Teach the Principles of my Gospel

This past week I studied Elder Bednar's most recent general conference talk entitled The Principles of my Gospel.  I noticed that the title of his talk was based on a scripture found in the Come, Follow Me study for this week. D&C 42:12 states "And again, the elders, priests and teachers of this church shall teach the principles of my gospel, which are in the Bible and the Book of Mormon, in the which is the fullness of my gospel." The Come, Follow Me manual also suggested to search these sections (41-44) for some of the principles that the Lord uses to guide His church. Here's a list of principles that I found:

• Principle of hearken and hear the Lord (41:1, 43:1,17)
• Principle of assembling together (41:2, 43:8)
• Principle of urgency (41:4, 43:17-18)
• Principle of fulfilling commitments (41:5)
• Principle of missionary work (42: 4-9, 11-17, 56-58)
• Principle of order (42:11)
• Principle of teaching (42:12-15)
• Principle of controlling our behaviors (42: 18-29)
• Principle of consecration/caring for the poor (42: 30-35)
• Principle of stewardship (42:32, 70)
• Principle of simplicity (42:40)
• Principle of work/self-reliance (42:42)
• Principle of faith in the healing process (42: 43-52)
• Principle of unity (42:45)
• Principle of receiving personal revelation (42:61,68)
• Principle of obedience to laws (42:79-87, 43:35)
• Principle of reconciliation (42:88)
• Principle of prophets receiving revelation for the church (43:2-7)
• Principle of instructing and edifying each other (43:8)
• Principle of sanctification (43:11, 16)
• Principle of repentance (43:11, 21-22)
• Principle of teaching by the Spirit (43:15)
• Principle of preparation (43:20)
• Principle of compassion (44:6)

Joseph Smith said "I teach them correct principles, and they govern themselves." It's empowering to know that as we teach correct principles the Spirit can then guide and direct individuals through personal revelation. We can act on this revelation to change and make improvements that the Lord would have us make. Additionally, as we understand that everyone can receive revelation about the changes they need to make in their own lives, we learn to be less judgmental. We don't need to compare the changes that we are making to what others are doing. We can trust that everyone is governing themselves according to the principles they've been taught and how the Spirit is inspiring them to live.

Doctrine of Gathering

As I was preparing for General Conference a few weeks ago, I read an article by Elder Bednar in the Church News (Learn Elder Bednar's pattern for studying conference messages). In this article he talked about one way we can study the general conference messages every six months. He said, “the basic pattern is to identify the fundamental doctrine or principle that is being taught, find invitations to act related to that doctrine or principle, and then also recognize the promised blessings that will come as we act in accordance with that invitation.” By following this counsel, I've been able to see how the Come, Follow Me study program has been organized to help us find and study these patterns.

While reading D&C 37-40 this week, one of the principles that was emphasized was that of gathering. The commandment/invitation that was given to the saints was to move to Ohio (37:3). Section 38 contains the following blessings related to gathering:

• strength (v. 15)
• confidence (v. 15)
• greater blessings (v. 17)
• learn how to be one (v. 27)
• safety and protection from the enemy (v. 28-31)
• receive God's law (v. 32)
• endowed with power from on high (v. 32)

As I looked over that list I realized that as we follow the latter-day commandment/invitation to gather people together in our stakes, wards, branches, homes and temples, we also are given these same promised blessings which are invariably much greater in scope than what we are asked to do.

Missionary Work

There were a couple of things that I felt were emphasized to me as I studied about missionary work this week in Doctrine and Covenants 30-36.  

First: missionary work is for everyone. In Section 30 we read of three brothers (David, Peter and John Whitmer) who were all given missionary assignments, but they differed in their scope and reach. David was told to start first in his father's home, then to minister to the church and finally to the world and regions round about (v. 4). His brother, Peter was asked to go on a journey to declare the gospel to the Lamanites (v. 5-6), and John was told to go to Phillip Burroughs' home and then to the region round about (v. 10). In these verses I see different places that missionary work can take place...

• In our own homes 
• Through our church callings. 
• Full-time mission (Peter was told to travel and share the gospel with the Native Americans)
• Through ministering (John was given a specific person to go to-like ministering assignments)

Second: companions are important. Peter Whitmer was told to go with Oliver Cowdery (v. 5), and they would be joined by Parley P. Pratt and Ziba Peterson (Section 32).  In our homes, most of  us have a spouse. When we minister, we are assigned a companion. In most church callings you are linked to one or more people to work with. It is important to use these different "companions" we are given to help us in our missionary efforts because they each have been given different gifts, strengths, talents, knowledge, backgrounds and insights that can compliment what we have to offer. As we learn to combine our abilities, we can become more powerful and effective missionaries.

Third: declare gospel with the voice of a trumpet. I love the imagery of a trumpet that is used in connection to sharing the gospel (30:9, 33:2, 34:6, 36:1). To me this means that we should not be ashamed about our beliefs and what we are teaching, and in order to have that kind of confidence we need to be living what we are teaching. Trumpets are powerful instruments and they are not quiet. We can be powerful instruments for the Lord as we speak up and share our knowledge and testimonies of the gospel of Jesus Christ with others. In history, trumpets have also been used to call soldiers to the battlefield. As we declare the gospel with the voice of the trumpet we are helping to gather the soldiers that God needs in His army to fight against Satan.

No matter what stage of life we are in, we can participate in missionary work and we can make a difference.

I Know That My Redeemer Lives

As I approached this week of Come, Follow Me study for Easter, I read through the manual and figuratively rolled my eyes at the suggestion to write an additional verse to the hymn "I Know That My Redeemer Lives, thinking to myself "how could anyone add anything of importance to that majestic and tender hymn?" But as I listened to the Podcast called "Don't Miss This", they encouraged their listeners to break apart the hymn into different categories in order to study it more in depth. The three categories I chose to make were...Who He Is, What He does, and What does this knowledge do for me. Based on the lyrics of this hymn, here is what I discovered.

Who He Is....

• my ever-living Head
• kind
• wise
• heavenly Friend
• Prophet
• Priest
• King
• my Savior
• still the same (constant)

What He Does....

• blesses me with His love
• pleads for me above
• feeds my hungry soul
• blesses me in times of need
• grants me rich supply
• guides me with His eye
• comforts me when faint
• hears my souls complaint
• silences my fears
• wipes away my tears
• calms my troubled heart
• imparts all blessings to me
• loves me to the end
• grants me daily breath
• gives me the ability to conquer death
• prepares a mansion for me and a way to bring me safely to it.

What does this knowledge do for me...

• brings joy
• brings comfort
• makes me want to sing
• I feel glory for His name
• brings sweetness into my life

After I looked over these lists I challenged myself to think of other words that I associate with Jesus Christ that weren't listed in the original hymn. These are the words that came to my mind...lifts up, mercy, light, forgiving and understanding. With these words as my guide, here's my attempt to write an additional verse to the hymn "I Know That My Redeemer Lives." 

"He lives to understand my needs.

He lives to listen when I plead.

He lives to lighten my dark path.

He lives to walk me safely back.

He lives to forgive all my sins.

He lives and I know I shall win.

He lives to show me mercy, how?

He lives to lift me up right now."

Happy Easter Everyone!!!

First Spiritual, Second Temporal

In D&C Section 29:31-35, the Lord repeats several times that all things are created spiritually first before they are created temporally. Verse 35 specifically teaches that all commandments are for our spiritual benefit, even those that might seem to be more temporal. Many of the commandments that we might see as being only temporal are found in the "For the Strength of Youth" booklet. The information in this booklet gives us a lot of the spiritual reasons behind these more temporal-seeming commandments and will help guide and teach us as we recognize the spiritual blessings that come from obeying all God's commandments.

Dress and Appearance: Dressing appropriately shows that we are a disciples of Jesus Christ and that we love Him. The way we dress and look can invite the companionship of the Spirit, be a good influence to others, and it helps prepare us for temple attendance and worship.

Education: A good education helps us become more like Heavenly Father. The education we gain will be valuable in the life to come. Education prepares us to serve in the world and in the Church. Spiritual learning will help us find answers to the challenges of life and will invite the companionship of the Holy Ghost.

Entertainment and Media: Choosing good media will uplift us and increase our ability to become a force for good in the world. Good media can help us be more sensitive to the Spirit.

Language: Using good language reflects our diving heritage as children of God. Good language that uplifts, encourages and compliments others invites the Spirit to be with us.

Music: Music can edify and inspire us and help us draw closer to Heavenly Father. Music has a profound effect on our mind, spirit, and behavior. Good music can increase our spiritual sensitivity.

Word of Wisdom: Obedience to the World of Wisdom can help us learn self-control and self-discipline and augments our ability to make correct choices. We gain the blessing of an alert mind and the guidance of the Holy Ghost and we will be better prepared to serve the Lord.

Sabbath Day Observance: Observing the sabbath day brings us closer to the Lord and it also brings families closer together. It also provides us with an eternal perspective and spiritual strength.

Service: Through service we learn to overcome selfishness and draw closer to Heavenly Father. As we service, our hearts are filled with love, our capacities increase, and our ability to be happy is expanded. Service allows us to be an instrument in God's hands to bless His children.

Sexual Purity: Obedience to the law of chastity prepares us to make temple covenants. It protects us from spiritual and emotional damage and prepares us to have an eternal marriage and family. It also improves our ability to make good decisions now and in the future. By striving to be sexually pure, we can find peace and have the full companionship of the Spirit and be more confident and experience true joy.

Tithing: Paying our tithes helps us develop greater faith, overcome selfishness, and be more receptive to the Spirit.

Fasting: Regular fasting strengthens self-discipline, fortifies against temptations, and brings the Lord's blessings into our life.

Work: Hard work brings an increased sense of self-worth, self-discipline, and dependability. It also helps develop a sense of self-reliance.

Preparedness: Proper preparedness helps us learn a degree of sacrifice. We also learn to exercise faith by taking action, which leads to increased confidence and peace in our hearts. (Bishop Waddell, “There Was Bread”)

As we focus on the spiritual blessings associated with these more "temporal" commandments, we gain a deeper perspective of why the Lord gives us commandments. It's never just for a temporal benefit (although there may be temporal benefits) but always with a spiritual purpose in mind. Focusing on the spiritual purpose of a commandment can help us to be more willing to keep the commandments because we will more clearly see the transcendent nature of the temporal things we are asked to do.

Armor of God

A few years ago I became really intrigued with all the spiritual parallels to war, fighting, and battles that are brought up in the scriptures as well as by modern day apostles and prophets. So when reading D&C 27 this week where it talks about putting on the whole armor of God (v. 15-18), I knew what I wanted focus on for my weekly study.

In ancient days of battle, physical armor was made up of breastplates, helmets, boots and swords. Today the battles we fight are of a spiritual nature and we are told to arm ourselves with truth, righteousness, preparation, faith, the Spirit, and salvation.

But is there symbolism to be found in the role of each part of the physical armor in how it relates to its spiritual counterpart? The Come, Follow Me manual suggests that there is, and my studies this week led me to the following insights:

• Having your loins girt about with truth: protecting the procreative powers. As we learn the truth of the plan of salvation (where we came from, why we're here and where we are going) we can use that true knowledge and eternal perspective to see the divine potential in our roles in this life and then next. President Boyd K. Packer said, “True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behaviors” 
• Breastplate of Righteousness: protecting the heart. The heart is the life source of the body. As we protect the heart with our righteous desires, we will have the might, mind and strength to follow those desires and righteousness will define who we are.
• Feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace: protecting our feet. Preparing takes action. As we consistently prepare ourselves, we are in motion--acting and not being acted upon (2 Nephi 2:26). As we keep ourselves busy preparing for battle it becomes harder for our adversaries to attack us because we’re a moving object.
• Helmet of Salvation: protecting our minds. Salvation comes through Jesus Christ. Is salvation always on our minds?  As we partake of the sacrament each week and recommit to remember all that Christ has done for us we can receive the promised protection that comes: always having His Spirit to be with us .
• Shield of Faith: protecting the whole body. The shield is the only mobile piece of armor and it can move anywhere that needs extra protection. Our faith becomes that extra layer of protection for areas that have become weak and where the adversary is aiming his fiery darts.
• Sword of the Spirit: our only offensive weapon. We have to be able to hear the voice of the Spirit if we want to stay ahead of our enemies. Pres. Nelson has said "In coming days it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting and constant influence of the Holy Ghost."

Knowing that in this spiritual war, the forces of righteousness will win makes it an easy decision for me to know which side I want to fight for. 👊

Exhort and Strengthen the church

Section 23 of the Doctrine and Covenants is a combination of five short revelations given to five people, all of whom were inquiring of the Lord through Joseph Smith to know what their respective duties were now that the church had been formally organized. Three of those five men were given the same charge in verses 3 through 5: "thy calling is to exhortation and to strengthen the church." As I study, I try to look for words and phrases that are repeated and to think about the significance of why they are repeated and how I can apply them in my life.

As I looked up the word "exhortation" I was surprised to find that a similar word for exhort is “encourage”. I loved that! To me, the word exhort has always conjured up thoughts of being harsh and punitive, but to encourage someone is so much more positive and enjoyable.

The rest of these sections (24-26) give us some ideas on ways we can strengthen the church. Jesus Christ gives us a perfect example of what we can do to follow Him in this effort in section 24:1. He is talking to Joseph Smith and says "I have lifted thee up out of thine afflictions, and have counseled thee". Here are two ways that we can help strengthen the church.

• lift others up
• counsel with others

In Section 25:5 and 14 the Lord gives Emma Smith some counsel regarding how to help her husband when he is suffering afflictions. Since this revelation is given as the Lord's "voice unto all" (v. 16), we can apply this counsel to any of our relationships, including our relationship to other members of the church. With that context in mind, here are some other ways we can strengthen the church...

• be a comfort to others
• use consoling words 
• cultivate a spirit of meekness 
• delight in the glory of others 

As I read through that list, it sounded a lot like what we covenant to do when we are baptized. Alma used these different but similar phrases: "willing to bear one another's burdens, that they may be light, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn and comfort those that stand in need of comfort" (Mosiah 18:8-9).

In Section 24:7 the Lord gave Joseph Smith a promise that I believe has application for us as well as we strive to do our part to encourage others and strengthen the church. He said: "For thou shalt devote all thy service in Zion; and in this thou shalt have strength." I think it's a wonderful blessing that as we use our strength, gifts and time to strengthen others we are in turn blessed with increased strength in our own lives. I know this promise is true. I've seen it in my life and in the life of my husband and in our family. As we strive to do our part to strengthen others we are blessed to have the strength to do all the other things that are required of us.