Post # 268 -- Come Follow Me - Week #1 2021-- December 28–January 3 -- Doctrine and Covenants 1 -- “Hearken, O Ye People”
Dear Family and Friends
I do hope that at the end of this odd year of 2020 that each one of you are able to search through the chaos of the year and find the many blessings hidden throughout the year:)
I believe that it is so very important for us to find the blessings -- even as the song says to count your many blessings.
Count your blessings, name them one by one, count your many blessings, see what God has done. Some people keep a gratitude or a blessings journal to help them recognize the blessings from God each day.
If you aren't in this habit, you may want to begin, it truly is a good habit to get into. :) it helps to have it to look back on when your days are dark or you're unable to find the blessings in your day.
I have tried to have different journals for different things, but I forget, or misplace one or another. I have tried several different systems to help me to keep myself organized, they only work for a short period of time. I have done fairly well just jotting a few things down on my calendar.
I don't know just how many of you are familiar with the book of scripture that we are studying this year in 2021, the Doctrine and Covenants is another book of scripture just as are the Bible and the Book of Mormon.
The big difference is that the Doctrine and Covenants contains revelations which the Lord has given to the Prophet Joseph Smith as well as a few other latter day prophets.
This book of scripture is unique from the others because it was not translated from earlier works. These revelations were given to Joseph for the building up of the kingdom of God in the last days.
We are going to be studying this wonderful book of scripture together along with our cyber study buddies out there in cyberspace:)
Wont you and your family
members and friends join me in this year’s gospel learning journey through the
Doctrine and Covenants and let’s learn more about Jesus Christ as we go:)
As the teacher of your scripture study group you should think about what verses you might focus on as you read and study Doctrine and Covenants 1, and how you might help your family members and friends to learn from these verses. This first section is the Lord’s preface to the Doctrine and Covenants.
You and your family members and friends may want to
begin your weekly scripture study of the Doctrine and Covenants by asking your
family members and friends how they feel about studying this book of scripture
this year. Ask them how they will help one another to stay focused during this
year’s study.
What
passages from section
1 which you have read might help them to
feel excited to read the Doctrine and Covenants? You may want to give them some
time and ask them to search section
1 for a verse they would share if they were
trying to persuade someone to read this sacred book.
Which
verse or verses would you use to persuade someone to read this sacred book?
Remember, “this section constitutes the Lord’s preface to the doctrines, covenants,
and commandments, given in this dispensation.” the following section comes to
you directly from the Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families manual”
Think of Doctrine and Covenants 1 as the Lord’s personal introduction
to this book of His latter-day revelations. What does He want you to know about
the Doctrine and Covenants? Ponder this question, and write down any
impressions that come as you read section 1.
In November 1831, the restored Church
of Jesus Christ was just a year and a half old. Though growing, it was still an
obscure group of believers living in a sparsely settled frontier, led by a
prophet in his mid-twenties. But God considered these believers to be His
servants and His messengers, and He wanted the revelations He had given them to
be published to the world.
Doctrine and Covenants section 1 is the Lord’s preface to the
compilation of these revelations, and it clearly shows that even though the
membership of the Church was small, there was nothing small about the message
God wanted His Saints to share. It is a “voice of warning” for all “the
inhabitants of the earth,” teaching them to repent and establish God’s
“everlasting covenant” (verses 4, 8, 22). The servants carrying this message
are “the weak and the simple,” but humble servants are just what God needs—then and now—to bring His Church “out of
obscurity and out of darkness” (verses 23, 30).
For more about the history behind Doctrine and Covenants 1, see Saints, 1:140–43.
The Lord invites us to
“search these commandments.”
The
Doctrine and Covenants chapter one verse sic tells us that this chapter is the
Lord’s preface to this sacred book.
Doctrine and Covenants
6 Behold, this is
mine authority, and the authority of my servants, and my preface
unto the book of my commandments, which I have given them to publish unto you, O inhabitants of the earth.
It may be well for you to explain to your family scripture study group just what a preface is and the purpose in which it serves in a book. In my words, I believe that a Preface is an introduction to a book, this introduction is usually telling you what the subject, or goal of what the book will be. It tells a bit of what is yet to come.
You and your family members should read through section one of the Doctrine and Covenants and discuss just how this se3ction truly serves the purpose for this book. You may want to ask and discuss the following questions with your family members and friends:
What themes for the book does section 1 introduce? What purposes does the book have? What do we find in this section that could influence the way we read the Doctrine and Covenants this year?
As you have read through this first section of the
Doctrine and Covenants you might have noticed in verse 37 the invitation from
the Lord for us to “search these commandments” then in This
week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For
Individuals and Families invites us to consider how we will act on the Lord’s
command to “search these commandments” (verse
37).
Doctrine and Covenants
37 Search these commandments, for they are true and faithful, and the prophecies and promises which are in them shall all be fulfilled.
This may be a good time for you to share and ask your family members and friends if they could share what they plan to do this year to make their study of the Doctrine and Covenants meaningful.
What will they search for? How is searching different
from just reading? What study methods have they found most helpful? the
following section comes to you directly from the Come, Follow Me for
Individuals and Families manual”
Ideas
for Personal Scripture Study
The
Lord invites me to “search these commandments.”
A preface introduces a book. It
identifies the book’s themes and purposes and helps readers prepare to read. As
you read section 1—the
Lord’s “preface” to the Doctrine and Covenants (verse 6)—look for the themes
and purposes the Lord gave for His revelations. What do you learn from section 1 that will help you get the most benefit from your
study of the Doctrine and Covenants? For example, you might ponder what it
means to “hear the voice of the Lord” in these revelations (verse 14) or to “search these commandments” (verse 37).
See also the introduction to the Doctrine and Covenants.
Doctrine
and Covenants 1:1–6, 23–24, 37–39
God speaks through His
servants, and His words will be fulfilled.
In the Church of Jesus Christ we have living prophets who tell us what God wants us to know and do. They give us warnings as well. And of course there are family members and friends who do not share our beliefs about there being a living prophet.
You and your family members and friends might want to search through section 1 and share with one another the truths which they find there that they could use when the time comes for them to tell someone who has questions about our beliefs and our prophets.
You could direct your family members and friends to the following verses: verses 1–6 and 37–39. What do these verses teach about the Lord and His prophets?
Doctrine and Covenants 1:1–6, 37–39
Doctrine
and Covenants
1 Hearken, O ye people of my church, saith the voice of him who dwells on high, and whose eyes are upon all men; yea, verily I say: Hearken ye people from afar; and
ye that are upon the islands of the sea, listen together.
2 For verily the voice of the Lord is unto all men, and there is none to escape; and there is no eye that shall not see, neither ear that shall not hear, neither heart that shall not be penetrated.
3 And the rebellious shall be pierced with much sorrow; for their iniquities shall be spoken upon the housetops, and their secret acts shall be revealed.
4 And the voice of warning shall be unto all people, by the mouths of my disciples,
whom I have chosen in these last days.
5 And they shall go forth and none shall stay them, for I the Lord have commanded them.
6 Behold, this is mine authority, and the authority of my servants, and my preface unto the book of my commandments, which I have given them to publish unto you, O inhabitants of the earth.
37 Search these commandments, for they are true and faithful, and the prophecies and promises which are in them shall all be fulfilled.
38 What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken,
and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.
39 For behold, and lo, the Lord is God, and the Spirit beareth record, and the record is true, and the truth abideth forever and ever. Amen.
Your family members and friends might be interested to learn that when a council which was called by Joseph Smith had discussed publishing the Prophet’s revelations, some council members opposed the idea.
They were embarrassed by Joseph’s weakness in writing,
and they worried that publishing the revelations might cause more problems for
the Saints (see Saints, 1:140–43).
Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days,
Volume 1, The Standard of Truth, 1815–1846
A
few days later, on November 1, 1831, Joseph called a council of church leaders
together. Ezra Booth had recently published a letter in a local newspaper
accusing Joseph of making false prophecies and hiding his revelations from the
public. The letter was widely read, and many people had begun to grow wary of
the Saints and their message.
Many
Saints also wanted to read the Lord’s word themselves. Since there were only
handwritten copies of the revelations Joseph had received, they were not well
known among most church members. Elders who wanted to use them in missionary
work had to copy them by hand.
Knowing
this, Joseph proposed publishing the revelations in a book. He was confident
that such a book would help missionaries share the Lord’s word more easily and
provide correct information about the church to curious neighbors.
The
council talked the matter over for hours. David Whitmer and a few others
opposed publishing the revelations, worried that making the Lord’s plans for
Zion more public might cause problems for the Saints in Jackson County. Joseph
and Sidney disagreed, insisting that the Lord wanted the church to publish His
words.
After
more debate, the council agreed to publish ten thousand copies of the
revelations as the Book of Commandments. They assigned Sidney, Oliver, and
William McLellin to write a preface to the book of revelations and present it
to them later that day.
The
three men began writing immediately, but when they returned with a preface, the
council was unhappy with it. They read it over, picking it apart line by line,
and asked Joseph to seek the Lord’s will on it. Joseph prayed, and the Lord
revealed a new preface for the book. Sidney recorded His words as Joseph spoke
them.
In
the new preface, the Lord commanded all people to hearken to His voice. He
declared that He had given Joseph these commandments to help His children
increase their faith, trust in Him, and receive and proclaim the fullness of
His gospel and everlasting covenant. He also addressed the fears of those like
David who worried about the content of the revelations.
“What
I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself,” He declared,
“and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away,
but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my
servants, it is the same.”
After
Joseph spoke the words of the preface, several members of the council said they
were willing to testify of the truth of the revelations. Others in the room
were still reluctant to publish the revelations in their current form. They
knew Joseph was a prophet, and they knew the revelations were true, but they
were embarrassed that the word of the Lord had come to them filtered through
Joseph’s limited vocabulary and weak grammar.
The
Lord did not share their concern. In His preface, He had testified that the
revelations came from Him, given to His servants “in their weakness, after the
manner of their language.” To help the men know the revelations came from Him,
He issued a new revelation, challenging the council to select the wisest man in
the room to write a revelation like the ones Joseph had received.
If
the man selected for the task was unable to do it, everyone in the room would
know and be responsible to testify that the Lord’s revelations to Joseph were
true, despite their imperfections.
Taking
up a pen, William tried to write a revelation, confident in his mastery of
language. When he finished, though, he and the other men in the room knew what
he had written had not come from the Lord. They admitted their error and signed
a statement testifying that the revelations had been given to the prophet by
the inspiration of God.
In council, they resolved that Joseph should review the revelations and “correct those errors or mistakes which he may discover by the Holy Spirit.”
How does section 1 address these concerns? (see, for example, verses 6, 24, 38).
Doctrine and Covenants 1:6, 24, 38
Doctrine
and Covenants
6 Behold, this is mine authority, and the authority of my servants, and my preface unto the book of my commandments, which I have given them to publish unto you, O inhabitants of the earth.
24 Behold, I am God and have spoken it; these commandments are of me, and were given unto my servants in their weakness, after
the manner of their language, that they might come to understanding.
38 What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.
You and your family members and friends may want to sing the following hymn together: “Come, Listen to a Prophet’s Voice” (Hymns, no. 21) if you notice this hymn teaches some of the same principles that are taught in section 1.
Make sure that you at least read these words to this hymn together if you don't feel comfortable singing it. After you have read through the lyrics of this hymn you and your family study group could search for lines within the hymn and verses in section 1 that teach the same principles. You might find it useful to write these lines and verses on a sheet of poster board for every one to see and review.
21 Come, Listen to a Prophet’s Voice
Joyfully
1.Come, listen to a prophet’s voice,
And hear the word of God,
And in the way of truth rejoice,
And sing for joy aloud.
We’ve found the way the prophets went
Who lived in days of yore.
Another prophet now is sent
This knowledge to restore.
2.The gloom of sullen darkness spread
Thru earth’s extended space
Is banished by our living Head,
And God has shown his face.
Thru erring schemes in days now past
The world has gone astray;
Yet Saints of God have found at last
The straight and narrow way.
3.’Tis not in man they put their trust
Nor on his arm rely.
Full well assured, all are accursed
Who Jesus Christ deny.
The Savior to his people saith,
“Let all my words obey,
And signs shall follow living faith,
Down to the latest day.”
4.Then heed the words of truth and light
That flow from fountains pure.
Yea, keep His law with all thy might
Till thine election’s sure,
Till thou shalt hear the holy voice
Assure eternal reign,
While joy and cheer attend thy choice,
As one who shall obtain.
Text: Joseph S. Murdock, 1822–1899. Verse
four, Bruce R. McConkie, 1915–1985. © 1985 IRI
Music: Joseph J. Daynes, 1851–1920
So, what information did you find within the lyrics of
this hymn that correlate with what is found in Section 1? the following section
with ideas for personal scripture study comes to you directly from the Come,
Follow Me for Individuals and Families manual”
Ideas for Personal Scripture Study
Doctrine and Covenants 1:1–6, 23–24, 37–39
God
speaks through His servants, and His words will be fulfilled.
Section 1 begins and ends with God’s declaration that He speaks through His chosen servants (see verses 4–6, 23–24, 38). Write down what you learn from this revelation about the Lord and His voice. What do you learn about the Lord’s servants? When have you heard the Lord’s voice in the voice of His servants? (see verse 38).
Doctrine
and Covenants 1:12–30, 35–36
The Lord restored His
gospel to help us face the challenges of the latter days.
Have
your poster board handy and ask your family members and friends the following
questions: What thoughts did they have as they read the description of the last
days in verses
13–16? What is happening in the world today
that fulfills these prophesied descriptions?
Doctrine and Covenants 1:13–16
Doctrine
and Covenants
13 And the anger of the Lord is kindled, and his sword is bathed in heaven, and it shall fall upon the inhabitants of the
earth.
14 And the arm of the Lord shall be revealed; and the day cometh that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people;
15 For they have strayed from mine ordinances, and have broken mine everlasting covenant;
16 They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great, which shall fall.
Be sure to encourage your family members and friends
to share anything they found in section
1 that has helped them to feel peace and
confidence despite the challenges of our day.
Write the following question on your poster board: What do verses
17–23 teach about why the Lord restored His
gospel? This will help you and your family
members and friends to ponder on the blessings which we have because the gospel
has been restored.
Doctrine and Covenants 1:17–23
Doctrine
and Covenants
17 Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments;
18 And also gave commandments to others, that
they should proclaim these things unto the world; and all this that it might be
fulfilled, which was written by the prophets—
19 The weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty and
strong ones, that man should not counsel his fellow man, neither trust in the arm of flesh—
20 But that every man might speak in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world;
21 That faith also might increase in the
earth;
22 That mine everlasting covenant might be established;
23 That the fulness of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world, and before kings and rulers.
You could search these verses together and then share your thoughts with one another/ one example might be found in verse 21 the answer to the following question: how have the truths restored through Joseph Smith helped us increase our faith?
Doctrine
and Covenants
21 That
faith also might increase in the earth;
The
following section with ideas for personal scripture study comes to you
directly from the Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families manual”
Ideas
for Personal Scripture Study
Doctrine and Covenants 1:3, 24–28, 31–33
If I
am humble, the Lord’s chastening can lead me to repent.
Notice that in verse
3 and verses
24–28, the Lord said that people’s sins and
errors would be made known. In one case this is a painful, sorrowful
experience, and in the other case it is instructive. Why are these situations
so different? Consider how you react when you become aware of your sins and
weaknesses. What qualities do you find in verses
24–28 that can help you respond in the right
way? What do these verses, along with verses
31–33, teach you about how the Lord views
your weaknesses and sins?
See also Proverbs 3:11–12; Ether 12:27; Moroni 6:8.
Doctrine
and Covenants 1:19–28
The Lord uses “the weak
and the simple” to accomplish His work.
You have probably noticed that there is one important theme of Doctrine and Covenants 1 which is the role of “the weak and the simple” in the Lord’s great latter-day work (verse 23).
Doctrine
and Covenants
23 That the fulness of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world, and before kings and rulers.
You may want to consider an invitation to your family
members and friends to search verses
19–28 to learn how the words “weak” and
“simple” apply to us as the Lord’s servants.
Doctrine and Covenants 1:19–28
Doctrine
and Covenants
19 The weak things of the world shall come forth and break down
the mighty and strong ones, that man should not counsel his fellow man, neither trust in the arm of flesh—
20 But
that every man might speak in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the
world;
21 That
faith also might increase in the earth;
22 That
mine everlasting covenant might be established;
23 That
the fulness of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world, and before
kings and rulers.
24 Behold,
I am God and have spoken it; these commandments are of me, and were given unto my servants in their
weakness, after the manner of their language, that they might come to understanding.
25 And
inasmuch as they erred it might be made known;
26 And
inasmuch as they sought wisdom they might be instructed;
27 And
inasmuch as they sinned they might be chastened, that they might repent;
28 And inasmuch as they were humble they might be made strong, and blessed from on high, and receive knowledge from time to time.
Now would be a good time to share what you and your
family members have found in these verses. You might want to begin your
discussion with the following questions:
What characteristics does the Lord want His servants to have?
What will the Lord accomplish through His servants in
the latter days? How are the prophecies in these verses being fulfilled
throughout the world and in our own lives?
the
following section with ideas for personal scripture study comes to you
directly from the Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families manual”
Ideas
for Personal Scripture Study
Doctrine and Covenants 1:12–30, 35–36
The
Lord restored His gospel to help me face the challenges of the latter days.
Although section
1 warns of distressing days to come, it
also contains a reassuring message: “I the Lord, knowing the calamity which
should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph
Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven” (verse
17).
Note the calamities that the Lord warned about (see, for example, verses
13–16, 35). What other calamities do you notice
in today’s world—or in your own life? Verses
17–30 describe what the Lord has done for you
in anticipation of these calamities. Consider making a list of what you find.
As usual I have included the following ideas for
family scripture study and family home evening from the Come, Follow Me for
Individuals and Families manual for your use each week with your family members
and friends:)
the following section with ideas for personal scripture study comes to you directly from the Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families manual”
Ideas for Family Scripture Study and Home Evening
Doctrine
and Covenants 1:1–6, 37–39.
To start a discussion about warnings from the Lord, you could talk about warnings we receive from others about dangers we cannot see—such as a slippery floor, a violent storm, or an approaching car. What do these examples teach us about the Lord’s warnings? According to Doctrine and Covenants 1:1–6, 37–39, how does the Lord warn us? What has He warned us about recently? Perhaps you could watch or read parts of recent general conference messages and look for examples of God’s “voice of warning.”
What does it mean to “establish [the Lord’s] righteousness”? How can we make sure we are doing that, rather than walking “in [our] own way”?
What does it mean to say that the Church is “true and living”? To get your family thinking about this question, perhaps you could show them pictures of living things and nonliving things. You could also discuss what you can do as a family to help “bring [the Church] forth out of obscurity and out of darkness.”
Consider planning as a family how you will “search
these commandments” in the Doctrine and Covenants this year. How will you make
your scripture study a regular part of family life? What study ideas can help
you learn from the scriptures? (See “Ideas to Improve Your Family Scripture
Study” at the beginning of this resource.)
For more ideas for teaching children, see this week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Primary.
Suggested song: “Follow the Prophet,” Children’s Songbook, 110–11, especially the last
verse.
the following section with ideas for improving your
personal study as well as one for improving your teaching to add to your box
comes to you directly from the Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families
manual”
Improving Personal Study
Look for Jesus Christ. The purpose of the scriptures is to testify of
the Savior and His gospel. As you read Doctrine and Covenants 1, consider marking or noting verses that teach you something about
Jesus Christ.
The first revelations to the restored Church were compiled into the
Book of Commandments.
Improving Our Teaching
Help learners liken the scriptures to themselves. The same truths that inspired the early Saints can help us face our challenges today. As you teach the Doctrine and Covenants, help class members make connections between the Lord’s messages to Joseph Smith and what the Lord might say to them personally. (See Teaching in the Savior’s Way, 21.)
Well, my dear friends and family, we are at the end of this lesson. I pray that each one of you are healthy and well. That you will continue to study the Doctrine and Covenants with me and all of our cyber study buddies out there in cyberspace:)
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