Doctrine and Covenants Week 14: D&C 6369

1) [SLIDE 2] Introduction. a) The seven revelations in this lesson were received in or near Kirtland, Ohio, between late August and early November 1831. 2) D&C 63. a) Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon returned to Kirtland from their mission to Missouri on 27 August 1831. They had been gone for 2 months. i) When they shared the news about the revelation identifying Zion and the dedication of the temple site, there was a great deal of enthusiasm and excitement among the Kirtland Saints. ii) The increased interest in Zion caused Joseph to go to the Lord only three days after his return to Kirtland and receive this revelation on the subject of how Zion was to be established. b) [SLIDE 3] 63:2531. The land of Zion shall not be obtained but [i.e., except] by purchase or by blood. i) Here the Lord reminded the Saints that, even though all things belong to him, he recognizes the stewardship of civil government (referred to symbolically as Caesar), and commanded his people to purchase their lands in Zion. (1) Purchasing the lands would theoretically have put government and the law on the side of the Saints. ii) The only alternative to purchasing the lands would have been to take them by force (by blood), but this would have brought the wrath of the Missourians down on them.1 iii) By this time the Lord had now instructed the Saints in six separate revelations to purchase the lands in Zion (42:35; 45:65; 48:4, 6; 57:4; 58:37, 49, 52; 63:2531). c) 63:6064. Let all men beware how they take my name in their lips. i) The prohibition against taking the Lords name in vain is one of the earliest and most long-standing commandments.2 ii) There are at least three ways that we can take the Lords name in vain: (1) The word vain means empty, useless, or pointless.3 One meaning of taking Christs name in vain is to use it in a manner that is empty and without effect, as do those who claim to speak or act in his name when they have not authority (63:62).

1 This consequences of not heeding this warning were seen during the Mormon War of 1838: The Saints took revenge on their enemies and were driven from Missouri. (Well cover this in lesson 25.) 2 See Exodus 20:7; Deuteronomy 5:11; 2 Nephi 26:32; Mosiah 13:15; D&C 136:21. 3 From the Latin vanus idle, empty. Online Etymology Dictionary, s.v. vain (http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=vain).

2013, Mike Parker

http://bit.ly/ldsarc

For personal use only. Not a Church publication.

Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class

Doctrine and Covenants Sections 6368

Week 14, Page 2

(a) This is not merely a question of priesthood authorityeven priesthood holders may invoke the name of Jesus Christ while presenting their own words or desires. Whenever we speak or act in the sacred name, we had better be sure he really approves of what we are doing, lest we invoke his name in vain. (b) [SLIDE 4] President Gordon B. Hinckley:
God has bestowed upon us a gift most precious and wonderful. It carries with it the authority to govern the Church, to administer in its affairs, to speak with authority in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to act as His dedicated servants, to bless the sick, to bless our families and many others. It serves as a guide by which to live our lives. In its fulness, its authority reaches beyond the veil of death into the eternities that lie ahead. There is nothing else to compare with it in all this world. Safeguard it, cherish it, love it, live worthy of it.4

(2) [SLIDE 5] Another way of taking Christs name in vain is to speak it without purpose or merely for rhetorical effect. This is the sin of the casual blasphemer, who uses the Lords name in profane ways. (3) Perhaps the worst form of using Christs name in vain is to invoke it when making promises, oaths, or covenants, and then to break them. If we take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ at baptism and then fail to remember him and keep his commandments, we are taking his name in vain. If we make temple covenants and then fail to live up to them or treat them frivolously, we are taking his name in vain. (a) This is the meaning of the prohibition in the Third Commandment (thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vainExodus 20:7), and also why the Lord warned his followers in the Sermon on the Mount not to use his name when making casual, everyday promises (Matthew 5:33 37; cf. 3 Nephi 12:3337). 3) D&C 64. a) In September 1831 Joseph was busily engaged with raising money and selling property in Kirtland in order to buy land in Missouri. b) The Kirtland Saints initial excitement over the news of the identification of Zion quickly gave way to murmuring and even outright apostasy.5 The idea of establishing Zion was much more appealing than the actual sacrifices that were required to do it.

Gordon B. Hinckley, Personal Worthiness to Exercise the Priesthood, General Conference, April 2002. One of the most prominent apostates was Ezra Booth, a former Methodist minister who joined the Church in early 1831 after witnessing a miraculous healing performed by Joseph Smith. The gap between Booths expectations and reality quickly became a problem, as the spiritual gifts he desired did not come in the manner he hoped and the site of the New Jerusalem in Missouri was not a land flowing with milk and honey as he envisioned (D&C 38:18). He also didnt like the commandments to walk to Missouri for the dedication of the temple site (D&C 52:23) and then walk back to Ohio (D&C 60:8), preaching along the way. He became increasingly critical of Joseph Smith and other Mormon leaders, and on 6 September 1831 the Church conference silenced Booth from preaching. A revelation to Joseph five days later indicated that the Lord was angry with Booth (D&C 64:1516). On 12 September Booth renounced Mormonism and, over the next few months, published a series of letters critical of Joseph and the Church in the local newspaper, the Ohio Star. These letters were reprinted in 1834 in Eber Howes Mormonism Unvailed, the first anti-Mormon book. Elder George A. Smith recalled in 1858, It was generally believed by our enemies, at the time, that the apostacy and revelations of Ezra Booth would put an utter end to Mormonism. Journal of Discourses 7:11213 (http://en.fairmormon.org/Journal_of_Discourses/7/17#112).
4 5

2013, Mike Parker

http://bit.ly/ldsarc

For personal use only. Not a Church publication.

Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class

Doctrine and Covenants Sections 6368

Week 14, Page 3

c) There were accusations against Joseph Smith that he was attempting to defraud the members of the Church in Kirtland by taking their lands.6 In response, the Lord revealed through Joseph two important principles: d) [SLIDE 6] 64:311. I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men. i) In this revelation, the Lord declared at least four principles related to forgiveness: (1) The Lord is merciful and forgives freely those who confess theirs before me and ask forgiveness (64:34, 7). (2) He will afflict and chasten us if we look for opportunities to accuse or antagonize one another or if we do not forgive others (64:8).7 (3) We are required to forgive all men, and, if we dont, we are guilty of a sin greater than the one committed against us (64:910). (4) We should not judge (condemn) others, but leave all reward or condemnation to God (64:11). ii) Are we required to forgive even those who have not asked for forgiveness? (1) [SLIDE 7] Joseph Smith:
Ever keep in exercise the principle of mercy, and be ready to forgive our brother on the first intimations of repentance, and asking forgiveness; and should we even forgive our brother, or even our enemy, before he repent or ask forgiveness, our heavenly Father would be equally as merciful unto us.8

iii) [SLIDE 8] Speaking specifically to victims of mental, physical, or sexual abuse, Elder Richard G. Scott said:
You cannot erase what has been done, but you can forgive. Forgiveness heals terrible, tragic wounds, for it allows the love of God to purge your heart and mind of the poison of hate. It cleanses your consciousness of the desire for revenge. It makes place for the purifying, healing, restoring love of the Lord. The Master counseled, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you. Bitterness and hatred are harmful. They produce much that is destructive. They postpone the relief and healing you yearn for. Let God be the judgeyou cannot do it as well as he can.9

6 Another apostate was Symonds Ryder. Ryders apostasy is often misattributed to Joseph Smith purportedly misspelling his name in a revelation (D&C 52:37), but the truth is more complex: It appears that Ryder viewed the commandment to sell properties in Kirtland to buy lands in Missouri as a plotlaid to take [the Saints] property from them and place it under the control of Joseph Smith. Symonds Ryder, 1 February 1868, letter to A.S. Hayden; published in Hayden, Early History of The Disciples in the Western Reserve, Ohio (Cincinnati, Ohio: Chase & Hall, 1875), 22021 (http://archive.org/stream/earlyhistoryofdi00hayd#page/220). While Ryders concerns were not a light or casual thing, as many believe, they still speak to his lack of faith in Joseph Smiths revelations. 7 My disciples, in days of old, sought occasion against one another (64:8). Three times, and maybe more, the New Testament apostles argued about which of them would be the greatest: Luke 9:4648; Matthew 20:2028; Luke 22:24. (The last reference is to an argument they had at the Last Supper!) 8 Joseph Smith, address to the Twelve Apostles, 2 July 1839. History of the Church 3:383 (http://byustudies.byu.edu/hc/3/27.html#383); Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith 155; Words of Joseph Smith 7. 9 Richard G. Scott, Healing the Tragic Scars of Abuse, General Conference, April 1992 (http://www.lds.org/ensign/1992/05/healing-the-tragic-scars-of-abuse).

2013, Mike Parker

http://bit.ly/ldsarc

For personal use only. Not a Church publication.

Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class

Doctrine and Covenants Sections 6368

Week 14, Page 4

e) [SLIDE 9] 64:2223, 3335. I, the Lord, require the hearts of the children of men. And verily it is a day of sacrifice, and a day for the thing of my people. Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind. i) More than their property, what the Lord really wanted was the Saints hearts, meaning their desires and their will. (1) The Lord has given us everything we have, and he can take it from us. The one thing he cant take is our heart; we have to give that to him freely. (2) The scriptures repeatedly speak of the importance of having a broken heart. 10 This doesnt mean that we should be sad; rather, it means that our individual will must be broken in the sense that a horse is broken: It is no longer wild, but willingly obeys the commands of its master. (3) [SLIDE 10] Stephen E. Robinson:
Above all else, God wants our hearts. Imperfect performance can be corrected, sins can be remitted, mistakes can be erasedbut God can do nothing with an unwilling and rebellious heart until it repents. Weakness can be saved; rebellion cannot. . It is recorded in the Pearl of Great Price how the Holy Ghost confirmed to Adam that as thou hast fallen thou mayest be redeemed, and all mankind, even as many as will. (Moses 5:9.) Notice that it doesnt say, Even as many as are perfect. The point is clear: Adam is not perfect; Adam is imperfect and fallen (like you and me). Thats why he needed a Savior (like you and me). The promise is to as many as will (using will in the older sense of to be willing)thus, to all those who really want redemption from their imperfection. Another of the great promises of the new covenant is that all those who really want and work for the kingdom of God with all their strength, however great or little their strength may be, will inherit the kingdom.11

ii) This is the first revelation to mention tithing (64:23). At this time, tithing did not mean a strict one-tenth of ones income, but free-will offerings in general, something closer to the principle of consecration.12 4) [SLIDE 11] Joseph and Emma and their four-month-old adopted twins13 had been living on the Isaac Morley farm, as had many other Saints including Sidney Rigdon. This property was sold as part of the effort to raise money to purchase lands in Zion (see D&C 63:3839, 65). a) The day after D&C 64 was received, Joseph and his family moved into a room at the home of John and Alice Johnson of Hiram, Ohio, about 30 miles south of Kirtland.14 i) Sidney and Phoebe Rigdon, with their six children, moved into an old log cabin on the Johnson farm.

10

97:8.
11 12

See, Psalm 34:18; 2 Nephi 2:7; 3 Nephi 9:20; 12:19; Mormon 2:14; Ether 4:15; Moroni 6:2; D&C 20:37; 56:1718; 59:8;

Stephen E. Robinson, Believing Christ: The Parable of the Bicycle and Other Good News (Deseret Book, 1992), 5455. Well discuss tithing further in lesson 24. 13 These were Julia and Joseph Murdock Smith, whom their father, John Murdock gave to Joseph and Emma after their mother, Julia Murdock, died in childbirth and Emma lost her newborn twins on the same day. See lesson 7, page 4 (https://sites.google.com/site/hwsarc/home/dc/week07).
14

2013, Mike Parker

http://bit.ly/ldsarc

For personal use only. Not a Church publication.

Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class

Doctrine and Covenants Sections 6368

Week 14, Page 5

ii) [SLIDE 12] They moved there to avoid rising persecution in Kirtland, and to provide a quiet place where Joseph and Sidney could resume serious work on Josephs translation of the Bible.15 iii) Joseph received sixteen sections of the Doctrine and Covenants at the Johnson home, including the vision of the three degrees of glory (D&C 76). 5) D&C 65. a) This revelation was received on 30 October 1831.16 William McLellin indicated that it was received in connection with Josephs study of Matthew 6:10. (Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.) b) [SLIDE 13] 65:2. From thence shall the gospel roll forth unto the ends of the earth, as the stone which is cut out of the mountain without hands shall roll forth, until it has filled the whole earth. i) This is the only verse in all of modern scripture that connects Daniels prophecy of the stone cut out of the mountain (Daniel 2) with the restoration of the gospel and progress of the Church in the last days. ii) Its easy for us todaywith millions of Latter-day Saints and hundreds of temples around the worldto see how that prophecy has been fulfilled. But consider that this revelation was given in a time when the Church membership numbered in the hundreds, and the two geographical areas in which it was located were obscure places on the American frontier. iii) [SLIDE 14] Wilford Woodruff recalled a meeting he attended in the spring of 1834, shortly after he joined the Church:
The Prophet called on all who held the Priesthood to gather into the little log school house they had [in Kirtland]. It was a small house, perhaps 14 feet square. But it held the whole of the Priesthood of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who were then in the town of Kirtland. There were no Apostles in the Church then except Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. When we got together the Prophet called upon the Elders of Israel with him to bear testimony of this work. When they got through the Prophet said, Brethren I have been very much edified and instructed in your testimonies here tonight, but I want to say to you before the Lord, that you know no more concerning the destinies of this Church and kingdom than a babe upon its mothers lap. You dont comprehend it. I was rather surprised. He said it is only a little handfull of Priesthood you see here tonight, but this Church will fill North and South Americait will fill the world.17

6) D&C 66. a) [SLIDE 15] This revelation was given to William McLellin at Hiram, Ohio, on 29 October 1831.18

Well discuss Josephs new translation of the Bible in detail in our next lesson (week 15). Josephs later recollection was that it was received in the fore part of October (HC 1:218; http://byustudies.byu.edu/hc/1/19.html#218), but the Revelation Book 2 (http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperSummary/revelation-book-2#101) and The Evening and Morning Star (http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/NCMP1820-1846/id/27880) both list the date as 30 October 1831. 17 Wilford Woodruff, General Conference, April 1898 (http://archive.org/stream/conferencereport1898a/conferencereport681chur#page/56 ). 18 The section heading in the current (1981) LDS edition of the Doctrine and Covenants indicates that it was received at Orange, Ohio, October 25, 1831. This appears to be based on its inclusion in the History of Church immediately after the
15 16

2013, Mike Parker

http://bit.ly/ldsarc

For personal use only. Not a Church publication.

Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class

Doctrine and Covenants Sections 6368

Week 14, Page 6

i) McLellin (18061883) had been introduced to the gospel by David Whitmer and Harvey Whitlock in Paris, Illinois, as the two men were walking from Kirtland to Jackson County, Missouri in July 1831 (see 52:25). William was so impressed with their message that he travelled to Independence himself to meet Joseph Smith, but he arrived too late. ii) He was baptized in Independence by Hyrum Smith and ordained an elder, after which he traveled to Ohio and finally met the Prophet at a conference of the Church at Orange, Ohio, on 25 October 1831. At this conference he was ordained a high priestone of the first twelve me to receive that priesthood office. iii) After Joseph returned with McLellin to Hiram, Ohio, he asked the prophet for a revelation. Joseph dictated section 66, and McLellin acted as scribe. iv) About this event McLellin later wrote:
I had expected and believed that when I saw Brother Joseph, I should receive [a revelation]: and I went before the Lord in secret, and on my knees asked him to reveal the answer to five questions through his Prophet, and that too without his having any knowledge of my having made such request. I now testify in the fear of God, that every question which I had thus lodged in the ears of the Lord of Sabbath, were answered to my full and entire satisfaction. I desired it for a testimony of Joseph's inspiration. And I to this day consider it to me an evidence which I cannot refute.19

(1) What makes this testimony all the more powerful is that it was given ten years after McLellin was excommunicated for publicly opposing Church leaders.20 b) This revelation is a very personal one. It blessed McLellin for embracing the gospel (66:2), commanded him to serve a mission (66:78), and warns him to resist sins that had tempted him (66:3, 10). 7) [SLIDE 16] The remaining revelations in this lesson were received during a conference of ten leading elders of the Church that was held in Hiram, Ohio, 13 November 1831.21 a) At this conference Joseph received five separate revelations: D&C 1 (the Lords preface to his published revelations), 67, 68, 133 (designated by the Prophet as an appendix to the revelations), and 69.

notice of a conference of the Church in Orange on that date; however, William McLellins journal specifies that it was received four days later at Hiram, Ohio. 19 William McLellin, Batavia, N.Y., The Ensign of Liberty, of the Church of Christ (January 1848), 6061 (http://www.boap.org/LDS/Early-Saints/Mcllelin.html). This was the flagship publication of The Church of Christ (Whitmerite), of which McLellin was founder. 20 McLellin served several missions, and was one of the original members of the Quorum of the Twelve, in which office he served for three years. He lost confidence in Joseph Smith in 1837, possibly over the failure of the Kirtland Safety Society, and was excommunicated 11 May 1838. According to testimony of other Latter-day Saints, McLellin robbed and ransacked Josephs home and stable, and asked the sheriff in Richmond, Missouri, for permission to flog the Prophet while Joseph was being held in Liberty Jail. After Josephs death, McLellin supported Sidney Rigdons claim to be guardian of the Church, and then joined several Mormon splinter groups, including those led by David Whitmer, James Strang, and Granville Hedrick. 21 The elders present at this conference, according to the minutes, were Joseph Smith Jr, Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, John Whitmer, Peter Whitmer Jr, Sidney Rigdon, William E. Mc.lellin, Orson Hyde, Luke Johnson, Lyman Johnson. Minute Book 2, 15 (http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperSummary/minute-book-2#17). 2013, Mike Parker http://bit.ly/ldsarc For personal use only. Not a Church publication.

Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class

Doctrine and Covenants Sections 6368

Week 14, Page 7

8) [SLIDE 17] D&C 67. a) Oliver Cowdery had been instructed the previous summer to oversee the work of printing for the Church (see 55:4; 57:13). He had been working diligently on this for several months, and was ready to return to Independence, Missouri, with his collection of revelations for the printer, W.W. Phelps. At this conference it was decided that 10,000 copies of the revelations should be published as A Book of Commandments for the Government of the Church of Christ. i) On the morning of the first day of the conference, Joseph received the revelation now known as section 1 of the Doctrine and Covenants, which was designated as the Lords preface unto the book of my commandments (1:6). ii) It was Josephs intent that the elders at the conference bear witness of the truth of these revelations, similar to how the Three and Eight Witnesses testified of the Book of Mormon. But some of the elders did not have a sure witness, and were unwilling to testify unless they did. Their misgivings were based largely on the style and language of Josephs revelations, which they were concerned was not sophisticated enough to convince others of their divine origin. iii) In the afternoon of that first day, Joseph received this revelation in response to their concerns. b) [SLIDE 18] 67:34. The elders at the meeting were promised by revelation that they would receive a spiritual confirmation of the truth of the revelations that were to be published. c) 67:58. The Lord challenged the nine elders to select the most wise among them who could attempt to write a revelation beyond [Josephs] language. If he succeeded, they would be justified in saying they did not know the revelations were true; if he failed, they would be required to bear testimony they were true, or they would be condemned. i) The question here was not whether or not Josephs writing could be improved. It could, and Josephs own later editing of his own revelations showed it could be done. The question was whether better educated writers could, at that conference, write a more convincing revelation than any that Joseph had produced. d) [SLIDE 19] Joseph later recalled:
After the foregoing was received, William E. MLellin, as the wisest man, in his own estimation, having more learning than sense, endeavored to write a commandment like unto one of the least of the Lords, but failed; it was an awful responsibility to write in the name of the Lord. The Elders and all present that witnessed this vain attempt of a man to imitate the language of Jesus Christ, renewed their faith in the fulness of the Gospel, and in the truth of the commandments and revelations which the Lord had given to the Church through my instrumentality; and the Elders signified a willingness to bear testimony of their truth to all the world.22

22 HC 1:226 (http://byustudies.byu.edu/hc/1/19.html#226). Keep in mind that this account was written in or after 1840, more than two years after McLellin had been excommunicated. This may explain Josephs disdainful tone of the former apostle. The signed Testimony of the witnesses to the Book of the Lords commandments is contained in Revelation Book 1 (http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperSummary?target=x6530).

2013, Mike Parker

http://bit.ly/ldsarc

For personal use only. Not a Church publication.

Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class

Doctrine and Covenants Sections 6368

Week 14, Page 8

9) [SLIDE 20] D&C 68. a) This revelation was received on the end of the second day of the conference, in response to a request from four of the elders to know the will of the Lord concerning themselves.23 b) Originally this revelation did not contain verses 1521; they were added by the Prophet Joseph in June 1835.24 Since they deal with priesthood offices, well discuss them in an upcoming lesson on priesthood.25 c) 68:15. Whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be scripture. i) First some context: (1) This passage is specifically directed to Orson Hyde, who fulfilled the commandment in verse 1 by serving a mission in the eastern United States in 1832, a mission to England in 1837, and a mission to Europe and the Middle East in 184042. (2) The reference to this priesthood in verse 2 refers to the office of high priest, to which Orson and several other elders had been ordained a week earlier.26 (a) At this time, there were no First Presidency or other general authorities. High priests were the highest ecclesiastical office in the Church. (3) The reference to they in verses 3 and 4, then, is to those who were called to lead the Church. (a) So verses 46 are not directed to all priesthood holders but to the presiding high priesthood of the Church. (b) Today verses 46 primarily apply to general authorities, but they may be extended to high priests who preside over wards, stakes, missions, etc. ii) When moved upon by the Holy Ghost. (1) [SLIDE 21] President J. Reuben Clark, Jr.:
The very words of the revelation recognize that the Brethren may speak when they are not moved upon by the Holy Ghost; yet only when they do speak as moved upon is what they say considered scripture. No exceptions are given to this rule or principle. It is universal in its application.

23 The four elders were Orson Hyde, Luke Johnson, Lyman Johnson, and William McLellin. D&C 68:7; HC 1:227 (http://byustudies.byu.edu/hc/1/19.html#227). 24 Additionally, verses 2224 were edited later to include references to the First Presidency, which wasnt organized until 1835. This passage originally read wherefore it shall be an high priest who is worthy & he shall be appointed by a confrenc of high priests And again no Bishop or judge which shall be set apart for this ministry shall be tried or condemned for any crime save it be before a confrence of high priests & inasmuch as he is found guilty before a confrenc of high priests by testimony that cannot be impeached he shall be condemned or forgiven according to the Laws of the church. Revelation, 1 November 1831A, Joseph Smith Papers Project (http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperSummary?target=x6527#2). 25 Specifically, lesson 18. 26 This took place on 25 October 1831 at the conference of the Church held at Orange, Ohio, at which 15 elders were ordained to the High Priesthood. Minute Book 2, 14 (http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperSummary/minute-book-2#16). The phrase high priesthood, as used in Josephs revelations, refers to what now call the Melchizedek priesthood office of high priest.

2013, Mike Parker

http://bit.ly/ldsarc

For personal use only. Not a Church publication.

Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class

Doctrine and Covenants Sections 6368

Week 14, Page 9

The question is, how shall we know when the things they have spoken were said as they were moved upon by the Holy Ghost? I have given some thought to this question, and the answer thereto, so far as I can determine, is: We can tell when the speakers are moved upon by the Holy Ghost only when we, ourselves, are moved upon by the Holy Ghost. In a way, this completely shifts the responsibility from them to us to determine when they so speak.27

(2) [SLIDE 22] Brigham Young:

I am more afraid that this people have so much confidence in their leaders that they will not inquire for themselves of God whether they are led by Him. I am fearful they settle down in a state of blind self-security, trusting their eternal destiny in the hands of their leaders with a reckless confidence that in itself would thwart the purposes of God in their salvation, and weaken that influence they could give to their leaders, did they know for themselves, by the revelations of Jesus, that they are led in the right way. Let every man and woman know, by the whispering of the Spirit of God to themselves, whether their leaders are walking in the path the Lord dictates, or not.28

iii) [SLIDE 23] Shall be scripture. (1) We use the term scripture two ways in the Church: (a) The first is a narrow definition that refers to the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Pricewhat we collectively call the standard works. (i) These are writings that the Church has collectively agreed to accept as the word of God and by which the Church is collectively bound in doctrine. (b) The second is an expansive definition to mean anything said or written under the influence of the Holy Ghost. (i) This is how the term is used in 68:4. (ii) Whenever a servant of God speaks by the Spirit of God, then his message is the word of God, or scripture, for those who hear it. 1. The inspiration of each message must be perceived and accepted individually, as opposed to the standard works which are accepted collectively. 2. A private communicationsuch as a priesthood blessing or a patriarchal blessingmay become scripture to an individual who received it, but that communication is not binding upon the Church. (2) The authority of scripture can extend to: (a) All mankind. (i) I command all men everywhere to repent (18:9). (ii) All men must repent and be baptized (18:42). (iii) Let all men beware how they take my name in their lips (63:61).

27 J. Reuben Clark, Jr., When Are the Writings and Sermons of Church Leaders Entitled to the Claim of Scripture?, address to Seminary and Institute personnel at BYU, 7 July 1954. http://emp.byui.edu/MARROTTR/ClarkWhenAreWritings.pdf 28 Brigham Young, 12 January 1862, Journal of Discourses 9:150.

2013, Mike Parker

http://bit.ly/ldsarc

For personal use only. Not a Church publication.

Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class

Doctrine and Covenants Sections 6368

Week 14, Page 10

(b) The Church. (i) A Word of Wisdom, for the benefit of the council of high priests, assembled in Kirtland, and the church, and also the saints in Zion (89:1). 1. From the specific wording of this revelation, I conclude that the Word of Wisdom is a commandment only to the Saints. This would mean that taking alcohol and other substances prohibited by the Word of Wisdom is not inherently a sin for non-members, unlike murder or blasphemy, which are sins by their very nature (Romans 1:20). (3) Scripture is not inerrant or infallible. (a) We do not accept any revelation as perfect and without error; this includes all four standard works. (i) We previously discussed how Joseph Smith edited his early revelation, adding, removing, and modifying some his wording to clarify or enhance it.29 Joseph also edited the Book of Mormon in two successive editions, clarifying not just grammar, but also phrases in a few places 1. In 1 Nephi 11:18, 11:21, 11:32, and 13:40, the phrase the Son of was not there in the 1830 first edition. While this is technically trueJesus Christ is God30there is the possibility of misunderstanding who is being referred to, so Joseph Smith added the Son of in those four instances in the 1837 second edition.31 2. In 2 Nephi 30:6 the word white in the 1830 and 1837 editions was changed to pure in the 1840 edition. White can refer to color or to a state of purity; to eliminate confusion on this point Joseph clarified the text.32 (b) God is perfect, but human beings are imperfect, and struggle to convey communications from the Spirit in flawed human languages. d) [SLIDE 24] 64:2528. Teaching and baptizing children. i) Key principles:
See lesson 1, pages 815 (https://sites.google.com/site/hwsarc/home/dc/week01). The addition of the Son of in these passages does not change the Book of Mormons teaching that Jesus Christ is the God of Old Testament Israel. See 1 Nephi 19:10; 2 Nephi 25:12; Mosiah 3:8; 7:27; 13:28,3334; 15:1; 16:15; Alma 11:3839; Helaman 8:2223; 14:12; 16:18; 3 Nephi 11:10, 14; Mormon 9:12; Ether 3:14; 4:7, 12. 31 Another reason the Son of was introduced into 1 Nephi 11:18 could have been to eliminate the Catholic-sounding phrase the mother of God that had been objected to by early critics of the Book of Mormon. Oliver Cowdery, responding to an article by Alexander Campbell in the Baptist newspaper The Pioneer, wrote in 1835: Again, this writer [Campbell] says: The name of Jesus Christ, was declared to Nephi, 545 years before it was announced to Mary, and she, in true Roman phraseology, is called the mother of God. This friend of truth says that Mary was called the mother of God.The reader will please turn to the 25th page of the book of Mormon, and read: And he [the angel] said unto me, behold, the virgin which thou seest is the mother of God, after the manner of the flesh. Now, every man knows, who has read the New Testament, that Mary was called the Lords mother; and beside we remember to have read a word or two of Pauls writings, where he says: But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lords brother. Now, the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not.See Gal. 1. Here we have itthe Lord Jesus was born of a woman, had a brother, and yet had no mother according to the flesh!! Oliver Cowdery, Trouble in the West, Latter Day Saints Messenger and Advocate 1/7 (April 1835), 105 (http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/NCM1820-1846/id/7082). Since this criticism of the Book of Mormon was fresh on Olivers mind, and he was involved in the editing of the 1837 edition of the Book of Mormon, it is possible that the change in 1 Nephi 11:18 was inserted at his prompting. 32 Unfortunately this change was not included in the 1844 edition of the Book of Mormon, which was published in England and based on the 1837 Kirtland edition. The 1844 edition became the standard for all future editions until 1981, at which time Josephs change in 2 Nephi 30:6 was reintroduced into the Book of Mormon in our current edition.
29 30

2013, Mike Parker

http://bit.ly/ldsarc

For personal use only. Not a Church publication.

Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class

Doctrine and Covenants Sections 6368

Week 14, Page 11

(1) Parents have the primary responsibility for teaching children the gospel (68:25), not teachers, young men and womens presidencies, youth advisors, or bishops. The Church can only assist in this duty, not serve as the replacement. (2) Parents are to teach their children to understand the doctrines of faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost (68:25). Understanding repentance presumes an understanding of sin. They are also to teach themby word and exampleto pray, and to walk uprightly before the Lord (68:28). (3) If parents do not exercise their duty, the sin is on their heads (68:25). Note that the scripture does not their sinsthe parents will have committed a sin by not teaching their children, but the guilt for their childrens sins is not transferred to parents.33 ii) [SLIDE 25] Regarding the age of accountability, Elder Bruce R. McConkie taught:
Accountability does not burst full-bloom upon a child at any given moment in his life. Children become accountable gradually, over a number of years. Becoming accountable is a process, not a goal to be attained when a specified number of years, days, and hours have elapsed. In our revelation the Lord says, They cannot sin, for power is not given unto Satan to tempt little children, until they begin to become accountable before me. (D&C 29:47.) There comes a time, however, when accountability is real and actual and sin is attributed in the lives of those who develop normally. It is eight years of age, the age of baptism.34

10)

[SLIDE 26] D&C 69.

a) This revelation was received between 3 and 12 November 1831, shortly after the conference at which Oliver Cowdery had been directed to take his copy of the revelations to Missouri to be printed. b) This revelation instructed John Whitmer to be Olivers companion on the journey, and gave them directions on what to do once they got there. c) Oliver and John left Ohio on 20 November 1831 and arrived in Independence on 5 January 1832. 11) [SLIDE 27] There will be no class next week, in observance of Valentines Day. a) In two weeks well review D&C 71, 7375, 77, 86, 91, 113; with a focus on Joseph Smiths translation of the Bible.

That would be a form of reverse original sin. See Moses 6:54; Alma 34:11. Bruce R. McConkie, The Salvation of Little Children, Ensign, April 1977, 6 (http://www.lds.org/ensign/1977/04/thesalvation-of-little-children).
33 34

2013, Mike Parker

http://bit.ly/ldsarc

For personal use only. Not a Church publication.