role it must play, nor the extent to which it must be moved” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson [2014], 143–44). (Quote from the Come Follow Me Sunday School manual.)

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, in talking about Daniel being taken captive to Babylon to learn their ways, while still faithfully holding on to the God that he had been taught about and knew to be true, said:

Many of you know how it feels to defend an unpopular truth. In the Internet slang of today, we talk about getting “flamed” by those who disagree with us. But Daniel wasn’t just risking public ridicule. In Babylon, those who challenged the religious authorities understood what it means—figuratively and literally—to be “flamed.” Just ask Daniel’s friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.²

In the same talk he also said: 

Because of our belief, we will never hunger, never thirst.¹³ The gifts of God’s grace will enable us to be true to our faith and will fill our soul like “a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”¹⁴ We will experience true and lasting joy.¹⁵

("Be Not Afraid, Only Believe," Dieter F. Uchtdorf, October 2015 General Conference)

Gordon B. Hinckley reminds us 

I wish that every member of this church would put those words where he might see them every morning as he begins his day. They would give us the courage to speak up, they would give us the faith to try, they would strengthen our conviction of the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe that more miracles would happen over the earth.

        ("Be Not Afraid, Only Believe," Gordon B. Hinckley, First Presidency Message, February 1996) 

Sources I recommend for additional study:

The Knight and Whitmer families (This one was linked from the Come Follow Me manual)

Map showing where Joseph Knight Sr. lived in context to where Joseph Smith was translating scriptures in Harmony.

Details about the Knight family from BYU (writer William G. Hartley)

An Ensign article about how the Whitmers nourished the church.

Another Ensign article about how the Whitmers were true to the Book of Mormon

Excerpt from Saints Volume 1

I Believe in Angels (Come Follow Me - Doctrine and Covenants 12-13 and Joseph Smith History)

Doctrine and Covenants 13 is just one verse long. It says:

1 Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah I ^aconfer the ^bPriesthood of Aaron, which holds the ^ckeys of the ministering of ^dangels, and of the gospel of ^erepentance, and of ^fbaptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken again from the earth, until the ^gsons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in ^hrighteousness.

John the Baptist Conferring the Aaronic Priesthood (The Restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood), by Del Parson (62013); GAK 407; GAB 93; Primary manual 3-11; Primary manual 5-15; Primary manual 6-52; Doctrine and Covenants 13; Joseph Smith—History 1:68–73

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/image/aaronic-priesthood-given-to-joseph-bb88c20?lang=eng

I'd like to focus today on "the key of the ministering of angels." In the gospel of Jesus Christ, we often talk about the Holy Ghost, and in fact, this was the theme of a recent post of mine, "This is the Spirit of Revelation." We talk a little less often about angels, so it was interesting for me to study this topic a little more deeply last week and see what the Holy Ghost and angels have in common. You can go to the Guide to the Scriptures for a more technical explanation of angels. What interests me is how angels work in our lives. Just like the Holy Ghost, angels can warn, guide, and comfort.

In his 2008 General Conference talk, "The Ministry of Angels," by Jeffrey R. Holland, he gives several example of angels in the scriptures, for example, an angels visited Adam and Eve many times, an angel told Mary that she would be the earthly mother of the Savior, and an angel guided Joseph of the "coat of many colors" fame. 

Elder Holland said,

"... God has used angels as His emissaries in conveying love and concern for His children. ... the scriptures or our own latter-day history ... are filled with accounts of angels ministering to those on earth." He then describes that angels are usually not seen, but "they are always near. Sometimes their assignments are very grand and have significance for the whole world. Sometimes the messages are more private. Occasionally the angelic purpose is to warn. But most often it is to comfort, to provide some form of merciful attention, guidance in difficult times."

In a speech given at Brigham Young University in 1974, called "Jesus Christ - Gifts and Expectations," Ezra Taft Benson said,

"God loves us, he’s watching us, he wants us to succeed, and we’ll know someday that he has not left one thing undone for the eternal welfare of each of us. If we only knew that there are heavenly hosts pulling for us—friends in heaven, whom we can’t remember now, who yearn for our victory. This is our day to show what we can do—what life and sacrifice we can daily, hourly, instantly bring to God. If we give our all, we will get his all from the greatest of all."

Let's go back to the scripture. It says the Priesthood of Aaron confers the "key of the ministering of angels." What does that mean for us? In a talk from 1982 about the Priesthood of Aaron, Gordon B. Hinckley said, 

"Think of it, my dear young brethern. This priesthood which you hold carries with it the keys of the ministering of angels. That means, as I interpret it, that if you life worthy of the priesthood, you have the right to receive and enjoy the very power of heavenly beings to guide you, to protect you, to bless you."

This does NOT mean that women are exempt from receiving this same power of heavenly beings. M Russell Ballard is one of many that have clarified this. In August 2013, at a BYU devotional he gave a talk called, "Let Us Think Straight." Elder Ballard explained that women can also receive the same access to the Lord's power, including the ministering of angels. He said,

"Our Father in Heaven is generous with His power. All men and all women have access to this power for help in our own lives. All who have made sacred covenants with the Lord and who honor those covenants are eligible to receive personal revelation, to be blessed by the ministering of angels, to commune with God, to receive the fulness of the gospel, and ultimately, to become heirs alongside Jesus Christ of all our Father has. 

Elder John A. Widtsoe explained that the priesthood is for the benefit of all members of the Church. Men have no great claim than women upon the blessings that issue from the Priesthood and accompany its possession. Woman does not hold the Priesthood, but she is a partaker of the blessings of the Priesthood.  (Priesthood and Church Government - Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1938, 83)."

What a miracle, what a blessing that we all have the ability to be blessed by the ministering of angels. (I say "all" because even if you are not a baptized member of the Church of Jesus Christ, the gospel is welcome to all. God loves everyone, we are all equal in his eyes, and the gospel is for everyone.) 

Moroni 7:29 says

"... have miracles ceased? Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither have angels ceased to minister unto the children of men."

One more quote, from Wendy Nelson, the prophet's wife, from when she spoke at a BYU Women's conference in May 2015. According to Church News staff writer Marianne Holman Prescott, she said, 

"As we keep our covenants, we can ask for angels to help us. Literally. ... I'm not talking praying for fantasy angels with wings to magically fairy-dust our problems away. I'm not talking about praying to angels. I'm talking about praying to your Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, for those on the other side to be dispatched to assit you. Perhaps a loved one or two could be sent to help you with whatever you need."

What an awesome, special thing it is to know that through our deepest trials and our greatest despair, that God is watching over us, and that his angels are watching over us. One final note. I called my thoughts today "I Believe in Angels" because I firmly do believe in angels. Not the kind with big white wings and a shiny halo, but the kind that look like translated beings, some who we get to read about in the Bible from when they were here on this earth, like Peter, or in the Book of Mormon, like Moroni. I also believe that we have the power and ability to act like earthly angels, as Carlos A. Godoy discusses in his talk, "I Believe in Angels." I believe in angels and I'm grateful for the priesthood power that brought the keys of the ministering of angels back to our earth when the gospel of Jesus Christ was once again restored to the earth.

Doctrine & Covenants 10-11: "That Ye May Come Off Conquerer"

 The Come Follow Me Study material for February 1-7 is Doctrine and Covenants 10-11.

• Doctrine and Covenants 10 - The Lord tells Joseph that they will not retranslate the lost 114 pages of the manuscript because Satan has a plan to manipulate the original manuscript to make it look like Joseph's translations are inconsistent, and therefore, not of God.
• Doctrine and Covenants 11 - The Lord responds to Joseph's questions from Hyrum and explains the functions of the Holy Spirit.

There's always so much inspiration in studying the scriptures, and I'm trying to hold back and no overwhelm, so I've picked three topics that I will touch on briefly, that aligns with topics in the Come Follow Me guide:

1. Satan seeks to destroy the work of God
One of the themes and discussion points for Doctrine and Covenants 10 is the different ways that Satan tries to destroy the work of the Lord. In learning about these ways, we see that Satan continues to use the same methods today. That means that his methods work on enough people that it's worth his effort. Isn't that a scary thought?

I've made a chart below but I'll focus on just one of the way that Satan seeks to deceive. In Doctrine and Covenants 10:7, the Lord says:

7 And for this cause I said that he is a wicked man, for he has sought to take away the things wherewith you have been entrusted; and he has also sought to destroy your gift.

What gifts do you have today that the devil might be trying to steal away from you? I've talked about spiritual gifts many times in the past, particularly here "Moroni 10: Come Unto Christ and Be Perfected in Himk" so I won't go into detail about this again. However, I do want to share a simple chart about spiritual gifts from "Friend" magazine, March 2017, called "What Are Your Spiritual Gifts?"

One of the spiritual gifts you could be given, for example, is "showing love." Can you see how the wicked might want you to lose that gift, so that you didn't go about doing good for others? 

(Click to enlarge)

2. The Lord's "wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil."
In Doctrine and Covenants 10:43, it says:

43 I will not suffer that they shall destroy my ^awork; yea, I will show unto them that my ^bwisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil.

I think one of the faith-building things about the pandemic is how much members of our church have been able to see the guidance that the Lord has given with this in mind. What examples can you think of? 

A few that come to mind for me:

• The Lord guided Moroni to abridge a second record knowing that Joseph Smith would lose the 114 translated pages of the manuscript, so that the records of these people wouldn't be lost.
• The prophet creating two-hour church and home-centered church in advance of the pandemic.
• The guidance from church leaders for decades to build up our home storage and reserves for emergencies like this one.

Dieter F. Uchtdorf said:

There are still a lot of unknowns about this virus. But if there is one thing I do know, it is that this virus did not catch Heavenly Father by surprise. He did not have to muster additional battalions of angels, call emergency meetings, or divert resources from the world-creation division to handle an unexpected need.

My message today is that even though this pandemic is not what we wanted or expected, God has prepared His children and His Church for this time. 

"God will do Something Unimaginable," October 2020 General Conference 

 

3. If we ask of God, we will receive
I still have my seminary scriptures, from when I was a teenager, with these verses of Doctrine and Covenants 11:12-14 highlighted, with my note on the side that these are "functions of the Spirit."

12 And now, verily, verily, I say unto thee, put your ^atrust in that ^bSpirit which ^cleadeth to do ^dgood—yea, to do ^ejustly, to walk ^fhumbly, to ^gjudge righteously; and this is my Spirit.

13 Verily, verily, I say unto you, I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall ^aenlighten your ^bmind, which shall fill your soul with ^cjoy;

14 And then shall ye know, or by this shall you know, all things whatsoever you desire of me, which are pertaining unto things of ^arighteousness, in faith believing in me that you shall receive.

What an incredible gift. When we are baptized, we are given the gift of the Holy Ghost, and that gift, that Spirit, "leadeth to do good." I love to read the different ways that the Holy Spirit can guide us, and that if we turn to him, he can "enlighten your mind" and "fill your soul with joy."

A decade ago, President Boyd K. Packer said:

“The gift of the Holy Ghost, if you consent, will guide and protect you and even correct your actions. It is a spiritual voice that comes into the mind as a thought or a feeling put into your heart. … It is not expected that you go through life without making mistakes, but you will not make a major mistake without first being warned by the promptings of the Spirit. This promise applies to all members of the Church.”

President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Counsel to Youth,” Ensign, Nov. 2011, 17–18.

I am so grateful that I can go through this life, and the trials that inevitably come, knowing that with God, all things are possible, and that with the gift of the Holy Ghost, and my faith in my Savior, I can "come off conquerer."