Remember the New Covenant

Remember the New Covenant, Even the Book of Mormon

I. Joseph Smith’s preparation to receive and translate the Book of Mormon

In September 1823, Joseph Smith was 17 yrs old. It had been 3.5 years since his vision of the Father and the Son where he was instructed to join none of the churches. We do not have a lot of detail regarding Joseph’s life during these years. We do know that while he awaited further direction , he suffered “persecution at the hands of all classes of men, both religious and irreligious, because I continued to aaffirm that I had seen a vision. “ ( JSH 1:27)


Joseph had concerns over some of weaknesses of youth . As he stated, “I was left to all kinds of btemptations; and, mingling with all kinds of society, I frequently fell into many foolish cerrors, and displayed the weakness of youth, and the foibles of human nature; which, I am sorry to say, led me into divers temptations, offensive in the sight of God.” ( JSH 1:28)

Nothing serious, just that he felt his behavior was “not consistent with that character which ought to be maintained by one who was ecalled of God as I had been.” (JSH 1:28)

It was these concerns that led him to earnestly appeal to God for forgiveness on the night of the 21st of September. He wanted to know what his standing was with the Lord. Oliver Cowdery indicates that this was no casual prayer that Joseph offered. He was on his knees for hours, refusing to give up until he received the divine manifestation that he was in full confidence would occur. For he had seen a vision before and knew that the Lord would speak to him again.

JSH 1:30
30 While I was thus in the act of calling upon God, I discovered a alight appearing in my room, which continued to increase until the room was lighter than at noonday, when immediately a bpersonage appeared at my bedside, standing in the air, for his feet did not touch the floor.
31 He had on a loose robe of most exquisite awhiteness. It was a whiteness beyond anything earthly I had ever seen; nor do I believe that any earthly thing could be made to appear so exceedingly white and brilliant. His hands were naked, and his arms also, a little above the wrist; so, also, were his feet naked, as were his legs, a little above the ankles. His head and neck were also bare. I could discover that he had no other clothing on but this robe, as it was open, so that I could see into his bosom.
32 Not only was his robe exceedingly white, but his whole person was aglorious beyond description, and his countenance truly like blightning. The room was exceedingly light, but not so very bright as immediately around his person. When I first looked upon him, I was cafraid; but the dfear soon left me.

Joseph must have felt great comfort when this personage called him by name. After more than three years, God had not forgotten Joseph . He introduced himself as Moroni, a messenger sent from God and said that God had a great work for Joseph, and that his “name should be had for cgood and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues, or that it should be both good and evil spoken of among all people.” (JSH 1:33)




What is Moroni’s message to Joseph?

Highlights:
Moroni tells Joseph of the gold plates containing the fulness of the gospel as delivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants of American continent (v34).
Moroni quotes Malachi, Isaiah, and other Biblical scriptures (v36-41). Oliver Cowdery indicated in a letter that he wrote for the “Messenger and Advocate” Newspaper, that the angel quoted about 30 passages of scripture to Joseph that night, all with a common element: There was a great work to be done in the latter days to gather the Lord’s people one last time. Joseph was to be the one to set forth this work.
At the time when Joseph receives the plates, he is instructed not to show them, nor the Urim and Thummim, to any person (v42).
Moroni concludes his visit (v43).
Moroni returns for a second visit and restates that which had been given in his first visit and adds that great judgments are coming (v44).
Moroni returns for a third visit and repeats the same information and counsels Joseph that Satan would tempt him to use the plates for gain, but he was not to do so (v46).

The following morning, Joseph goes out to work with his father. He is so exhausted that his father sends him home for rest. He collapses against a fence, when he regains consciousness, he once again sees Moroni and given additional instructions (v48-49). Moroni commands Joseph to tell his father of this experience.

How did Joseph’s father react? What does this tell you about both Joseph and his father?

Throughout his experiences as a prophet of God, those who knew Joseph best believed him most.

What is our obligation to our family members in their efforts to follow the Lord? In what ways can we be better at this?

II. The miracle of the Book of Mormon’s preservation

With his father’s support Joseph went to the hill shown to him the night before. He found the place where the plates were hidden up and was able to view them, along with the Urim and Thummin and their breastplate. Joseph was not permitted to take the plates yet.

Why?

Oliver Cowdery gave us a description of a very important lesson taught to the youthful prophet. When Joseph first attempted to take possession of the record, "a shock was produced upon his system, by an invisible power which deprived him, in a measure, of his natural strength. He desisted for an instant, and then made another attempt, but was more sensibly shocked than before. What was the occasion of this he knew not— there was the pure unsullied record,
as had been described— he had heard of the power of enchantment, and a thousand like stories, which held the hidden treasures of the earth, and supposed that physical exertion and personal strength was only necessary to enable him to yet obtain the object of his wish. He therefore made the third attempt with an increased exertion, when his strength failed him more than at either of the former times, and without premeditating he exclaimed, 'Why can I not obtain this book?' 'Because you have not kept the commandments of the Lord,' answered a voice, within a seeming short distance. He looked, and to his astonishment, there stood the angel who had previously given him the directions concerning this matter.

In an instant, all the former instructions, the great intelligence concerning Israel and the last days, were brought to his mind: he thought of the time when his heart was fervently engaged in prayer to the Lord, when his spirit was contrite, and when this holy messenger from the skies unfolded the wonderful things connected with this record. He had come, to be sure, and found the word of the angel fulfilled concerning the reality of the record, but he had failed to remember the great end for which they had been kept, and in consequence could not have power to take them into his possession and bear them away. At that instant he looked to the Lord in prayer, and as he prayed darkness began to disperse from his mind and his soul was lit up as it was the evening before, and he was filled with the Holy Spirit; and again did the Lord manifest his condescension and mercy: the heavens were opened and the glory of the Lord
shone round about and rested upon him. While he thus stood gazing and admiring, the angel said,
'Look!' and as he thus spake he beheld the prince of darkness, surrounded by his innumerable train of associates. All this passed before him, and the heavenly messenger said, 'All this is shown, the good and the evil, the holy and impure, the glory of God and the power of darkness, that you may know hereafter the two powers and never be influenced or overcome by that wicked one. Behold, whatever entices and leads to good and to do good, is of God, and whatever does not is of that wicked one: It is he that fills the hearts of men with evil, to walk in darkness and blaspheme God; and you may learn from henceforth, that his ways are to destruction, but the way of holiness is peace and rest. You now see why you could not obtain this record; that the commandment was strict, and that if ever these sacred things are obtained they must be by prayer and faithfulness in obeying the Lord. They are not deposited here
for the sake of accumulating gain and wealth for the glory of this world: they were sealed by the prayer of faith, and because of the knowledge which they contain they are of no worth among the children of men, only for their knowledge. On them is contained the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, as it was given to his people on this land, and when it shall be brought forth by the power of God it shall be carried to the Gentiles, of whom many will receive it, and after will the seed of Israel be brought into the fold of their Redeemer by obeying it also. Those who kept the commandments of the Lord on this land, desired this at his hand, and through the prayer of faith obtained the promise, that if their descendants should transgress and fall away, that a record might be kept and in the last days come to their children.
These things are sacred, and must be kept so, for the promise of the Lord concerning them, must be fulfilled. No man can obtain them if his heart is impure, because they contain that which is sacred; and besides, should they be entrusted in unholy hands the knowledge could not come to the world, because they cannot be interpreted by the learning of this generation; consequently, they would be considered of no worth, only as precious metal. Therefore, remember, that they are to be translated by the gift and power of God'" (Messenger and Advocate, 2:197-98; Times and Seasons, 2:393).)

The prophet Joseph would return to this same spot every year on September 23 as instructed in hopes of attaining the plates. Joseph’s family knew that the angel had appeared to him. Every year on the indicated date, they looked forward to him attaining the plates with great anticipation. Friends of their family also knew and would find excuses to stop by the Smith home hoping to see the plates.½

It was not until Sept. 23, 1827, however, that the plates were delivered unto Joseph. He and Emma and recently been married. She accompanied him to the hill and wanted in the wagon while Joseph went to retrieve the plates. Moroni delivered them to Joseph with the following charge, “ that I should be bresponsible for them; that if I should let them go carelessly, or through any cneglect of mine, I should be cut off; but that if I would use all my endeavors to dpreserve them, until he, the messenger, should call for them, they should be protected. (JSH 1:59)
60 I soon found out the reason why I had received such strict charges to keep them safe, and why it was that the messenger had said that when I had done what was required at my hand, he would call for them. For no sooner was it known that I had them, than the most strenuous exertions were used to aget them from me. Every stratagem that could be invented was resorted to for that purpose. The persecution became more bitter and severe than before, and multitudes were on the alert continually to get them from me if possible. But by the wisdom of God, they remained safe in my hands, until I had accomplished by them what was required at my hand.

so great was the persecution and threat, Joseph and Emma were forced to move to Harmony, PA so that translation of the record could commence.

Prior to the move, a man named Martin Harris and his wife became interested in the new work. Martin was “a farmer of respectability” and was particularly interested in this ancient record that Joseph had acquired. He was convinced enough in the work that when Joseph and Emma moved to PA, he publicly gave them $50 declaring “ I give this to you to do the Lord’s work with; no, I give it to the Lord for his own work.” ( Biographical Sketches, p 113)

Martin Harris by this time was the most active supporter of the prophet. Soon after Joseph and Emma moved, Martin traveled over a hundred miles to obtain characters copied from the plates then continued his winter journey another hundred miles to New York City where he visited with professor Charles Anthon seeking verification of their authenticity.

Martin spent two months in the summer of 1828 as Joseph’s scribe. Their work produced 116 manuscript pages. Martin petitioned the prophet to allow him to take the manuscript home with him and show it to his family. After all, he had arranged his affairs financially in order to take nearly a year vacation to help further the work. Martin's wife, Lucy Harris, had given her
Husband an ultimatum that he either brings the manuscript home for her to see or she would leave him, taking the children with her. After her husband's first visit to Harmony to serve as Joseph's scribe, Martin's wife "prepared a bed and room for him alone, which she refused to enter" (Smith, History of Joseph Smith, 1996, 155).

Joseph inquired of the Lord, through the Urim and Thummim if he might allow Martin to take the manuscript. The answer was that he was not to. Martin was not satisfied with that answer and encouraged Joseph to continue to petition the Lord. Finally, the Lord relented with the condition that Martin shows the manuscript to his family only. Martin bound himself with a covenant to Joseph that he would only do as directed.

Shortly after Martin left with the manuscript, Emma had a child, which lived only a short time.
Emma was so distraught over the loss of the child that Joseph remained by her side for two weeks. Emma's life hung in the balance.
As Emma began to recover Joseph became increasingly concerned over the manuscript. Three weeks had passed and Joseph had heard nothing from Martin.
Emma had Joseph bring her mother to stay with her. He then left for Palmyra to find out about the manuscript.
Joseph was tired from the vigil by his wife's side and the worry over the manuscript. A stranger assisted Joseph in getting to the home of his parents.
"His condition was such that it greatly aroused the sympathy of a gentleman fellow passenger, who, when Joseph left the stage coach, to make his way on foot to his father's home, his fellow passenger, though a stranger, insisted upon accompanying him, which he did." (CHC, 1:110-111)

"When Joseph had taken a little nourishment, according to the directions of the stranger, he requested us to send immediately for Mr. Harris. This we did without delay. And when we had given the stranger his breakfast, we commenced preparing breakfast for the family; and we supposed that Mr. Harris would be there, as soon as it was ready, to eat with us, for he generally came in such haste when he was sent for. At eight o'clock we set the victuals on the table, as we were expecting him every moment. We waited till nine, and he came not--till ten, and he was not there--till eleven, still he did not make his appearance. But at half past twelve we saw him walking with a slow and measured tread towards the house, his eyes fixed thoughtfully upon the ground. On coming to the gate, he stopped, instead of passing through, and got upon the fence, and sat there some time with his hat drawn over his eyes. At length he entered the house. Soon after which we sat down to the table, Mr. Harris with the rest. He took up his knife and fork as if he were going to use them, but immediately dropped them. Hyrum, observing this, said 'Martin, why do you not eat; are you sick?' Upon which Mr. Harris pressed his hands upon his temples, and cried out in a tone of deep anguish, 'Oh, I have lost my soul! I have lost my soul!'
"Joseph who had not expressed his fears till now, sprang from the table, exclaiming, 'Martin, have you lost that manuscript? Have you broken your oath, and brought down condemnation upon my head as well as your own?'
"'Yes; it is gone,' replied Martin, 'and I know not where.'
"'Oh, my God!' said Joseph, clinching his hands. 'All is lost! All is lost! What shall I do? I have sinned--it is I who tempted the wrath of God. I should have been satisfied with the first answer which I received from the Lord; for he told me that it was not safe to let the writing go out of my possession.' He wept and groaned, and walked the floor continually.
"At length he told Martin to go back and search again.
"'No'; said Martin, 'it is all in vain; for I have ripped open beds and pillows; and I know it is not there.'
"'Then must I,' said Joseph, 'return with such a tale as this? I dare not do it. And how shall I appear before the Lord? Of what rebuke am I not worthy from the angel of the Most High?'
"I besought him not to mourn so, for perhaps the Lord would forgive him, after a short season of humiliation and repentance. But what could I do to comfort him, when he saw all the family in the same situation of mind as himself; for sobs and groans, and the most bitter lamentations filled the house. However, Joseph was more distressed than the rest, as he better understood the consequences of disobedience. And he continued pacing back and forth, meantime weeping and grieving, until about sunset, when, by persuasion, he took a little nourishment.
"The next morning, he set out for home. We parted with heavy hearts, for it now appeared that all which we had so fondly anticipated, and which had been the source of so much secret gratification, had in a moment fled, and fled forever." (History of Joseph Smith by His Mother, p127-129)

When Joseph returned to Harmony, the angel Moroni appeared to him and briefly returned the Urim and Thummim, allowing Joseph to receive section 3. This was in July of 1828. Then the Urim and Thummuim were taken from him again, together with the plates, for a period of about two months.

Section 3 stands as one of the great evidences of the Prophet Joseph’s divine calling. As nearly as can be determined, this is the first revelation he ever recorded. (He had received other revelations earlier, but they had not yet been recorded.) This one is a powerful witness of his prophetic calling; no false prophet would have recorded such a stinging denunciation of himself, as Richard Bushman notes: “[In] the rebuke of Joseph in the revelation of July, 1828, … [t]here is no effort to conceal or rationalize, no sign of Joseph justifying himself to prospective followers. The words flow directly from the messenger to Joseph and have the single purpose of setting Joseph straight.’” (Keith W. Perkins, “Thou Art Still Chosen,” Ensign, Jan. 1993, 16))

D&C 3:6-10
6 And behold, how aoft you have btransgressed the commandments and the laws of God, and have gone on in the cpersuasions of men.
7 For, behold, you should not have afeared man more than God. Although men set at naught the counsels of God, and bdespise his words—
8 Yet you should have been faithful; and he would have extended his arm and asupported you against all the fiery bdarts of the cadversary; and he would have been with you in every time of dtrouble.
9 Behold, thou art Joseph, and thou wast chosen to do the work of the Lord, but because of transgression, if thou art not aware thou wilt afall.
10 But remember, God is merciful; therefore, repent of that which thou hast done which is contrary to the commandment which I gave you, and thou art still chosen, and art aagain called to the work;

WHAT LESSON CAN WE LEARN FROM THIS VERSE AND THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET?

We may mess up big time, but the Lord is merciful, and we can repent and take up our calling in life. Joseph did and so have many others.

Brother Ivan J. Barrett wrote of this experience: "Grievous as the experience was, it proved to be the lesson Joseph Smith needed in his youth to strengthen him and fortify him against temptations that would later beset his path.
"It taught him to hearken to the inspiration that came to him and not to yield to the persuasions of men.
"It taught him to be cautious in trusting men, for few could be depended upon.
"It also taught him that more than one copy of valuable documents should be made. In the future he made duplicate copies of all important manuscripts." (Joseph Smith and the Restoration, p84)

What happened to the manuscript?

The testimonies of Pomeroy Tucker and Reverend Clark indicate that Martin's wife snatched the manuscript while her husband slept.
Mother Smith said this: "There is no doubt but Mrs. Harris took it from the drawer, with the view of retaining it until another translation should be given, then to alter the original translation, for the purpose of showing a discrepancy between them, and thus make the whole appear to be a deception." (History of Joseph Smith by His Mother, p131)
The Lord knew many centuries prior to this incident occurring that it would. He made provisions so that the work would go forth as planned, without frustration, regardless of the loss of the manuscript. He inspired Nephi, who was writing a secular history of the Nephites, to prepare a second set of records. The second set contained the account of the Nephites’ ministry during the same period of time and had greater doctrinal value than the first.
The Lord instructed Joseph to not translate Nephi’s secular history again. Instead, Joseph was to translate Nephi’s second set of records up to the time of King Benjamin.
How does this experience help you when you experience setbacks and disappointments in your life?
D&C3:16,19-20
16 Nevertheless, my awork shall go forth, for inasmuch as the knowledge of a Savior has come unto the world, through the btestimony of the Jews, even so shall the cknowledge of a dSavior come unto my people—
19 And for this very apurpose are these bplates cpreserved, which contain these records—that the dpromises of the Lord might be fulfilled, which he made to his epeople;
20 And that the aLamanites might come to the knowledge of their fathers, and that they might know the bpromises of the Lord, and that they may cbelieve the gospel and drely upon the merits of Jesus Christ, and be eglorified through faith in his name, and that through their repentance they might be saved. Amen.

The Lord always makes provisions for his work to be accomplished. He is more powerful than Satan. Satan will never successfully frustrate the Lord’s work.

III. Witnesses of the Book of Mormon

As Joseph translated the Book of Mormon, he learned that the Lord would permit three witnesses and a few others to view the plates.

Ether 5:4
4 And in the mouth of three awitnesses shall these things be established; and the btestimony of three, and this work, in the which shall be shown forth the power of God and also his word, of which the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost bear record—and all this shall stand as a testimony against the world at the last day.

Joseph related, “ Almost immediately after we had made this discovery, it occurred to Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and the aforementioned Martin Harris (who had come to inquire after our progress in the work) that they would have me inquire of the Lord, to know if they might not obtain of him to be these three special witnesses. And finally they became so very solicitous, and teased me so much, that at length I complied, and through the Urim and Thummim, I obtained of the Lord for them the following revelation.. (Times and Seasons 3(1842):897, also cit. HC 1:52-53)
D&C 17:1-4
1 Behold, I say unto you, that you must rely upon my word, which if you do with full purpose of heart, you shall have a aview of the bplates, and also of the cbreastplate, the dsword of Laban, the eUrim and Thummim, which were given to the fbrother of Jared upon the mount, when he talked with the Lord gface to face, and the hmiraculous directors which were given to Lehi while in the wilderness, on the borders of the iRed Sea.
2 And it is by your faith that you shall obtain a view of them, even by that faith which was had by the prophets of old.
3 And after that you have obtained faith, and have seen them with your eyes, you shall atestify of them, by the power of God;
4 And this you shall do that my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., may not be destroyed, that I may bring about my righteous purposes unto the children of men in this work.
Many opponents of the Book of Mormon think it is “convenient” that this record was translated by plates that now are in the possession of the angel. What proof do we have that these plates actually even existed, that Joseph did not just “make up” this story?
The three witnesses were called to testify of the things they saw to give Joseph’s testimony credence among his fellow men. Not only were they privileged to see the plates, but also saw other things as well.
Why was it important for them to see the breastplate, sword of Laban, Liahona, Urim and thummim?
The witnesses then were not only able to testify that the plates actually existed but that the events recorded on the plates actually happened as well. The artifacts laid right in front of them! Lehi and his family were real people, who lived, and knew of Christ. It was not just a testimony of the plates, but of the historicity of the book itself.
Why were these specific men chosen above any other?
They each filled a void in Joseph’s abilities:
Oliver: academic, could record the translation in book form, ready to publish
Martin: Only one involved in the early church with financial resources to make the publishing of the Book of Mormon come about.
David: provided a safe location for the translation to take place, a home for Joseph
This is how the Lord works..through ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
What was Joseph’s reaction to the vision of the 3 witnesses?
"Father! Mother! You do not know how happy I am. The Lord has caused the plates to be shown to three more besides me. They have also seen an angel and will have to testify to the truth of what I have said, for they know for themselves that I do not go about to deceive the people. I do feel as though I was relieved of a dreadful burden which was almost too much for me to endure. But they will now have to bear a part, and it does rejoice my soul that I am not any longer to be entirely alone in the world." (History of Joseph Smith, p. 152)
In addition to the three witnesses, eight others were also shown the plates. These witnesses were the Whitmer Family and those closely associated with them. It was more of a “museum” experience as opposed to the “spiritual” experience of the 3. “We have seen and hefted..” “We did handle with our hands..” “We also saw the engravings..” “ And we lie not..”
All of the 3 witnesses and three of the 8 eventually fell away from the church, yet none of these men ever recounted their testimonies.
“Those who were privileged to hear one or more of the Three Witnesses bear testimony also had opportunity to have that testimony confirmed by the power of the Holy Ghost. William H. Homer visited with Martin Harris in the Kirtland Temple about the last of December 1869. He asked Martin, "'What about your testimony to the Book of Mormon? Do you still believe that the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith was a Prophet?' Again, the effect was electric. A changed old man stood before me. It was no longer a man with an imagined grievance. It was a man with a message, a man with a noble conviction in his heart, a man inspired of God and endowed with divine knowledge. Through the broken window of the Temple shone the winter sun, clear and radiant. 'Young man,' answered Martin Harris with impressiveness, 'Do I believe it! Do I see the sun shining! Just as surely as the sun is shining on us and gives us light, and the . . . [moon] and stars give us light by night, just as surely as the breath of life sustains us, so surely do I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God, chosen of God to open the last dispensation of the fulness of times; so surely do I know that the Book of Mormon was divinely translated. I saw the plates; I saw the Angel; I heard the voice of God. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith was a true Prophet of God. I might as well doubt my own existence as to doubt the divine authenticity of the Book of Mormon or the divine calling of Joseph Smith.' It was a sublime moment. It was a wonderful testimony. We were thrilled to the very roots of our hair. The shabby, emaciated little man before us was transformed as he stood with hand outstretched toward the sun of heaven. A halo seemed to encircle him. A divine fire glowed in his eyes. His voice throbbed with the sincerity and the conviction of his message. It was the real Martin Harris whose burning testimony no power on earth could quench. It was the most thrilling moment of my life" (Homer, "Passing of Martin Harris," 469-70; emphasis added). Revelations of the Restoration, p. 132-33.
The savior himself testified to the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon:

D&C17:6
6 And he has translated the abook, even that bpart which I have commanded him, and as your Lord and your God liveth it is true.

How can you be a witness of the Book of Mormon?

Gordon B. Hinckley
“ The strength of the church is not in..its thousands of houses of worship across the world, not in its universities..the strength of this church lies in the hearts of its people, in the individual testimony and conviction of the truth of this work.” (CR Apr. 1973, 73-74)

IV. Our Duty to “remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon”

In September 1832 the prophet Joseph received a revelation in which the Lord said that “the whole church [was] under condemnation” (D&C 84:55)

Why was the church under condemnation?

President Ezra Taft Benson
If the early Saints were rebuked for treating the Book of Mormon lightly, are we under any less condemnation if we do the same?” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1986, 4; or Ensign, Nov. 1986, 4–5).
“The Lord is not pleased with us in the manner of attention we’re giving the Book of Mormon, a new witness for Christ. We need it in our homes, we need it in our families. It was written for us today” (Church News, 9 Nov. 1986, 10).
When President Benson warns us against treating the Book of Mormon lightly, he does not mean whether or not we are reading or studying it every day, although, he has great promises for us If we do, we must take it’s teachings and engrain them so deeply into our lives that our behavior changes.. that we become more like our savior.

It is one thing to claim a testimony of the book and it’s teachings, it is quite another to be converted to the point that your very life is a testimony of the book.

President Ezra Taft Benson
The time is long overdue for a massive flooding of the earth with the Book of Mormon. … In this age of the electronic media and the mass distribution of the printed word, God will hold us accountable if we do not now move the Book of Mormon in a monumental way. We have the Book of Mormon, we have the members, we have the missionaries, we have the resources, and the world has the need. The time is now!” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1988, 4; or Ensign, Nov. 1988, 4–5).

The work has commenced, it is pressing forward, it is my testimony to you that each of us here today were called in the pre-existence to come to earth at this time to play a significant roll in this work. Are we magnifying that calling?

Bear testimony of the impact the Book of Mormon has had In your life.

I Had Seen a Vision

Lesson material by Nancie Lindblom


1. After the Apostasy, God prepared the way for the Restoration
Christianity and Apostasy.

The Great Apostasy began in the days of the Apostles.
The Apostle Paul said: "For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them." (Acts 20:29-30)

Paul also said that "the mystery of iniquity doth already work." (2 Thessalonians 2:7)
After the departure of the apostles, spiritual gifts ceased to exist in the Church.
Revelation and heavenly communication came to an end.

President Joseph Fielding Smith: "This condition also led to the universal belief, which the world holds even now, that the canon of scripture is full and there is to be no more scripture, notwithstanding the Lord has revealed through his servants that revelation is to continue." (Essentials In Church History, p8)

There were changes in church government and in the offices of the Church.
In the 4th Century, the Church as it had evolved, became the state religion of the Roman Empire under Emperor Constantine.

Over time the simple principles of the Christian faith were embellished almost beyond recognition with pomp and mystic rites borrowed from pagan worship.

Doctrines of the gospel were changed:
The doctrine of the Godhead became one of mystery.
The ordinance of baptism was changed to sprinkling.
Infant baptism was instituted.
Changes in the administration of the Sacrament were instituted.
Those entering the ministry were forbidden to marry.
What were some of the consequences of the Great Apostasy?

a. There was no priesthood authority on the earth.
b. There were no apostles or prophets on the earth.
c. Essential knowledge about the nature of God was lost.
d. The doctrines of the gospel were corrupted.
e. Sacred ordinances, such as baptism, were changed.
f. The original Church became divided into discordant groups.

Before Joseph Smith was born, what events helped prepare the way for the restoration of the gospel?

1. The Renaissance was a rebirth of learning, particularly in literature, art, and science. Inventions such as the printing press emerged.

Elder James E. Talmage of the Quorum of the Twelve said the Renaissance was not a chance occurrence but rather “a development predetermined in the Mind of God to illumine the benighted minds of men in preparation for the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which was appointed to be accomplished some centuries later” (Jesus the Christ, 3rd ed. [1916], 749).
The Protestant Revolution.

As the centuries passed there were many who recognized that the Church had fallen from that taught by the scriptures and instituted by Jesus Christ and the apostles. Martin Luther was the foremost of those reformers.

- Reformation begins 1517 when he nails the 95 theses to the door of the church
Another reformer, John Wesley, one of the founders of Methodism said:
"It does not appear that these extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit were common in the Church for more than two or three centuries.... From this time they almost totally ceased.... The Christians had no more of the spirit of Christ than the other heathens." (quoted in The Great Apostasy, p161-162)

Elder Bruce R. McConkie: "Beginning in the 14th century, the Lord began to prepare those social, educational, religious, economic, and governmental conditions under which he could more easily restore the gospel for the last time." (Mormon Doctrine, p717)

Elder Bruce R. McConkie stated: "There was a Calvin, a Zwingli, a Luther, a Wesley; there were wise and good men—morning stars who shone more brightly than their fellows—who arose in every nation. There were men of insight and courage who were sickened by the sins and evils of the night. These great souls hacked and sawed at the chains with which the masses were bound. They sought to do good and to help their fellowmen— all according to the best light and knowledge they had. "In Germany and France and England and Switzerland and elsewhere groups began to break away from the religion of centuries past. A few rays of light were parting the darkness of the eastern sky. Many who sought freedom to worship God according to the dictates of their conscience migrated to America. And in due course, by the power of the Father, a new nation was created, a nation 'conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men were created equal' (Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address.) The United States of America came into being. Beyond the mountains, now not many leagues away, a new day was gestating in the womb of nature. As the earth continued to turn slowly and steadily on its decreed course, as the dawn brightened and the morning light increased, as the Constitution of the United States guaranteed religious freedom, as men were tempered in their feelings and began to view each other with more equity and fairness, as the Bible was published and read by more people, as darkness fled and light increased, the time for the rising of the gospel sun was at hand" (ConferenceReport, April 1978, 17).)

Elder James E. Talmage said that the Renaissance was not a chance occurrence, but rather "a development predetermined in the Mind of God to illumine the benighted minds of men in preparation for the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which was appointed to be accomplished some centuries later." (Jesus the Christ, p749)

A Land Prepared.

In addition to spiritual preparation, it was necessary for the Lord to prepare a land that allowed for freedom of religion and thought

Elder Russell M. Ballard: "God inspired the earlier explorers and colonizers of America and the framers of the Constitution of the United States to develop a land and governing principles to which the gospel could be restored." (Ensign, Nov 1994, p66)

Elder Bruce R. McConkie: "America was discovered, colonized, and made into a great nation so that the Lord would have a proper place both to restore the gospel and from which to send it forth to all other nations. As a prelude to his coming, and so the promised work of restoration would roll forward, the foundations of the American nation were laid in the days of the Renaissance and the Reformation." (Millennial Messiah, p93)

4. The Constitution of the United States was established guaranteeing religious freedom in the new nation.
2. God Prepared Joseph Smith to be the prophet of the Restoration

Joseph’s family helped Prepare him
It was decreed in the councils of eternity, long before the foundations of the earth were laid, that he (Joseph Smith) should be the man in the last dispensation of this world, to bring forth the word of God to the people, and receive the fullness of the keys and power of the priesthood of the Son of God. The Lord had his eye upon him, and upon his father, and upon his father’s father, and upon their progenitors clear back to Abraham, and from Abraham to the flood, from the flood to Enoch, and from Enoch to Adam. He had watched that family and that blood as it has circulated from its fountain to the birth of that man. He was foreordained in eternity to preside over this last dispensation… (Brigham Young: Journal of Discourses 7:289-90)

John Lanthrop 1584-1653
· Born in England
· In 1601 enters Queens College at Cambridge university and graduated in 4 yrs. Continued on to receive his masters degree by 1609
· Ordained as a deacon during 1607 for the Church of England and began a career in Religion
· By 1623 a question consumed him “does the authority to act in the name of God come from the Church of England, by God, or by the congregation?”
· Decides that the authority to act in the name of God does not exist and leaves the church uniting with and independent church—penalty for this could be as severe as being burned at the stake, hanged, or tarred)
· 1632 the church is raided and of the approximately 40 members 24 are arrested and thrown in prison.
· Most would recant their beliefs saying that the King of England was supreme in Religion, but John would not recant!
· 1634 he was petitioning for liberty or foreign exile
· 1634 he is sent to America aboard the ship the Griffin
· He is the only man aboard who has a copy of the Bible. As he is studying one evening the hot tallow from the candle falls on the book and destroys several pages. He asks for paper and proceeds to write out the missing pages from memory verbatim.

· He settles in Barnstables Massachusetts: you can still see the bible and other artifacts that belonged to him there today.

· Some of John Lothrop’s descendants include
- Oliver Cowdery : he is w/ Joseph on May 15, 1829 when the priesthood is restored. Is it a coincidence that both men involved are ancestors of John Lanthrop who once claimed that there was no authority on the earth to act in the name of God? I think not.
- Orson and Parly P. Pratt: both members of the original quorum of the 12
- Frederick G. Williams: member of the first presidency during the Kirkland years. Joseph’s love for him is demonstrated when he names one of his children after him.
- Wilford Woodruff
- Harold B. Lee
- Marion G. Romney
Solomon Mack 1732-1820 maternal grandfather
· He had intense physical pain and searched to find an answer for it. He found that through prayer he could lessen the pain.
· Ho wrote a booklet titled The Narrative, in it he refers to spiritual moments in his life
- Once he saw a light as bright as a fire
- Another time he heard a voice call him by name

Asael Smith paternal grandfather
· Believed there should be an 11th commandment: mind your own business
· “It has been borne in upon my soul that one of my descendants will promulgate a work to revolutionize the world of religious faith” (Essentials in Church History, 27th ed [1974], 25)
· Joseph Smith related the story that Asael at the age of 88 had read the Book of Mormon and after doing so had declared that Joseph was indeed the prophet he knew would come to his family.

Lucy Mack Smith his mother
· Joseph came from a home where trusting in God and seeking the truth were part of his family's approach. Joseph's mother, Lucy Mack Smith, nearly died from a bout with tuberculosis. At the moment when death was at her door she "covenanted with God that if he would let me live, I would endeavor to get that religion that would enable me to serve him right, whether it was in the Bible or wherever it might be found, even if it was to be obtained from heaven by prayer and faith." (1) Those seeking the truth in those days, like Lucy, were called "seekers." Lucy was a seeker. Joseph became a young seeker in the 1818-20 period. (Meridian magazine By Scot and Maurine Proctor)

· "We should be grateful . . . for model families in the past, such as that of Joseph Smith Sr., who, along with his wife, Luck Mack Smith, gave a boy prophet love, leadership, example, and support.

Suppose, after walking back from that theophany at Palmyra, young Joseph Smith had encountered task oriented ("Get the chores done!"), non listening parents? Or a jealous older brother? With all else he had to meet in the way of ridicule and persecution, could that lad have done his special work without the love and courage of a family that quietly, uncomplainingly agreed to share in his work and in his fate?" (Elder Neal A. Maxwell)

Joseph Smith Sr.
· According the history written by Lucy Mack Smith, Joseph Sr. had 7 different visions in the form of dreams
- One dealt with there being no true religion on the earth
- Another be very similar to the tree of life, but the iron rod was a rope: the family all partook of the fruit including two children that had not yet been born
- Another had 12 wooden images bowing to him in a garden where he was healed
- Another dealing with Christ as the mediator between God and man
- The last dream was of a peddler informing him it was the last time he would call on him. He told Joseph there was still something he lacked, but he awoke before he could find out what.

Adversity helped prepare him
· During the first 20 years of marriage the Smith’s relocated 9 times
· Typhoid epidemic took the lives of 3,000 people in New England. Joseph was 7 yrs old.
- Hyrum sat beside him day and night for some considerable length of time, holding the affected part of the leg in his hands and pressing it between them, so that his afflicted brother might be able to endure the pain which was so excruciating. (History of Joseph Smith by his mother pg. 55) Lucy Mack Smith comments on the remarkability of the tenderness and sympathy of Hyrum.

Hyrum and Joseph’s relationship is again attested to in the last journal entry of Joseph Smith at Carthage jail before he is martyred. The entry is devoted to Hyrum and the idea that if all men were like him this would be an ideal world.

- While the family was living in Lebanon, New Hampshire, typhus fever spread throughout New England. Young Joseph Jr. contracted this disease, and an abscess spread into the tibia of his left leg. The common medical practice of the day prescribed amputation of the afflicted limb; however, a short distance from the Smith home at Dartmouth Medical College, Dr. Nathan Smith taught another method for treating the abscess that saved the leg of afflicted individuals. The providence of the Lord placed the Smith family in the only known location in the world where such a procedure was practiced. The result was that young Joseph’s leg was not amputated. (R of the R pg. 5)

- When Dr. Smith was called he brought chords to bind young Joseph and Brandy to ease the pain. He did not use either. He only asked that he be held in the arms of his Father.

· Three years of crop failure in Norwich, Vermont, precipitated the family’s eventual move to Palmyra, New York. The year 1816 is known as “the year without summer.” The eruption of the volcanic Mount Tambora on the island of Sumbawa, east of Java, in 1815 caused changes in the atmosphere. The volcanic ash and debris shaded the sun’s rays, and many believed that this caused snow to fall in June and July in the New England states. “Coming after several years of hardships, the crop failure was more than the Smith family could handle. This, with other factors, caused them to leave Vermont. Packing their belongings, they moved to Palmyra, New York, where young Joseph was to receive a series of remarkable visions and the Book of Mormon” (R of the R pg. 5)

· At age 14 Joseph was shot at while returning home one evening from running an errand. The family never found out who shot at him or why, but found evidence of someone laying in wait under a wagon. (History of Joseph Smith pg. 67-8)

The Religious atmosphere in western New York helped prepare him
· The 2nd Great Awakening a time of religious revivalism- western NY was hit so hard by it historians refer to this area as the burned over district. Camp meetings hosting thousands of people and multiple preachers that often rotated giving sermons was characteristic.
· Many contemporary records confirm Joseph Smith's testimony of religious excitement in the place where he lived prior to the First Vision. Methodists held camp meetings east of the Smith farm, and many of these meetings could have been considered by an earnest seeker after truth as ones which generated unusual religious excitement. In the summer of 1819 Methodists of the Genesee Conference held an annual meeting in Phelps (then Vienna), and more than one hundred ministers, including the Reverend George Lane, attended this July gathering. (Joseph Smith's First Vision: Confirming Evidences and Contemporary Accounts, Milton V. Backman )

· (In an interview in 1893, the year before his death, William Smith, younger brother of the Prophet, recalled the background to Joseph's reading this passage of scripture. "There was a joint revival in the neighborhood between the Baptists, Methodists and Presbyterians and they had succeeded in stirring up quite a feeling, and after the meeting the question arose which church should have the converts. Rev. Stockton was the president of the meeting and suggested it was their meeting and under their care and they had a church there and they ought to join the Presbyterians, but as father did not like Rev. Stockton very well, our folks hesitated and the next evening a Rev. Mr. Lane of the Methodists preached a sermon on 'what church shall I join?' And the burden of the discourse was to ask God, using as a text, 'If any man lack wisdom let him ask of God who giveth to all men liberally.''' And of course when Joseph went home and was looking over the text he was impressed to do just what the preacher had said, and going out in the woods with child- like, simple, trusting faith, believing that God meant just what He said, he kneeled down and prayed" (Deseret Semi-Weekly News, 23 January 1894, 6). Revelations of the Restoration, p. 8-9)

Did anyone know at the time of Joseph’s birth and early childhood that he was destined for such a great work?
· The only family member to record his birth is his mother. She writes, “In the meantime we had a son whom we called Joseph after the name of his father; he was born December 23, 1805.” (History of Joseph Smith”
· Dr. Joseph Adam Dennison, the Dr. present at his birth, later added in hi journal an entry next to the entry announcing a birth to the Smith Family. “I delivered a son to Joseph Smith, if I had known how he was going to turn out, I would have smothered the young cuss.”
· We discover who Joseph is in the Spring of 1820 when our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appear to him and call him by name…. they alone know who he is and the great work he is destined to do.

3. The First Vision ushered in the restoration of the gospel.
Explain that on a spring morning in 1820, Joseph Smith went to the woods near his home to pray for guidance.
• How was Joseph’s prayer on this morning different from other prayers he had offered? (See Joseph Smith—History 1:14.) Why is private vocal prayer often helpful when we are offering up the desires of our hearts to God?
• What happened as Joseph Smith began to pray? (See Joseph Smith—History 1:15.) How was he delivered from this powerful darkness? (See Joseph Smith—History 1:16–17. Display the picture of the First Vision.) What can we learn from this experience about overcoming the influence of Satan? Why is it important to keep praying in times of darkness or trial? (Invite class members to share experiences when prayer has helped them during such difficulties.)
• What does Joseph learn?

First Vision Joseph Smith himself gave us four accounts of the First Vision. These are called primary source accounts-accounts given by the author during his life time. The ones written by his own hand are called autographs. The earliest written account of the First Vision was given in Joseph's 1832 history and is relatively short (just over 700 words), but very insightful and is an autograph. In it we see the process of his inner thinking, his pondering, his wondering, the motivation that led him to the Grove. "At about the age of twelve years my mind became seriously impressed with regard to the all important concerns for the welfare of my immortal soul which led me to searching the scriptures, believing, as I was taught, that they contained the word of God." 3
Drawing from each of the accounts Joseph gave, and from some of the contemporary accounts that were given, one begins to piece together part of what happened that pivotal spring day of 1820. I have carefully studied all of the accounts numerous times and wrote the following some years ago. After reading the passage in James, Joseph came to the conclusion that he must seek out the knowledge he desired by asking God Himself, which church he should join. He believed that the promise of James was true.
"This was cheering information to him," wrote Orson Pratt, "tidings that gave him great joy. It was like a light shining forth in a dark place, to guide him to the path in which he should walk. He now saw that if he inquired of God, there was not only a possibility, but a probability; yea, more, a certainty, that he should obtain a knowledge, which, of all the doctrines, was the doctrine of Christ; and, which of all the churches, was the Church of Christ."
"On the morning of a beautiful clear day in the spring of 1820, Joseph retired to a place in the woods on his father's farm where he knew he could be alone. This was his first attempt to pray vocally. These were familiar wood to him, friends. Looking around to be sure that he was alone, he knelt down to offer up the desires of his heart and simply ask God what he should do.
"No sooner had he begun to pray than he heard the sound of footsteps of someone coming from behind him. He sprang to his feet to see who it was, but he could see no one.
"He knelt again and tried to pray. 'I had scarcely done so,' he wrote, 'when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me and had such astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me and it seemed to me...as if I were doomed to sudden destruction.'
"Joseph was alone, and it seemed that nothing could free him from this power of darkness. The question about religion seemed far from him now. At the very moment when Joseph was ready to sink into despair, to be overcome by this evil power from the unseen world, 'not to any imaginary ruin but to an actual being...who had such a marvelous power as I had never before felt,' this young boy, fourteen years old, exerted all his remaining powers to call upon God to deliver him from this enemy.
"At this moment of greatest alarm, 'I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually [Joseph originally wrote gracefully ] until it fell upon me. It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound.'
"'One of them spake unto me calling me by name and said (pointing to the other) 'This is my beloved Son, Hear him.' 'He spake unto me saying, 'Joseph, my son, thy sins are forgiven thee. Go thy way, walk in my statutes and keep my commandments. Behold, I am the Lord of glory. I was crucified for the world that all those who believe on my name may have eternal life.'
"'My object in going to enquire of the Lord,' Joseph wrote, 'was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join...I asked the personages who stood above me in the light which of all the sects was right...and which I should join. I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong.' 'The world lieth in sin at this time and none doeth good, no not one. They have turned aside from the gospel and keep not my commandments.' The Lord also said 'that all their Creeds were an abomination in his sight, that those professors were all corrupt, that 'they draw near to me with their lips but their hearts are far from me, They teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of Godliness but they deny the power thereof.'
'He again forbade me to join with any of them and many other things did he say unto me which I cannot write a this time.' 'I was given a promise that the fulness of the Gospel should at some future time be made known unto me.'
"When the light had departed I had no strength, but soon recovered in some degree, I went home...I leaned up to the fire piece. Mother enquired what the matter was. I replied, 'Never mind, all is well. I am well enough off.' 'My soul was filled with love and for many days I could rejoice with great joy and the Lord was with me.' God had pierced the heavens and spoken to man once more. It was the beginning of the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times."

4. Many truths were revealed in the First Vision.
Emphasize that the visit of the Father and the Son to Joseph Smith is rich in doctrinal significance. President Gordon B. Hinckley said, “I submit that in the few minutes that Joseph Smith was with the Father and the Son, he learned more of the nature of God the Eternal Father and the risen Lord than all the learned minds in all their discussions through all centuries of time” (Church News, 24 Oct. 1998, 6).
• What are some of the truths we can learn from the First Vision? (Summarize responses on the chalkboard. Answers could include those listed below.)
a. God the Father and Jesus Christ live.
b. The Father and the Son are real, separate beings with glorified bodies of flesh and bones.
c. We are created in the image of God.
d. Satan and his power are real, but God’s power is infinitely greater.
e. God hears and answers prayers and cares for us.
f. None of the churches on earth had the fulness of Christ’s gospel.
g. Revelation has not ceased.
President David O. McKay, the ninth President of the Church, testified that the First Vision “answers all the [questions] regarding God and his divine personality. … His relation to his children is clear. His interest in humanity through authority delegated to man is apparent. The future of the work is assured. These and other glorious truths are clarified by that glorious first vision” (Gospel Ideals [1954], 85).
• While serving in the Quorum of the Twelve, Elder Ezra Taft Benson said, “The appearance of God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ to the boy prophet is the greatest event that has occurred in this world since the resurrection of the Master” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1971, 20; or Ensign, June 1971, 34). Why is it important for each of us to have a testimony of the First Vision? How has a testimony of the First Vision blessed your life?
Conclusion
testimony from President Gordon B. Hinckley:
“A most remarkable manifestation occurred on a spring morning in the year 1820 when the Father and the Son appeared to the boy Joseph Smith. … A testimony of [that vision] has touched the hearts of millions in many lands. I add my own witness, given me by the Spirit, that the Prophet’s description of that marvelous event is true, that God the Eternal Father and the risen Lord Jesus Christ spoke with him on that occasion in a conversation as real and personal and intimate as are our conversations today” (Be Thou an Example [1981], 10).

“Behold, I Am Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World”


I. The Doctrine and Covenants testifies of Jesus Christ

How many of you expected our first lesson this year to be about the first vision?
Even though that experience was what ushered in the dispensation of the latter days, it is not what our coarse curriculum begins with.
Each of the standard works: The Bible, the books of Moses and Abraham in the pearl of great Price, and the Book of Mormon are ancient testaments, or witnesses of Jesus Christ.

The Doctrine and Covenants is a testament of Jesus Christ given to this dispensation. This book of scripture bears witness that Jesus is the Christ, that He lives, and that He continues to speak to prophets and guide His people today.

Read: Introduction to the Doctrine and Covenants- eighth paragraph, last sentence:

Finally, the testimony that is given of Jesus Christ—his divinity, his majesty, his perfection, his love, and his redeeming power—makes this book of great value to the human family and of more worth than the riches of the whole earth.


One of the reasons I loved studying the New Testament so much was because we got to know the savior more personally.. from eyewitnesses, from His friends in mortality, from those men who served beside him and with Him.

The Doctrine and Covenants contains an equally powerful testimony of the Savior and His work. We have the opportunity to learn from the Savior directly, in His own words.

D&C 50:41-44
41 aFear not, little bchildren, for you are mine, and I have covercome the world, and you are of them that my Father hath dgiven me;
42 And none of them that my Father hath given me shall be alost.
43 And the Father and I are aone. I am bin the Father and the Father in me; and inasmuch as ye have received me, ye are in me and I in you.
44 Wherefore, I am in your midst, and I am the agood bshepherd, and the cstone of Israel. He that buildeth upon this drock shall never efall.

And in the words of our latter day prophets

D&C 76:22-24
22 And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the atestimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he blives!
23 For we asaw him, even on the bright hand of cGod; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only dBegotten of the Father—
24 That by ahim, and through him, and of him, the bworlds are and were created, and the cinhabitants thereof are begotten dsons and daughters unto God.


“The restoration of the gospel of necessity involved the restoration of the saving name of Jesus Christ. Not, of course, the literal name familiar to all Christians, but the correct understanding of the personality behind that name, together with that authority and those doctrines and ordinances encompassed by it. We cannot receive Christ and validly take his name upon us without committing ourselves to the gospel as restored through Joseph Smith. “ ( Understanding the Scriptures: Doctrine and Covenants 1:101)

It is quite impossible to say that you accept Jesus Christ as your personal savior, yet deny His gospel as revealed to His servant, Joseph Smith.

D&C 39:5
5 And verily, verily, I say unto you, he that receiveth my gospel areceiveth me; and he that breceiveth not my gospel receiveth not me.

The grand objective of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, is the divine unity we gain with our Savior when we take upon ourselves His name by eternal covenant and pledge to replicate within our own character and life those attributes and principles that the Savior personifies.
We commit to eventually become perfect, as Christ is perfect- to become one with Him.

The Doctrine and Covenants provide us with these attributes, principles and covenants required to inherit our mansion in the celestial kingdom, having been Sanctified through the law of Christ.

II. Jesus Christ “suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him.”
The Savior describes His atoning sacrifice

The Doctrine and Covenants contains many revelations that can increase our understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. It offers us a totally unique description of the Atonement, in fact: that given by the Savior Himself. His words constitute his personal witness to the reality of that awesome event:

D&C 19:16-19
16 For behold, I, God, have asuffered these things for all, that they might not bsuffer if they would crepent;
17 But if they would not repent they must asuffer even as I;
18 Which asuffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might bnot drink the bitter cup, and shrink—
19 Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and afinished my preparations unto the children of men.

What else do we learn from this passage?
That whosoever would not repent must suffer even as Christ.

What does it mean to suffer as Christ?
Jesus suffered both in body and in spirit- so it would follow that the unrepentant will do likewise. This can only occur after their bodies have been reunited in the resurrection. The person only suffers so long as they remain in sin.The purpose of this suffering is not only to meet the demands of justice, but to allow mercy, on conditions of repentance, to claim its own. Salvation through reformation is the grand goal of eternal punishment.

This is not the path the Savior would have us take. He suffered so we would not have to. It is His desire that we repent in this life, partake of His atoning sacrifice. Why? Because He loves us. He understands the value of each one of us to the Father

D&C18:10-11
10 Remember the aworth of bsouls is great in the sight of God;
11 For, behold, the Lord your aRedeemer suffered bdeath in the flesh; wherefore he csuffered the dpain of all men, that all men might repent and ecome unto him.

D&C 19:24
24 I am Jesus Christ; I acame by the bwill of the Father, and I do his will.

D&C 34:3
Who so aloved the world that he bgave his own life, that as many as would believe might become the csons of God. Wherefore you are my son;

‘Jesus did for his Father that which his Father could not do himself. The Father could not shed his blood for mankind, for he had no blood to shed. Nor could he lay down his life in the manner Jesus did. The Father was a resurrected being whose spirit and flesh were “inseprably connected” (D&C93:33) and “never to be divided” (Alma 11:45)
Such was not the case with Jesus at that time. Thus the great atoning sacrifice was a supreme, vicarious ordinance in behalf of both the Father and his children. The Father sent His Beloved Son because he could not come himself; he gave his Only Begotten because he could not give himself. And this was in accordance with the plan of redemtion which had been formulated by the Gods before the foundation of the world was laid. The atonement was an ordinance of God, and God alone.” (( Understanding the Scriptures: Doctrine and Covenants 1:106)

“Who can measure the worth of a human soul? Brigham young stated, “The least, the most inferior spirit now upon the earth, in our capacity , is worth worlds.” Who can doubt it? The greatest evidence of the value of each child of God is the fact that the Redeemer “suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him..And how great is his joy in the soul that repenteth!” (Understanding the Scriptures: Doctrine and Covenants 1:107)

Through the Atonement, we will all be resurrected

D&C18:14-18
14 Now, verily I say unto you, that through the aredemption which is made for you is brought to pass the resurrection from the dead.
15 And the aspirit and the bbody are the csoul of man.
16 And the aresurrection from the dead is the redemption of the soul.
17 And the redemption of the soul is through him that aquickeneth all things, in whose bosom it is decreed that the bpoor and the cmeek of the dearth shall inherit it.
18 Therefore, it must needs be asanctified from all bunrighteousness, that it may be prepared for the celestial cglory;

D&C93:33
33 For man is aspirit. The elements are beternal, and cspirit and element, inseparably connected, receive a fulness of joy

What do we learn about the resurrection from these verses?
a. Resurrection is the redemption of the soul. The spirit and the body are reunited, inseparably connected in a perfect form (D&C 88:14–16; 93:33; Alma 11:42–43).

b. Resurrection prepares us for the celestial glory (D&C 88:18).

c. Resurrection is necessary for us to receive a fulness of joy (D&C 93:33).
Only in a resurrected state—that is, the inseparable union of body and spirit— can we become as God is, and only in the state of godhood can we experience the fulness of joy (D&C 138:50). Revelations of the Restoration, p. 680-681)


Through the Atonement, the Savior gained perfect empathy for us in all our sorrows, pains, and afflictions.

During the Savior’s mortal life and culminating in the Atonement, He suffered in a way that gave Him a perfect understanding of all our pains and afflictions.

Most of us are very familiar with section 122 – a revelation given to the Prophet Joseph Smith while he was a prisoner in the jail at Liberty, Missouri. In the first seven verses, the Lord speaks of the Prophet’s trials. In verse 8, He speaks of Himself:

D&C122:8
8 The aSon of Man hath bdescended below them all. Art thou greater than he?

What does this mean to You?

***Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve said: “When … difficult times come to us, we can remember that Jesus had to descend below all things before He could ascend above them, and that He suffered pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind that He might be filled with mercy and know how to succor His people in their infirmities (see D&C 88:6; Alma 7:11–12)” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1995, 91; or Ensign, Nov. 1995, 69).

Because of the Atonement, Christ understands us better than we understand ourselves. He knows exactly what we need and when we need it. We merely need to learn to trust in Him.

Elder Joseph Wirthlin:
For me, the Lord has opened the windows of heaven and showered blessings upon my family beyond my ability to express. Yet like everyone else, I have had times in my life when it seemed that the heaviness of my heart might be greater than I could bear. During those times I think back to those tender days of my youth when great sorrows came at the losing end of a football game.

How little I knew then of what awaited me in later years. But whenever my steps led through seasons of sadness and sorrow, my mother’s words often came back to me: “Come what may, and love it.”

How can we love days that are filled with sorrow? We can’t—at least not in the moment. I don’t think my mother was suggesting that we suppress discouragement or deny the reality of pain. I don’t think she was suggesting that we smother unpleasant truths beneath a cloak of pretended happiness. But I do believe that the way we react to adversity can be a major factor in how happy and successful we can be in life.

If we approach adversities wisely, our hardest times can be times of greatest growth, which in turn can lead toward times of greatest happiness (Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Come What May, and Love It,” Ensign, Nov 2008, 26–28).

Elder Quentin Cook:
Our foremost gratitude should be for the Savior and His Atonement. We are aware that many who are listening to this conference are experiencing trials and hardships of such intensity that the underlying feeling in their hearts as they approach our Father in Heaven in prayer is “Hope ya know, I’m having a hard time.”

Let me share with you the true account of one sister, Ellen Yates from Grantsville, Utah. Early in October, 10 years ago, she kissed her husband, Leon, good-bye as he left to go to work in Salt Lake City. This would be the last time she would see Leon alive. He had a collision with a young man 20 years of age who was late for his first job and had tried to pass a slower vehicle, resulting in a head-on collision that killed them both instantly. Sister Yates said that after two compassionate highway patrolmen told her the news, she plunged into shock and grief.

She records, “As I tried to look ahead in life, all I could see was darkness and pain.” It turned out that her husband’s best friend was the bishop of the young man’s ward. The bishop called Sister Yates and told her that the young man’s mother, Jolayne Willmore, wanted to talk with her. She remembers “being shocked because I was so centered on my grief and pain that I had not even thought about the young man and his family. I suddenly realized that here was a mother who was in as much or more pain than I was. I quickly gave my permission … for a visit.”

When Brother and Sister Willmore arrived, they expressed their great sorrow that their son was responsible for Leon’s death and presented her with a picture of the Savior holding a little girl in His arms. Sister Yates says, “When times become too hard to bear, I look at this picture and remember that Christ knows me personally. He knows my loneliness and my trials.” One scripture that comforts Sister Yates is “Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you.”25

Each October Sister Yates and Sister Willmore (both of whom are here together in the Conference Center today) go to the temple together and offer thanks for the Atonement of Jesus Christ, for the plan of salvation, for eternal families, and for the covenants that bind together husbands and wives and families on both sides of the veil. Sister Yates concludes, “Through this trial, I have felt the love of my Father in Heaven and my Savior in greater abundance than I had ever felt before.” She testifies that “there is no grief, no pain, no sickness so great that the Atonement of Christ and the love of Christ cannot heal.”26 What a wonderful example of love and forgiveness these two sisters have demonstrated. It has allowed the Atonement of Jesus Christ to be efficacious in their lives.

Think of the Savior in the Garden of Gethsemane during the Atonement process, suffering agony so great that He bled from every pore.27 His cry to His Father included the word Abba.28 This might be interpreted as the cry of a son who is in distress to his father: “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”29 I testify that the Atonement of Jesus Christ covers all of the trials and hardships that any of us will encounter in this life. At times when we may feel to say, “Hope you know, I had a hard time,” we can be assured that He is there and we are safe in His loving arms.
(Quentin L. Cook, “‘Hope Ya Know, We Had a Hard Time’,” Liahona, Nov 2008, 102–6)
III. The Doctrine and Covenants helps us understand the Savior’s roles and attributes

*** Joseph Smith: “Let us here observe, that three things are necessary in order that any rational and intelligent being may exercise faith in God unto life and salvation.
“First, the idea that he actually exists.
“Secondly, a correct idea of his character, perfections, and attributes
“ Thirdly, an actual knowledge that the course of life which he is pursuing is according to his will. For without an acquaintance with these three important facts, the faith of every rational being must be imperfect and unproductive, but with this understanding it can become perfect and fruitful, abounding in righteousness, unto the praise and glory of God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ: ( Lectures On Faith, Lecture Third)

The Doctrine and Covenants helps us gain this understanding.

On your handout ( Click HERE for handout) are listed several scriptures with a summary of the savior’s roles and attributes summarized in the column to the right. Take a few minutes to look over these attributes.

How has knowing about these attributes affected your faith in the Lord?

I have mentioned before, I am a person who likes to have things planned. Planned well, planned in advance, planned comprehensively.

When I read that the Lord was present in the beginning, provided a plan for our salvation, and has been personally engaged in and completely committed to that plan ever since, gives me great comfort. It makes me easier to have faith in Him because, I can see that He has kept His promises in the past which leads me to believe He will keep His promises concerning our future.


He knows all things:
He knows “every fact that ever has existed, now exists, or ever will exist is already known to God. The scriptures repeatedly declare there is nothing that God does not know.

As humans, we cannot possibly comprehend HOW God’s knowledge is unaffected by time or avoid infringing on our freedom of choice, yet it is so.

“Joseph Smith taught that even before the Creation “the past, the present, and the future were and are, with Him [Jehovah], one eternal ‘now;’ He knew of the fall of Adam, the iniquities of the antediluvians, of the depth of iniquity that would be connected with the human family, their weakness and strength, their power and glory, apostasies, their crimes, their righteousness nad iniquity. God functions in a great, eternal now and perceives all existence simultaneously-while we mortals can perceive only the present, and very little of that. We function in bits and pieces of time that must be carefully bordered for us with beginnings and endings tied together with threads of time. Even so we forget the past and cannot see the future.
“ A God who is ignorant of some things could never know exactly what he doesn’t know, or how those things of which he is ignorant might affect what he THINKS he knows. How could we trust such a being? If there were limits to God’s knowledge, then Satan could have been right that maybe there was a better plan than God’s – maybe God left something out, or didn’t do enough research. If he could have missed anything, who knows what it might be or how important it might prove.” ( a Commentary on the Doctrine and Covenants p. 256-7)
Elder James E. Talmage wrote, “ the worship of which one is capable depends upon his comprehension of the worthiness characterizing the object oh his revrence. Man’s capacity for worship is a measure of his comprehension of God.” ( The Articles of Faith, 12th ed. [1961], 395-96).

As you study the Doctrine and Covenants, look for what it teaches about Jesus Christ and how you can become more like Him. By doing so, it is my testimony that we can become perfected in Him and someday inherit our mansion in the celestial kingdom, having been Sanctified through the law of Christ. Amen.

Introduction to the Doctrine and Covenants and Church History

*** Lesson by Nancie*******

Some personal thoughts:
Two years ago we concluded a study of the New Testament. New Testament history ends with the lives of the Apostles and church leaders ending in a brutal fashion. Priesthood authority was lost. The light of the everlasting gospel faded and the eastern hemisphere entered a night of spiritual darkness.

Over the past few weeks we have studied and discussed the end of Nephite civilization. Mormon and his son Moroni were the last of their people. These two righteous men spent much of their remaining days preparing a history of their people. Moroni concluded the record, buried it in the hill Cumorah, and then, like a single candle that has burned to the end of its wick, Moroni passed on and the world was engulfed in spiritual darkness, a darkness that would remain for over a millennium.

Many centuries later, a spiritual awakening began. Martin Luther, followed by many others, began a search for truth. Though they studied the scriptures and did their best to adhere to the word of the Lord, only God himself could shine spiritual light on the world and restore the priesthood authority held by the ancient apostles. Roger Williams, pastor of the oldest Baptist Church in America, said that there was "no regularly-constituted church on earth, nor any person authorized to administer any Church ordinance: nor could there be until, new apostles are sent by the great Head of the Church, for whose coming, he is seeking" (quoted by LeGrand Richards in A Marvelous Work and a Wonder, p27-28).

We are about to embark on a study of the greatest event since the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the restoration of ancient authority and the building of the kingdom of God on earth in anticipation of the return of our Eternal King, Jesus Christ. As I contemplate the events of the Restoration, I am moved. This is a great story and it cannot be given sufficient fanfare. Elder LeGrand Richards said, "The establishment of his kingdom by the God of heaven was to be the greatest event in the latter days. Though small and insignificant as its beginning would be, its ultimate destiny is to fill the whole earth, with Christ our Lord at its head. The kingdom was to be given to the saints of the Most High that they might possess it forever" (Ibid., p36).

1. The revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants address the needs of our day.
• Read the third paragraph in the Explanatory Introduction, found at the beginning of the Doctrine and Covenants (this paragraph begins with the phrase “The book of”).
And the sixth paragraph in the Explanatory Introduction (this paragraph begins with the phrase “These sacred revelations”).

How is the Doctrine and Covenants different from other books of scripture?
These revelations were given in English, and are therefore not a translated document, given directly from the Lord, through the mouth of the Prophets, and written down and published as they are given.

The revelations are generally answers to specific questions offered by specific individuals or which came as a result of specific situations. They are not in story or historical form such as the Book of Mormon, or The Gospels of the New Testament. The revelations, however, as a whole, form their own history when placed in context.

Why is it helpful to understand that most of the revelations came as answers to prayers?
The Doctrine and Covenants were given in very near history, the oldest recorded revelation of which is only 178 years old. The last recorded words of the Book of Mormon, the next youngest scripture, dates to approximately 1,580 years ago.

The Doctrine and Covenants is modern scripture, a living proof of continuing revelation, showing to the world that we do "believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. (See 9th Article of Faith)

The Doctrine and Covenants is a living scripture, being added upon as recently as twenty-two years ago with Official Declaration 2, the extending of the Priesthood to all worthy male members of the Church.

Sections 137 and 138, though given in the time of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Prophet Joseph F. Smith respectively (1836 and 1918) were added into the official canon of scripture twenty-five years ago (1976). Other revelations may be added as needed.

While the Book of Mormon invites us all to come unto Him, the Doctrine and Covenants announces that He is coming to us—each of us—and soon!
All of the above are certainly good answers and give us some idea of the unique nature of the Doctrine and Covenants, but none of those answers is the most compelling about this year's course of study.

All other courses of study of past dispensations, that is, the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Book of Mormon are careful studies of a people who were given instructions from the Lord, were taught by Him, were even visited by Him personally, and all of those peoples as they began to not heed the word of the Lord and not follow His teachings, by an by, ended in apostasy. This year's course of study is about a Dispensation that will not end in apostasy but it will usher in the great Dispensation when the Lord Himself will come and rule and reign personally upon the earth for a thousand years. The teachings and instructions of the Doctrine and Covenants are for a people preparing to meet the Lord, and they will meet Him. "For the great Millennium, of which I have spoken by the mouth of my servants, shall come." (D&C 43:30)

• Read the eighth paragraph in the Explanatory Introduction (this paragraph begins with the phrase “In the revelations”).

Some of the doctrines of the gospel that are explained in the Doctrine and Covenants
Nature of the Godhead Origin of Man Reality of Satan
Necessity for obedience need for repentance workings of Holy Spirit
Ordinances for salvation destiny of earth man after resurrection and judgment
Eternal marriage eternal families administrative structure of church
Bishops, 1st Pres, Council of 12 Seventy and presiding quorums
Testimony of divinity of Jesus Christ and of his love and redeeming power!

How our lives would be different without the truths that are revealed about them in the Doctrine and Covenants?

Setting for Receiving the PrefaceA conference was called in the late fall of 1831 to convene at the home of Brother John Johnson in the township of Hiram, Ohio about 31 miles to the south of Kirtland. Eight conferences of the Church would be held at the Johnson Farm, this conference was the most significant. These conferences were generally small with anywhere from six to twelve brethren in attendance, sometimes a few more. At this particular conference it was decided that the many revelations that had already been received by the Prophet Joseph (approximately 65 to that time) should be compiled and published so that the people could have easier access to read them and that the missionaries could use them in their preaching.
To that time, brethren or sisters might have been with the Prophet or with someone who had been with him and received a hand-written copy of one of the revelations that was copied from a copy of Oliver Cowdery's or John Whitmer's record. That single revelation would be carefully folded and kept as a treasure in the pocket of the person obtaining it. But having one revelation and only hearing of the others in second, third and fourth-hand recounting was not conducive to harmony and accuracy in the building of the Lord's little kingdom.

At this conference it was decided that the sixty-five revelations should be taken to Missouri by Oliver Cowdery and John Whitmer and there Brother W.W. Phelps would compile, print and publish them as the Book of Commandments. Of course this book needed an introduction or a preface, and the Lord saw fit to reveal the preface to the Prophet Joseph on November 1, 1831.

In D&C 1 the Lord issues a warning and foretells the great destiny of his latter-day work

Read Doctrine and Covenants 1:6
Doctrine and Covenants 1 is placed first in that book of scripture because it was designated by the Lord as his "preface" to the revelations (D&C 1:6). A preface, of course, is where a book's author sets forth his purposes in writing and explains what the reader should expect to gain. Chronologically, however, section 1 was received in November 1831 after section 66 and before section 67.

Who are these Revelations written for?

The Doctrine and Covenants is a series of revelations and personal directions from the Lord Himself, given to us "to guide us in these latter days." The revelations are personal and intimate. The revelations are transcendent, meaning if they were given, for example, to Oliver Cowdery, the teachings, blessings, promises and warnings are for all. After speaking very candidly and very personally to Emma Smith, the Lord concluded that revelation by saying, "And verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my voice unto all." (D&C 25:16) "Therefore, what I say unto one I say unto all," the Lord repeated elsewhere. (See D&C 82:5; 93:49).
Read Doctrine and Covenants 1:16
Why can today's world be called Babylon or Idumea?
The ancient kingdoms of Babylon and Idumea (or Edom) were noted for their hedonistic wickedness. Hence their names are apt labels for today's sinful society, often contrasted with Zion, which is made up of the "pure in heart" (D&C 97:21).
Read Doctrine and Covenants 1:17
What does this reveal about our Heavenly Father’s opinion of Joseph Smith?
The Lord makes it clear in this revelation that he trusts His servants and that He knows who it is He is calling.

What an amazing statement from the Lord! Knowing of great destructions and evils and calamities and great spiritual darkness which would come upon the earth, the Lord called from among the great and noble ones His servant Joseph Smith to do his work. Joseph F. Smith recorded of his uncle Joseph the Prophet, his father Hyrum and others, "I observed that they were also among the noble and great ones who were chosen in the beginning to be rulers in the Church of God. Even before they were born, they, with many others, received their first lessons in the world of spirits and were prepared to come forth in the due time of the Lord to labor in his vineyard for the salvation of the souls of men." (D&C 138:55,56)
These noble and great ones came to earth disguised as the weak and simple ones. Who would lay the foundations of the Kingdom of God on the earth in the last Dispensation? Two simple farmers and a one-room school teacher would become the principle witnesses of the Book of Mormon. A potter, glazer and simple carpenter would be called to stand firm by the Prophet Joseph. A twenty-three year old printer, who never joined the Church, would actually print and publish the Book of Mormon. A simple German farming family would provide a small 20 x 30 foot cabin as the first headquarters of the Church. A poor, unsuccessful homesteader who had never really been able to finish his payments on his land would be called off a canal boat to become one of the great missionaries of these last days. The list could go on and on. And all of these led by a simple farm boy from western New York. And this would indeed be the stone cut out of the mountain without hands that will roll forth and fill the whole earth.

Read Doctrine and Covenants 1:35

Is it futile to work for peace?

The Lord has warned that "the day speedily cometh... when peace shall be taken from the earth" (D&C 1:35), but we still have the responsibility to promote the cause of peace. {See D&C 98:16.} The gospel must be preached worldwide before the Savior's second coming (see Matthew 24:14), and experience has shown that that can best be accomplished during peacetime.Even though an ultimate goal cannot be realized immediately, we should not overlook ways to do good in the meantime. Elder Glen L. Pace instructed: "We know the prophecies of the future. We know the final outcome. We know the world collectively will not repent and consequently the last days will be filled with much pain and suffering. Therefore, we could throw up our hands and do nothing but pray for the end to come so the millennial reign could begin. To do so would forfeit our right to participate in the grand event we are all awaiting. We must all become players in the winding-up scene, not spectators. We must do all we can to prevent calamities, and then do everything possible to assist and comfort the victims of tragedies that do occur" (Ensign, Nov. 1990, 8).

Read Doctrine and Covenants 1:38
How should we regard the statements of Church leaders?
The scriptures are the standard works, by which the correctness of other statements or concepts can be judged, and the inspired words of our living prophets apply gospel teachings to our present circumstances.

Who is the most important of the church leaders?

"The most important prophet, so far as we are concerned," affirmed President Ezra Taft Benson, "is the one who is living in our day and age. This is the prophet who has today's instructions from God to us today. God's revelation to Adam did not instruct Noah how to build the ark. Every generation has need of the ancient scripture plus the current scripture from the living prophet. Therefore, the most crucial reading and pondering which you should do is of the latest inspired words from the Lord's mouthpiece. That is why it is essential that you have access to and carefully read his words in current Church publications" (Korea Area Conference Report, 1975, 52).

Ask class members to look around the room at the people in the class. Explain that we are not here on earth at this time by accident. We have been sent by God to help build His kingdom in this last dispensation. President Ezra Taft Benson said, “There has never been more expected of the faithful in such a short period of time as there is of us” (quoted by Marvin J. Ashton, in Conference Report, Oct. 1989, 48; or Ensign, Nov. 1989, 36).

President Gordon B. Hinckley said, “The most serious challenge we face, and the most wonderful challenge, is the challenge that comes of growth” (quoted in “President Gordon B. Hinckley,” Ensign, Apr. 1995, 6).

What are some challenges that are presented by the Church’s tremendous growth?
What are some examples of the Church’s efforts to meet these challenges?

The Doctrine and covenants is an introduction to the work in these latter-days. We are a continuance of that work. We must strive to continually work to move this gospel forward.
In short, this Church is to be governed by revelation- current, daily, modern revelation-and not by written documents alone. All of God's purposes for his children cannot be codified. Nothing is more fixed, set, and established than the fact that among the people of God the canon of scripture is open, flexible, and expanding.

There are few things about which the membership of the Church need be anxious. We need to learn the gospel. We need to live the gospel, to put on Christ and put off the works of the flesh; we need to become Christian. We need to be anxiously engaged in publishing the message of the Restoration to all the world. We need to be worthy to receive the ordinances of salvation and then make the same available to our kindred dead. We need to rivet ourselves, our children, and our children's children to the redemption that is in Christ, that we and they might know to what source we must look for a remission of our sins (see 2 Nephi 25:26). Further, and this is vital, we need to look to the presidency of this Church, heed the counsel of those called and appointed to direct its destiny, and follow the Brethren as they point the way to eternal life.