Doctrine and Covenants Section 124-126 (mostly 124)

(This is Nauvoo around the time this revelation was given)

Brief History:

When this revelation was received the saints were enjoying a moment of peace and prosperity.  They had been previously brutally driven from Missouri.  They were welcomed into Commerce, Illinois which later became known as Nauvoo.  Nauvoo became the headquarters of the church.  Many of the elders that had been preaching abroad returned home.  They experienced great success in their missionary efforts.  Many saints were gathering to Illinois.  At this time, there were about 3000 saints living in Nauvoo.  

What popped out at me:
*The prophet was commanded to send a proclamation to the leaders of nations in verse 3.

...you are now called immediately to make a solemn proclamation of my gospel...This proclamation shall be made to all the kings of the world, to the four corners thereof, to the honorable president-elect, and the high-minded governors of the nation in which you live, and to all the nations of the earth scattered abroad.

This commandment was fulfilled after the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum on April 6, 1845 by the Twelve Apostles.  Since that time, modern day prophets and apostles have issued proclamations and declarations to the world from time to time.  I have been able to find a few.  President Benson restated and reaffirmed this very proclamation to the world in a powerful General Conference address in 1975.   Did you know that President Kimball issued a proclamation to the world from the Peter Whitmer Farmhouse in 1980?  Of course, we are most familiar with The Family: A Proclamation to the World.  All of these are in fulfillment of prophecy stated in D&C 35:13.

Wherefore, I call upon the ^aweak things of the world, those who are ^bunlearned and despised, to thrash the ^cnations by the power of my ^dSpirit;

*It occurs to me that section 124 covers all three missions of the church.

     Proclaim the Gospel (v5-10)

(this is a picture of the Nauvoo House)

I loved the thought of building the Nauvoo House as a place of refuge for the weary traveler. (D&C 124:23)  "that he may find health and safety while he shall contemplate the word of the Lord."  I wonder sometimes if we are doing enough to help the weary travelers that find their way to our ward or our homes to feel welcome and safe and secure as they contemplate the things of the Lord.  It's "homemaking" at it's best.  The Lord understood the relationship between temporal and spiritual needs.  When we are clothed and fed and happy and safe, we can feel the things of the spirit more easily.  Isn't that part of our calling as mothers and women?  What a simple and effective way to proclaim the gospel!

  Perfect the Saints (specific instructions to saints by name)

Isn't it wonderful to know that Heavenly Father knows us by name.  He is concerned about us.  He is concerned not only about our spiritual welfare, but our temporal welfare as well.  We can go to him with temporal concerns and questions.  He wants to bless us.

Have you ever wondered what the Lord would have revealed about you if you had lived back in the day?  It's a little frightening to consider.  Would I be in the same class as George Miller or John C Bennett?  David Patten or William Law?  I would hope that he would say something like he did to Hyrum..."blessed is my servant (fill in your name); for I, the Lord love her because of the integrity of her heart and because she loveth that which is right before me." Maybe someday sisters.  Someday.

 Redeem the Dead (v27-42)

This is the first mention in modern revelation about baptisms for the dead.  I love the emphasis on the House of the Lord in this time of church history.  I love the emphasis on temples in our day!  Verse 55 is a favorite:

And again, verily I say unto you, I command you again to build a house to my name, even in this place, that you may prove yourselves unto me that ye are faithful in all things whatsoever I command you, that I may bless you, and crown you with honor, immortality, and eternal life.

So what popped out at you?

A Little More Housekeeping

I am excited to get this site up and running.  It may take a while to find the format that we like.  Please be patient.  I'm sure you will notice many changes over the next coming weeks until we settle into something that is comfortable for all of us.  I have enabled anyone to make comments on these posts.  This is by far the easiest format.  You don't have to log in and you don't have to remember any passwords.  There is an option to comment anonymously--however comments are much more meaningful when we know who made them.  Please leave at least a first name when making a comment.  This blog is public at this point in time.  If we run into problems with inappropriate comments from strangers in the future we may have to go private  Well just see how that goes.  I will be monitoring all of the content on this site.  I will remove anything that is inappropriate or disrespectful.  Thanks for your cooperation!

A New Age

We have been meeting every Tuesday morning as a group of sisters, neighbors, and friends for more than three years now.  Some of you have been there since the beginning.  Some have had to drop out and some have joined in as circumstances permitted.  It has been a tremendous experience for me.  There is something incredible about sharing spiritual feelings with your sisters and friends.  I feel like we have increased in our knowledge and understanding of the scriptures.  My testimony has grown.  I hope that yours has too.  We have completed the Book of Mormon and most of the Doctrine and Covenants. 

As of late, we have been encountering a few stumbling blocks to our weekly scripture study.  I've decided to try something new in the hopes that more sisters will be able to participate.  I understand that this form of communication tends to not be as personal as a face to face meeting.  But I am hopeful that we can still grow spiritually and share our thoughts and feelings openly.  The advantages to this type of venue are many.  You can read and post comments and questions when it is most convenient for you.  This should allow sisters who work or have other scheduling conflicts to participate if they desire.  It should also work better for mothers of young children.  I can link to supplemental resources directly--you can read them for yourselves instead of listening to me quote them.  We can encourage one another to not only read but really study the scriptures regularly.  And I think we will be able to be much more consistent and able to stick to our schedule.  We may even be able to continue through the summer if we desire. It sounds like a win-win situation to me. 

So, let's get started!