How and What We Worship

Doctrine and Covenants section 93:19 says "I give you these sayings that you may understand and know how to worship, and know what your worship." So what does section 93 teach us about how to worship and what we worship? Here's what I found...

How to worship:

• Forsake our sins (v. 1)
• Come unto Him (v. 1)
• Call on His name (v. 1)
• Obey His voice (v. 1)
• Keep His commandments (v. 1)
• Continue to progress from "grace to grace" (v. 13)
• Teach light and truth (v. 40)
• Set in order our homes (v. 43, 44)
• Be diligent and concerned at home (v. 50)
• Proclaim the gospel of salvation (v. 51)
• Obtain a knowledge of history, countries, kingdoms, and the laws of God and man (v. 53)

What we worship: 

• Jesus Christ is the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world (v. 2)
• Jesus Christ is one with the Father (v. 3)
• Jesus Christ is the Word, even the messenger of salvation (v. 8)
• Jesus Christ is the Redeemer of the world (v. 9)
• Jesus Christ is the Spirit of truth (v. 9, 11, 26)
• Jesus Christ is the creator of worlds, mankind, and all things (v. 10)
• Jesus Christ condescended from heaven to dwell among us (v. 11)
• Jesus Christ is called the Son of God (v. 14)
• Jesus Christ is the Firstborn (v. 21)
• Jesus Christ has received a fulness of truth, yea, even of all truth (v. 26)

At the end of 93:19 there is a promise given to those who know how to worship and what they worship. The promise is "that you may come unto the Father in my name, and in due time receive of his fulness." If Jesus Christ has already received His fulness, (v. 26) that means we are promised that we have the potential to someday be like our Savior, Jesus Christ.  Just like Christ had to grow into His fulness "grace for grace" (v. 12-13) we also have been given the capability to do the same. Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man. (Luke 2:52) As we follow the example of our Savior and grow into our fulness the same way Christ did, then we are promised that we will be like Him someday. So cool!

Modern Media

The greatest lesson I learned this week in my Come, Follow Me studies came from D&C 91, a section that talks about a book called the Apocrypha.  Not only did I learn about what this book is (a book of scripture found in some versions of the bible), but more importantly, a principle contained in this revelation: look for the good and positive things that can be found in our media choices. In the previous section (90:15) we are admonished to "become acquainted with all good books, and with languages, tongues, and people." 

There is truth and goodness all around us in the media, but it is up to us to use the Spirit to discern what will be beneficial to us (91:5). I have been enlightened and changed by so many good books that I have read (and discussed with my book club) over the years. And I enjoy watching movies with my family that have a good, wholesome message we can talk about. I love that this section encourages and reminds us that we are to seek after "anything virtuous, lovely or of good report or praiseworthy." (Article of Faith #13) While it might take some extra effort to find those virtuous, lovely, or praiseworthy things in the world today, we must remember that they are there and it is worth it when we find them.

Precepts

A few years ago I read the book Wonder by R.J. Palacio. One of the characters in this book is an English teacher who gives his students a monthly precept. He explains to his students that precepts are rules of conduct (i.e. "when given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind.") 

In the introduction to the Book of Mormon there is a phrase that caught my attention because I was reading Wonder. Joseph Smith wrote: "I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book."(emphasis added) It was an “aha” moment for me! Because I was already thinking about precepts I decided to dedicate my scripture study at that time to identifying the “rules to live by” found in the Book of Mormon. (i.e.  "live in thanksgiving daily" - Alma 34:38)

As I started looking through D&C 88 this week, the first thought that came to me was that this section is full of precepts. Here are some of the precepts I found:

• draw near unto me (v. 63)
• seek me diligently (v. 63,118)
• organize yourselves (v. 74, 119)
• prepare yourselves (v. 74, 92, 119)
• Teach diligently (v. 77, 78, 118, 122)
• Seek wisdom out of the best books (v.  118)
• listen (v. 122)
• learn to impart one to another (v. 123)
• cease to find fault one with another (v. 124)
• retire to thy bed early (probably my very favorite!) (v. 124) 

We are taught in the introduction to the Book of Mormon that as we abide by these precepts we will get nearer to God and prepare ourselves and families to live with Him again someday. As we each search the scriptures and identify more precepts, it is important that we pay attention to the ones that speak to our heart for it is likely that those are the precepts that the Spirit is urging us to make a higher priority in our lives.

Wheat and Tares

After reading D&C 85-87 this week, I really wanted to focus my studies on Section 86-the parable of the wheat and the tares.  I wanted to learn more about the deeper meanings it has to convey. I would like to share some of the insights I was taught:

1) We live in the dispensation of the fullness of times. It's not just the fullness of times for the wheat, but it's the fullness of times for the tares as well, as they are growing together. There has never been an easier time to engage in sinful behavior and the wickedness that exists in the world. But at the same time, there's never a better time to be on the earth with so many opportunities to choose good. 

2) Wheat and tares look very similar in the early stages of their growth. It's not until the wheat starts to grow its fruit that you can tell the two plants apart. The good seed (wheat) will bear fruit and its head will start to bow. The bad seed (tares) will not bear any fruit and their stalks will stand proud and tall. 

3) The gatherers are charged to go out into the field (the world) and gather the wheat from the tares. Those that are receptive to the gospel message will start on the covenant path. There is an urgency to accelerate our gathering efforts as the difference between the wheat and the tares has never been as evident as it is right now. 

4) In our own lives we have wheat and tares. Those things that are good, we need to "gather". We can allow God to "burn" the bad things from our life. The ash from the burning can then be used as nourishment for the future growth of wheat in our life, helping us to know that good things can come from bad things if we follow God's plan.

5) If we're not careful, we can spend our time consuming tares (false doctrine) and become addicted to a feeling of "this is what I need for my regular diet" and forget what it feels like to taste the wheat of the gospel that will provide lasting nourishment.

6) We live in a time when it's easier than ever for any one of us to have a voice that can be amplified through social media, and all of us are spreading seeds of information of one kind or another. What kind of seeds do we plant? Wheat, or tares? We need to be careful about the type of seeds we cast into the world. 

7) This parable shows both the justice and mercy of God. The justice comes when the tares are eventually bound together and burned. The mercy is evident when God allows the wheat to grow with the tares until the harvest is fully ripe. He gives every opportunity for the gatherers to harvest as much wheat as possible.

8) Do we have enough faith in the Lord's ability to help others change (v. 6)? We need to show faith and patience in His work. People can change and we need to use our influence to help change the tares into wheat while doing all we can to help the wheat not turn into tares. 

9) Verse 6 states "pluck not up the tares while the blade is yet tender (for verily your faith is weak), lest you destroy the wheat also." It seems to me that the wheat needs the tares in order to strengthen their faith. Opposition allows faith to grow and be strengthened.

10) Verse 7 is stated differently than in the original parable given in Matthew 13. In Matthew 13 the tares are gathered first, but in D&C 86 the wheat is gathered first. This difference is significant because in 1 Nephi 14:12 we learn that in the last days the righteous will be few in number because of the wickedness upon the earth. So if the field (world) is mostly covered in tares (wicked people) then it makes sense to gather the wheat (righteous people) first because the wheat is so outnumbered by the tares.

It can be scary trying to be wheat in a field full of tares, but I found comfort in a verse in Section 87. Verse 8 reminds us to "stand ye in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come." As the wheat is allowed to grow with the tares, there will always be peace and refuge found in holy places.

(A big thank you to these resources for sharing their insights on the parable of the wheat and the tares: Book of Mormon Central Podcast, Unshaken Saints Podcast, Don't Miss This Podcast, Follow Him Podcast,  Unlocking the Doctrine and Covenants by Ed Pinegar and Richard Allen, Parables of Jesus: The Priceless Parables by Frank Judd, Jr., The Wheat and the Tares, Friend Magazine Feb 1995)