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From: "Perry L. Porter" <[e-mail]>
Subject: ---> Lesson 26
Date: 02 Aug 1997 23:52:45 -0700

Doctrine and Covenants 88:1-85, 117-41

Lesson 26

Scriptural Highlights

1. The light of Christ 2. Kingdoms and the laws that govern them 3.
Seeking knowledge by study and faith You might ask one or two class
members to tell how obeying the laws of God has brought them happiness.

Discussion and Application Questions * What did the Lord reveal about the
light of Christ in D&C 88:6-13? (See also D&C 84:45-47 and the quotation
from the Guide to the Scriptures.) How does the light of Christ bless all
who dwell on the earth? (See the quotation from President Smith.) What can
we do to allow this light to bless our lives more abundantly?

* In D&C 88:17-20, 25-26, what does the Lord teach about the destiny of
the earth? (See also Articles of Faith 1 :10.) How do these passages
affect your attitude toward the earth?

* What determines whether a person will receive a celestial, terrestrial,
or telestial glory? (See D&C 88:21-24, 34-40; and the quotation from Elder
Talmage.) According to D&C 88:21, 34-35, why are God's laws essential?

* What is the purpose of the parable in D&C 88:51 -61?

* What insights about prayer do you gain from D&C 88:62-65?

* What does it mean to become sanctified? (D&C 88:67-69, 74-75; Moses
6:59-60.) What must we do to be worthy of the Lord's promise that we may
someday see him? (See D&C 67:10-14; 93:1; and the quotation from the
Prophet Joseph Smith in lesson 20.) * In D&C 88:77-80 the Lord commands us
to teach and learn the things "that pertain unto the kingdom of God." What
subjects does the Lord include among these things? What should be the
purpose of our learning? What does it mean to seek knowledge by faith as
well as by study? (D&C 88: 118.) How can the principles taught in D&C
88:119-26 help us better serve in the Lord's kingdom?

* Although D&C 88:119-20 refers to the building of a temple, these verses
can be applied to our homes. What can we do to make our homes places where
the family's thoughts and activities are centered on the work of the Lord?

* Why does covetousness damage our spiritual growth? (D&C 88:123.) How can
we overcome covetous feelings? (John 13:34-35.) * Why do you think the
Lord calls charity "the bond of perfectness and peace"? (D&C 88:125).

* The Prophet Joseph Smith called D&C 88 "the 'olive leaf' which we have
plucked from the Tree of Paradise, the Lord's message of peace to us"
(History of the Church, 1:316). How can the teachings in D&C 88 bring
peace to us?

Quotations Guide to the Scriptures ("Light, Light of Christ"): "Divine
energy, power, or influence that proceeds from God through Christ and
gives life and light to all things. It is the law by which all things are
governed in heaven and on earth (D&C 88:6-13). It also helps people
understand gospel truths and helps to put them on that gospel path which
leads to salvation." President Joseph F. Smith: "It is by the spirit which
lighteth every man that cometh into the world that our minds are quickened
and our spirits enlightened with understanding and intelligence. And all
men are entitled to this. It is not reserved for the obedient alone; but
it is given unto all the children of men that are born into the world"
(Improvement Era, Mar. 1908, p. 380).

Elder James E. Talmage: "The Lord has said that according to the laws we
obey here shall we receive from Him. We speak of rewards just as we speak
of punishments. But rewards and punishments will come through the
operation of law.... If a man cannot or will not obey celestial laws, that
is, live in accordance with the celestial requirements, he must not think
that he is discriminated against when he is excluded from the celestial
kingdom, because he could not abide it, he could not live there. If a man
cannot or will not obey the terrestrial law he cannot rationally hope for
a place in the terrestrial kingdom. If he cannot live the yet lower law -
the telestial law - he cannot abide the glory of a telestial kingdom, and
he will have to be assigned therefore to a kingdom without glory" (in
Conference Report, Oct. 1929, p. 69).

Next Week's Reading Assignment Doctrine and Covenants 89-92

Page 51

Class Member Study Guide Lesson 26 The first 126 verses of D&C 88 were
received during a conference in Kirtland, Ohio, on 27 and 28 December
1832. The remaining verses, dealing with the School of the Prophets, were
added during the following week. The Prophet called this revelation "the
'olive leaf' which we have plucked from the Tree of Paradise, the Lord's
message of peace to us" (History of the Church, 1:316).

At this time new converts were gathering in Jackson County so rapidly that
many problems arose and Zion was not being established in the way
commanded by the Lord. Some members would not accept the authority of
their leaders in Missouri and criticized the Prophet for his actions.
There was general neglect in keeping the commandments, resulting in petty
jealousy, covetousness, light-mindedness, unbelief, and in some cases
apostasy.  The Prophet called the Missouri Saints to repentance and sent
them a copy of D&C 88 to give them a higher vision of the majesty of God
and their responsibilities in building the kingdom.

As you study D&C 88:1-85, 117-41, consider the following: * What did the
Lord reveal about the light of Christ? (D&C 88:6-13; 84:45-47.) What can
you do to allow this light to bless your life more abundantly?

* What insights about prayer do you gain from D&C 88:62-65?

* What does it mean to become sanctified? (D&C 88:67-69, 74-75; Moses
6:59-60.) * How do the teachings in this section bring peace to you?

The kitchen in the restored Newel K. Whitney store in Kirtland, Ohio.

Page 52

VVVVVV-----From: Stephen Ott <[e-mail]>------VVVVVVV

Section 88 Verses 1-126 were received 27-28 December 1832, and verses
127-141  were received January 1833. ... received in the Prophet's
translating room in the Whitney  Store.

Frederick G. Williams: ... to reveal his will unto us  concerning the
upbuilding of Zion....  ...we all bowed down before the  Lord, after which
each one arose and spoke in his turn his feelings, and  determination to
keep the commandments of God.  ... proceedd to receive a revelation
concerning the duty of the Elders as above stated.  9  oclock A.M. the
revelation not being finished the conference adjourned  till tomorrow
morning 9 oclock A.M. 28th met according to adjournment  and commenced by
Prayer thus proceded to received the residue of the  above revelation ...

The solemn assembly was intended to be another day of  Pentecost for the
latter-day elders.  ... but much preparation was to  precede the occasion.
 First the elders were to be schooled both spirituall  y and secularly;
later they were to be washed and anointed to cleanse them from the sins of
this world.  The final preparation, the ordinance of  washing of feet, was
to occur on the day of the sacred meeting when the  righteous would see
the face of the Lord. ...

On 30 March 1836, three days after the temple dedication, three  hundred
brethren assembled for the long-awaited meeting.  The time was  spent in
administering the ordinances of washing the feet and partaking of the
sacrament.  Many witnessed remarkable spiritual manifestations.

On 6 April 1837 another solemn assembly was held in the Kirtland  Temple
especially for those elders who had not been washed and anointed  the
previous year.  ... Although the building subsequently would be referred
to as a  "temple," early appellations were simply "house of God," or
"school." Evidence shows that the Prophet initially conceived the  primary
function of the sacred edifice to be that of a schoolhouse for  those
called to the ministry.  ..  It is unclear when the decision to  build a
house of worship was made public....  ...by the first week in June a
revelation was received which gave the dimensions of the house of  worship
but stated that the architecture would be revealed later to three (i.e.,
the Presidency of the High Priesthood).  The revelation further  clarified
that the house of worship should have two levels the lower for preaching,
fasting, and praying and the upper for the school and  promised that in
the building the Lord would "endow those whom I have  chosen with power
from on high." ... 20 ...

The temple is of high rectangular shape with double rows of  windows and a
tower rising from the main body.  The dimensions are  impressive: the
structure measures 78=27x58=27, and from the basement to  the tower the
height is about 110 feet.  The building is divided into  three levels two
almost identical stories of equal height and an  attic and is lighted with
thirty-two Gothic, three Venetian, ten dormer, one circular, and two
square-gable windows.  The ground floor was  specially intended for
worship, and the upper floor for classroom use.   The attic was
partitioned into then small rooms, five on either side of a hall.  Both
main levels had two complete sets of pulpits, one at either  end.  The
western pulpits were for the Melchizedek Priesthood, and the  eastern
pulpits for the Aaronic.  Each pulpit group ahd a compartment with a
lectern behind which rose three tiers of pulpits.  Eight wooden columns
supported a ceiling that was flat over the aisles and arched over the
center.  Sets of ropes and pulleys concealed within the columns operated
curtains (veils) that could be lowered to divide each hall and each row of
pulpits into smaller compartments.

...

Constructing the building took some thirty-three months and  requires
enormous sacrifice of the Saints.  A conservative estimate of the cost of
construction is 247-,000.  On 6 April 1837 Sidney Rigdon was  recorded as
stating that the then "unliquidated debt" on the temple  was 2413,000.

The building was not completely finished when first occupied by a  Hebrew
school on 4 january 1836.  This group occupied a room designated  the
"translating room" in the attic story, and two weeks later the  entire
School of Elders moved from the printing office to an adjoining  room to
the Hebrew class in the temple attic.

The sacred building was dedicated on 27 March 1836 in the presence  of
some one thousand persons.  After singing, praying, and preaching, the
dedicatory prayer (section 109) was read aloud.

... the House of the Lord remained in constant use for several  years with
Sunday worship....  ...the Saints did not enjoy permanent use of the
sacred house because a majority of those in the Kirtland area had  left
Ohio for Missouri by mid-1838, and the remainder by 1845.  Although  title
to the temple appears to have been transferred to one of the  Church's
creditors in 1837, members remaining in Kirtland maintained use of the
building until about 1845, when preparations were being made to  migrate
to the West.  In 1880 the Reorganized LDS Church was awarded title to the
building by "adverse possession" than is, although they did  not hold
legal title to it, their use and possession of the building over several
years constituted ownership.

... The school, variously known as the "School of the  Prophets," the
"School of the Elders," and the "school of mine  apostles," was intended
to teach doctrine as well as secular topics to  the Elders in order to
properly "qualify themselves as messenger of  Jesus Christ." Instruction
for the "Elders" was offered during four winter sessions in Kirtland:
January-April 1833, 1834-35, 1835-36, and  1836-37.  Evidence also affirms
that at least one session of the school  was held in Missouri, during the
summer of 1833.

...  On January 23 a small number of men convened to organize the  School
of the Prophets.  The event which predominated the meeting was the washing
of feet.  ...

Consisting primarily of high priests, members of the school met  regularly
for nearly ten weeks (23 January to about 1 April 1833) in  Kirtland,
Ohio.  The school was held in a small (10=27 x 14=27) room in  the upper
story of Newel K. Whitney's store.  ...  Although Joseph Smith presided
over the school, Orson Hyde was appointed teacher.  The number  composing
the 1833 school probably never exceeded twenty-five.  ...  The  salutation
recorded in D&C 88:133 was given each time the group came  together.  The
teacher, "saluted the brethren with uplifted hands as they came in,"
remembered Zebedee Coltrin, one of the original  school, and "they also
answered with uplifted hands." Coltrin also  stated, "Before going to
school we washed ourselves and put on clean  linen." Members of school
came fasting at sunrise and normally  continued until near 4:000 P.M.

The Sacrament was "administered at times when Joseph appointed,  after the
ancient order; that is, warm bread to break easy was provided,  and broken
into pieces as large as a fist and each person had a  glass of wine." At
the conclusion of each meeting, the scholars were dismissed following a
prayer with uplifted hands.  Although the school was primarily intended
for "revelation and doctrine," time was also given for "learning English
grammer...." ...

... Church leaders in Jackson County, Missouri, organized a school  for
the Elders in 1833.  ...  The School of the Elders (Missouri) was
intended to serve as a counterpart to the School of the Prophets
(Kirtland) in preparing and instructing those called to the ministry. ...

Orson Hyde appears to have had primary responsibility for teaching the
regular courses of reading, writing, and arithmetic.  The 1835-36
curriculum also included the study of Hebrew.

Lyndon W. Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A  Historical
and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants,  (Salt Lake
City: Deseret Book, 1985), p. 181-191.

The earlier heading read, "REVELATION given through Joseph Smith  the
Prophet, at Kirtland, Ohio, December 27, 1832.  Designated by the
Prophet, the Olive Leaf." It has been enlarged in the 1981 edition to
read, "It was designated by the Prophet as the 27olive leaf ... plucked
from the Tree of Paradise, the Lord's message of peace to us.' It  appears
from the historical records that portions of this revelation were received
on December 27 and 28, 1832, and January 3, 1833." Robert J. Matthews,
"The New Publications of the Standard  Works 1979, 1981," Brigham Young
University Studies, Volume 22, Number 4 (Fall 1982).

A few verses that pertain to temple ordinances and ideas in D&C 88: 7-13:
Creation motif 20-24: Degrees or progression 34-40: Eternal laws 46-61:
Progression through degrees-with parable 68-84: Preparation before
missionary work.  The elders were expecting to  receive an endowment (not
a temple ordinance, but a spiritual manifestation like the Day of
Pentecost) through the temple.  Then they would be  authorized to take the
gospel to the world. 75: Clean from sins 118-126: Cleanliness; school of
the Prophets 128-136: Greeting with uplifted hands 138-140: Cleanliness
and specific ordinances

^^^^^^-----From: Stephen Ott <[e-mail]>------^^^^^^^





-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: "Perry L. Porter" <[e-mail]>
Subject: ---> Lesson 24 (extra info)
Date: 02 Aug 1997 23:53:22 -0700

Doctrine and Covenants 84-85

Lesson 24


VVVVVV-----From: Stephen Ott <[e-mail]>------VVVVVVV


Section 78 Most students of Church history are aware that sections 78, 82,
92, 103, 104, and 105 carried a number of code names and words used to
disguise the identity of the persons, places, and concepts referred to.

The original drafts of these revelations did not contain these code words
but used rather the real names of the persons and places.  These code
words began with the 1835 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants.  However,
many readers have not understood why these unusual names were used.  Some
have supposed they represented a divine or revealed name of the persons
and perhaps pertained to past or future existence.  This evidently was not
the case.  The code names were used in 1835 so as not to expose to the
enemies of the Church the identity of the persons, places, or concepts.
The 1876 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants printed the real names in
brackets after the code words.  This practice was continues until the 1981
edition.  Since there exists no present need to have the code names, the
1981 edition uses only the names in the original manuscript.  This
procedure is explained in the new headnote to sections 78 and 82.

Robert J. Matthews, "The New Publications of the Standard Works?1979,
1981," Brigham Young University Studies, Volume 22, Number 4.

The United Firm was a business partnership consisting of about a dozen
Church leaders.  Members of the firm were either land-owners or merchants
whose purpose was to work in concert, using the financial means at their
disposal, to generate pofits.  Inasmuch as the members of the partnership
were also presiding Church leaders, it is difficult to determine which of
their financial transactions were purely personal and which were
Church-related This dual relationship has led some writers to erroneously
conclude that the United Firm administered the law of consecration.
Specifically, the Church bishop administered the program of consecration.
The United Order was essentially a private business concern.

The nucleus from which the United Firm grew was the Gilbert-Whitney store,
as it was called, expanded to two branches (one in Kirtland and one in
Independence) ....

Section 78 directed that the order be formed and commanded that Joseph
Smith, Sidney Rigdon, and Newel K. Whitney "sit in council with the Saints
... in Zion," to regulate the affairs of the poor.  ...  During their
visit in Missouri, a meeting of the United Firm essentially incorporated
the Missouri branch of the Gilbert-Whitney Store into the firm.

William E. McLellan stated on more than one occasion that there were nine
members of the United Firm, but there may have been more.  The following
are known to have been members in 1832: Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Jesse
Gause, Oliver Cowdery, Martin Harris, A. Sidney Gilbert, Newel K. Whitney;
undoubtedly Edward Partridge, William W.

Phelps, and John Whitmer were also members in that year.  Frederick G.

Williams and John Johnson became members of the order in 1833.

The members of the United Firm were consecrated in their respective
responsibilities, and although they were to benefit personally from the
profits of the firm, the surplus profits were to be used for the operation
and blessing of the whole Church.

...  On 10 Aprl 1834 members of the firm met and decided that the order
should be dissolved, ... a revelation (section 104), commanded that the
two brances of the firm become separate entities and that the members
discontinue operating jointly.

The coded names in section 78 and subsequent revelations dealing with
United Firm ... were used to prevent enemies of the Church from taking
advantage of the brethren after the revelations were published.  It was
decided that the financial affairs of the Church, administered by the
firm, should be kept confidential.

Lyndon W. Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical
and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants, (Salt Lake
City: Deseret Book, 1985), p. 167-169.

According to two manuscript copies ... section 78 was received in Kirtland
not Hiram ....  A notation in the "Kirtland Revelation Book," ...

details the Prophet's activities ... "From the 16th of February up to this
date [8 March] have been at home except a journey to Kirtland on the 29th
Feby. and returned home on the 4th of March we received a revelation in
Kirtland and one since I returned home blessed be the name of the Lord."
The revelation received in Kirtland was section 78 ... and the revelation
received after the Prophet's return to Hiram, Ohio, related to the duties
of the Church bishop and the calling of counselors in the presidency of
the High Priesthood ....

Early manuscripts of section 78 ... clearly indicate that the subject at
hand was the organization of brancehs of the Literary and United Firms
....  Explicit reference to these business concerns was deleted when the
revelation was published in 1835.  ...  The terms "Adam-ondi-Ahman" and
"Son Ahman" ... were not part of the original revelation ... but were
added in 1835.

Lyndon W. Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical
and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants, (Salt Lake
City: Deseret Book, 1985), p.  312-313.

15,20: Adam-ondi-Ahman & Son Ahman not part of the original revelation.

Lyndon W. Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical
and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants, (Salt Lake
City: Deseret Book, 1985), p. 313.

References to business concerns deleted when published in 1835.  Lyndon W.
Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical and
Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants, (Salt Lake City:
Deseret Book, 1985), p. 313.



81 At a priesthood conference hold in Amherst, Ohio, on 25 January 1832,
Joseph Smith was ordained and sustained President of the High Priesthood.
Less than two months later the Prophet appointed two men to stand with him
in the Presidency of the High Priesthood.  ...  Although the "Presidency"
of the High Priesthood ... was to preside over all ordained high priests,
by 1834 this body had become the First Presidency of the Church.

...

While the recipient of Section 81 has traditionally been believed to be
Frederick G. Williams, the "Kirtland Revelation Book" discloses that the
revelation was intended for Jesse Gause.  ...   Lyndon W. Cook, The
Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical and Biographical
Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants, (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book,
1985), p. 170-171.

Use of the term "First Presidency" in revelations prior to 1834 is
anachronistic.  In all cases where this occurs the language was modified
in the 1835 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants.

Lyndon W. Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical
and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants, (Salt Lake
City: Deseret Book, 1985), p. 314.

82 ... 26 April 1832, a general council of the Church was convened in
which the Missouri Saints acknowledged Joseph Smith as President of the
High Priesthood.  At the close of the conference, the Prophet received
section 82.

...

Section 82 concerns itself witht he organization of a branch of the United
Firm in Missouri and the responsibilities of the members of the firm to
"manage the affairs of the poor." Verse 1 specifically refers to
difficulties between Joseph Smith and Church leaders in Missouri and an
eight-month-old disagreement between Sidney Rigdon and Edward Partridge.

...

We lack some details about the latter problem, but the factors involved
were "money," Ridgon's near drowning in the Missouri River on his return
trip to Ohio from Missouri in 1831, and inconveniences suffered on the
1831 Missouri trip.  ...  Sidney became so disturbed over this affair that
he became mentally depressed and preached falsely in public in Kirtland.
...

...

Rigdon quickly became aware of his error, sought forgiveness, and on 28
July was reordained as a member of the Presidnecy of the High Priesthood.

Lyndon W. Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical
and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants, (Salt Lake
City: Deseret Book, 1985), p. 172-175.

Sidney's first revelation in Kirtland was telling the people that the
kingdom was rent from the, and they might as well all go home for they
were rejected.  The saints felt very bad and were alomost distracted.
When brother Joseph cam home, (who was absent at the hime) he called
Sidney into council and there told him he had lied in the name of the
Lord; and says he, "you had better give up your licence and divest
yourself of all the authority you can, for you will go into the hands of
satan, and he will handle you as one man handleth another, and the less
authority you have the better for you ....

Lyndon W. Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical
and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants, (Salt Lake
City: Deseret Book, 1985), p. 315.

104 ... an important revelation giving instructions to members of the
United Firm.  ... "revelation given April 23d 1834, appointing to each
member of the United firm their stewardships." Prior to the Prophet's
leaving for Missouri in May 1834, he desperately sought to borrow or
collect by donation two thousand dollars to pay pressing debts incurred by
the United Firm.

... Joseph Smith and other journeyed to New York to seek volunteers to
help redeem the Jackson County Saints and to obtain money "for the relief
of the brethren in Kirtland." ...a Church council voted that several
elders should "exert themselves to obtain two thousand dollars for the
present relief of Kirtland" ....  ... returned to Kirtland unsuccessful in
obtaining the needed money, the Prophet met with Newel K. Whitney,
Frederick G. Williams, Oliver Cowdery, and Heber C. Kimball and prayed
that the Lord would "furnish the means to deliver the [United] Firm from
debt." ...

On 10 April 1834, unable to secure the needed funds, members of the United
Firm met and agreed that the "order" should be dissolved and each member
have his stewardship set off to him.

Section 104 gives the particulars of the division of the United Firm among
the members living in Kirtland, and also directs the two branches of the
firm (i.e., the Missouri branch and the Kirtland branch) to become
separate entities.

...

... another revelation, received the same day ... required "every one of
what was then called the firm to give up all notes & demands that they had
against each other and all be equal." ... which follow verse 59 in the
"Kirtland Revelation Book," are not part of the present text of section
104 of the Doctrine and Covenants: Therefore, a commandment I give unto
you, that ye shall take the books fo Mormon and also the copy-right, and
also the copy-right which shall be secured of the Articles and Covenants
in which covenants all my commandments which it is my will should be
printed, shall be printed, as it shall be made known unto you; and also
the copy-right of the new translation of the scripture; and this I say
that others may not take the blessings away from you which I have
conferred upon you.

Lyndon W. Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical
and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants, (Salt Lake
City: Deseret Book, 1985), p. 210-212.

... the practice of bracketing the real names next to the substituted
names began with the 1876 edition.  By the 1921 edition almost all the
real names had been identified.  In the 1981 edition the code names were
removed from the text in all but four cases, and the identity of one of
these four is suggested in a textual note.  ...

... received by Joseph Smith between 1832 and 1834.  ... Joseph Smith was
officially sustained for the first time by a conference vote as President
of the High Priesthood.  With his selection of two counselors in March,
the first presiding quorum of the Church was established.  ...  By the end
of the the membership was about ten thousand.  ...  Nevertheless, by 1832
a growing climate of hostility was manifesting itself against the Mormons.
 ...

In the context of this growing hostility the decision was made to conceal
the true idnetities of various early leaders, particularly those
responsible for the economic matters of the Church.  Sicne there were
numberous problems connected with the early attempts to establish the law
of consecration and stewardship, especially as it related to property
holding, it was natural to hide the identity of those assigned specific
temporal duties.

The published revelations which contained the substituted names include
section 78, 82, 92, 96, 103, 104, and 105.  ... all of them were concerned
with the united firm ....  Thus section 78, the first section to use code
names, deals with the establishment of a storehouse for the pooor; section
82 with the management of the properties for the poor; 92 with Frederick
G. Williams who was instructed as a member fo the First Presidency to
become a member of the united firm; 96 with the purchasing of properties;
104 with the stewardships fo those who were members of the united firm;
and 105 with Zion's Camp and the redemption of Zion in Missouri.

...  None of them appears in the 1833 Book of Commandments....  All but
two (103 and 105) were printed in the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants....

It is clear that the pseudonyms were not part of the original revelations,
for in the cases where original manuscripts are extant, the code names are
absent. ...

The first attempt in LDS literature to explain the substituted names was
made by Orson Pratt.  ...  Orson decided to publish an article on the
matter in The Seer.  Although it was a short essay, it was the first
attempt to publicly reveal the true identities of the pseudonyms.  ...  He
concluded his explanation by revealing the real names from memory and
listing the five pseudonums whose real names he could not remember: Alsam,
Mahalaleel, Horah, Shalemanasseh, and Melemson. ...

Int he 1876 eidtion the code names were placed beside the real names.  ...
 The unidentified names in the 1981 edition, with only one exception , are
the same names Orson Pratt could not remember in 1854.

...

The Phelps list is important because it finally reveals the identity of
the remaining substituted names.  ...it reveals the actual names of the
remaining three individuals unidentified in the 1981 edition of the D&C:
Mahalaleel was Algernon Sidney Gilber; Horah was John Whitmer; and
Shalemanasseh was William W. Phelps.  ...

...  It is possible that they were simply invented, but it appears more
likely that most of these names came from the Hebrew sutdies of early
Mormon leaders.  ... these early Mormons were just beginning their Hebrew
studies, and perhaps a closer search fo their texts and dictionaries might
reveal the actual source of these pseudonyms.

David J. Whittaker, "Substituted Names in the Published Revelations of
Joseph Smith," Brigham Young University Studies, Volume 23, Winter 1983,
Number 1.

... these economic revelations were given to specific people for specific
purposes and ... generalizing may misinterpret them.

...  Contrary to the traditional idea of failure, the United Order of
Joseph Smith's time performed its mission brilliantly.  This group was
chosen even before the Twelve Apostles were called on 14 February 1835....
 It combined the functions of today's Corporation of the President, the
First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve, and the Presiding Bishopric in
conducting the business affairs of the Church.  As the Quorum of the
Twelve became mature and stable, it assumed with the First Presidency all
the duties of the United Order.  ...  The creation of units in Utah from
1854 to 1877, which were also called united orders, has caused
confusion....  The united orders from different eras had different
purposes, structures, and membership.  They also had no historical
continuity.

The United Order of Joseph Smith's day was organized essentially as a
general partnership, with t a branch in Kirtland and one in Missouri.  By
law all the partners of a business partnership are fully liable for the
business agreements made by any one of the partners.  In that sense, all
the partners hold all business and personal assets in common and put all
business gains into one account before each person's share of the total is
calculated.  ...

The original United Order was a combination of Church leader in Kirtland
... and those who had recently been sent to Missouri....  Bishop
Partridge's two counselors, John Corrill and Isaac Morley, apparently
acted as agents of the firm....  Two other men -- Frederick G. Williams
and John Johnson -- were added later as full members by specific
revelations....

...

From the original group of eleven partners, subgroups were formed as
specific transactions or funcitons needed to be carried out....  These
subgroups were kept insulated from each other....  In today's world where
liability-limiting corporations can be formed almost at will, the myriad
of general partner/silent partner arrangements of Joseph Smith's Order
would likely be recast into a system of subsidiary corporations under the
control of a parent corporation.  ...that was not practical in Joseph
Smith's day, since a separate act of state legislature was needed for any
new corporation and men in the legislature were often hostile to LDS
interests.  ...  If two or three men operated one store under a normal
business name, and two or three other men operated another store under a
different business name, and a third group operated a printing
establishement under a third name, no one would suspect that all were
really part of the same group....

...  It allowed the United Order brethren to control their business
credit, risks, and liabilities.  If a creditor of one Mormon enterprise
realized that he could claim payment from several other enterprises which
were all parts of the same organization, that creditor could severlely
disrupt the gathering and settlement of the Saints.  As it was, the
creditors contracted with a limited set of men and looked only to them for
repayemnt.

The brethren contracted some large debts in their business dealings with
the trade and finance institutions of their time....  These large lines of
credit were necessary to sustain extensive purchases of land in Kirtland
and Missouri, and later, Far West and Nauvoo....  Church -controlled firms
made wholesale purchases of goods and resold them to the Saints, providing
a reliable source of supplies and precluding price-gouging by outside
traders....

It was, of course, necessary for some early migration plans to be
secret....  If anyone, Church member or not, knew shere and when the
Church was planning to move, they could purchase land at the destination
from the government and then resell it at a large profit to the Saints.
...

... the existence and mission of the United Order was of necessity known
to very few.  ...

...  After the initial thrust into Missouri, communication between the
east and west branches probably was too slow to allow most decisions to
still be made in Kirtland.  Men on the spot had to be given that
authority.  The single firm became two firms, and each probably added
extra personnel as agents.  ... the eastern branch relinquished control of
the western branch's operating decisions.  Finally, some time after 1838,
the functions of the United Order were absorbed by the First Presidnecy,
the Quorum of the Twelve, and the Presiding Bishopric....

Kent W. Huff, "The United Order of Joseph Smith's Times," Dialogue:
Journal of Mormon Thought, Summer 1986.


------------


Section 86 ... the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares, found in Matthew
chapter 13.  The first draft of this parable in the Prophet's translation
of the Bible retained the wording found in the King James Version, namely,
that the tares would first be gathered.  ... revised (probably on 6
December 1832) ... the wheat would first be gathered.

Lyndon W. Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical
and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants, (Salt Lake
City: Deseret Book, 1985), p. 179.

This revelation clarifies some aspects of the parable of the wheat and the
tares contained in Matthew 13.  The former heading read, "REVELAT ION
given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Kirtland, Ohio:; December 6,
1832." The new heading adds by way of explanation, "This revelation was
received while the Prophet was reviewing and editing the manuscripts of
the translation of the Bible." There are interesting historical items that
contribute to the foregoing statement.  The Prophet had already completed
the translation of the New Testament by March 1832, eight months before he
received the revelation recorded as section 86.  In his initial
translation, the Prophet did not alter Matthew 13:30, which in the King
James Version places the gathering of the tares before the gathering of
the wheat.   However, the Joseph Smith Translation manuscript has a note
pinned over the passage, making the proper correction that the wheat is
gathered first.  This corresponds with the sequence given in D&C 86:7.
This correction apparently was added on 6 December 1832, while the Prophet
was reviewing the manuscript for publication.  Although this entire
"review" was not completed until July 1833, in December the Prope t was
working with Matthew 13.  A note in the Prophet's journal for 6 December
1832 reads, "December 6 translating and received a revelation explaining
the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares etc." The activity referred to by
the Prophet apparently has reference to his review of the Bible
manuscript.   This example is an illustration that during the process of
the Bible translation the Prophet received light and inspiration, not only
correcting errors that had crept into the Bible but also providing
additional information.  In this case, section 86 not only corrects a
biblical error but also interprets the parable in terms of latter-day
fulfillment.  This revelation also demonstrates the close relationship
that existed between the translation of the Bible and the reception of
many revelation now contained in the Doctrine and Covenants.

Robert J. Matthews, "The New Publications of the Standard Works 1979,
1981," Brigham Young University Studies, Volume 22, Number 4 (Fall 1982).

Section 87 ... some twenty-eight years before the American Civil War
commenced....

In November 1832, before the reception of this revelation, South Carolina
adopted a States' Rights position intended to nullify federal regulations
not in their interests . ...

Brigham Young, who noted that section 87 was intentionally left out of the
1835 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants, indicated that this revelation
was received "when the brethren were reflecting and reasoning with regard
to African slavery on this continent, and the slavery of the children of
men throughout the world." ...  Section 87 was first published in the
Pearl of Great Price in 1851 and was included as section 87 in the 1876
edition of the Doctrine and Covenants.

Lyndon W. Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical
and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants, (Salt Lake
City: Deseret Book, 1985), p. 180.

A history of the church's position of war during different wars; Ray C.
Hillam and David M. Andrews, "Mormons and Foreign Policy," Brigham Young
University Studies, Vol. 25, Number 1 (Winter 1985).

We are a warlike people, easily distracted from our assignment of
preparing for the coming of the Lord.  When enemies rise up, we commit
vast resources to the fabricatoin of gods of stone and steel ships,
planes, missiles, fortifications and depend on them for protection and
deliverance.  When threatened, we become anti-enemy instead of pro-kingdom
of God; we train a man in the art of war and call him a patriot, thus, in
the manner of Satan's counterfeit of true patriotism, perverting the
Saviour's teaching: "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good
to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and
persecute you; "That ye may be the children of your Father which is in
heaven" (Matt. 5:44-45)....

What are we to fear when the Lord is with us?  Can we not take the Lord at
his word and exercise a particle of faith in him?  Our assignment

is affirmative: to forsake the things of the world as ends in themselves;
to leave off idolatry and press forward in faith; to carry the gospel to
our enemies, that they might no longer be our enemies.

Spencer W. Kimball, "The False Gods We Worship," Ensign, 6 (June 1976).

We repeat our warnings against the terrifying arms race in which the
nations of the earth are presently engaged.  We deplore in particular the
building of vast arsenals of nuclear weaponry....  Its planners state that
the MX system is strictly defensive in concept, and that the chances are
extremely remote that it will ever be actually employed.   However,
history indicates that men have seldom created armaments that eventually
were not put to use....  Our feelings would be the same about
concentration in any part of the nation. ... such concentration, we are
informed, may even invite attack under a first-strike strategy on the part
of an aggressor.  If such occurred the result would be near annihilation
of most of what we have striven to build since our pioneer forebears first
came to those western valleys....

Our fathers came to this western area to establish a base from which to
carry the gospel of peace to the peoples of the earth.  It is ironic, and
a denial of the very essence of that gospel, that in this same general
area there should be constructed a mammoth weapons system potentially
capable of destroying much of civilization.

The First Presidency, "Statement of the First Presidency on Basing of the
MX missile," Church News9 May 1981.

I don't want you to think ... that God has designed or willed that war
should come among the people of the world, that the nations of the world
should be divided against each other in war, and engaged in the
destruction of each other God did not design or cause this.

Joseph F. Smith, "Opening Address," Eighty-Fifth Semi-annual Conference of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 4 Oct. 1914

(Salt Lake City: Deseret News, 1915).  Three months before the first world
war. ... the Civil War was one of the bloodiest in history.  The number
killed or wounded varies considerably depending upon the source.  Most
Civil War studies give casualty figures in excess of 600,000.  ...  The
next highest U.S. casualty figure is for World War II, which is 318,000.

World War II is followed by World War I with 115,000.  U.S. casualty
figures for other wars include: The American Revolution, 4044; War of
1812: 2,200; Mexican War: 13,270; Korean War: 33,000; Vietnam War: 46,616.

Donald Q. Cannon, "A Prophecy of War," Studies in Scripture, Volume One:
The Doctrine and Covenants, Edited by Robert L. Millet and Kent P. Jackson
(Sandy, Utah: Randall Book Co., 1984), p. 337.

Critics of the Prophet Joseph have maintained that this revelation was not
published until after the Civil War.  It is true that the revelation was
not published in the Doctrine and Covenants until 1876.  It was published,
however, in the Pearl of Great price in 1851.  Furthermore, the leaders of
the Church were fully aware of Joseph Smith's prophecy concerning the
Civil War as early as the 1830s.  Orson Pratt, for example reacalled "When
I was a boy, I traveled extensively in the United States and Canadas,
preaching this restored gospel.  I had a manuscript copy of the
Revelation, which I carried in my pocket, and I was in the habit of
reading it to the people among whom I traveled and preached." Studies in
Scripture, Volume One: The Doctrine and Covenants, Edited by Robert L.
Millet and Kent P. Jackson (Sandy, Utah: Randall Book Co., 1984), p. 338.

The former editions have the following headnote: "REVELATION AND PROPHECY
ON WAR, given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, December 25, 1832." The
new edition adds the following: "This section was received at a time when
the brethren were reflecting and reasoning upon African slavery on the
American continent and the slavery of the childrn of men throughout the
world." This information is attributed to President Brigham Young.

Robert J. Matthews, "The New Publications of the Standard Works 1979,
1981," Brigham Young University Studies, Volume 22, Number 4 (Fall 1982).

Section 88 Verses 1-26 were received 27-28 December 1832, and verses
127-141 were received January 1833. ... received in the Prophet's
translating room in the Whitney Store.

Frederick G. Williams: ... to reveal his will unto us concerning the
upbuilding of Zion....  ...we all bowed down before the Lord, after which
each one arose and spoke in his turn his feelings, and determination to
keep the commandments of God.  ... proceedd to receive a revelation
concerning the duty of the Elders as above stated.  9 oclock A.M. the
revelation not being finished the conference adjourned till tomorrow
morning 9 oclock A.M. 28th met according to adjournment and commenced by
Prayer thus proceded to received the residue of the above revelation ....

...  The solemn assembly was intended to be another day of Pentecost for
the latter-day elders.  ... but much preparation was to precede the
occasion.  First the elders were to be schooled both spirituall y and
secularly; later they were to be washed and anointed to cleanse them from
the sins of this world.  The final preparation, the ordinance of washing
of feet, was to occur on the day of the sacred meeting when the righteous
would see the face of the Lord. ...

On 30 March 1836, three days after the temple dedication, three hundred
brethren assembled for the long-awaited meeting.  The time was spent in
administering the ordinances of washing the feet and partaking of the
sacrament.  Many witnessed remarkable spiritual manifestations.

On 6 April 1837 another solemn assembly was held in the Kirtland Temple
especially for those elders who had not been washed and anointed the
previous year.  ...  Although the building subsequently would be referred
to as a "temple," early appellations were simply "house of God," or
"school." Evidence shows that the Prophet initially conceived the primary
function of the sacred edifice to be that of a schoolhouse for those
called to the ministry.  ..  It is unclear when the decision to build a
house of worship was made public....  ...by the first week in June a
revelation was received which gave the dimensions of the house of worship
but stated that the architecture would be revealed later to three (i.e.,
the Presidency of the High Priesthood).  The revelation further clarified
that the house of worship should have two levels the lower for preaching,
fasting, and praying and the upper for the school and promised that in the
building the Lord would "endow those whom I have chosen with power from on
high." ...

The temple is of high rectangular shape with double rows of windows and a
tower rising from the main body.  The dimensions are impressive: the
structure measures 78'x58', and from the basement to the tower the height
is about 110 feet.  The building is divided into three levels two almost
identical stories of equal height and an attic and is lighted with
thirty-two Gothic, three Venetian, ten dormer, one circular, and two
square-gable windows.  The ground floor was specially intended for
worship, and the upper floor for classroom use.   The attic was
partitioned into then small rooms, five on either side of a hall.  Both
main levels had two complete sets of pulpits, one at either end.  The
western pulpits were for the Melchizedek Priesthood, and the eastern
pulpits for the Aaronic.  Each pulpit group ahd a compartment with a
lectern behind which rose three tiers of pulpits.  Eight wooden columns
supported a ceiling that was flat over the aisles and arched over the
center.  Sets of ropes and pulleys concealed within the columns operated
curtains (veils) that could be lowered to divide each hall and each row of
pulpits into smaller compartments. ...

Constructing the building took some thirty-three months and requires
enormous sacrifice of the Saints.  A conservative estimate of the cost of
construction is 247-,000.  On 6 April 1837 Sidney Rigdon was recorded as
stating that the then "unliquidated debt" on the temple was 2413,000.

The building was not completely finished when first occupied by a Hebrew
school on 4 january 1836.  This group occupied a room designated the
"translating room" in the attic story, and two weeks later the entire
School of Elders moved from the printing office to an adjoining room to
the Hebrew class in the temple attic.

The sacred building was dedicated on 27 March 1836 in the presence of some
one thousand persons.  After singing, praying, and preaching, the
dedicatory prayer (section 109) was read aloud.

... the House of the Lord remained in constant use for several years with
Sunday worship....  ...the Saints did not enjoy permanent use of the
sacred house because a majority of those in the Kirtland area had left
Ohio for Missouri by mid-1838, and the remainder by 1845.  Although title
to the temple appears to have been transferred to one of the Church's
creditors in 1837, members remaining in Kirtland maintained use of the
building until about 1845, when preparations were being made to migrate to
the West.  In 1880 the Reorganized LDS Church was awarded title to the
building by "adverse possession" than is, although they did not hold legal
title to it, their use and possession of the building over several years
constituted ownership.

... The school, variously known as the "School of the Prophets," the
"School of the Elders," and the "school of mine apostles," was intended to
teach doctrine as well as secular topics to the Elders in order to
properly "qualify themselves as messenger of Jesus Christ." Instruction
for the "Elders" was offered during four winter sessions in Kirtland:
January-April 1833, 1834-35, 1835-36, and 1836-37.  Evidence also affirms
that at least one session of the school was held in Missouri, during the
summer of 1833.

...  On January 23 a small number of men convened to organize the School
of the Prophets.  The event which predominated the meeting was the washing
of feet.  ...

Consisting primarily of high priests, members of the school met regularly
for nearly ten weeks (23 January to about 1 April 1833) in Kirtland, Ohio.
 The school was held in a small (10' x 14') room in the upper story of
Newel K. Whitney's store.  ...  Although Joseph Smith

presided over the school, Orson Hyde was appointed teacher.  The number
composing the 1833 school probably never exceeded twenty-five.  ...  The
salutation recorded in D&C 88:133 was given each time the group came
together.  The teacher, "saluted the brethren with uplifted hands as they
came in," remembered Zebedee Coltrin, one of the original school, and
"they also answered with uplifted hands." Coltrin also stated, "Before
going to school we washed ourselves and put on clean linen." Members of
school came fasting at sunrise and normally continued until near 4:000
P.M.

The Sacrament was "administered at times when Joseph appointed, after the
ancient order; that is, warm bread to break easy was provided, and broken
into pieces as large as a fist and each person had a glass of wine." At
the conclusion of each meeting, the scholars were dismissed following a
prayer with uplifted hands.  Although the school was primarily intended
for "revelation and doctrine," time was also given for "learning English
grammer...."

The earlier heading read, "REVELATION given through Joseph Smith the
Prophet, at Kirtland, Ohio, December 27, 1832.  Designated by the Prophet,
the Olive Leaf." It has been enlarged in the 1981 edition to read, "It was
designated by the Prophet as the 'olive leaf ... plucked from the Tree of
Paradise, the Lord's message of peace to us.' It appears from the
historical records that portions of this revelation were received on
December 27 and 28, 1832, and January 3, 1833." Robert J. Matthews, "The
New Publications of the Standard Works 1979, 1981," Brigham Young
University Studies, Volume 22, Number 4 (Fall 1982).

-------------------

A Mormon Interview Copied from Brother Ashbel Kitchell's2 Pocket
Journel.--(By E.D.B.) [Elisha D. Blakeman]3 Elisha D. Blakeman, BYU
Studies, Vol. 20, No. 1, p.95

Some time in the year 1829 the new religion, (if so it may be called,) of
the Mormons began to make a stir in a town not far from North Union.4 It
created a good deal of excitement among the people. They stated they had
received a New Revelation, had seen an angel, & had been instructed into
many things in relation to the history of America, that was not known
before.

Late in the fall a number of them came to visit the Believers. One by the
name of Oliver Lowdree [Cowdery], who stated that he had been one who had
been an assistant in the translation of the golden Bible, and had also
seen the Angel, and had been commissioned by him to go out & bear
testimony, that God would destroy this generation.

We gave him liberty to bear his testimony in our meeting; but finding he
had nothing for us, we treated them kindly, and labored to find out what
manner of spirit they were of.--They appeared meek and mild; but as for
light, or knowledge of the way of God, I considered them very ignorant of
Christ or his work; therefore I treated them with the tenderness of
children.

They tarried with us two nights & one day, and when they were ready to
start they proposed to leave some of their Books among us, to which we
consented, and they left seven, which we distributed among the people; but
they were soon returned as not interesting enough to keep them awake while
reading. After some months they called for them & took them away, except
one which was given me a present.--They appeared to have full faith in the
virtue of their Books, that whoever would read them, would feel so
thoroughly convinced of the truth of what they contained, that they would
be unable to resist, and finally would be obliged to unite with them. They
thot [sic] it prudent to wait on us a while for the leaven to work, so
that things moved on smoothly for sometime, and we had time for
reflection. I believed that I should one day have to meet them and decide
the matter; and least I should do any thing that should injure the cause
of God, or bring weakness on myself I wrote home for council [sic]; but
could obtain none, for the case was new and none were acquainted with it
in the Church, therefore they could give no council, and they left me to
exercise my judgment.--For some time I felt some straitened, not knowing
what course to take. At length I concluded that I was dedicated and
entirely devoted to God, & desired to do what was right; that if God had
any hand in that work, he would inform me by some means, that I might know
what to do, either by letting me have an interview with the angel, or by
some other means give me knowledge of my duty.

In this situation, I remained for a long time, occasionally hearing that
they expected to come after a while and lead us into the water. We
continued on friendly terms in the way of trade and other Acts of good
neighborship untill [sic] the spring of 1831 when we were visited on
saturday evening by Sidney Rigdon and Leman Copley,5 the latter of whom
had been among us; but not likeing [sic] the cross6 any to [sic] well, had
taken up with Mormonism as the easier plan and had been appointed by them
as one of the missionaries to convert us.

They tarried all night, and in the course of the evening, the doctrines of
the cross and the Mormon faith were both investigated; and we found that
the life of self-denial corresponded better with the life of Christ, than
Mormonism, the said Rigdon frankly acknowledged, but said he did not bear
that cross, and did not expect to.--At this assertion I set him without
the paling of the Church, and told him I could not look on him as a
Christian.--Thus the matter stood and we retired to rest, not knowing that
they had then in possession what they called a revelation or message from
Jesus Christ to us, which they intended to deliver to day (sabbath.) and
which they supposed would bring us to terms.

Sabbath morning, matters moved on pleasantly in sociable chat with the
Brethren, until I felt to give them all some council, which was for
neither to force their doctrine on the other at this time; but let the
time be spent in feeling of the spirit, as it was Rigdon's first visit,
for it might be possible that he would yet see that the foundation he was
now on, was sandy, as well as those he had been on, while professing the
various doctrines of the day; and if he should, he might desire to find a
resting place--something substantial to place his feet on, where he would
be safe; therefore I wished him to know what we had, and by what spirit we
were moved, &c.

He said he would subject himself to the order of the place, and I left
them. A little before meeting, another one came from the Mormon camp as an
assistant, by the name of Parley Pratt. He called them out, and enquired
[sic] how they had got along? and was informed by Rigdon and Leman, that I
had bound them to silence, and nothing could be done.

Parley told them to pay no attention to me, for they had come with the
authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the people must hear it, &c.

They came into meeting and sat quietly untill the meeting was through, and
the people dismissed; when Sidney Rigdon arose and stated that he had a
message from the Lord Jesus Christ to this people; could he have the
privilege of delivering it? He was answered, he could. He then said it was
in writing; could he read it? He was told he might. He then read the
following Message. [The text of D & C, section 49, is here quoted with
only a few minor wording changes from the way it appears in the Book of
Commandments, chapter 52.]

At the close of the reading, he asked if they could be permitted to go
forth in the exercise of their gift and office.--I told him that the piece
he had read, bore on its face, the image of its author; that the Christ
that dictated that, I was well acquainted with, and had been, from a boy;
that I had been much troubled to get rid of his influence, and I wished to
have nothing more to do with him; and as for any gift he had authorized
them to exercise among us, I would release them & their Christ from any
further burden about us, and take all the responsibility on myself.

Sidney made answer--This you cannot do; I wish to hear the people speak. I
told him if he desired it, they could speak for themselves, and steped
[sic] back and told them to let the man know how they felt; which they did
in something like these words; that they were fully satisfied with what
they had, and wished to have nothing to do with either them or their
Christ. On hearing this Rigdon professed to be satisfied, and put his
paper by; but Parley Pratt arose and commenced shakeing [sic] his
coattail; he said he shook the dust from his garments as a testimony
against us, that we had rejected the word of the Lord Jesus.

Before the words were out of his mouth, I was to him, and said;--You
filthy Beast, dare you presume to come in here, and try to imitate a man
of God by shaking your filthy tail; confess your sins and purge your soul
from your lusts, and your other abominations before you ever presume to do
the like again, &c. While I was ministering this reproof, he settled
trembling into his seat, and covered his face; and I then turned to Leman
who had been crying while the message was reading, and said to him, you
hypocrite, you knew better;--you knew where the living work of God was;
but for the sake of indulgence, you could consent to deceive yourself and
them, but you shell reap the fruit of your own doings, &c.--This struck
him dead also, and dryed up his tears;--I then turned to the Believers and
said, now we will go home and started.--Sidney had been looking on all
this time without saying a word; as he had done all he did only by liberty
nothing was said to him, and he looked on with a smile to see the fix the
others were in, but they all followed us to the house.--Parleys horse had
not been put away, as he came too late; he mounted and started for home
without waiting for any one.--Sidney stayed for supper, and acknowledged
that we were the purest people he had ever been acquainted with but he was
not prepared to live such a life.

He was treated kindly and let go after supper.--But Leman tarried all
night and started for home in the morning.

He had a large farm, and about 100 Mormons were living with him, on it.

When he got home, he found the Mormons had rejected him, & could not own
him for one of them, because he had deceived them with the idea of
converting us. He felt very bad;--was not able to rest;--came back to us
and begged for union.

After some consultation we concluded to give him union, and help him
through; and to accomplish this, I went home with him, and held a meeting
in the dooryard, among the Mormons; but few of them attended.

They appeared to be struck with terror and fear lest some of them might
get converted; but they could not get out of hearing, without leaving the
place, so that I found that they understood the subject.--I stayed over
night, and in the morning I had conversation with the Elder, whose name
was Knight [Newel K. Knight].

In the course of the conversation, I stirred the feelings of an old man,
that proved to be the Elder's Father [Joseph Knight, Sr.], which so raised
the indignation of the Elder that he let on me his heaviest mettels [sic];
he poured it on at the top of his voice, and wound up by informing me that
unless I repented I should go to Hell! I waited with patience until he was
thro', and then asked him if he would hear me;--to which he consented.

I told him if the words he had spoken had come from a man of God they
would have caused my knees to have smote together like Belshazers, but
coming as they did from a man that lived in his lusts--who gratified a
beastly propensity, and often in a manner that was far bellow the beasts,
and at the same time professing to be a follower of Christ, his words had
no weight, but passed by me without makeing [sic] any impression.

I then gave him a lecture on the subject of the cross, and a life of self
denyal [sic] which was fully satisfying to all present, who had the right
end of the story.--I stayed all day, and assisted them to settle their
affairs.--I wrote for them two or three hours; and after I was thro' I
took hold of the Elder and walked the floor, amuseing [sic] him with a
number of pleasant things; and lastly I repeated part of a verse of an old
hymn, which reads thus,

"But now as I close One thing I'll propose To the man that salvation would
find No longer put your trust, In a man that lives in lust, For how can
the blind lead the blind."

At the recital of these words, he loosened his hold and made for the door,
and here ended my labors for the Mormons for that time.

Ashbel Kitchel.

-------------------

Section 57 20 July 1831

... numerous pairs of missionaries started for Independence....  At
Independence the Prophet and his party were greeted by Oliver Cowdery,
others of the Lamanite Mission, and a handful of Missouri converts.  ...
On 2 August 1831, some twelve miles west of Independence, Sidney Rigdon
consecrated and dedicated the land for the gathering of the Saints.

...  On 3 August 1831, the Prophet dedicated a "spot" for the construction
of a temple....  Bishop Edward Partridge purchased a tract of land
consisting of 63 and 43/166 acres from Jones H. Flournoy on 19 December
1831 for $130.  This purchase included the three-acre temple lot dedicated
by the Prophet.

Lyndon W. Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical
and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants, (Salt Lake
City: Deseret Book, 1985), p. 91-92.



And by the special protection of the ord, Bro. Joseph Smith, Junior, and
Sideny Rigdon, in company with eight other elders, with the church from
Colesville, New York, consisting of about sixty souls, arrived in the
month of July and by revelation the place was made known where the temple
shall stand and the city should commence....  On the second day of August,
1831, Brother Sidney Rigdon stood up and asked, saying, Do you receive
this land for the land of your inheritance with thankful hearts from the
Lord?  Answer from all, We do.  Do you pledge yourselves to keep the laws
of God on this land which you have never kept in your own land?  We do.

Do you pledge yourselves to see that others of your brethren who shall
come hither do keep the laws of God?  We do.  After prayer he arose and
said, I now pronounce this land consecrated and dedicated to the Lord for
a possession and inheritance for the Saints, (in the name of Jesus Christ,
having authority from him.) And for all the faithful servants of the Lord
to the remotest ages of time.  Amen.

The day following eight elders, viz., Joseph Smith, Junior, Oiver Cowdery,
Sidney Rigdon, Peter Whitmer, Junior, Frederick G. Williams, William W.
Phelps, Martin Harris, and Joseph Coe, assembled together where the temple
is to be erected.  Sidney Rigdon dedicated the ground where the city is to
stand, and Jospeh Smith, Junior, laid a stone at the northeast corner of
the contemplated temple in the name of the Lord Jesus of Nazareth.  After
all present had rendered thanks to the Great Ruler of the universe, Sidney
Rigdon pronounced this spot of ground wholly dedicated unto the Lord for
ever.  Amen.

...  Although the History of the Church, 1:199, notes that Joseph Smith
dedicated the temple spot, John Whitmer's account ... credits Rigdon with
that action, and the Times and Seasons ... does not identify the
individual that dedicated the site.

Lyndon W. Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical
and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants, (Salt Lake
City: Deseret Book, 1985), p. 142.



Section 58 "... how we will manage about getting our families here." Verse
49 commanded that an agent be appointed "unto the Church in Ohio, to
receive monies to purchase lands" in Missouri.  Newel K. Whitney was later
appointed to this office.

...

Verse 50 directed Sidney Rigdon to write a description of the land of
Missouri.  This he did, but the initial draft was not acceptable.

Verse 47 instructed Sidney Rigdon to dedicate the land of Zion, which he
did on 2 August 1831.  Verse 58 directed that a conference be held before
the Ohio elders returned home.  This meeting was held on 4 August 183, ...

thirty-one members of the Church present Undoubtedly referring to D&C 52:2
and 58:58, the record affirms that the meeting was held according to
"special commandment." Lyndon W. Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet
Joseph Smith: A Historical and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and
Covenants, (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1985), p. 92-93.

A prefatory note for section 59 in "Book of Commandments, Laws and
Covenants" Book A, states: "Given by Joseph the translator & written by
Oliver Cowdery August 7, 1831 in the land of Zion.

Lyndon W. Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical
and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants, (Salt Lake
City: Deseret Book, 1985), p. 143.

History of the Church, Vol.1, Ch.16, p.196

On the second day of August, I assisted the Colesville branch of the
Church to lay the first log, for a house, as a foundation of Zion in Kaw
township, twelve miles west of Independence. The log was carried and
placed by twelve men, in honor of the twelve tribes of Israel.  At the
same time, through prayer, the land of Zion was consecrated and dedicated
by Elder Sidney Rigdon for the gathering of the Saints. It was a season of
joy to those present, and afforded a glimpse of the future, which time
will yet unfold to the satisfaction of the faithful.

As we had received a commandment for Elder Rigdon to write a description
of the land of Zion, we sought for all the information necessary to
accomplish so desirable an object. The country is unlike the timbered
states of the East. As far as the eye can reach the beautiful rolling
prairies lie spread out like a sea of meadows; and are decorated with a
growth of flowers so gorgeous and grand as to exceed description; and
nothing is more fruitful, or a richer stockholder in the blooming prairie
than the honey bee. Only on the water courses is timber to be found. There
in strips from one to three miles in width, and following faithfully the
meanderings of the streams, it grows in luxuriant forests. The forests are
a mixture of oak, hickory, black walnut, elm, ash, cherry, honey locust,
mulberry, coffee bean, hackberry, boxelder, and bass wood; with the
addition of cottonwood, butterwood, pecan, and soft and hard maple upon
the bottoms. The shrubbery is beautiful, and consists in part of plums,
grapes, crab apple, and persimmons.

The soil is rich and fertile; from three to ten feet deep, and generally
composed of a rich black mold, intermingled with clay and sand. It yields
in abundance, wheat, corn, sweet potatoes, cotton and many other common
agricultural products. Horses, cattle and hogs, though of an inferior
breed, are tolerably plentiful and seem nearly to raise themselves by
grazing in the vast prairie range in summer, and feeding upon the bottoms
in winter. The wild game is less plentiful of course where man has
commenced the cultivation of the soil, than in the wild prairies. Buffalo,
elk, deer, bear, wolves, beaver and many smaller animals here roam at
pleasure. Turkeys, geese, swans, ducks, yea a variety of the feathered
tribe, are among the rich abundance that grace the delightful regions of
this goodly land--the heritage of the children of God.

The season is mild and delightful nearly three quarters of the year, and
as the land of Zion, situated at about equal distances from the Atlantic
and Pacific oceans, as well as from the Alleghany and Rocky mountains, in
the thirty-ninth degree of north latitude, and between the sixteenth and
seventeenth degrees of west longitude, it bids fair--when the curse is
taken from the land--to become one of the most blessed places on the
globe. The winters are milder than the Atlantic states of the same
parallel of latitude, and the weather is more agreeable; so that were the
virtues of the inhabitants only equal to the blessings of the Lord which
He permits to crown the industry of those inhabitants, there would be a
measure of the good things of life for the benefit of the Saints, full,
pressed down, and running over, even an hundred-fold. The disadvantages
here, as in all new countries, are self-evident--lack of mills and
schools; together with the natural privations and inconveniences which the
hand of industry, the refinement of society, and the polish of science,
overcome.

But all these impediments vanish when it is recollected what the Prophets
have said concerning Zion in the last days; how the glory of Lebanon is to
come upon her; the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box tree together, to
beautify the place of His sanctuary, that He may make the place of His
feet glorious. Where for brass, He will bring gold; and for iron, He will
bring silver; and for wood, brass; and for stones, iron; and where the
feast of fat things will be given to the just; yea, when the splendor of
the Lord is brought to our consideration for the good of His people, the
calculations of men and the vain glory of the world vanish, and we
exclaim, "Out of Zion the perfection of beauty, God hath shined."

On the third day of August, I proceeded to dedicate the spot for the
Temple, a little west of Independence, and there were also present Sidney
Rigdon, Edward Partridge, W. W. Phelps, Oliver Cowdery, Martin Harris and
Joseph Coe.

The 87th Psalm was read:--

His foundation is in the holy mountains.

The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.

Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah.

I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me; behold
Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia; this man was born there.

And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her: and the
Highest Himself shall establish her.

The Lord shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was
born there. Selah.

As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there: all my
springs are in thee.

The scene was solemn and impressive.

On the 4th I attended the first conference in the land of Zion. It was
held at the house of Brother Joshua Lewis, in Kaw township, in the
presence of the Colesville branch of the Church. The Spirit of the Lord
was there.

On the 7th, I attended the funeral of Sister Polly Knight, the wife of
Joseph Knight, Sen. This was the first death in the Church in this land,
and I can say, a worthy member sleeps in Jesus till the resurrection.



LDS Communities In Jackson And Clay Counties

Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol.2, MISSOURI LDS interest and settlement in
Jackson County, Missouri, came as a direct result of a revelation
designating it as the location for Zion and the New Jerusalem. Both the
Book of Mormon (Ether 13:2-3; 3 Ne. 20:22) and revelations to Joseph Smith
(D&C 28:9; 29:7-9; 35:24; 42:9, 35-36, 62; 45:65-71) filled the Latter-day
Saints with a zeal to know the time and place for the establishment.
Elders from the Lamanite mission had traveled to western Missouri in early
1831, knowing they were near the location of Zion (D&C 28:9). The day
after a significant June 1831 conference in Ohio, a revelation directed
Joseph Smith and other Church leaders to go to Missouri, where the land of
their inheritance would be revealed (D&C 52:3-5, 42-43).

Three new groups of Saints proceeded to western Missouri in the summer of
1831: Joseph Smith's party of leaders; an entire branch of the Church from
colesville, New York, who were commanded to relocate in Missouri (D&C
54:8); and thirteen pairs of missionaries who were instructed to preach
along the way (D&C 52:7-10, 22-33; 56:5-7). The Prophet's group, traveling
by foot, investigated other counties near the western Missouri border
before determining that Jackson County was to be their ultimate
destination. Their observation of Missouri's frontier communities was in
harmony with a general feeling even in the West that the society of
western Missouri, composed as it was of recent arrivals who had sought out
the frontier to escape society's constraints, was not a model of
civilization. "Our reflections were many, coming as we had from a highly
cultivated state of society in the east," reads Joseph Smith's official
history, "to observe the degradation . . . of a people that were nearly a
century behind the times" (HC 1:189).

In response to the question "When will Zion be built up in her glory, and
where will Thy temple stand?" (HC 1:189), the Lord declared, "Wherefore,
this is the land of promise, and the place for the city of Zion.

. . . The place which is now called Independence is the center place; and
the spot for the temple is lying westward, upon a lot which is not far
from the court-house" (D&C 57:2-3).

In the summer of 1831, Church leaders explored the county, wrote a
description of it for future Saints, established the first settlement in
Kaw Township (now in Kansas City), dedicated the land for a gathering
place, dedicated the temple lot, and conducted a conference for all Saints
thus far gathered. The following men were assigned to prominent Church
positions in Missouri: Edward Partridge, bishop; A.

Sidney Gilbert, financial agent; W. W. Phelps, printer and editor; and
Oliver Cowdery, assistant printer and editor. After Joseph Smith returned
to Ohio, Bishop Partridge began buying land for the Saints' new
inheritances.



LDS settlers who spent the winter of 1831-1832 in Jackson County struggled
to cut timber; build ferries, bridges, mills, dams, homes, outbuildings,
and fences; and prepare land for cultivation. Even though up to ten
families lived in each log cabin, "there was a spirit of peace and union,
and love and good will manifested in this little Church in the wilderness"
(Pratt, p. 56). Plainly, it was not what Zion was but what it could become
that buoyed up the Saints and lifted sagging spirits.

Early in 1832, Gilbert established a Church storehouse and Phelps the
printing office. Proceeds from the store were used to buy and develop more
land. Phelps began publishing a religious monthly, The Evening and the
Morning Star, and a secular weekly, The Upper Missouri Advertiser; work
also proceeded on the book of commandments, a compilation of revelations
that had been received by Joseph Smith, and on a compilation of hymns.
Establishing schools also became a high priority. By fall, schools were
started in Kaw Township (called the Colesville School) and in Independence
near the temple lot. Proper observance of the Lord's Day also received
special emphasis (see D&C 59).

The subject that received the most attention was "gathering to Zion."
Through the Star, Phelps reminded migrating Saints not to gather without
adequate preparation, including carrying a recommend from the bishop in
Ohio or from three elders. Bishop Partridge assigned land "inheritances"
to new arrivals. Some three to four hundred arrived in the spring and
summer of 1832, and by November there were 810 Latter-day Saints in
Missouri. Up to this time, five settlements had easily absorbed the
immigrants: a community in Independence near the temple lot; a branch on
the Blue River three miles to the west; the Whitmer Branch three miles
farther west; the Colesville Branch in Kaw Township two miles south of the
Whitmer Branch; and the Prairie Branch on the Missouri state border.
Editorials in the Star reflected the Saints' optimism.

The year 1833 brought numerous new challenges to the Church in Jackson
County. Some members circumvented appointed leaders and ignored their
authority to preside. Others tried to obtain property through means other
than the revealed laws. Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon had visited the
area in the spring of 1832, but now there arose a general concern among
Missouri Latter-day Saints that their Prophet should move permanently from
Ohio to the new Zion. Additionally, there were petty jealousies,
covetousness, and general neglect in keeping the commandments. None of
this helped the newcomers to cope with the worst problem--increasing
hostility with the "old settlers" of Jackson County. As the LDS population
in the county reached twelve hundred by the summer of 1833, concerns of
the local citizens reached fever pitch. It did not help that some members
unwisely boasted that nonmembers would be driven from the county.

However, not everything was gloomy in the Jackson County settlements.
Solemn assemblies in each branch had brought about a new spirit of
humility, diligence, and order to the Church. A school for elders was
established on the model of the School of the Prophets in Kirtland, Ohio.
Joseph Smith sent a plan for the building-up of the city of Zion and its
accompanying temple (see City Planning). The Book of Commandments was
nearing completion. But all of this seemed only to increase hostility.

Mob violence broke out against the Saints in late July 1833. The printing
press was destroyed, the page sheets of the Book of Commandments were
scattered, and Bishop Partridge was tarred and feathered. Under duress,
Church leaders signed an agreement to vacate Jackson County (see Missouri
Conflict). Church members sought redress from the government, but were
granted only sympathy, not help. When the old settlers saw that the Saints
intended not to depart immediately but to hold their ground and defend
themselves, they resumed acts of violence. After small battles erupted and
led to several fatalities, the local militia succeeded in disarming the
Mormons and driving them from Jackson County in early November.

Although some Saints fled to Van Buren and LaFayette counties, most found
refuge north across the Missouri River in Clay County. The citizens of
Liberty, the seat of Clay County, charitably offered shelter, work, and
provisions. The refugees moved into abandoned slave cabins, built crude
huts, pitched tents, and lived on meager subsistence until spring. Most
Clay County citizens were friendly but considered the settlement of the
Saints in their midst as only temporary.

To help the Missouri Saints, Joseph Smith arrived in June 1834 at the head
of Zion's Camp, a paramilitary body of Latter-day Saints from the East.
All efforts to achieve either reentry into Jackson County or redress of
grievances came to naught. Outright war between Missourians and Mormons
seemed imminent. By revelation (D&C 105) Joseph Smith was told to disband
the camp because Zion could not yet be redeemed; bloodshed was thereby
averted.

Before returning to Ohio, the Prophet established a presidency and high
council for the Missouri Saints with David Whitmer as president and W. W.
Phelps and John Whitmer as his counselors. Church members began
establishing more permanent residences in Liberty and the surrounding Clay
County countryside. They won a reputation for retrenchment and thrift and
were generally able to live at peace with their neighbors.

Gradually, however, citizens of Clay became concerned about the permanence
of LDS settlements. This concern became acute after the arrival of
additional Church members in 1835 and 1836. In June 1836 a public meeting
was held at the courthouse in Liberty to discuss objections to the Mormons
remaining in the county. The citizens reminded the Saints of their
original pledge to leave the county when they were no longer welcome, but
promised to control any violence until they left.

Bishop Partridge and W. W. Phelps explored new gathering spots for the
Saints in relatively uninhabited territory in northern Missouri, and by
early 1837, Church members began moving out of Clay County into the newly
created "Mormon county" of Caldwell (see Missouri: LDS Communities in
Caldwell and Daviess Counties).

--------------------


... an article by McLellin that appeared in 1848 in his short-lived
periodical, the Ensign of Liberty.  This agrees with Journal I by
mentioning his attendence at a conference "in the town of Orange" on
October 25, "From this conference I went home with the Prophet," McLellin
continued, "and on Saturday, the 29th, I received through him, and wrote
from his mouth a revelation concerning myself." ...  McLellin explained, I
went before the Lord in secret, and on my knees asked him to reveal the
answer to five questions through his Prophet, and that too without his
having made such a request." ...  The Ensign of Liberty article, written
more than ten years after McLellin had left the LDS Church, is even more
insistent about the responses that came in the revelation.  It describes
the effect the revelation had on McLellin's conviction that Joseph Smith
was indeed a prophet of God....  It is clear the McLellin believed, both
while he was a member of the Church and ten years after he had become
disaffected, that in 1831 Joseph Smith was a true prophet.

...  "What were the five questions?" McLellin left no list, probably
because of the intensely personal nature of the questions.  With the
emergence of his journals and other papers, however, a careful reading of
the answers in section 66 suggests likely possibilities:

Question 1 How does this little church that I have just joined, organized
by Joseph Smith, fit into the religious world?  D&C 66:2 Question 2 What
is my spiritual standing D&C 66:3 Question 3 What is my role in the
Church?  I have closed my school and settled my affairs in Illinois.  What
am I to do now?  D&C*66:5-8 Question 4 I have seen and personally
experienced the power to heal by both Joseph and Hyrum Smith.  Will I be
able to have this power?  D&C*66:9 Question 5 How can I escape the
temptation of adultery and other sins which have burdened me, especially
since the recent death of my wife?  D&C 66: 9, 10, 12

"The Journals of William E. McLellin," Edited by Jan Shipps and John W.
Welch, (Brigham Young University and the University of Illinois Press,
1994)



^^^^^^-----From: Stephen Ott <[e-mail]>------^^^^^^^




-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: "Perry L. Porter" <[e-mail]>
Subject: ---> Lesson 26 (extra Info)
Date: 03 Aug 1997 19:23:45 -0700

Doctrine and Covenants 88:1 - 85 117-41


VVVVVV-----From: Stephen Ott <[e-mail]>------VVVVVVV


Joseph Smith identified the tree of life with the olive tree when he
designated D&C 88 (see its preface) as an "olive leaf ... plucked from the
Tree of paradise, the Lord's message of peace to us."  In early Jewish and
Christian tradition, the tree of life is sometimes considered to be an
olive tree," around which is entwined the vine, often believed to be the
tree of knowledge.   John A. Tvedtnes, "Borrowings from the Parable of
Zenos," The Allegory of the Olive Tree, Edited by Stephen D. Ricks and
John W. Welch, (Deseret Book Company, 1994) p. 378.



10, The temporary transporting of an individual into the presence  of the
Lord is a fundamental characteristic of the endowment (see D&C  76:5-10,
114-19).  For examples, see, in chronological order, Ether  3:13-20;
Genesis 28:10-22- 35:6-15; Isaiah 6:1 (1-8); Ezekiel 37:1;  1*Nephi 1:8
(8-14); 11:1 (chapters 11-14), 2 Nephi 4:25; Helaman 5:44-50;

Matthew 17:1-9 (cf. 2 Peter 1:16-18); 3 Nephi 28:13-16,36-40 (cf.  D&C
84:33); Acts 7:55-56; 2 Corinthians 12:1-4; Revelation 1:10, 4:1-2; D&C
88:63-69 (45-75); 93:1.

Andrew F. Ehat , "'Who Shall Ascend into the Hill of the  Lord?'
Sesquicentennial Reflections of a Sacred Day: 4 May 1842,"  Temples of the
Ancient World, Edited by Donald W. Parry, (Deseret Book  Company, 1994),
p. 61-62.

The first order God gave to his people was to remove themselves  utterly
from the world, to be completely different, holy, set apart,  chosen,
special, peculiar (... sealed), not like any other people on the  face of
the earth (see Deuteronomy 7;6).  If "glory, and salvation, and honor, and
immortality, and eternal life; kingdoms, principalities, and  power" are
to be theirs (D&C 128:23), they must be sanc-tified,  con-sacr-ated, ...
all of which mean set off or cut off bya a fence, an  insurmountalbe wall,
an unbridgeable gap.  "Assemble yourselves  together, and organized
yourselves, ... sanctify yourselves; yea, purify  your hearts, and cleanse
your hands and your feet before me, that I may  make you clean" (D&C
88:74).

Hugh W. Nibley, "On the Sacred and the Symbolic," Temples of  the Ancient
World, Edited by Donald W. Parry, (Deseret Book Company,  1994), p. 543.

In some scriptural and pseudepigraphal passages, sacred clothing  is
equated with righteousness.  2 Nephi 4:33; 2 Nephi 9:14; Isaiah  11:5; Job
29:14 The same idea is found in modern revelation: "Clothe yoruselves
with the bond of charity, as with a mantle, which is the bond of
perfectnes s and 'eace" (D&C 88:125...).

John A. Tvedtnes, "Priestly Clothing in Bible Times, Temples of  the
Ancient World, Edited by Donald W. Parry, (Deseret Book Company,  1994),
p. 672.

D&C 88:85-86 The Passage from Doctrine and Covenants 88 is  from the
section denoted the "Olive Leaf" by Joseph Smith, which is a revelation
specifically designed to prepare the Latter-day Saints for the templs that
the Lord commanded them to build.  In this connection, we note the Bible's
most prominent temple hymn, Psalm 24, in which we read that those who are
worthy to enter the sanctuary (the "hill of the Lord")  are those who have
"clean hands and a pure heart." John A. Tvedtnes, "Priestly Clothing in
Bible Times," Temples  of the Ancient World, Edited by Donald W. Parry,
(Deseret Book Company,  1994), p. 703.


^^^^^^-----From: Stephen Ott <[e-mail]>------^^^^^^^





-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: "Perry L. Porter" <[e-mail]>
Subject: ---> Lesson 27
Date: 05 Aug 1997 18:01:00 -0700

Doctrine and Covenants 89-92
Lesson 27 Scriptural Highlights

1. The Word of Wisdom
2. The keys of the kingdom and the oracles of God
3. Use of the Apocrypha

Invite one or two class members to bear testimony about the Word of
Wisdom.

Discussion and Application Questions * What is the historical background
of D&C 89? (See the Class Member Study Guide for this lesson.) Why does
the Lord want us to be concerned about what we take into our bodies? (See
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 and the quotation from President Benson.) The Lord
revealed the Word of Wisdom for the "temporal salvation" of the Saints
(D&C 89:2). What is temporal salvation? How is our temporal salvation
related to our spiritual salvation? (For one example, see the quotation
from President Clark.) * In the Word of Wisdom, what did the Lord reveal
about the things we should and should not take into our bodies? (D&C
89:5-17.) What can we do to live these commandments more fully? What
temporal and spiritual blessings have you received from living the Word of
Wisdom?

* How can we help youth recognize the importance of obeying the Word of
Wisdom?

* How does Satan tempt people to disobey the Word of Wisdom? (D&C 89:4.)
How can we resist these temptations?

* President Heber J. Grant taught that the Word of Wisdom "would solve the
economic problems not only of our country but of every other country, if
it were obeyed by the people of the world" (in Conference Report, Apr.
1936, p. 48). How do you think this would be so?

* in D&C 90 the Lord promised that "the keys of the kingdom" (the right to
direct the priesthood) and "the oracles of God" (the powers of revelation)
would be given to the Church through Joseph Smith. How was this promise
fulfilled? (See the quotation from President Smith.) * What does the Lord
promise those who "search diligently, pray always, and [are] believing"?
(D&C 90:24). How has this promise been fulfilled in your life? How have
even your difficult experiences "work[ed] together for your good"?

* What is the Apocrypha? What did the Lord reveal about its accuracy and
the value of reading it? (See D&C 91, the quotation from Elder McConkie,
and "Apocrypha" in the Bible Dictionary.) Quotations President Ezra Taft
Benson: "The condition of the physical body can affect the spirit. That's
why the Lord gave us the Word of Wisdom" (Ensign, Oct. 1986, p. 2).

President J. Reuben Clark: "Drunken with strong drink, men have lost their
reason; their counsel has been destroyed; their judgment and vision are
fled; they reel forward to destruction. Drink brings more cruelty into the
home; it walks arm in arm with poverty; its companions are disease and
plague; it puts chastity to flight; it knows neither honesty nor fair
dealing; it is a total stranger to truth; it drowns conscience; it is the
bodyquard of evil; it curses all who touch it. Drink has brought more woe
and misery, broken more hearts, wrecked more homes, committed more crimes,
filled more coffins, than all the wars the world has suffered" (in
Conference Report, Oct. 1942, p. 8).

President Joseph Fielding Smith: "The word of the Lord was fulfilled
wherein he said that through Joseph Smith the oracles should be given to
the Church, and by command of the Lord the Prophet, in Nauvoo a few months
before his death, called the apostles together and said to them that the
Lord had commanded him to confer upon them all the keys and authorities
which he had had conferred upon him, so that work could be 'rolled off' of
his shoulders onto theirs. He thereupon conferred upon them his divine
governing power, but this governing power could not be exercised by any
one of the twelve while the Prophet was living. Upon his death the right
to preside and set in order and to hold the keys of authority in the
Priesthood and in the Church, rightfully belonged to President Brigham
Young and by authority of the ordination he had received under the hands
of Joseph Smith and by being sustained by his brethren and the Church, he
was vested with the supreme power" (Church History and Modem Revelation,
1:3 88-89).

Elder Bruce R. McConkie: "Scholars and Biblical students have grouped
certain apparently scriptural Old Testament writings, which they deem to
be of doubtful authenticity or of a spurious nature, under the title of
the Apocryphal...

"Obviously, to gain any real value from a study of apocryphal writings,
the student must first have an extended background of gospel knowledge, a
comprehensive understanding of the standard works of the Church, plus the
guidance of the Spirit" (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 41-42).

Next Week's Reading Assignment Doctrine and Covenants 93-96

Page 53

Class Member Study Guide Lesson 27

Doctrine and Covenants 89, known as the Word of Wisdom, was given to the
Prophet Joseph Smith as the answer to a problem that arose in the School
of the Prophets. Brigham Young recalled that brethren came hundreds of
miles to meet in the small room over the Prophet's kitchen. During their
meetings they would "light their pipes and, while smoking, talk about the
great things of the kingdom and spit all over the room, and as soon as the
pipe was out of their mouths a large chew of tobacco would then be taken.
Often when the Prophet entered the room to give the school instructions he
would find himself in a cloud of tobacco smoke" (in Journal of Discourses,
12:1 58).

The Prophet asked the Lord about the use of tobacco, and the Lord revealed
D&C 89 in response. At first the Word of Wisdom was given not as a
commandment but rather as a revelation of the "will of God" (D&C 89:2).
President Joseph F. Smith explained that a commandment "would have brought
every man, addicted to the use of these noxious things, under
condemnation; so the Lord was merciful and gave them a chance to overcome,
before He brought them under the law" (in Conference Report, Oct. 1913, p.
14).

Recent prophets have taught that the Word of Wisdom is a commandment and
that we should avoid anything that is harmful to the body.

As you study D&C 89-92, consider the following:

* What can you do to live the commandments in the Word of Wisdom more
fully? (D&C 89:5-17.) What are some of the temporal and spiritual benefits
you have received from living the Word of Wisdom?

* What does the Lord promise those who "search diligently, pray always,
and [are] believing"? (D&C 90:24). How has this promise been fulfilled in
your life?

The room in the restored Newel K. Whitney store where the first School of
the Prophets met.



Page 54

VVVVVV-----From: Stephen Ott <[e-mail]>------VVVVVVV


Section 89 ... at a meeting of the School of the Prophets in the upper
level of the Whitney store.  ... although twenty-two brethren were in
attendance that day, section 89 was received in an adjoining room, in the
presence of two or three brethren.

Lyndon W. Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical
and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants, (Salt Lake
City: Deseret Book, 1985), p. 191.

The first school of the prophets was held in a small room situated over
the Prophet Joseph's kitchen, in a house which belonged to Bishop Whitney,
and which was attached to his store, which store probably might be about
fifteen feet square.  In the rear of this building was a kitchen, probably
ten by fourteen feet, containing rooms and pantries.  Over this kitchen
was situated the room in which the Prophet received revelations and in
which he instructed his brethren.  The brethren came to that place for
hundreds of miles to attend school in a little room probably no larger
than eleven by fourteen.  When they assembled together in this room after
breakfast, the first they did was to light their pipes, and, while
smoking, talk about the great things of the kingdom, and spit all over the
room, and as soon as the pipe was out of their mouths a large chew of
tobacco would then be taken.  Often when the Prophet entered the room to
give the school instructions he would find himself in a cloud of tobacco
smoke.  This, and the complaints of his wife at having to clean so filthy
a floor, made the Prophet think upon the matter, and he inquired of the
Lord relating to the conduct of the Elders in using tobacco, and the
revelation known as the Word of Wisdom was the result.

Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 12:158.

------------

Section 90 Although the manuscript of this revelation is dated 5 January
1834, 1833 is more consistent with known facts regarding Williams's
appointment.  The words counselor and scribe are contained in both the
unpublished revelation as well as section 90:19.

Lyndon W. Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical
and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants, (Salt Lake
City: Deseret Book, 1985), p. 320.

--------------

Section 91 "Having come to that portion of the ancient writings called the
Apocrypha, I received [section 91]." HC 1:331.

--------------

Section 92 Section 92 instructed Frederick G. Williams to become a member
of the United Firm.  The terms United Order and United Firm were used
interchangeable by members of the firm....

Lyndon W. Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical
and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants, (Salt Lake
City: Deseret Book, 1985), p. 194.

---------------


The heading in former edition read, "REVELATION given through Joseph Smith
the Prophet, at Kirtland, Ohio, February 27, 1833, known as the Word of
Wisdom." The 1981 edition adds the following background information: "As a
consequence of the early brethren using tobacco in their meetings, the
Prophet was led to ponder upon the matter; consequently he inquired of the
Lord concerning it.  This revelation, known as the Word of Wisdom, was the
result.  The first three verses were originally written as an inspired
introduction and description by the Prophet." When the Word of Wisdom was
first printed, originallly as a separate tract and later in the 1835
edition of the Doctrine and Covenants, the material now contained in
verses 1-3 consisted of a paragraph taht was not part of the text.  It
became a regular part of the text in teh 1921 edition.

Robert J. Matthews, "The New Publications of the Standard Works--1979,
1981," Brigham Young University Studies, Volume 22, Number 4.

---------------

Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol.4, WORD OF WISDOM

Word of Wisdom is the common title for a revelation that counsels
Latter-day Saints on maintaining good health and is published as Doctrine
and Covenants: section 89. The practice of abstaining from all forms of
alcohol, tobacco, coffee, and tea, which may outwardly distinguish active
Latter-day Saints more than any other practice, derives from this
revelation.

Called "a Word of Wisdom" in the introduction, the revelation was given to
Joseph Smith at Kirtland, Ohio, on February 27, 1833, when the School of
the Prophets was meeting at his home in the Whitney Store. It came in
response to the Prophet's inquiry about tobacco, which was being used by
some of the men attending the school. The revelation states that it is
specifically for the latter days because of "evils and designs which do
and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men" (D&C 89:4). The Word of
Wisdom limited alcohol use to wine for the Sacrament and hard liquor for
washing the body. It noted tobacco as useful only for treating bruises and
sick cattle. Hot drinks (later defined as coffee and tea) were not for
"the body or belly" (D&C 89:9).

Additional advice was given permitting the use of meat, but suggesting
that it be restricted to winter or times of famine (D&C 89:12-13). The
revelation places strong emphasis on the use of grains, particularly
wheat, as the staple of the human diet (D&C 89:14, 16-17),  and upon
fruits and vegetables ("herbs" verse 11; cf. 59:17-18) in season. The Word
of Wisdom also states that some "herbs" are present on the earth for the
healing of human ailments (D&C 89:8-11). Church members should not consume
alcohol, tobacco, tea, or coffee and should use moderation in eating other
foods.

Those who follow this counsel and keep the other commandments of God are
promised that they will have "health in their navel and marrow to their
bones," "shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint," "shall
find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures," and
"the destroying angel shall pass by them . . .

and not slay them" (D&C 89:18-21; cf. Dan. 1:3-20; 2:19-30).

The promises associated with the Word of Wisdom are considered both
temporal and spiritual. The temporal promise has been interpreted as
better health, and the spiritual promise as a closer relationship to God.
These promises reflect the concern of the Church with both the temporal
and spiritual Welfare of its members. They also reflect God's concern with
the condition of the physical body of every person, paralleling aspects of
other religious health codes defining types of foods forbidden for health
and spiritual reasons.

The introduction to the 1835 printing of the revelation in the Doctrine
and Covenants indicated that it was given as counsel or advice rather than
as a binding commandment, though the revelation states that it was
"adapted to the capacity of the weak and the weakest of all saints" (D&C
89:3). Compliance with its teachings was sporadic from the late 1830s
until the early years of the twentieth century. The Church encouraged
leaders to be an example to the people in abstaining from alcohol,
tobacco, tea, and coffee; but no binding Church policy was articulated
during this time.

The prohibition movement, spearheaded by the Protestant Evangelical
churches in America, focused on alcohol consumption as a political rather
than a moral issue. The movement intensified the Church's interest in the
Word of Wisdom. There is evidence that Church Presidents John Taylor,
Joseph F. Smith, and Heber J. Grant wanted to promote adherence to the
Word of Wisdom as a precondition for entering LDS temples or holding
office in any Church organization; and indeed, by 1930 abstinence from the
use of alcohol, tobacco, coffee, and tea had become an official
requirement for those seeking temple recommends.  While abstinence from
these substances is now required for temple attendance and for holding
priesthood offices or other Church callings, no other ecclesiastical
sanctions are imposed on those who do not comply with the Word of Wisdom.

Other dietary aspects of the Word of Wisdom have not received the stress
that the abstinence portions have. While some leaders, such as John A.
Widtsoe, have emphasized the benefits of eating whole grains, no
distinctive dietary practices have emerged that distinguish Mormons from
non-Mormons, though the use of whole-grain cereals is often assumed to be
higher among Latter-day Saints than other people.

With the appearance of cola drinks in the early 1900s, the Church was
confronted with cold beverages containing caffeine, a harmful substance
believed to make coffee and tea unacceptable. While no official Church
position has been stated, leaders have counseled members to avoid caffeine
and other addictive chemicals.

Church leaders universally caution against any use of such drugs as
marijuana and cocaine and the abuse of prescription drugs. While none of
these substances are mentioned specifically in the Word of Wisdom, the
concept of the sanctity of the body and the deleterious effects of
chemical  substances on it have been emphasized as an extension of the
Word of Wisdom.

Many of the health benefits associated with abstinence from the substances
mentioned in the Word of Wisdom did not become clear until the latter part
of the twentieth century. During World War I use of cigarettes among men
became widespread, and during World War II, among women. The association
of cigarette smoking with lung cancer was documented in the early 1950s,
but official statements by scientific bodies accepting this relationship
as causal did not occur until the mid-1960s. Since that time, many other
diseases have been associated with cigarette smoking, including cancers of
the oral cavity, larynx, esophagus, kidney, bladder, and pancreas; peptic
ulcers; coronary heart disease; chronic bronchitis; infant mortality; and
chronic obstructive airway disease.

Studies have found that Latter-day Saints have substantially lower risk
for all of these illnesses (30-80 percent below that of non-Mormons living
in Utah or in other areas of the United States) and that people who
abstain from these substances are at much lower risk of these diseases
than those who do not. Few health risks have been clearly identified with
the use of tea and coffee, though some evidence suggests that those who
abstain from coffee may be at lower risk for peptic ulcers, cancer of the
pancreas, and coronary heart disease. Some studies estimate that those
complying with the Word of Wisdom increase their life expectancy up to
seven years.

Bibliography



Alexander, Thomas G. Mormonism in Transition, pp. 258-71.

Urbana, Ill., 1986.

Arrington, Leonard J. "An Economic Interpretation of the "Word of
Wisdom."' BYU Studies 1 (Winter 1959):37-49.

Backman, Milton V., Jr. The Heavens Resound: A History of the Latter-day
Saints in Ohio 1830-1838, pp. 234-36, 257-61. Salt Lake City, 1983.

Bush, Lester E., Jr. "The Word of Wisdom in Early Nineteenth-Century
Perspective." Dialogue 14 (Autumn 1981):47-65.

----. "The Mormon Tradition." In Caring and Curing: Health and Medicine in
the Western Religious Traditions, ed. R. Numbers and D.

Amundsen, pp. 397-419. New York, 1986.

Enstrom, James E. "Cancer Mortality Among Mormons." Cancer 36
(1975):825-41.

----. "Health Practices and Cancer Mortality Among Active California
Mormons." Journal of the National Cancer Institute 81 (1989):1807-1814.

Gardner, John W., and Joseph L. Lyon. "Cancer in Utah Mormon Men by Lay
Priesthood Level." American Journal of Epidemiology 116 (1982):243-57.

----. "Cancer in Utah Mormon Women by Church Activity Level." American
Journal of Epidemiology 116 (1982):258-65.

Lyon, Joseph L., et al. "Cancer Incidence in Mormons and Non-Mormons in
Utah, 1966-1970." New England Journal of Medicine 294 (1976):129-38.

----, and Steven Nelson. "Mormon Health." Dialogue 12 (Fall 1979):84-96.

----; John W. Gardner; and Dee W. West. "Cancer Incidence in Mormons and
Non-Mormons in Utah during 1967-1975." Journal of the National Cancer
Institute 65 (1980):1055-61.

Peterson, Paul H. "An Historical Analysis of the Word of Wisdom." Master's
thesis, Brigham Young University, 1972.

Widtsoe, John A., and Leah D. Widtsoe. The Word of Wisdom: A Modern
Interpretation. Salt Lake City, 1937.

Woolley, F. Ross; Katharina L. Schuman; and Joseph L. Lyon.

"Neonatal Mortality in Utah." American Journal of Epidemiology 116
(1982):541-46.

JOSEPH LYNN LYON

---------------


...[1815]..  Eventually the movement was supported by Christian leaders,
and temperance reform became inseparably connected with the spread of
revivalistic religion.  Many churchgoers came to view drinking as
inconsistent with Christian tenets as well as an indication of moral
depravity.  ...

The creation of the American Temperance Society in 1826 marked the
beginning of organized temperance groups, and inaugurated a movement which
had far-reaching consequences.  Almost immediately hundreds of state and
local auxiliaries sprang into existence, and within a year after the
organization of the American Temperance Society, 222 local groups had been
formed in sixteen states.  ...

...  As in other areas, the churches became the leading vehicles for
temperance expression with the evangelical denominations in the forefront.
 ...

Temperance agitation was apparently strong in the Mormon settlements of
Kirtland and Mentor.  On October 6, 1830, the Kirtland Temperance Society
was organized.  ...  The Kirtland distillery which had existed since 1819
was closed for want of patronage by February 1, 1833, approximately four
weeks before Smith announced the revelation.  ...

... it is not improbably that some Saints were members of the Kirtland
Temperance Society ....  ... while the Mormon Prophet was in all
likelihood not associated with any temperance organization, it seem highly
improbable that he would not have been sensitive to the prevailing
temperance sentiment. ...

There was no consistent pattern of interpretation or application of the
Word of Wisdom between the time it was given and the middle 1840's.  ...

It is evident that at first adherence to at least some portions of the
revelation was mandatory and necessary for Church fellowship.  ...

... it would appear that they had little objection to its occasional use
for medicinal purposes.  In an age when these items were frequently used
as a relief for a wide variety of ailments, it would have been imprudent
to have entirely forbidden their use.  ...

...  While the general use of whiskey and liquor was contrary to the
principle, many Saints felt these venerates had redeeming medicinal
qualities.  It was drunk by some to help remedy the effects of cholera,
and evidently was used as an alleviating cure for the effects of other
sicknesses.  Sidney Rigdon, perhaps as strict and rigid as any Mormon
leader regarding Word of Wisdom observance, proposed in December, 1836,
that Church members discontinue liquor in health and in sickness, but it
would appear that this instruction was not followed by many Saints.  ...

Some Church members used liquor for reasons other than medicinal.  Joseph
Smith and other prisoners drank liquor and whiskey in the Liberty Jail in
token of friendship, while references to wine-drinking are commonplace.
Excessive drinking, however, was not tolerated, and some Mormons were
threatened with loss of membership for failure to curb drunkenness.

... [Nauvoo] It first appeared that the city fathers had designed this
city as a "dry town." In February,, 1841, the city council prohibited
liquor by the drink and declared exceptions to this rule punishable by the
fine of twenty-five dollars.  ...

Nauvoo, however, was a thriving river town as well as a city of Saints.
In all probability, the desires of the growing Gentile element for easier
accessibility of alcoholic beverages, along with similar urgings of many
Mormons not holding to the view of strict abstinence, led to a gradual
relaxation and liberalization of liquor laws.  ...

...  By 1846, then, the somewhat strict prohibitions of the 1830's
regarding the use of alcohol, tobacco, tea, and coffee among the Mormons
had begun to erode away, as moderation rather than abstinence became the
major concern.  ...

Joseph's approach to the Word of Wisdom, when viewed in historical
perspective, seems sensible and rational.  In the late 1830's the Kirtland
Stake had dissolved due to apostasy, the Missouri Saints were being driven
from the State with accompanying hardships, and Joseph himself was
imprisoned.  At a time when the Church was struggling for mere existence,
it would seem small and petty to quibble about a dring of tea or coffee.
Similarly, after a comparatively comfortable initial existence in Nauvoo,
Mormon society was torn apart by internal dissension and by the
controversy and persecution which resulted from the promulgation and
practice of peculiar religious doctrines.  Emphasis on a rigid
interpretation of a health code during such a period of turmoil would seem
ill-timed and inappropriate.  Moreover, there is some evidence that Joseph
sought to avoid needless dissension among the Saints by urging moderation
and charity.  It would appear that some Mormons had been influenced by the
fanaticism that characterized sermons of some of the radical temperance
reformers, and tended to be intolerant of those with professed Word of
Wisdom weaknesses.  The Prophet, recognizing that the revelation must be
seen in perspective with other matters and doctrines pertaining to the
growth of the "Kingdom," urged them to be slow to judge or condemn others.
 Joseph's rather curt reaction to a talk advocating "temperance in the
extreme" was illustrative of his desire to teach the Saints to be
charitable and merciful, rather than vindictive and unforgiving.  After
reproving the speaker as Pharisaical and hypocritical, the Prophet said
the following:

If you do not accuse each other, God will not accuse you.  If you have no
accuser you will enter heaven, and if you will follow the revelations and
instructions which God gives you through me, I will take you into heaven
as my back load.  If you will not accuse me, I will not accuse you.  If
you will not throw a cloak of charity over my sins, I will cover yours --
for charity covereth a multitude of sins.  ...



The tendency toward tolerance in interpreting the Word of Wisdom
contineued in the Church from the death of Joseph Smith to the 1860's.  As
a group, in fact, it seems that Mormons were less inclined to observe Word
of Wisdom principles during this era than any other.  At least two
practical reasons may account for this.  first, many Mormons probably felt
that alcohol, tobacco, tea, and coffee had redeeming qualities from the
standpoint of medical need and fatigue, and reasoned that the obvious
hardships associated with the settlement of a harsh and barren region
justified their use.  ...  Secondly, Brigham Young, successor to Joseph
Smith as Mormon Prophet and President, never chose to make obedience to
the Word of Wisdom a test of fellowship in the Church.  ...

...  Observations made by four non-Mormons who traveled through Utah
Territory in the 1850's suggest that Mormons were considerably more
moderate in the use of alcohol, tobacco, tea, and coffee, than was
contemporary society.  ...

While it was evident that Church authorities had little concern with
individual Word of Wisdom lapses, it is interesting to note that in the
1850's a new trend in teaching adherence to the revelation began.  ...
Accepting the fact that many older Saints were addicted to their tobacco,
or "hot drink" habits, and realizing that many would have a difficult time
living a life of abstinence, Church leaders began to appeal to the younger
generation to live the Word of Wisdom.  ...

It is sometimes said that at a General Conference meeting held on
September 9, 1851, Word of Wisdom observance was made obligatory upon
Church members.  Here Brigham Young called on all the sisters who would
refrain from using tea and coffee to manifest it my raising their right
hand.  He then asked "boys under ninety" to abstain from tobacco and
whiskey and other undesirable items mentioned in the revelation.
Apparently both notions were unanimously agreed upon.  A letter sent from
the First Presidency to the Saints abroad explained this action in the
following manner: "The Conference voted to observe the Word of Wisdom and
particularly to dispense with the use of tea, coffee, snuff, and tobacco,
and in this thing as well as many others, what is good for the Saints in
the mountains, is good for the Saints in other places ...." The many
references to this particular event often leaves the impression that the
Word of Wisdom was made a commandment at the time.  ...

Despite such numerous statements, a close perusal of sermons by various
authorities in the 1850's and 1860's would lead to another conclusion.
...

[1860] But within two or three years this rather lenient attitude toward
offenders changed and an increased emphasis on a more rigid application
became evident.  At least two reasons for this change are apparent.  (1)
It would seem that around 1862 Brigham Young had curbed his own habits.
...  (2) The conditions of the Mormon economy made strict enforcement
practical if not necessary.

... the coming of the transcontinental railroad posed a particularly
crucial problem for Church leaders.  The desire "to escape absorption into
the wider free-trading economy of the nation," necessitated among other
things, a reduction of unproductive consumer imports such as tobacco and
tea to a minimum in order to finance productive imports.  The organization
of Relief Societies and Schools of the Prophets in 1867 with their
requirements specifying Word of Wisdom adherence figured prominently in
this facet of Church policy.

... Young's speeches regarding observance were characterized by a firm, if
not invective spirit.  ...  Perhaps a partial explanation for the harsh
tone of such sermons was the apparent inability of many Mormons to
maintain a consistent standard.  It seems as if a steady verbal barrage
was necessary to keep them from slipping back into former patterns.  ...

[School of the Prophets] In the late 1860's overt concern with money
outlay for personal consumption items such as tobacco and tea resulted in
an eventual entrance requirement specifying adherence to the Word of
Wisdom.  Since this rule was difficult for many to abide by, the Word of
Wisdom was a much-discussed topic.

Avoiding the frequent use of liquor was probably somewhat difficult for
many St. George residents.  Recognizing that Southern Utah needed an
economic boost, Brigham Young suggested in the early 1860's that the area
manufacture wine.  One reason was to provide wine for sacramental
purposes, but a more important function was to provide income for
destitute Saints in Southern Utah.  ...

...  Much of the wine was of poor quality and the sale of inferior wine
damaged the reputation of this product.  This, plus the personal
degradation of individual Saints, convinced Church authorities that the
promotion of this industry had probably been a mistake.  By 1900, Church
members were counseled to dig up their vineyards.

Beginning in 1880, and lasting throughout the remainder of the eighties, a
great prohibition wave swept the country.  ...

... the Mormon Church initiated in 1883 the most zealous, widespread, and
probably most influential crusade to encourage Church members to obey the
Word of Wisdom.  ...

... John Taylor, Young's successor as Church President, said that he had
received a revelation on October 13, 1882, which designated the Word of
Wisdom as a commandment.  Interestingly enough, Wilford Woodruff recorded
in his journal that Taylor received revelation in October of 1882, "in
which the duties of the Priesthood and of the Saints were set forth."
Whether these revelations were related is, of course, open to conjecture.
...

Just what was specifically included in President Taylor's revelation is
unknown, but subsequent events suggest that reemphasis on the Word of
Wisdom was but one area of concern.  The concurrent reorganization of the
School of the Prophets "in accordance with the designs of the Almighty,"
and the stress on and increase in plural marriages infer that Taylor
desired to bring about a series of general reforms.  In short, one could
refer to the 1883-1884 period in Church History as a "Second Reformation."
...  Taylor referred to the revelation as being obligatory on all officers
of the Church.

Curiously enough, there are relatively few references to the Word of
Wisdom between 1885 and 1893.  This void can be accounted for in part by
the polygamy persecutions and federal raids which were prevalent during
this time.  ...

The "lapse period" of the late 80's and early 90's ended October, 1894,
when Wilford Woodruff, now President of the Church, spoke forcefully to
Church members regarding Word of Wisdom observance...  [this was after the
manifesto] The next few years were characterized by occasional but firm
declarations by Church leaders to adhere to the Word of Wisdom, and
clarifications on some of the finer points of the revelation.  ...

...  Evidence would suggest that by 1900, a majority of Church leaders,
including those on the local level, obeyed the revelation.


Joseph F. Smith, Mormon Prophet from 1901 until 1919, was probably as
strict with regard to Word of Wisdom observance as any of his predecessors
....

...  President Smith advised Hess to: (1) Use his own discretion in most
cases (2) Refuse recommends to flagrant violators (3) Work with those
having weaknesses (4) Be somewhat liberal with very old men who had
contracted the tobacco habit but insist that they refrain from using
tobacco those days they are in the temple.  (5) Draw the line on
drunkenness.


... [prohibition] came at a time when Mormon-Gentile relations were
strained.  Many Church leaders, leery of more negative exposure, were
probably reluctant to involve themselves in so sensitive an issue. ...

It was expected that the Mormon Church with it stand on "strong drinks"
would be a major force in the push for statewide prohibition, and it was
not surprising that Church leaders chose to emphasize the Word of Wisdom
during the 1908 General Conference sessions.  ...

While the Word of Wisdom was the obvious theme of October General
Conference, it was somewhat puzzling to some that at a time when
prohibition was being hotly debated, no specific pronouncement was being
made regarding that question.  Though many Authorities spoke in favor of
temperance or abstinence, the lack of precise reference to prohibition
suggested to some that the Church was not openly in favor of statewide
prohibition.  ...

... have led some to conclude that [Joseph F. Smith's] ambivalence was due
to a fear that direct Mormon entrance into the controversy would deepen
Mormon-Gentile wounds and result in a renewal of anti-Mormon agitation.
...

Although Smith never chose to comment often on prohibition, his statements
on the Word of Wisdom would suggest that he was moving the Church slowly
but steadily in the direction of complete abstinence. ...

In 1913, the First Presidency instructed Nephi L. Morris, President of the
Salt Lake Stake, not to call or recommend young men for missions unless
they observe the Word of Wisdom By the close of Joseph F. Smith's
administration prospects for increasing Church-wide obedience were bright.
 ... abstinence rather than merely temperance was probably the rule among
Ward and Stake leaders, and most Mormons had come to accept compliance to
the revelation as a tenet of their faith.  ...


Heber J. Grant, President of the Church from 1919 until 1945, emphasized
the Word of Wisdom with constant firmness and fervor.  Under Grant's
leadership the revelation came to be regarded as a binding principle, a
test of individual obedience and worthiness, and a requirement for a
temple recommend.

Determining precisely when Grant declared the Word of Wisdom to be binding
is difficult, and many have maintained it was made obligatory before
Grant's time.  ...

Concurrent with Grant's elevation to the Presidency was the beginning of
the Prohibition era in the United States.  Prohibition was a measure with
[sic] Grant had diligently worked for and he frequently spoke out in favor
of the experiment.  ...   Grant desire to make Word of Wisdom obedience
mandatory was manifest early in his administration.  ...

Grant pre-occupation with Word of Wisdom adherence became even more
pronounced in the late 1920's and early 1930's.  This emphasis can be
accounted for, in part, by the growing dissatisfaction with prohibition
and the accompanying sentiment for repeal.  ...

Grant's refusal to soften his verbal barrage occasionally resulted in
criticism, and his replies to his detractors indicate his sincerity and
devotion to his task.  In 1932, the Mormon leader stated he had been
called a crank for constantly urging the Saints to observe the Word of
Wisdom, but mentioned that he expected to be a crank in that respect to
the end of his life.  ...


Paul H. Peterson, "An Historical Analysis of the Word of Wisdom," A Thesis
presented to the Department of History Brigham Young University, In
Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement s for the Degree Master of Arts,
August 1972.

--------------------

If survival is the first task of the movement, the natural and inevitable
response of the host society is either to domesticate the movement or to
destroy it.  In seeking to domesticate or assimilate it, the society will
apply various kinds of social control pressures selectively in an effort
to force the movement to abandon at least its most unique and threatening
features.  To the extent that the society succeeds in this domestication
effort, the result will be the eventual assimilation of the movement.
Failing to achieve sufficient domestication, the host society will
eventually resort to the only alternative: persecution and repression..

The logical extreme of either of these two societal responses
(assimilation or repression) is, of course, oblivion for the movement. ...

Movements which, like Mormonism, survive and prosper are those that
succeed in maintaining indefinitely an optimum tension ...

between the two opposing strains: the strain toward greater assimilation
and the respectability, on the one hand, and that toward greater
separateness, peculiarity, and militance, on the other.  ...

If, in its quest for acceptance and respectability, a movement allows
itself to be pulled too far toward assimilation, it will lose its unique
identity altogether.  If, on the other hand, in its quest for uniqueness
of identity and mission, it allows itself to move too far toward an
extreme rejection of the host society, it will lose its very life.  Its
viability and its separate identity both depend upon a successful and
perpetual oscillation within a fairly narrow range along a continuum
between two alternative modes of oblivion.

[The book makes the comment that after plural marriage and other
distinctive Mormon practices were given up, practices such as the Word of
Wisdom and regular temple attendance were strongly encouraged.  These
practices maintained the distinctiveness of the Mormons from the
Gentiles.]

Armand L. Mauss, The Angel and the Beehive: The Mormon Struggle with
Assimilation, (University of Illinois, 1994) p. 4-5.

--------------------

The Xanthines: Coffee, Cola, Cocoa, and Tea by Clifford J. Stratton, BYU
Studies, Vol. 20, No. 4, p.371

...

Caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline are three alkaloids that occur in
many plants throughout the world. Because they are so closely related both
chemically and in their actions on the human body, they are collectively
called the xanthines. From earliest times, man has made food solids and
beverages from the extracts of plants that contain these substances.4
Table 1 illustrates some common dietary sources of xanthines. A close
examination of the table reveals that there are significant quantities of
these drugs present in many popular commodities.



Coffee is derived from the seeds of Coffea arabica and its related
species. According to legend, Arabian "shepherds reported that goats that
had eaten the berries of the coffee plant gamboled and frisked about all
through the night."5 An Arabian priest in a monastery obtained the plant
and became the first known person to make and drink a beverage from it,
allowing him to undergo long nights of prayer. The coffee shrub produces a
fruit called a "cherry" that contains two oval coffee beans.

These are dried, hulled, roasted, and ground. Instant and freeze-dried
coffee are produced by extracting ground coffee with water and
freeze-dried the extract, by drying it on a drum in a vacuum, or by
spraying it into a heated chamber. Decaffeinated coffee is obtained by
steaming green coffee and treating it with a chlorinated organic solvent
which dissolves out nearly all the caffeine. Coffee contains the xanthine
caffeine.



Cocoa, obtained from the seeds of Theobroma cocoa, was used in the New
World long before Columbus. It grows as a bean in pods seven to twelve
inches long, each containing from thirty to forty beans (seeds).

The beans are removed, allowed to ferment for several days, dried, and
hulled. The resulting "nibs" are ground into a semiliquid past called
"chocolate liquor." The liquor solidifies to a hard, brown block when
cooled and is sold as baking chocolate or bitter chocolate. Milk chocolate
for bars is made by adding milk, sugar, and flavorings; and sweet
chocolate for cooking is made by adding only sugar and flavorings.

Sometimes the liquor is squeezed in a hydraulic press to remove the cocoa
butter. The defatted residue is the common "cocoa" used to make hot cocoa
drink and also used in manufacturing confections as well as pharmaceutical
and cosmetic preparations. Cocoa that has been treated with alkali to
produce a less acid flavor is called "Dutch" chocolate.

Cocoa and chocolate contain the xanthines theobromine and caffeine.



Tea is the national drink of most of the human race, being most popular in
Asia, the Middle East, and the United Kingdom. The beverage use of tea
probably started in China long before the birth of Christ. Tea is the
dried leaves of Thea sinesis, an evergreen shrub. The young, unopened leaf
bud is considered the highest quality. Black tea is made by rolling the
leaves after they have withered and are soft. The rolling releases enzymes
that cause chemical reactions within the leaf, and oxygen is taken up as a
result. The leaves are spread out in order to absorb a maximum of oxygen.
They are then heated and dried to be ready for use. For green tea, the
leaves wither and are rolled, but are immediately heated and dried.
Instant tea is made in much the same way as instant coffee. Tea owes much
of its flavor to the complex mixture of more than twenty substances that
make up the tannins it contains. Tea contains the xanthines caffeine,
theophylline, and theobromine.



Cola-flavored beverages contain an extract from kola nuts obtained from
the Cola acuminata tree. Carbonated beverages were first made by early
Europeans to imitate the popular and naturally effervescent waters from
famous springs that were reputed to have therapeutic value. Today
carbonation is achieved by cascading the chilled beverage mixture in thin
layers over a series of plates in an enclosure containing carbon dioxide
gas under pressure. Cola drinks contain the xanthine caffeine.



How Do the Xanthines Act on the Body ...

1. Brain and spinal cord.19 Caffeine and theophylline are powerful central
nervous system stimulants. They stimulate all potions of the cortex of the
brain, resulting in greater sustained intellectual effort and a more
perfect association of ideas a keener appreciation of sensory stimuli.



If a person has become depressed by barbiturates or other drugs, caffeine
or theophylline may be administered to speed up breathing to an acceptable
level, since they act on the respiratory center of the brain.



Overindulgence or abuse of the use of caffeine and theophylline products
leads to "chronic xanthine poisoning" which may produce the following
symptoms: diarrhea, dizziness, apprehension, restlessness, a high level of
anxiety, and a ringing hissing noise in the ears.



2. Cardiovascular systems.20 All three xanthines have a powerful action on
the heart and blood vessels. Xanthines cause the blood vessels that feed
the brain to constrict, decreasing both the blood flow and the oxygen
tension of the brain. This action is responsible for the striking relief
from headaches obtained from xanthine consumption.

Note in Table 1 that almost all prescription medications, over-the-counter
analgesics, and cold preparations contain significant amounts of caffeine
for that purpose.

All of the xanthines stimulate the heart directly to increase the force of
contraction, the heart rate, and the output. Theophylline is a valuable
drug in the heart is filled with blood due to a venous obstruction.

Because the xanthines dilate the blood vessels that nourish the heart,
causing increased blood flow, they are used in the treatment of coronary
artery disease and other coronary insufficiencies.

Large doses result in tachycardia (a rapid beating of the heart, over 100
beats per minute). Continued stimulation occasionally results in permanent
heart irregularities. Such are sometimes "encountered in persons who use
caffeine beverages to excess."21

3. Smooth muscle.32 The xanthines, particularly theophylline, relax the
smooth muscles that surround the bronchioles (the air tubes that go to the
lungs). They are used to relieve respiratory distress, especially in the
treatment of certain cases of bronchial asthma.

4. Skeletal Muscle.33 Caffeine and theobromine strengthen the contraction
of the voluntary muscles of the body (e.g., arm and leg muscles),
resulting in an increased capacity for muscular work. Abuse may result in
shaking or trembling.

5. Kidneys.34 Theobromine and theophylline increase the production of
urine and are sometimes used as diuretics. Overuse causes more frequent
urination.

6. Gastric secretion.35 Moderate doses of caffeine increase the amount of
acid secreted into the stomach. Repeated daily doses of caffeine have been
shown to contribute to ulcers. For this reason, excessive use of coffee
and cola beverages is a concern to many physicians. Abuse of these
stimulants may also cause nervous or "butterfly" stomach.

7. Body metabolism.36 The xanthines cause an increase in the basal
metabolic rate (they increase the amount of energy produced by the cells).
Ingestion of 500 mg. of caffeine (about four cups of coffee--see Table 1)
increases the basal metabolic rate ten percent to twenty-five percent.
However, the effects are not seen until a few hours after the drug is
taken. As would be expected, this stimulation is usually followed by a
period of sluggishness or mild body depression.

...  Because he does not feel the increased heart rate, dilation of heart
vessels, the decreased blood flow and oxygen tension of the brain, the
increased gastric secretion nor the increased body metabolism, but only
observes the stimulation and the diuretic effect, the prince only appears
small. ...



Because theobromine, unlike caffeine and theophylline, only slightly
stimulates the central nervous system, some people incorrectly assume that
its other effects are minimal. This has resulted in the ingestion of cocoa
and chocolate by people who refrain from caffeine and theophylline in tea,
coffee, and cola drinks. As early as 1939, in an article appearing on the
Journal of the American Medical Association,43 a question concerning the
use of cocoa and chocolate was answered: "In considering cocoa as a
beverage for children, it should be regarded as a stimulant similar to
coffee." Today, as a result of many years of research and clinical
experience with the xanthines, it is known that theobromine is more potent
than an equal amount of caffeine in causing heart stimulation, dilation of
heart vessels, smooth muscle relaxation, and diuresis.

...  To an adult weighing 150 lbs. "a cup of instant coffee or a can of
cola beverage could give about 1 mg. caffeine per kilogram of body weight.
In a very young child, the cup of chocolate or candy bar would give the
same proportion of caffeine to body weight. When this child drinks a can
of cola,. . . caffeine intake is comparable to an adult drinking 4 cups
instant coffee. ...



Clifford J. Stratton, "The Xanthines: Coffe, Cola, Cocoa, and Tea,"
Brigham Young University Studies, Vol. 20, Number 4, (Spring 1980).

Tables in this article show the amount of xanthines in substances:

6 oz brewed coffie= 100-150 mg caffeine 12 oz can of cola: Tab=50 mg; Coca
Cola=65 mg; Dr. pepper=61 mg; Mountain Dew=55 mg

8 oz chocolate bar= 87 mg caffeine, 471 mg theobromine 6 oz tea=38-81 mg
caffeine; 2 mg theobromine 6 oz instant hot chocolate=18 mg caffeine; 175
mg theobromine

---------------




-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: "Perry L. Porter" <[e-mail]>
Subject: ---> Lesson 28
Date: 24 Aug 1997 21:54:22 -0700

Doctrine and Covenants 93-96

Lesson 28

Scriptural Highlights

1. Each person can obtain a fulness of glory.

2. We should base our lives on truth.

3. The Lord directed the construction of the Kirtland Temple.

Seek the guidance of the Holy Ghost while preparing and presenting this
lesson. Encourage class members to pray in their hearts to know how to
apply the principles taught in these revelations.

Discussion and Application Questions

* What must we do to be worthy to see and know the Lord? (See D&C 93:1;
67:10-14; 88:67-68; and the quotation from the Prophet Joseph Smith in
lesson 20.)

* In D&C 93:6-17, John testified that the Savior received a fulness of the
Father's glory. What does this mean? How did the Savior receive this
fulness of glory? (D&C 93:11 -15.)

* The Lord promises that we' like the Savior, may "receive of [the
Father's] fulness" (D&C 93:19). How can we receive this fulness? (D&C
93:19-22, 26-28.) How do these verses help you understand your potential
and the love that the Father and Son have for you?

What does it mean to receive "grace for grace"? (D&C 93:20; 98:12). How
have you progressed from grace to grace in developing your testimony,
understanding gospel principles, or growing spiritually? How does knowing
that the Savior "received not of the fulness at first, but continued from
grace to grace" help you as you strive to progress?

* The Lord said he revealed D&C 93 so "that you may understand and know
how to worship, and know what you worship" (D&C 93:19). What does D&C 93
teach you about how to worship the Lord? How can the truths in this
section help you worship more meaningfully?

* What do we learn about truth in D&C 93:24-30, 36-37? What do you learn
from these verses about how to seek
truth in all aspects of your life? How do these verses help you understand
the consequences of choosing to follow Satan, even in seemingly small
ways? (See also D&C 93:31-32 )

* In D&C 93:33-35, what does the Lord teach about the importance of our
bodies? (See also D&C 138:15-17, 50.) When will the spirit and element be
inseparably connected? (D&C 88:14-17.)

* In D&C 93:38-40, what does the Lord teach about little children? How are
light and truth taken away from children as they grow up? What does it
mean to bring up children "in light and truth"?

* In D&C 93:41-50 the Lord instructed early Church leaders about teaching
their children. How can the instructions given in these verses help us
teach children? (See also the quotation from President Kimball.)

* Why does the Lord chasten us? (D&C 95:1-2; Hebrews 12:5-11.) In what
ways does he chasten us? What can we do to make the Lord's chastening more
valuable to us? How can parents follow the Lord's example when chastening
their children?

* What "grievous sin" is referred to in D&C 95:3? Why was the Lord so
concerned that a temple be built in Kirtland? (D&C 95:8-9.J What does D&C
95 teach about the importance of the temple? How can we make the temple
more important in our daily living of the gospel?

Quotation

President Spencer W. Kimball: "We bring children into the world to become
kings and queens, priests and priestesses for our Lord.... How sad if the
Lord should charge any of us parents with having failed to teach our
children. Truly a tremendous responsibility falls upon a couple when they
bring children into the world. Not only food, clothes, and shelter are
required of them, but loving, kindly disciplining' teaching, and training"
(Ensign, Apr. 1978, pp. 4-5).

Next Week's Reading Assignment Doctrine and Covenants 97-100; 134

Page  55

Class Member Study Guide

Lesson 28

By 2 February 1833 the Prophet had temporarily concluded his translation
of the New Testament, but he continued to work on the Old Testament. In
May the Lord directed him to hasten the work (see D&C 93:53) and to make
plans for a building in which to print the translation (see D&C 94:10).

The Prophet was also involved in planning the Kirtland Temple, the first
building erected for worship by the Latter-day Saints. In December 1832
the Lord had commanded the Saints to build the temple (see D&C 88:119) ,
but by June 1833 little had been done. The Lord called on his people to
repent and to hasten their work on the temple (see D&C 95). He promised to
reveal the design of the temple to three leaders of the Church (see D&C
95:14).

Frederick G. Williams recalled: "Joseph received the word of the Lord for
him to take his two counsellors [Frederick G.] Williams and [Sidney]
Rigdon and come before the Lord, and he would show them the plan or model
of the House to be built. We went upon our knees, called on the Lord, and
the Building appeared within viewing distance: I being the first to
discover it. Then all of us viewed it together. After we had taken a good
look
at the exterior, the building seemed to come right over us, and the Makeup
of this Hall seems to coincide with what I saw there to a minutia" (quoted
in The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 198).

Other matters also demanded the attention of Church leaders. For example,
as the Latter-day Saint population in Kirtland grew, it became necessary
to acquire more land. After the Church purchased a large piece of
property, a conference of high priests could not reach an agreement about
who should manage the property. The brethren resolved to seek the will of
the Lord on the matter and received D&C 96 in answer.

As you study D&C 93-96, consider the following:

How did the Savior receive a fulness of the Father's glory? (D&C 93:11
-17.) How can we receive this fulness? (D&C 93:19-22, 26-28.)

* In D&C 93:40-50, what did the Lord teach about the responsibility
parents have to their children? What can you do to bring up your children
"in light and truth"?

* What does D&C 95 teach about the importance of the temple? How can you
make the temple more important in your daily living of the gospel?

An architect's drawing of the Kirtland Temple. The Lord revealed the
design of the temple and commanded, "Let it be built after the manner
which I shall show unto . . . you" (D&C 95:14).

Page 56


Section 93 ... The headnote of section 93 in the 1921 edition of the
Doctrine  and Covenants ... suggests that the text of the revelation
contains a  portion of the record of John the Apostle.  Both John Taylor
and Orson  Pratt believed the record to be that of John the Baptist.

Lyndon W. Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A  Historical
and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants,  (Salt Lake
City: Deseret Book, 1985), p. 194-195.

Section 94 Both the "Kirtland Revelation Book" and a letter from the
Prophet and others to Church leaders in Missouri, dated 6 August 1833,
give the date of reception for section 94 as 2 August 1833.  Moreover, the
6 August 1833 letter makes it clear that sections 97 and 94 were received
together and appear to be either two part of one revelation or two
revelations joined together section 94 constituting the latter half.
Internal evidence also suggests that section 94 was received after section

94: verses 1-2 of section 94 indicate that the pattern for constructing
the Kirtland Temple had already been given, but section 95 gave the
dimensions for the temple and added that the "manner" (i.e. architecture)
would be later shown to three.

... two sacred building to be constructed in Kirtland: the house  for the
Presidency and a house for printing.

Lyndon W. Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical
and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants, (Salt Lake
City: Deseret Book, 1985), p. 195.

Section 95 ... take into consideration the commandment in section 88 to
build  a house for the School of the Prophets.

Lyndon W. Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A  Historical
and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants,  (Salt Lake
City: Deseret Book, 1985), p. 197.

F.G. Williams came into the Temple about the time the main hall  1st floor
was ready for dedication.  He was asked, how does the house look to you.
He answered that it looked to him like the model he had seen.  he said
President Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon and himself were called to come
before the Lord and the model was shown them.  He said the vision of the
Temple was thus shown them and he could not see the difference between it
and the House as built.  (Angell to Taylor, 11 March 1885, Church
Archives).

Lyndon W. Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A  Historical
and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants,  (Salt Lake
City: Deseret Book, 1985), p. 322.

----------------------------