This week's "Come Follow Me" study covered Doctrine and Covenants 23-26, with the theme "Strengthen the Church."
Recap of Scriptures Covered
- Doctrine and Covenants 23 - (April 1830) - Revelation for Oliver Cowdery, Hyrum Smith, Samuel H. Smith, Joseph Smith, Sen., and Joseph Knight, Sen. around specific duties for each of them
- Doctrine and Covenants 24 - (April 1830) - Revelation for Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery "to strengthen, encourage, and instruct" them during a time of intense persecution. (Four months after the church had been organized.)
- Doctrine and Covenants 25 - (April 1830) - Revelation given for Emma Smith, "an elect lady."
- Doctrine and Covenants 26 - (July 1830) - Revelation given for Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, and John Whitmer that all things are done by commandment.
Exhort the Church
One of themes in this set of scriptures is that the Lord teaches to exhort.
In Doctrine and Covenants 23, the Lord shares specific duties for some of his faithful followers.
- In 23:4 he says to Samuel H. Smith, "thy calling is to exhortation, and to strengthen the church."
- He then repeats the same words to Joseph in 23:5, "thy calling also is to exhortation, and to strengthen the church."
- Finally, the Lord repeats this in 23:7 to Joseph Knight, "and give your language to exhortation continually."
Three months later, in July 1830, the Lord gives revelation to Joseph Smith for Emma Smith in Doctrine and Covenants 25:7, where he says:
- "And thou shalt be ordained under his hand to expound scriptures, and to exhort the church, according as it shall be given thee by my Spirit."
What does it mean to exhort? The Google dictionary, which gets its definitions for Oxford Languages, states that to exhort is to "strongly encourage or urge (someone) to do something."
When Samuel, Joseph, Joseph Knight, Sen, and Emma were told to exhort the church, did they struggle to grasp how they could do it, or what that meant? Remember, the first copies of the Book of Mormon were not made available to the public until March 1830. The church was not organized until the same month that many of them were instructed to exhort, in April (with Emma in July). I would imagine that they had faith but that this was a very new and intimidating thing for them. We have the advantage today of more resources at our fingertips as we study out what it means to exhort.
For instance, look at the topical guide for "exhort." The references are incredible and eye opening:
Exhort
We learn here some of the ways that we can exhort, about long-suffering, diligence, faithfulness, patience, praying, and teaching.
In August 19, 2014, Elder Bednar, speaking at Campus Education Week at Brigham Young University, said,
"Beginning at this place on this day, I exhort you to sweep the earth with messages filled with righteousness and truth - messages that are authentic, edifying, and praiseworthy - and literally to sweep the earth as with a flood." ("To Sweep the Earth as With a Flood," David A. Bednar, Campus Education Week, BYU)
Elder Bednar gives the example of using social media to incrementally "press forward using the Lord's pattern of 'line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little' (2 Nephi 28:30)."
Can we use the ways we connect with people to share things that are lovely and praiseworthy? Can we as members individually add a drop of water to that ocean of good, and help to flood the earth with things that edify and talk of Christ? Absolutely.
The strength of meekness
One other scripture I want to emphasize, as I think about the power of exhorting with the spirit of meekness, is Doctrine and Covenants 25:5, where the Lord tells Emma, "And the office of thy calling shall be for a comfort unto my servant, Joseph Smith, Jun., thy husband, in his afflictions, with consoling words, in the spirit of meekness." Later, in 25:14, He says, "Continue in the spirit of meekness, and beware of pride."
As I studied the word "meekness," it became clear how often today meekness is incorrectly associated with weakness, and wouldn't that be a great plan of wickedness, to try to corrupt something that is good so that it seems shameful, somehow?
Elder David A. Bednar explained:
“The Christlike quality of meekness often is misunderstood in our contemporary world. Meekness is strong, not weak; active, not passive; courageous, not timid; restrained, not excessive; modest, not self-aggrandizing; and gracious, not brash. A meek person is not easily provoked, pretentious, or overbearing and readily acknowledges the accomplishments of others” (“Meek and Lowly of Heart,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 32).
Joseph Smith never had an easy life. He came from a poor family and worked hard on the farm. At age 14, when he prayed to know which church was true, he was met with condemnation from "leaders" of churches that somehow, while claiming to be followers of God, thought it was appropriate to persecute a teenager. When they tried to have their first baptisms in the newly organized church, mobs destroyed their baptismal font that they had prepared. The Lord prepared a way but he did not hand it to him on a silver platter, by any stretch of the imagination.
Emma, choosing to marry him, was pulled into a difficult life with a lot of adversity as well. The constant strain of worrying about the safety of her family and especially Joseph Smith, would have been difficult enough. In fact, her mother-in-law, Lucy Mack Smith, said of her, "I have never seen a woman in my life, who would endure every species of fatigue and hardship, from month to month, and from year to year, with that unflinching courage, zeal and patience, which she has always done." (Come Follow Me for Individuals and Families manual).
As I read Lucy Mack Smith's description of Emma, Elder Bednar's words came to mind "Meekness is ... strong ... courageous ... restrained ... not easily provoked."
In March 1983, Neal A. Maxwell explained,
"Actually, meekness is not an attribute which is essential only in itself, said Moroni. It is also vital because one cannot develop those crucial virtues - faith, hope, and charity - without meekness. In the ecology of the eternal attributes, these cardinal characteristics are inextricably bound up together. Among them, meekness is often the initiator, facilitator, and consolidator." ("Meekness - A Dimension of True Discipleship," Neal A. Maxwell)
In October 2013, Ulisses Soares said of meekness:
"Meekness is vital for us to become more Christlike. Without it we won't be able to develop other important virtues. Being meek does not mean weakness, but it does mean behaving with goodness and kindness, showing strength, serenity, healthy self-worth, and self-control. Meekness was one of the most abundant attributes in the Savior's life. He Himself taught His disciples, 'Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart.'" ("Be Meek and Lowly in Heart," Ulisses Soares)
I want to end with one last thought about the beauty of meekness, from Henry B. Eyring:
"Brothers and sisters, the Lord has opportunities near you to feel and to share His love. You can pray with confidence for the Lord to lead you to love someone for Him. He answers the prayers of meek volunteers like you." ("Try, try, Try," Henry B Eyring, October 2018)
As we seek to follow the Lord, exhort as he asks us to do, and follow other commandments that are given to us to guide and protect us, that the Lord will answer "the prayers of meek volunteers."
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