In Doctrine and Covenants 84:60-95, the Lord provides guidance to a group of missionaries. He tells them that He will give them the same instructions He gave to His ancient apostles. Most of the content that follows draws heavily on New Testament passages, particularly Matthew 10, where the original twelve apostles are called. Here is a list of the instructions He gave, the corresponding New Testament references, and parallel passages in the Book of Mormon:
| Instruction | New Testament | Book of Mormon |
|---|---|---|
| The Great Commission: Go into all the world, preaching and baptizing. Signs will follow those who believe. (v. 62-73) | Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-18 | Jesus gave the same commission to His disciples in the Americas. Mormon 9:22-25 |
| Travel without “purse or scrip.” People will feed you, because “the laborer is worthy of his hire.” (v. 77-79) | Matthew 10:9-10; Mark 6:8; Luke 10:4-7 | Alma asked Amulek, “Will ye give to a humble servant of God something to eat?” (Alma 8:19) His friends, the sons of Mosiah, had similar faith: “The Lord provided for them that they should hunger not, neither should they thirst.” (Alma 31:38) |
| God notices the small things: “A hair of [your] head shall not fall to the ground unnoticed” (v. 80; see also 116) | “The very hairs of your head are numbered.” (Matthew 10:29-31; Luke 12:6-7; see also Luke 21:18) | In the resurrection, “there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost” (Alma 11:44; see also Alma 40:23) |
| From the Sermon on the Mount: Consider the lilies of the field; take no thought for the morrow. Trust that God will provide. (v. 81-84, 86) | Matthew 6:25-34; Luke 12:22-30 | At the temple in Bountiful, the Savior gave this instruction specifically to “the twelve whom he had chosen” 3 Nephi 13:25-34 |
| The same is true of words: God will provide something for you to say. (v. 85) | Matthew 10:18-20; Mark 13:11; Luke 12:11-12 | Jacob said that when Sherem confronted him, “The Lord God poured in his Spirit into my soul, insomuch that I did confound him in all his words” (Jacob 7:8) |
| “Whoso receiveth you receiveth me.” Those who feed and clothe you will be rewarded. (v. 89-90; see also 36-38) | Matthew 10:40-42 | Jesus tells the people they will be blessed if they “give heed to the words of these twelve” (3 Nephi 12:1) |
| When you are rejected, “cleanse your feet,” and move on. (v. 92-95) | Matthew 10:11-15; Mark 6:10-11; Luke 9:4-5 | Aaron preached in several cities which rejected him. Each time, he simply moved on to the next city and continued to preach (Alma 21:11-12). |
I would summarize the Lord’s counsel this way: You have a lot of work to do, so avoid distractions. Trust me to provide the things you need. Some people will receive you, and they will be blessed. When someone rejects you, just move on to the next person, and keep working.
Today, I will trust God to help me fulfill my callings. I will focus on what He has asked me to do and avoid being distracted by worries or discouragement.
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