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."

Where Much is Given

This morning I was thinking about the scriptures and talks I studied about spiritual gifts last week. I can identify some of my spiritual gifts and am immensely grateful for the ones that I have been able to identify.

The thought came into my mind, "Where much is given, much is required." 

In September 1989, Rex E. Lee, then the president of BYU, gave a talk at the school where he reflected on the passing of two lives, one of a man that had attended law school was him and was much like him, and one on the passing of a BYU student of whom he was dear friends with the parents. After reflecting on these losses, he said, "The Doctrine and Covenants tells us that where much is given, much is required. Not expected, but required. What you have been given is life, and what is required of you is to live it to the fullest." ("Where Much is Given: Some Thoughts on Appreciation," BYU Speeches, 1989)

Our scriptures, our prophets (past and present), and our general authorities have given us direction and instruction beyond the scriptures on how and what that means to live it to the fullest. This year has been devastating to many but in those times of devastation, sorrow, and grief, we can also see the tender mercies of our Lord.

In October 2020, President Russell M. Nelson said in General Conference, "Now, I would love to know what you have learned this year. Have you grown closer to the Lord, or do you feel further away from him?" ("Embrace the Future with Faith," General Conference, October 2020)

I loved this question when I heard it in October and I love it now as I reflect on how I have lived this past year. I'm so grateful for these men and women that came before me, and the stories that were recorded in the Book of Mormon. There are hundreds of years where no stories were recorded, so we know that we are just getting little glimpses on the reel of the history of the world. I am lifted up by the power of the faithful and what they overcame. As we go into a new year, and begin our Come Follow Me study on Doctrine and Covenants, I look forward to renewing my study of the modern-day revelation that was given to Joseph Smith not so very long ago.

Thank you to those who have been following along with me and sending me private and public messages over the years. I'm grateful for your testimonies as we seek to honor Jesus Christ by seeking goodness, kindness, charity, and faith in our beautiful but sometimes tragic world. I hope you had a Merry Christmas and wish you a Happy New Year as we head into 2021.

The 2021 Study guide can be found here.

Moroni 10 - Come Unto Christ and Be Perfected in Him: Using Spiritual Gifts

Moroni finished the Book of Mormon with his last words in Moroni 10, building on the words of the books that he had compiled, the words of Ether that he had abridged, the teachings of his father (Mormon), and what he knew would be most important for us to know based on having been given a vision and seeing us what we would face in the. latter-days.

It is interesting then, to see what he felt was MOST important to highlight. We are reminded, too, of what President Russell M. Nelson said in the October 2020 General Conference talk, "Embrace the Future with Faith,": "No other book testifies of Jesus Christ with such power and clarity. Its prophets, as inspired by the Lord, saw our day and selected the doctrine and truths that would help us most."

Some of the themes I saw emerge in the very last chapter of the Book of Mormon were:

1. That we should remember "how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men." (Moroni 10:3)

2. That we should ask God if what we read is true so that "by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things." (Moroni 10:4)

3. That we should deny not our spiritual gifts nor forget that every good gift comes from God. (Moroni 10:8-18).

4. That faith, hope, and charity are bound together. (Moroni 10:19).

5. That we can "come unto Christ, and be perfected in him" and that if we "love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you." (Moroni 10:32).

I'm grateful for the grace of God in our lives and the opportunity to learn from people that were here on our earth long before us. I think about how amazing it is, and how much love went into making sure that these records were written and then protected until the day that Joseph Smith was able to bring them forth and translate them. 

 I taught in Sunday School today so am going to share some of the most relevant slides related to the scriptures about the Gifts of God in Moroni 10:8-18. You can click on each slide to enlarge the slide if it is too small to read. I have also linked to the full talk below the slides.

First, the verses that talk about the gifts of God:

Moroni 10

Dallin H. Oaks explains that the Spirit of Christ is given to all and is preparatory to spiritual gifts. 

"Spiritual Gifts," by Dallin H. Oaks

I thought it was important that Dallin H. Oaks emphasized here that nobody is excluded from receiving spiritual gifts. I didn't include a slide for this, but in the same "Spiritual Gifts" talk (which I highly recommend), he quotes Elder Bruce R. McConkie, who said, "Where spiritual things are concerned, as pertaining to all of the gifts of the Spirit ... in all matters that pertain to godliness and holiness and which are brought to pass as a result of personal righteousness in all these things men and women stand in a position of absolute equality before the Lord. He is no respector of persons nor of sexes, and he blesses those men and those women who seek him and serve him and keep his commandments." (Ensign, January 1979, p.61). 

"Spiritual Gifts," by Dallin H. Oaks

Come Follow Me for Individuals and Families

"I Have a Work for Thee," by John C. Pingree, Jr.

"There Are Many Gifts," by Marvin J. Ashton

In "Spiritual Gifts," Dallin H. Oaks emphasizes that our gifts compliment each other. So read the list of spiritual gifts below, and think of them in terms of that relationship. For example, regarding the gift of testimony and the gift of faith, Oaks says, "Where it is given to some to know and to others to believe on their words, those who know must be responsible for sharing their testimonies. Only in this way can they give those who have the gift of believing on their words something to lean upon as they, too, move towards eternal life." 

"There Are Many Gifts," by Marvin J. Ashton

We can deny our spiritual gifts when we seek to use them in a way that is not focused on charity and humility. For example, the prophet Joseph Smith taught that we should not "speak in tongues expect there be an interpreter present." (Teachings, p. 247). What about trying to lift ourselves above others? This chapter of scripture is ultimately about coming unto Christ and being perfected in Him. We do this as we learn to identify our spiritual gifts and use those spiritual gifts to become more like our Savior.

"Becoming Like Him," by Scott D. Whiting

I thought it was fascinating to learn from a "modern day' leader that this advice came from 1894, but I also laughed at myself for having that reaction because of course, the Book of Mormon leaders are teaching us from a much longer time ago. However, in the quote below George Q. Cannon says that we can't excuse ourselves for our imperfections as justification, but that that the Lord has promised to "give strength to correct these things, and to give gifts that eradicate them." 

"Seeking Spiritual Gifts," George Q. Cannon

Moroni 10

Our world this year has been filled with so much sorrow, grief, and blame. It has also been filled with kindness and love. It is with wonder that I am reminded that one of the spiritual gifts we can have are the gifts to allay contention and to promote righteousness. In the fairytales, the good fairies wave their wands and undo evil. How precious is it to know that we have great gifts given to us and that we can do great things that aren't just fairytales? That we can use our gifts to promote righteousness, to diffuse a "bomb" of unkind feelings, to help work miracles among our fellow men? 

"Sisters in Zion," by Henry B. Eyring

"Embrace the Future with Faith," by Russell M. Nelson

"Spiritual Gifts," by Dallin H. Oaks

"Revelation for the Church, Revelation for our Lives," by Russell M. Nelson

I have felt the great emphasis from our prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, to seek personal revelation, that it is welcome to all who seek it, and that the more we seek it in an attitude of prayer, pondering, and following in the Savior's footsteps, that the more we will be blessed and be able to have truths revealed to us personally. I'm grateful for the knowledge that I can work to unlock our spiritual gifts to Come Unto Christ. We are five days away from Christmas, and as we look to that sacred day where we celebrate the birth of our Savior on earth, I am amazed to think about the other gifts we can "unwrap" as we diligently seek to have the heavens opened to us.