The church was organized; now it needed to become unified.
In December 1830, the Lord instructed Joseph Smith to stop translating and focus on gathering church members in Ohio. At a church conference the following month, He explained to church members that He wanted them to be like the Zion of Enoch. (See Doctrine and Covenants 38:4.) “Be one,” He said, “and if ye are not one, ye are not mine” (Doctrine and Covenants 38:27). He wanted them to take care of one another, administering to the relief of those in need. If they would do this, He promised, “ye shall have the riches of eternity” and “you shall be endowed with power from on high” (Doctrine and Covenants 38:32, 39).
These extraordinary blessings required some sacrifice on the part of church members, as shown by the experience of James Covel. He promised to obey any commandment God would give him, but when he was called as a missionary, his desire to serve was overcome by “the fear of persecution and the cares of the world” (Doctrine and Covenants 40:2).
The lesson for us: Great blessings are available as we engage in God’s work, but the choice is ours whether we will commit and continue.
Here are some other lessons I’ve learned by studying these revelations:
Outline
- Doctrine and Covenants 37 – Church members are instructed to move to Ohio
- Doctrine and Covenants 38 – Instructions to the church: be clean, be united, be prepared, and care for the poor among you. In Ohio, you will be “endowed with power from on high” (v. 32).
- Doctrine and Covenants 39 – James Covel called as a missionary. “I have prepared thee for a greater work. … Power shall rest upon thee” (v. 11-12).
- Doctrine and Covenants 40 – James Covel broke his covenant because of fear and the cares of the world.
Key Themes
- When God endows you with power, you carry that power everywhere. It is like clothing that you wear every day.
- God’s law represents a blueprint for a happy life, a set of instructions which point us in the direction of greater spiritual maturity.
- God knows everything: past, present, and future. All things are present before Him.
- The unity of the Godhead is an example of the unity we strive for in the church.
Book of Mormon Connections
- The Book of Mormon contains many warnings against pride. Mormon himself lamented to his son Moroni, “The pride of this nation, or the people of the Nephites, hath proven their destruction” (Moroni 8:27). In 1831, the Lord gave the same warning to members of the newly organized Church of Jesus Christ: “Beware of pride, lest ye become as the Nephites of old” (Doctrine and Covenants 38:39).
Applications
- Keep earthly possessions in perspective and focus instead on the riches of eternity.
- Seek the help of the Savior as you look for ways to become more clean.
- Prepare: do the work today which will help you be confident and successful tomorrow.
- Pray in faith, with the expectation that God hears and will answer.
- Build your day on a solid foundation by obeying God, preparing prayerfully, and focusing on the Savior.
- Invite people to do good.
- Open your heart to the Spirit of the Lord, so that you can learn the peaceable things God wants to teach you
Recommended Posts
Blog Posts: April 22-27
“Let Every Man Choose for Himself”
God honors our agency, even as He offers clear instructions. In Eden and in Ohio, He invites without compulsion: “Let every man choose for himself,” He said. We can follow this pattern, extending invitations to others while respecting their choices and their timing.
Finding Opportunities to “Be One”
Unity is essential to discipleship. Alma taught that having “hearts knit together in unity and in love” made his people “the children of God.” The Savior said, “Be one; and if ye are not one, ye are not mine.” Elder Buckner urged us to look for opportunities to be one instead of reasons to divide.
Esteeming Your Brother as Yourself
The Lord commands us to esteem others as ourselves. Book of Mormon prophets teach this principle and warn us against placing ourselves above others. Peer relationships may generate unhealthy competition, but when we see one another through God’s eyes, we can overcome this temptation and recognize the infinite worth of each of His children.
The Pride Paradox
The Grossman-Stiglitz Paradox asserts that markets are efficient only to the extent that people believe they are not. Managing pride is similar. Elder Bednar taught, “If you or I do not believe we could be afflicted with and by pride, then we are vulnerable.” No wonder the Lord warned, “Beware of pride.”
Receiving Extraordinary Gifts
Sometimes we are offered gifts of untold value, yet we may fail to grasp their significance. The gift of the Holy Ghost is one of those priceless treasures. If we are not attentive, we may fail to recognize that it is “a blessing as great as [we] have never known” (Doctrine and Covenants 39:10).
The Cares of the World
Jesus warned that the cares of the world can choke the word of God. James Covel serves as a cautionary example: if we are not careful, the ordinary demands of life can distract us from activities of eternal value.
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