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gdm Digest           Sunday, April 13 1997           Volume 01 : Number 010



In this issue:

    ---> Lesson 13
    ---> Lesson 14

See the end of the digest for information on subscribing to the gdm
or gdm-digest mailing lists and on how to retrieve back issues.

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Date: Sun, 13 Apr 1997 20:20:35 -0700
From: "Perry L. Porter" <[e-mail]>
Subject: ---> Lesson 13

Doctrine and Covenants 42
Lesson13

Scriptural Highlights

1. Teaching the gospel
2. The law of consecration
3. The Ten Commandments

Ask a class member to read D&C 42:59 aloud. Explain that in D&C 42 the Lord
tells the Saints how he wants them to deal with each other.

Discussion and Application Questions

* Why is it important that we teach from the scriptures when we teach the
gospel? (D&C 42:12.) What are the drawbacks of teaching the gospel from
books other than the scriptures? How can we develop greater love for the
scriptures? (Alma 32:28.) How can we help children and others develop a
love for the scriptures?

* When we teach the gospel, what is our role and what is the Spirit's role?
(See D&C 11 :21; 42:14; 2 Nephi 33:1; and p. iii of this manual.) What does
this suggest about how we should prepare to teach? As you have taught or
studied the gospel, how has the Spirit helped you understand the Lord's
words and gain a testimony of them?

* What insights does D&C 42:18-28 provide into some of the Ten
Commandments? (Compare Matthew 5:21-28.) How do these verses show that
Jesus is both just and merciful?

* Why is marital love and fidelity important? (D&C 42:22-25.) How can a
husband and wife strengthen their love for each other? (See Ephesians 5:25
and the quotations from President Kimball.) How can we protect ourselves
from Satan's enticements to be immoral? (D&C 121 :45.)

* For what purpose did the Lord command the early Saints to consecrate
their resources? (D&C 42:30-36.) What can we do today to prepare to live
the law of consecration? (See the quotation from Elder Lee.) What can we
consecrate to the Lord's storehouse to help care for the poor and needy?
(See the quotation from President Monson.)

* What does the Lord counsel us about the clothing we wear? (D&C 42:40-41;
Alma 4:6-14; Mormon 8:34-41.) How can we help children want to wear
appropriate clothing?

* What do we learn from D&C 42:43-52 about healings? How can we strengthen
our faith in the Lord's healing power? What experiences have you had with
healing through faith in Christ?

* What does the Savior promise us in D&C 42:61 and 68 What must we do to
receive those blessings? How do revelations come to us? (See the quotation
from Elder Oaks.) What experiences with revelation have you had that are
appropriate to share in class?

* In D&C 42:88, what does the Lord teach about settling our problems and
disputes with others? (See also Matthew 5:23-25.) Why is it important to
reconcile offenses? Why are some of us slow to seek reconciliation?

Quotations

President Spencer W. Kimball: "[Husbands,] you need to ask yourselves, 'Can
l love my wife even as Christ also has loved the Church?' Can you think of
how he loved the Church? Its every breath was important to him. Its every
growth, its every individual, was precious to him. He gave to those people
all his energy, all his power, all his interest. He gave his life - and
what more could one give?" (Men of Example [address delivered to religious
educators, 12 Sept. 1975], pp. 4-5).

President Spencer W. Kimball: "Marriage presupposes total allegiance and
total fidelity. Each spouse takes the partner with the understanding that
he or she gives self totally to the spouse: all the heart, strength,
loyalty, honor, and affection with all dignity. Any divergence is sin - any
sharing the heart is transgression. As we should have 'an eye single to the
glory of God' so should we have an eye, an ear, a heart single to the
marriage and the spouse and family" (in Conference Report, Oct. 1962, p. 57).

Elder Harold B. Lee: "You and I will not be prepared for the living of the
Celestial law in preparation for the Second Coming if we are not able to
live the law of tithing, and pay our Fast offerings' and subscribe
wholeheartedly to the workings of the Welfare Plan at the present time" (in
Conference Report, Oct. 1941, p.114).

President Thomas S. Monson: "The Lord's storehouse includes the time,
talents' skills, compassion, consecrated material, and financial means of
faithful Church members. These resources are available to the bishop in
assisting those in need" (Ensign, Sept. 1986, p. 5).

Elder Dallin H. Oaks: "Revelation . . . can occur in many different ways.
Some prophets, like Moses and Joseph Smith, have talked with God face to
face. Some persons have had personal communication with angels. Other
revelations have come . . . 'through the dreams of sleep or in waking
visions of the mind.' . . .

"In its more familiar forms, revelation or inspiration comes by means of
words or thoughts communicated to the mind (see D&C 8:2-3; Enos 1 :10), by
sudden enlightenment (see D&C 6:14-15), by positive or negative feelings
about proposed courses of action, or even by inspiring performances, as in
the performing arts" (New Era, Sept. 1982, p. 38).

Next Week's Reading Assignment
Doctrine and Covenants 43-45

Class Member Study Guide  Lesson 13

Several hundred Saints moved from New York to Kirtland, Ohio, as commanded
by the Lord in D&C 37. The trip tested the faith of new members, for the
Saints were traveling in the winter, but the Lord blessed them in their
journey. Lucy Mack Smith, the Prophet's mother, led a large group of Saints
to Ohio herself. In February 1831 the headquarters of the Church was
established in Kirtland.

The Lord had promised the Saints that his "law" would be given in Ohio and
that there they would be "endowed

with power from on high" (D&C 38:32). On 9 February, Joseph Smith received
D&C 42, a revelation that embraces "the law of the Church" (History of the
Church, 1 :148).

The law of the Church is made up of many command- ments. Some of the most
important ones are given in D&C 42. As you study this section, you may wish
to write down the ways in which you are obeying the law of the Church.

hurch. What. are some areas in which you would like to improve?

A consecration deed of October 1832, showing that Bishop Edward Partridge
leased a parcel of land to Joseph Knight, Jr. Courtesy LDS Historical
Department Archives.

Page 26

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

Subject:  Law of Consecration in Ohio (D&C 42, etc.)

    In one of the revelations instructing the Saints to move
to Ohio (see D&C 38:32), Joseph learned that the Lord
would reveal to him a new divine law in that state.  Upon his
arrival, Joseph learned that serious problems were
plaguing members of the Family.  The pooling of property
had led some to believe that everything should be shared,
including clothes, and what belonged to one belonged to
all.  On 9?February 1831, twelve elders approached Joseph
Smith and inquired if the time was ripe for the unfolding of the
"law" that had been mentioned in the New York revelation.
In their presence, the Prophet sought divine information and
recorded most of what is today section 42 of the Doctrine
and Covenants.5 Included in this revelation was a partial
description of the law of consecration and stewardship.
    According to his law, members were to consecrate
their properties to the Lord for the support of the poor "with a
covenant and a deed which cannot be broken" (see D&C
42:30).  This "substance" or property was to be "laid before
the bishop." Following an expansion in the government of
the Church in the early 1830s, which included the calling of
bishop's councilors and the introduction of the office of high
priest, Joseph Smith edited the revelation to read that the
properties were to be laid before the bishop "and his two
councilors, two of the elders, or high priests, such as he shall
appoint or has appointed and set apart for that
purpose."6The bishop was then to convey to this member,
who was called a steward, property sufficient for his and his
family's needs.  A steward was to be accountable to the
Lord for "his own property, or that which he . . . received by
consecration" (see D&C 42:31-32).  After this first
consecration, surpluses were to be conveyed to the bishop,
kept in the Lord's storehouse, and used "to administer to the
poor and the needy," as determined by the bishop (see
D&C 42:33-34).
    ...
    ...  Between the end of October and December 1830
approximately nine families living in Kirtland joined the
Church.  These individuals owned 132 acres of land in that
township.  Most of these converts were living on the Isaac
Morley farm.  If all of the land owned by the Kirtland Saints
would have been divided among these nine families, each
family would have received less than fifteen acres.
Although Newel K. Whitney owned a profitable mercantile
store and didn't need as much land as most, a majority of
the Kirtland converts were farmers; fifteen acres was not
sufficient to support an average family.
    ...
    One problem encountered in organizing communal
societies was a tendency for poor people to be attracted to
such movements and for the wealthy to shun such
enterprises.  For example, one possible problem
encountered by the Family was that some took advantage
of Isaac Morley, who had undoubtedly contributed more
than others.  That which belonged to one was considered
the property of all, arousing jealousy and bitter feelings.  ...
However, as explained, one of the probable reasons that
the law of consecration and stewardship was not
immediately put into use in Kirtland was because members
did not own sufficient land in that town for a satisfactory
redistribu?tion to have occurred.
    ...
    ...  While visiting the Saints in Thompson, the Prophet
learned that the bishop of the Church was to receive the
property of the people and was to divide the "inheritances"
among the stewards according to their "circumstances,"
"wants," and "needs".  ...  There was confusion among early
members concerning whether the consecrated property that
was deeded to the bishop should be leased or deeded to
the stewards.  Eventually, Joseph resolved this problem
and in harmony with divine guidance edited section 51 ... by
adding the following instructions to this revelation: a
transgressor who left the Church was to retain that which had
been deeded to him but had no claim on the surplus that he
contributed to the Church...."
    When Leman Copley was encouraged to live the law
of consecration and stewardship, which would have meant
sharing his property with others and losing title to part of his
farm, he apostatized.  The New York Saints were in a difficult
situation.  After initiating a building program in Thompson,
they were ordered by the legal owner of the property to
leave.  They had sacrificed economically while complying
with the commandment to move to Ohio.  ...  After seeking
advice from the Prophet, they were instructed to move to
western Missouri.  ...
    ...  Most of the converts who had been living in Kirtland
in the fall of 1830 also migrated to Jackson County, Missouri.
 All of the individuals who are known to have been members
of the Family ....
    ...
    During this second residence of the Prophet (between
mid-1832 and January 1938), like his first brief stay in that
community, there is no evidence that Joseph Smith
attempted to implement the law of consecration and
stewardship in that community.  Many factors hindered such
action.  At no time during this decade did the members own
sufficient land in Kirtland for all stewards to have been given
an adequate inheritance.  ...
    Developments in Missouri also probably interfered
with the application of the law of consecration and
stewardship in Ohio.  Lack of a correct understanding of this
law, lack of money and land, selfishness, covetous desires,
persecution, and expulsion from Jackson County all
contributed to the failure of the Saints in Missouri to live this
higher law.  In 1838 members throughout the Church were
given a lesser law, the law of tithing....
    Meanwhile, members in Kirtland were striving to live
another commandment, the law of consecration rather than
the law of consecration and stewardship (as described in
sections 42 and 51).  Except in a few rare instances,
members were not asked to deed title of their property to the
Church and receive in exchange an inheritance.  There was
no attempt in Kirtland to obtain a degree of equality through
the redistribution of property according to family
circumstances, wants, and needs.  Instead, members were
commanded to consecrate or dedicate their lives for the
building of the kingdom of God on earth.  ...   Moreover,
these and other Latter-day Saints were commanded to
sacrifice and pay a tithing (see D&C 64:23).  Tithing at that
time was not interpreted as we understand this law today,
but referred to "all freewill offerings, or contributions, to the
Church" (see section heading to D&C 119).
    One of the closest applications of the law of
consecration and stewardship in Ohio is found in the
operations of two businesses, the Literary Firm and the
United Firm (also known as the United Order).  These were
two Church-sponsored businesses which had branches in
Ohio and Missouri.  The primary purpose of the Literary Firm
was to publish Church literature, such as the Book of
Commandments, 7he Evening and Morning Star, the
Doctrine and Covenants, 7he Messenger and Advocate,
and a hymnal.  Organized in November 183 1, this
partnership continued to print material for the Church until
1838 (see D&C 70:1-5; 72:20-21)."
    The United Firm was similar to the Literary Firm in a
number of ways.  ... the United Firm pooled the talents and
resources of three groups within the Church: men who
possessed special skills needed to operate the business,
Church leaders (including a representative from the First
Presidency), and members who made significant economic
contributions (such as Martin Harris).  These partners used
their talents and material means to build the kingdom of God
on earth, including generating profits for the Church (see
D&C 82:11-12; 92: 1; 104:19).
    Although some historians in the past have suggested
that the United Firm or United Order functioned as a board of
directors who managed the law of consecration and
stewardship, this body did not administer this law in Ohio nor
Missouri.  ...  Partners in the United Firm did not enter this
business by deeding title of their property to the bishop and
receiving in exchange an inheritance.  Instead of directing
the law of consecration and stewardship, the Partners, in
harmony with the principle of stewardship, obtained and
managed various Church businesses.  ...  it was dissolved in
Kirtland in 1834.  Then the redistribution occurred under the
direction of the Prophet (see D&C 104) rather than through
the bishop and his councilors.

Milton V. Backman, Jr., "Clothed With Bonds of Charity: The
Law of Consecration and Stewardship in Ohio, 1830-1838",
Hearken, O Ye People: Discourses on the Doctrine and
Covenants, Sperry Symposium 1984 (Sandy, Utah: Randall
Book Co., 1984)

- ---------------------------------
Subject:  Comments on D&C 42

...  The Book of John Whitmer records that verses 1-73 were received
9?February?1831.  According to the "Kirtland Revelations Book," verses
74-77 were received 23 February 1831.  Verses 78-93 were received 23
February, as per the Evening and Morning Star.

Sections 38 and 41 both promised that the Lord would shortly give "his law"
unto the Chruch.  In accordance with the instructions of D&C 41:2-3, the
elders "united in mighty prayer," and by their faith section 42 was
received.  On 9 February 1831, when part of section 42 was received, twelve
elders joined in prayer; and on 23 February 1831, when the final portions
of section 42 were received, seven elders met together to inquire of the
Lord. Comparison of extant manuscript copies of section 42 reveals
variations in the text, suggesting that portions, if not all, of what is
now section 42 were responses to specific questions.

1. Verses 70-73 appear to be a response to the question,"How [are the
Elders] to dispose of their families while they are proclaiming repentance
or are otherwise engaged in the service of the church.
2. Part of section 42, as found in the Book of Commandments, appears to be
a response to the question: "What preparation shall we make for our
Brethren from the East & where & how?  ...
3. Questions: "Shall the Church come together into one place or remain as
they are in separate bodies?"  ...
4. Question: "How far is it the will of the Lord that we should have
dealings with the world & how we should conduct our dealings with them?"
5. Question: "[What is the] law regulating the church in her present
situation till the time of the her gathering[?]"  ...
6. The preface to verses 74-77 was "How to act in Cases of Adultery," and
7.  Verses 78-93 were entitled "Points of the Law." Known Simply as "The
Law," or "The Law of the Church," section 42 contains instructions relative
to the law of consecration and stewardship, the Decalogue, and the loaw of
discipline with regard to members who violate Church rules.

 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.?59-60.

...  Probably no period of training and schooling of the Prophet Joseph
Smith was more intense than that which occurred in Ohio.  It was here that
the Lord schooled the Prophet in the basic doctrines of the Restoration.
Here he received more revelation than at any other time in his life
Revelations on the priesthood came in Ohio, and here the organization of
the Melchizedek and Aaronic Priesthood quorums had their beginning.  Here
the first temple was constructed, and here Joseph Smith received those keys
that fulfill the threefold mission of the Church: missionary work, family
history and temple work, and the perfecting of the Saints.  Because of the
keys restored in the Kirtland Temple, we now perform ordinances for the
living and the dead in many temples throughout the world.  Kirtland saw the
beginning of the temple ordinances: a partial endowment [I don't know what
he is referring to here.  S Ott].  Some of the greatest spiritual
outpourings of the Spirit occurred while the Prophet resided in Ohio.  In
New York the Prophet had received the First Vision and many visits from
Moroni, but in Ohio he was privileged to see the Father and the Son on at
least four occasions [this article gives one of the appearances, but where
and when did the others occur?  S Ott] and to enjoy many visits from the
Savior.  The welfare program also had its beginning in Kirtland.

Keith W. Perkins, "The Prophet Joseph Smith in 'the Ohio': The
Schoolmaster, The Prophet Joseph: Essays on the Life and Mission of Joseph
Smith, Edited by Larry C. Porter and Susan Easton Black (Salt lake City:
Deseret Book Company)

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

Subject:  Joseph Smith and the Law of Consecration

Unfortunately, these published works have given too little attention to
sources.  Public discourses, unofficial comments, and .isolated references
made years after, the fact have been given more weight than official
documents and contemporary newspaper articles, letters, and diaries.
Moreover, these studies have overlooked the fact that the meaning of
certain fundamental terminologies used in the Prophet's lifetime?like "the
law of consecration, " "the united order, " and "the order of Enoch"?came
to mean something quite different in Utah.  ...  the early Mormon law and
practice of consecration was not worked out in a single day, but it
developed and changed over several years.  ...  (1) consecration?that is,
the act of setting apart or devoting one's self and his possessions for
sacred purposes?became a fundamental law of the Church in 1831 and was
never rescinded, and that (2), specific programs of consecration were
established and necessarily modified by Church authorities in Ohio,
Missouri, and Illinois. None of these specific economic programs, conceived
of by the Prophet and his closest associates and implemented or partially
implemented by the early Saints, should be viewed as the "real" law of
consecration and all other substitutes.  ...   Thus, it need not be
imagined that the Latter-day Saints cannot truly live the law of
consecration nor truly please God in their economic lives unless or until
they reinstitute some particular aspect or phase of early Mormon consecration.

Section 42 described the underlying principles which comprised the new law
of consecration.  These principles differed little from those of other
religious communities of the day, all based in the requirement of
consecrating all of one's possessions to a common fund for the purpose of
eliminating poverty and assisting in the payment of common debts through
personal sacrifice.  However, the implementation of these principles in the
Mormon practice of consecration differed considerably from other idealistic
communities.

... a hybrid combining individualism and collectivism; it contained
elements of communitarianism as well as capitalism.  The program was
distinctly communitarian in that it required total consecration of all
possessions as well as yearly donation to the church of all surplus
profits.  It not allow for private ownership of property, and it contained
strong elements of group control and supervisory management bv the bishop.
...  Stewards were given specific .property for which they alone were
responsible.  There was freedom of enterprise in production and in the
management of properties held as stewardships as well as basic freedom of
economic activity.

... prospective stewards, would legally transfer title to all of their
possessions to the bishop.  ...   The bishop's job was to make sure that
the prospective steward's disclosure was satisfactory and then determine
what he should be given as an "inheritance." ... in the case of differences
of opinion, the bishop had the authority to make a final decision regarding
the size and nature of the steward's inheritance. An important feature of
the Mormon law of consecration which clearly distinguished it from other
communitarian systems was the concept of individual stewardship.  "[Elvery
man" was to be a "steward over his own property.  ... there was to be a
"yearly"  accounting between the bishop and the steward. ...

The yearly consecration of surpus profits naturally threatened the profit
motive, but the fact that the stewards could negotiate with the bishop over
what was necessary for his "support" and "comfort" was to provide
sufficient incentive.  Undoubtedly the Prophet believed that large
surpluses of the Saints' own products, placed in the general storehouse of
the Mormon community, beyond what they could consume, would not only
eradicate any existing poverty, but raise the living standard across the
board and thus provide the incentives for surplus production.

...  Mormon bishops were rare during the first decade of the Church's
existence.  There were hardly more than two until the Mormons settled in
Nauvoo.  During the 1830s, the high priests assisted when necessary by the
elders, directed the administrative and spiritual affairs of the Church.
... bishops did not have charge of specific congregations, nor did they
spend large amounts of time interviewing and counselling members in their
private lives.

... because the bishop was to devote his whole time to the temporal matters
of the Church, a verse was inserted in section 42 of the Doctrine and
Covenants in 1835 which explained that the bishop "shall receive his
support, or a just remuneration for all his services, and his counsellors
were to" "have their families supportedout of the property which is
consecrated to the bishop ... as may be thought best.'

The bishop was given the management and supervision of the finances of the
Church as well as the law of consecration and stewardship.  The bishop
received the properties of the Saints, allocated stewardships, administered
to the poor, and managed Church funds.

...  In many cases, unfortunately, the Saints' zeal to settle in Zion
exceeded their desires to obey the revelations and prepare; too often they
found themselves in embarrassing, meager circumstances.  Repetition of
these kinds of problems had an immediate negative effect on the general
condition of Mormon settlements in Missouri and placed an enormous burden
Bishop Partridge to stretch the already limited funds at his command.

During the first few months after the reception of the law of the law of
consecration and stewardship, an attempt was made by some of the Saints in
Ohio to comply with its provisions.  A group Saints from Colesville, New
York, established themselves at Thompson, Ohio, near Kirtland in May 1831.

... any further attempt to establish the 1831 program of consecration among
the Mormons in Ohio was permanently discontinued.  ...  implementation of
the 11831 consecration law was impossible at Kirtland so long as "the
disciples live[d] scattered about and were not organized."

The second attempt to establish the l831consecration law was Jackson
County, Missouri.  ...   An article in the church newspaper, The Evening
and the Morning Star, explained that members who settled in Jackson County
and did not "receive their inheritance by consecration," would not even be
recognized as Saints nor have their names recorded on any church records.
Consecration was compulsory for any Mormon who desired to gather with the
Saints in Missouri.

The stewardship contract was to be binding during the life of the steward
unless he left the Church or  was excommunicated.  Were this to happen, he
would forfeit the land and be compelled to pay an equivalent for the
personal property.

The contract obligated the bishop to provide for the steward and his family
in the case of "infirmity or old age" so long as they were members of the
Church.  If the steward were to die, the widow could "claim [the] property"
on the same terms as her husband.  ...  Printed forms were used containing
the deed of gift contract on the left-hand side and a "stewardship
agreement" on the right.  These contracts were both properly signed and
witnessed.

... the Mormon system of land tenure during this period did not include
full rights of conveyance of property in fee simple.  The contracts granted
right of use only?a life lease subject to cancellation by the bishop in
case of withdrawal from the Church or excommunication.  And the revelations
had clearly spelled this out.  After the bishop "has received the
properties" of the steward, they "can not be taken from the church." And
again, he that "sinneth and repenteth not shall not receive again that
which he has consecrated unto me."

... tbh system prohibited the steward from selling or exchanging the
consecrated property with others in the program, even family members.
...the rigid control of the property by the bishop tended to discourage
opportunists who might join the economic system to obtain an "inheritance"
of land, and promptly withdraw.

...  The property in the storehouse (including deeds and titles as well as
commodities) was known as the "residue" or the common .property, and
although held by the bishop it was understood that it was jointly owned by
all of the stewards.  The common property was derived from (1) surplus
initial consecrations (property or money that the steward could reasonably
manage without when he entered the system) and (2) surplus profits
(property or money that the steward had produced during a year's time which
he could reasonably manage without) which were consecrated to the bishop.

...  while the bishop was given a fair amount of latitude in this regard,
and could exercise discretion in his disbursement of funds and goods, he
was, nevertheless, contractually bound to use the common property for
certain and specified purposes, namely (1) for  purchasing land for
inheritances, (2) Church building projects in Jackson County, Missouri, and
(3) to redistribute to the poor and needy "from time to time, that every
man who has need may be amply supplied and receive according to his wants."

"In actual practice, the Church storehouse often doubled as a retail
business....   ... the financial needs of thepoor and the rapid growth of
the Church exceeded the stewards' surplus consecrations, and placed demands
on these businesses which ultimately resulted in their failure.

... the failure of the 1831 of the 1831 economic law is not surprising.
Frist, the denial of private ownership of property was a drastic
modification of conventially accepted and recognized property rights.  ...
private accumulation and control of wealth was viewed by Americans as an
essential guarantee of every citizen of the United States.  Similarly, the
requirement of the stewards to transfer all of their property to the bishop
and to reconsecrate their annual surpluses threatened the incentive motive
and prompted members to withhold possessions from consecration or pursue
private investments outside of the system.

... managing the needs of a rapidly growing poor Mormon population into
Jackson County (about 1,200 in 1833 exceeded the bishop's financial
capacities.  ... the stewards consumed more than they produced, and new
techniques to enhance productivity were either too expensive too expensive
or totally unavailable on the frontier.

Lyndon W. Cook, Joseph Smith and the Law of Consecration, (Provo, Utah:
Grandin Book Company, 1985)

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

Subject:  Law of Consecration

... it need not be imagined that the Latter-day Saints cannot truly live
the law of consecration nor truly please God in their economic lives unless
or until they reinstitute some particular aspect or phase of early Mormon
Consecration.

 ...  While not all of the "law" deals with economics or caring for the
poor, Doctrine and Covenants 42:30-42 contains the underlying principles of
the law of consecration and is generally considered the basic source
whenever discussing this law.

Most Saints have thought that the united order was widely practiced in Ohio
and Missouri.  Indeed, the phrases order, united order, and order of Enoch
frequently appear in the Doctrine and Covenants....

... these are substitue phrases for "united firm," the original words in
the revelations for an organization which was disbanded 23 April 1834  (see
D&C 104).  The wording was changed so that enemies of the Church and angry
creditors would not use the printed revelations against the Church.
Members of the nited firm were also given coded names in several editions
of the Doctrine and Covenants for the same reason. The united firm was a
business partnership between a handful of  Church leaders, no more than
twelve at any one time, to consolidate the financial resources and
organizational and professional talents of these men to generate profits to
be used for the personal living expenses as well as the economic needs of
the Church.  ..  The main reason for the tremendous indebtedness accrued by
the united firm was the destruction of the Church printing press and the
closure of Sidney Gilbert's store by mobs in Independence....

The law of tithing, while considered by some commentators in the past as in
"inferior" law to the law of consecration, seems to have been merely a new
phase of consecration.

[Lyndon Cook makes this point, even stronger in Joseph Smith and the Law of
Consecration, (Provo, Utah: Grandin Book Company, 1985). ]

Bruce A. Van Orden, "The Law of Consecration," The Capstone of our
Religion: Insights into the Doctrine and Covenants, Edited by Robert L.
Millet and Larry E. Dahl (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1989)
- -------------------------------------

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

Date: Sun, 13 Apr 1997 20:20:44 -0700
From: "Perry L. Porter" <[e-mail]>
Subject: ---> Lesson 14

Doctrine and Covenants 43-45

Scriptural Highlights

1. Edifying and instructing each other
2. Signs of the last days
3. Preparing for the Lord's second coming

Ask one or two class members to tell how reading D&C 43-45 helped them
during the week. You also might want to tell how these scriptures helped you.

Discussion and Application Questions

* What are the purposes of meeting together in church? (D&C 43:8-10; Alma
15:17.) How have you been blessed while meeting with Church members to
worship God and study the gospel? What can we do if we are not benefiting
from Church meetings the way we feel we should? (See the quotation from
President Kimball.)

* In D&C 43 the Lord emphasizes the importance of sanctifying ourselves.
(D&C 43:9-10, 16.) What does it mean to become sanctified? How do we become
sanctified? (Mosiah 3:19; 5:2; Helaman 3:35; Moroni 10:32-33; D&C 43:11;
Moses 6:59-60.)

* What must we do to prepare ourselves to teach by the Spirit? (D&C
43:15-16.) Why is it important that we teach by the Spirit?

Why do you think the Lord commands us to "visit the poor and the needy and
administer to their relief"? (D&C 44:6). How can we help administer
spiritual relief to the poor and afflicted?

In D&C 45 the Lord repeats many of the signs of his second coming that he
had given to his disciples anciently on the Mount of Olives. (See Matthew
24-25; Joseph Smith - Matthew.) Why has the Lord given signs of his second
coming? (D&C 45:38-40.) How can we know when these signs are fulfilled?
(D&C 45:57.)

* What are some "precepts of men" that cause people to turn their hearts
from the Lord? (D&C 45:29). How can we protect ourselves from such
deception? (D&C 46:8-9; 52:14-19.)

How can living the gospel help shield us from the desolation the Lord
described in D&C 45:31?

* The Lord taught that we should "be not troubled" during the destruction
that precedes his second coming (D&C 45:35; JS- M 1 :23). What do you think
he meant by this? How is it possible to be not troubled when we are
surrounded by challenges and difficulties? (See D&C 38:30; 45:32; and the
quotation from President Benson.)

Page 27

Lesson 14
* The Lord said, "He that watches not for me shall be cut off" (D&C 45:44).
What does it mean to watch for the Lord's coming? (See Matthew 24:42-44,
50, and the quotation from Elder Stapley.)

* What does the parable of the ten virgins teach about preparing for the
Lord's second coming? (Matthew 25:1-13.) What must we do to be ready? (D&C
33:17; 45:56-57 )

* What will the Savior tell the Jews when they ask about his wounds? (D&C
45:51-53.) How will they respond to this new understanding?

* Why is it necessary that a New Jerusalem be established? What will the
New Jerusalem be like? (D&C 45:65-71; Moses 7:13-18.)

Quotations

President Spencer W. Kimball: "[Worship] is an individual responsibility,
and regardless of what is said from the pulpit, if one wishes to worship
the Lord in spirit and in truth, he may do so by attending his meetings,
partaking of the sacrament, and contemplating the beauties of the gospel.
If the service is a failure to you, you have failed. No one can worship for
you" (Ensign, Jan. 1978, p. 5).

President Ezra Taft Benson: "Holy men and holy women stand in holy places,
and these holy places include our temples, our chapels, our homes, and the
stakes of Zion, which are, as the Lord declares, 'for a defense, and for a
refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without
mixture upon the whole earth' (D&C 115:6)" (in Brigham Young University
1981 Fireside and Devotional Speeches, p. 68).

Elder Delbert L. Stapley: "Let us be sure we thoroughly understand the most
important things we can do to prepare ourselves for our Lord's second
coming.... We must set our lives and homes in order. This means a searching
of our souls, an admittance of wrongdoing, and repentance where needed. It
means keeping all of God's commandments. It means loving our neighbor. It
means living an exemplary life. It means being good husbands and wives. It
means teaching and training our children in the ways of righteousness. It
means being honest in all our doings, in business and at home. It means
spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ to all the peoples of the world....
There is an urgency in his work. Time is getting short" (Ensign, Nov. 1975,
p. 49).

Next Week's Reading Assignment
Doctrine and Covenants 46-50

Class Member Study Guide Lesson  14

In 1831, when D&C 43-45 were revealed through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the
Church was less than one year old. Most of the members in Ohio had been
baptized for three months or less. The Lord had explained in two earlier
revelations that only the prophet can receive revelation for the entire
Church (see D&C 21:4-6; 28:1-8). But some Church members still listened to
revelations from other sources. For example, some believed the teachings of
a woman named Hubble, who claimed to be a prophetess. Joseph Smith inquired
of the Lord about the matter and received D&C 43.

After the Prophet arrived in Kirtland, the Church began to grow rapidly.
Many nonmembers in the Kirtland area circulated false reports and stories
to prevent others from investigating the Church. At this difficult time,
Joseph received D&C 45, in which the Lord explained some of the events
associated with the Second Coming.

As you study D&C 43-45, consider the following:

* What are the purposes of meeting together in church? (D&C 43:8-10; Alma
15:17.) How have you been blessed while meeting with Church members to
worship God and study the gospel?

* The Lord taught that we should "be not troubled" during the destruction
that precedes his second coming (D&C 45:35; JS-M 1 :23). What do you think
he meant by this?

How is it possible to be not troubled when we are surrounded by challenges
and difficulties?

Newel K. Whitney, who provided a home for Joseph and Emma when they first
came to Kirtland. He later became the second bishop of the Church (see D&C
72:1-8). Engraving by H. B. Hall and Sons.

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

Subject:  In Search of the Sensational --- again

I sent this earlier, but it is relevant to the background of D&C 46.  Also,
 more notes have been added at the end.
- --------------------------------------------------------------

On 2 August 1913 the First Presidency of the Church "Joseph F. Smith,
Anthon H. Lund, and Charles W. Penrose" issued a statement entitled, "A
Warning Voice." Beginning excerpts from this statement read as follows:

From the days of Hiram Page (Doc. & Cov., Sec. 28) at different periods
there have been manifestations from delusive spirits to members of the
Church.  Sometimes these have come to men and women who because of
transgression become easy prey to the Arch Deceiver.  At other times these
people who pride themselves on their strict observance of the rules and
ordinances and ceremonies of the Church are led astray by false spirits who
exercise an influence so imitative of that which proceeds from a divine
source that even these persons who think they are the "very elect" find it
difficult to discern the essential difference.  Apparently Satan has
transformed himself to be an "angel of light."

When visions, dreams, tongues, prophecy, impressions, or an extraordinary
gift of inspiration conveys something out of harmony with the accepted
revelations of the Church or contrary to the decisions of its constituted
authorities, Latter-day Saints may know that it is not of God, no matter
how plausible it may appear.  Also they should understand that directions
for the guidance of the Church will come by revelations through the head.

No person has the right to induce his fellow members of the Church to
engage in speculations or take stock in ventures of any kind on the
specious claim of divine revelation or vision or dream especially when it
is in opposition to the voice of recognized authority, local or general.
The Lord's Church is a "house of order." It is not governed by individual
gifts or manifestations, but by the order and power of the Holy Priesthood
as sustained by the voice and vote of the Church in its appointed conferences.

...

Looking back, we can but wonder why so many were enticed by Lucifer's
proposal, which had no foundation in truth or reality, or how others who
were not deceived then could have been .persuaded by the claims of Hyrum
Page, the prophecies of Mrs. Hubble, or the writings and ravings of Joseph
Morris and Maurice Glendenning.

One answer may be that except for the original Church of Christ, no
religious denomination has had a more sensational beginning than that of
the Latter-day Saints.  From first to last, its early years were a mosaic
of remarkably dramatic events, including being visited by God the Father
and his Son, Jesus Christ; receiving from an angel an ancient record
inscribed on golden plates; seeing the ancient Apostles and prophets Peter,
James, John, Elijah, Moses, and Elias; and receiving untold numbers of
revelations.

This heritage combines with the belief that every worthy member can receive
personal revelation to condition many Latter -day Saints to expect and, in
some cases, to seek after similarly sensational experiences in their own
lives and in the lives of others.

Pursuing closer ties with Diety is not improper or wrong.  On the contrary,
the desire of Latter-day Saints for spiritual direction has produced much
good and has reinforced the faith of countless individuals. On the other
hand, in the absence of wisdom or sound judgement, some well-intended
desires have led to experiences that were not positive productive, or
uplifting.  Such events often occur because someone is dissatisfied with or
ignorant of the quiet and practical w in which the Lord inspires and
influences the lives and affairs of his people.  They may also result from
someone's inability to cope with the economic and social ills that beset
everyday life.


["Koyle Relief Mine" or "Dream Mine".  In 1894, John H. Koyle claimed a
revelation from Moroni about riches in Spanish Fork Canyon that would
benefit all the righteous in the last days.  Over 6,000 individuals were
stockholders at one time or another.  James E. Talmage "a geologist"
verified that there was no formations that would produce riches.  Koyle
would not stop promotion and was excommunicated in 1947 and died in 1949.
Nothing of any value has ever been removed from the mine.]

["Samuel Lutz Prophesy.  In 1893, Jacob Spori submitted an article to The
Juvenile Instructor about a prophesy in by Samuel Lutz (1674-1750) that
stated that God would restore his church "in 100 years" through an angel to
a  Prophet who would be murdered.  The book has never been found or
verified.  Jacob was a very faithful member of the church his whole life.
A building at Ricks College is named after him.]

"In a word, the Samuel Lutz prophecy has no history excerpt as it fell from
the pen of Jacob Spori.  Then, without his knowledge, since he died ten
years after it appeared, it was repeated and printed countless numbers of
times, becoming a well-received crutch for the faith of untold numbers of
Latter-day Saints.

"These two episodes in Mormon history are symptomatic of the varied
appetites of many Latter-day Saints for experiences going beyond the
revealed word of the Lord.  This appetite has led more recently to the
over-popularizing of lectures and lecturers who deal with sensational
subjects and themes they claim have somehow escaped the understanding and
attention of Church leaders.  Teir work is abundantly available in
discourses, books, pamphlets, printouts, and tapes that are heralded by
every device of the media.  In supermarket fashion one learns of
devastating earthquakes that are about to reshape all nations and peoples,
of lost Book of Mormon cities found and of Old and New World parallels that
place the authenticity of the gospel beyond doubt, of heroes who never fail
and of heroines who never need blush, of plotter who ever plot and of
sensational revelations that were lost, forgotten, or suppressed.

"Are we any wiser or less willing than those who purchased 'Dream Mine'
stock and persisted in believing that 'the brethren don't understand,' or
that 'even the prophet is a man and can make mistakes.' And in our
believing, our reporting, and our expanding, are we any wiser than Jacob
Spori and those who told and retold his fable"

"Perhaps even more dramatic but no less sad is the plight of those who are
seduced by the words 'I know the Lord has directed me to you.'  Words
followed by a program detailing in unbelievable terms how the individual,
his family andabove all the kingdom might be enriched and blessed.  Or
perhaps it is packaged in another but no less sensational way, describing
how with 'these men on the board of directors' it must be genuine and is
only the Lord's way of rewarding the faithful for their tithes and
offerings, their sacrifices and commitment.

"In this we are not far removed from the days of Hyrum Page."

"In Search Of The Sensational", by James R. Christianson, Hearken O Ye
People: Discourses on the Doctrine and Covenants, Sperry Symposium 1984,
(Randall Book)

- -----------------------------------------
Subject:  Comments on Thomas B. Marsh

"A few days later Joseph Smith privately instructed
them further.  They were called, he affirmed, "to the office of
the Travelling High Council ... to preside over the churches
of hte Saints, among the Gentiles, where there is no
presidency established."  Their ministry was not to the
stakes of Zion but to the world?to "unlock the doors of the
Kingdom of heaven unto all nations."  Though their
assignment differed from his, the Prophet concluded, "you
each have the same authority in other nations that I have in
this."
    ...
The revelation suggested a hierarchy?all equal in
authority but not in responsibilities or assignment?with the
Presidency directing the Twelve and the Twelve directing
the Seventy.  But it left ambiguous the relationship between
the high councils and the apostles.  Sensitive about priority
and prestige, Thomas Marsh and his quorum did not
overlook this; even additional clarification by the Prophet in
the months ahead failed to erase their concerns.
    ...
Missouri, however, was not a haven without problems.
Some Kirtland leaders no firmly behind Joseph and his
program now lived in Far West.  Also, controversy
surrounded the Missouri stake presidency?David Whitmer,
W.W.Phelps and John Whitmer?whom the Missouri Saints
perceived as abusing authority even as they wavered in
support of the Prophet.  In February 1838 Thomas Marsh
and David Patten joined the Missouri High Council and a
majority of the Saints in removing them.  Though the
apostles had no jurisdiction in an organized stake,
members expected Marsh and Patten, prominent residents
who shared their concerns, to provide leadership.  They
accepted when the Saints voted that they serve as
presidents pro tempore of the stake until Joseph appointed
a new presidency.

Some were certain that the two apostles had
exceeded their authority, and even supporters may have felt
they had been overzealous in moving ahead without the
Prophet's authorization.  All must have speculated about
Joseph's reaction.  Though they could not have know,
Joseph Smith was already en route.  He arrived in Far West
14 March and the following day convened a special council
to consider the February Proceedings.  He there expressed
firm support for the earlier actions of Marsh and Patten.
Furthermore, at a special conference 6 April the Prophet
formally installed Thomas Marsh, David Patten and
Brigham Young, the three senior apostles, as a temporary
stake presidency?the first time he had assigned apostles
to preside in a stake of Zion.

Ronald K. Esplin, "Thomas B. Marsh As President of
the First Quorum of the Twelve 1835-1838," Hearken, O Ye
People: Discourses on the Doctrine and Covenants, Sperry
Symposium 1984, (Randall Book, 1984) ,p. 170,?181-182.


Sometime in August or September 1838, an incident
occurred which would serve as a major factor in Marsh's
apostasy from the Church. His wife, Elizabeth, was accused
of unfairly taking cream from the daily milking which she
shared with another sister, Lucinda Harris. Although the
matter was heard by several priesthood courts, all of them
found Sister Marsh guilty of promise-breaking. In a final
move, Bishop Edward Partridge pleaded with her "to make
things right and offered her time to do so," but Sister Marsh
adamantly claimed she was innocent. When Joseph Smith
bluntly told the sister that she had lied to the court and would
be disfellowshipped, an indignant Thomas refused to hear
of it. George A. Smith, apostle and Church historian,
remembering the occasion, detailed the essential facts:

An appeal was taken from the Teacher to the Bishop, and a
regular Church trial was had. President Marsh did not
consider that the Bishop had done him and his lady justice,
for they [the courts] decided the striplings were wrongfully
saved, and that the woman had violated her covenant.
Marsh immediately took an appeal to the High Council, who
investigated the question with much patience, and I assure
you they were a grave body. Marsh being extremely
anxious to maintain the character of his wife, as he was the
President of the Twelve Apostles, and a great man in Israel,
made a desperate defence, but the High Council finally
confirmed the Bishop's decision.

Marsh, not being satisfied, took an appeal to the First
Presidency of the Church, and Joseph and his Counsellors
had to sit upon the case, and they approved the decision of
the High Council. This little affair, you will observe, kicked up
a considerable breeze, and Thomas B. Marsh then
declared that he would sustain the character of his wife,
even if he had to go to hell for it.

As might well be imagined, the "striplings affair" so
humiliated Thomas Marsh that he could hardly face his
associates. His great desire to win the admiration of the
Saints, and especially the Prophet, now quickly began to
sour. Thomas later confessed to the Saints in the Salt Lake
Bowery that his zeal had begun to transform into a malignant
jealousy....

    ...
:
                        Florence, Douglas Co,
Nebraska Ter[ritor]y
                    May 5th [18]/57
    Heber C Kimball
    Dear Sir,
You see by the caption to this, where I am. I left Missouri
Having lost my wife some three years since I began to
awake to a sense of my situation; you will, perhaps, say why
you slept a long time or was a long time in waking and
would say truely for so it is for I have, at least, been grooping
in darkness fo[r] so [sic] these 18 years.
I left Grundy Co, Missouri in the beginning of January A.D.
/57, set my face Zionward and traveled, mostly on foot
having a determination that I would go to Salt Lake, God
being my helper, & there throw myself at the feet of the
apostles and implore their forgiveness and ask for
admittence into the House of the Lord; into the Church of
Latter-day Saints & that I would say to them I know that I
have sin[n]ed against Heaven and in thy sight and have
rendered myself unworthy of your confidence; or of a place
in the family of Heaven nevertheless make me thy servant
lest I perish for I know that in my Father's house there is
bread enough and to spare while here I perish with hunger.
I came on with very good courage until after I had been here
for some time; the longer I remain here & the more I examine
into your progress since I left you the stronger I become in
my confidence & the stronger I become in faith & the lighter
things appear to me, the more clearly do I discover that I
deserve no place among you in the church even as the
lowest member; but I cannot live long so without a
reconciliation with the 12 [apostles] and the Church whom I
have injured O Bretheren once Bretheren!! How can I leave
this world without your forgiveness Can I have it Can I have
it? Something seems to say within yes O then hasten and
signify it by writing the word yes to me & then O Joy I shall be
content. I have met with G[eorge] W. Harris and
reconsiliation has taken place with us,31 and when that was
accomplished I was so overjoyed that I was constrained to
say in my heart truely this is an evidence that the Lord loves
me after all my rebellion & my sins. I know what I have done
a mision was laid upon me & I have never filled it and now I
fear it is too late but it is by another, I see, the Lord could get
along very well without me and He has lost nothing by my
falling out of the ranks; But O what have I lost?! Riches
Greater Riches than all this world or many planets like this
could afford but O bretheren; can you speak one word of
comfort to me Can I be saved at all in the Kingdom of God
Can I find peace among you O if I can but enjoy your smiles
and the smil[e]s of the Church & of Jesus I shall be content
to depart or remain in so great peace the Lord has been
mindful of me and altho I was very stubborn He has followed
me up He has visited me with Scourging & with visions &
dreams, Bretheren O that I were worthy to call you bretheren!
but [what] shall I call you? You run very near to me I love you
better than I do any set of mortals on this earth. You have
been diligent in accomplishing the work given you while I,
miserable me! have played time away among harlot
churches only seeking for nourishment to my soul where
there was no bread of life & I Love you & hate myself. I wait
here, at Florence anxiously for a letter addressed to your
Old & now truely unworthy & truely sincere friend
        /s/ Thomas B. Marsh


Upon receiving official approval, Thomas B. Marsh was
rebaptized at Papyeco Creek (Nebraska), while en route to
Salt Lake Valley, by Andrew Cunningham on 16 July 1857.
Thomas was among one of the final Mormon groups to
pass Fort Laramie before the arrival of Johnston's Army.

On 6 September 1857, two days after Marsh's arrival in the
Valley, a large congregation which had assembled for
Sabbath worship voted unanimously to receive Brother
Marsh into full fellowship. A stroke had paralyzed part of his
body so that one of his arms drooped unnaturally. Those
who saw him described him as a "poor decrepid, broken
down, old man." While President Brigham Young had
compassion for this one-time senior Quorum member, he
nevertheless seized upon the moment to point out to the
Saints how righteous living had bestowed upon him a
healthy frame in marked contrast to Marsh's wretched
appearance. The illustration was not subtle, but Thomas
Marsh seemed to take his medicine well.34 "He told me
yesterday, that the Christians might hang up their fiddle in
regard to their being no Catholic . . . Purgatory," recounted
Brigham, "but brother Marsh says that there is such a place,
and that he has been in it during the past eighteen years. . . .
In conversing with brother Marsh," Brigham continued, "I find
that he is about the same Thomas that he always was--full of
anecdotes and chit-chat. He could hardly converse for ten
minutes without telling an anecdote. His voice and style of
conversation are familiar to me."

The day after he was voted back into the Church Brother
Marsh formally dedicated himself to the Lord:
I, Thomas B. Marsh, do hereby, this day, Sept. 7th AD 1857,
consecrate and dedicate myself soul, body and spirit with
all I possess on earth, to the Lord praying to the God of
Abraham Isaac and Jacob to set me apart or sanctify me to
be exclusively his to do whatsoever he should require of me
and to give me Grace to sanctify the Lord of hosts in my
heart that I might Love him with all my heart soul mind,
strength and understanding Amen.

One month after his arrival in Salt Lake Valley, Thomas was
married to Hannah Adams (4 October 1857), and the couple
soon settled in Spainish Fork, where they acquired a small
adobe house. Here Brother Marsh attempted, without
success, to establish a school. Though having received
some financial help from Bishop John L. Butler, the Marshes
were scarcely able to sustain life. By late fall of 1859,
meager circumstances prompted Thomas to request further
assistance. His petition reflected his penitent spirit:
[I write] not in a spirit of complaining of any person neither of
murmuring against the providence of my Heavenly Father;
no! It is good enough for me for I have sin[n]ed and made
many crooked paths and I would rather kiss the chastning
hand and thank Him that it is as well with me as it is for He in
his providence has brought me to the Valies of these
mountains! fed and clothed me and kept me alive untill now,
given me a name and place among his people and
restored me, vile as I have been, [to] His Everlasting
Priesthood, notwithstanding I so foolishly and so
ignominiously once threw it away and cast it behind my
back.

His request did not go unheeded.

On 11 March 1859, Thomas B. Marsh was re-ordained an
elder, and by November 1861 he had been ordained a high
priest. In the Endowment House on 1 November 1862, he
received his endowment and was sealed to his wife,
Hannah.40 It was about this same time that the couple opted
to settle near Ogden. Thomas was placed in the care of
David M. Stuart, Ogden First Ward. Though almost wholly
supported by the Church until his death in January 1866 at
Ogden, Thomas Baldwin Marsh "died in good faith," having
once again accepted the principles he had espoused
nearly thirty-six years earlier in Fayette, New York. He had
learned by sad experience the hazards of aspiring to the
honors of men, the dangers of exercising unrighteous
dominion, and the consequences of uncontrolled criticism of
those in authority.


"I Have Sinned Against Heaven, and Am Unworthy of Your
Confidence, But I Cannot Live without a Reconciliation:
Thomas B. Marsh Returns to the Church", by Lyndon W.
Cook, BYU Studies, Summer 1980.

See also: Calvin N. Smith, "Early apostle: tragic fall, a long road back,"
LDS Church News, May 15, 1983.

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

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