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gdm Digest        Wednesday, September 10 1997        Volume 01 : Number 022



In this issue:

    ---> Lesson 30
    ---> Lesson 32
    ---> Lesson 33

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.

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

Date: Wed, 10 Sep 1997 21:24:14 -0700
From: "Perry L. Porter" <[e-mail]>
Subject: ---> Lesson 30

Doctrine and Covenants 1 01 -2

Lesson 30

Scriptural Highlights

1. Expulsion from Jackson County

2. Conditions during the Millennium

3. Organization of the first high council

4. Disciplinary councils

Invite one or two class members to share an experience that tested their
faith.

Discussion and Application Questions

* The Saints who came to Missouri had hoped to build Zion there. But when
they were driven out of Jackson County in November 1833, this hope seemed
shattered. What do you think it would have been like to be among them?
What do you think you would have done when you were cast out? What
self-searching questions might you have asked?

Why did God permit the Saints to be driven from Jackson County? (D&C
101:1-2, 39-42; 103:1-4; 105:2-6.) What transgressions had the Saints
committed? (D&C 101 :6-8.) Why does God want his people to be "chastened
and tried, even as Abraham"? (D&C 101 :4-5; see the quotation from
President Cannon).

* What does D&C 101 reveal about how the Lord deals with human weakness?
(D&C 101 :9, 12-16.)

* Although the establishment of Zion in Jackson County,

Missouri, was postponed, what promises did the Lord make about Zion's
future? (D&C 101:17-23.) What can we do to help establish Zion? (See the
quotation from President Kimball.)

What will it be like to live during the Millennium? (D&C 101 :24-34.)

* How did the par,able in D&C 101 :43-64 apply to the problems of the
Missouri Saints? (D&C 101:65-66, 75; see also D&C 86:1-7; Matthew
13:6-43.) How might this parable apply to us?

* In D&C 102 the Lord describes the high council's judicial role. What are
some purposes of Church disciplinary councils? (See the quotation from
Elder Ballard.) How can disciplinary councils bless the lives of Church
members who commit serious sin?

Quotations

President George Q. Cannon: "Why did the Lord ask such things of Abraham?
Because, knowing what his future would be and that he would be the father
of an innumerable posterity, he was determined to test him. God did not do
this for His own sake; for He knew by His foreknowledge what Abraham would
do; but the purpose was to impress upon Abraham a lesson, and to enable
him to attain unto knowledge that he could not obtain in any other way.
That is why God tries all of us" (in Conference Report, Apr. 1899, p. 66).

President Spencer W. Kimball: "May I suggest three fundamental things . .
. for which we who labor for Zion must commit ourselves.

"First, we must eliminate the individual tendency to selfishness that
snares the soul, shrinks the heart, and darkens the mind....

"Second, we must cooperate completely and work in harmony one with the
other. There must be unanimity in our decisions and unity in our
action....

"Third, we must lay on the altar and sacrifice whatever is required by the
Lord. We begin by offering a 'broken heart and a contrite spirit.''We
follow this by giving our best effort in our assigned fields of labor and
callings. We learn our duty and execute it fully. Finally, we consecrate
our time, talents, and means as called upon by our file leaders and as
prompted by the whisperings of the Spirit" (Ensign, May 1978, p. 81).

Elder M. Russell Ballard: "In the scriptures, the Lord has given direction
concerning Church disciplinary councils. (See D&C 102.) The word council
brings to mind a helpful proceeding - one of love and concern, with the
salvation and blessing of the transgressor being the foremost
consideration.

"Members sometimes ask why Church disciplinary councils are held. The
purpose is threefold: to save the soul of the transgressor, to protect the
innocent, and to safeguard the Church's purity, integrity, and good
name....

"The miracle of the gospel is that we all can repent. Church government
calls for Church disciplinary councils. But the Lord's system also calls
for restoration following repentance. Disfellowshipment or excommunication
is not the end of the story, unless the member so chooses. Rather, after
excommunication, followed by full repentance, come additional steps, each
one bringing great blessings: baptism, restoration of priesthood and
temple blessings, further growth and participation in the kingdom,
enduring in righteousness to the end" (Ensign, Sept. 1990, pp. 15, 18).

Next Week's Reading  Assignment Doctrine and Covenants 103; 105

page 59

Class Member Study Guide

Lesson 30

During the months following the July 1833 destruction of W. W. Phelps's
press in Independence, Missouri, persecutions against the Saints in
Jackson County increased. Mobs burned the Saints' crops, destroyed their
homes, whipped and beat the men, and terrorized the women and children.

On 5 November the Saints were forced to give up their weapons and were
driven by mobs out of Jackson County. The fortunate ones were able to save
some household goods, while others escaped with nothing. Blood from the
Saints' lacerated feet left a trail across the frozen prairie. Many had no
shelter to protect them from the icy rain and snow as they camped along
the Missouri River, and some died as a result of the hardships. The Saints
later sought whatever refuge they could find in the neighboring counties
and continued to suffer from persecution. On 16 December the Lord revealed
his word to the suffering Saints (see D&C 101).

* What do you think it would have been like to be among the exiled Saints?
What self-searching questions might you have asked?

* Why did God permit the Saints to be driven from Jackson County? (D&C
101:1-2, 39-42; 103:1-4; 105:2-6.)

* Although the establishment of Zion in Jackson County, Missouri, was
postponed, what promises did the Lord make about Zion's future? (D&C
101:17-23.)

* What will it be like to live during the Millennium? (D&C 101 :24-34.)

Doctrine and Covenants 102 is taken from the minutes of a meeting held on
17 February 1834 to organize the first high council of the Church. This
section records procedures for high council disciplinary councils.

Mobbers on the Missouri River, by C. C. A. Christensen. Courtesy Museum of
Fine Arts at Brigham Young University.

- ------------------------------
... the Prophet received a revelation wherein the Lord counseled the
Saints to prepare
statements describing their recent persecutions....

Beginning in May 1839, Church members started writing their Missouri
experiences. These
affidavits were sworn before civil authorities in Illinois and Iowa. ...
During the ensuing years
(1839-43), the Latter-day Saints presented these documents to the federal
government on at
least three different occasions in a concerted attempt to obtain
reparation from the federal
government for their sufferings in Missouri.

... The earliest petitions portray the mobbings in Jackson County and the
latest end with the
persecution resulting from Governor Boggs' Extermination Order. ... One
hundred six men
and three women claimed that they were taken prisoner by the Missouri
militia or mobs, and
at least 21 Mormons were killed.

One hundred twenty-one people wrote more than one petition. Generally
their first petition
claimed monies, properties, abuses, etc., suffered in Missouri, while
their second petition
usually give a detailed account of what happened at an event or place. ...


... Some of the land purchased by the Saints was called "congress land,"
which could be
bought from the federal government for $1.25 per acre; however, some of
the Mormons paid
between five dollars and $415 per acre for congress land and received
preemption
certificates which gave them the right to the land if and when the federal
government decided
to sell it. In the meantime they settled the land, tilled the ground, and
built houses and barns,
thereby increasing the property value.

The petitions reflect the fact that most of them owned at least one town
lot and 40 acres,
whereas a few owned 80 acres, and still fewer owned 160 acres. ...

Many of the petitions indicate that they lived in more than one county
during their sojourn in
Missouri. ...

Probably the reason the Saints owned so little property was their recent
arrival in Missouri.

[Conclusions]

... these affidavits represent sworn legal documents, which tell a
horrifying story of murder,
beating, thievery, and general lawlessness perpetrated upon the Saints
during their residency
in Missouri.

The documents explain that the abuses suffered by the Mormons were not the
result of
spontaneous uprisings led by drunken town rabble ..., but that these
uprising carried the
sanction of the local and state governments. ...

In the past, Mormon and non-Mormon writers have argued objectively that
the Mormons
were driven from Missouri because of political, cultural, economic,
social, and religious
differences existing between themselves and the Missourians. They base
their statements on
documents written by some of the citizens of Jackson, and later, Clay
Count, when they
demanded that the Mormons leave their counties. Such reasoning may be true
in part, but the
petitioners indicate that religious differences were the primary cause of
their troubles. The
affidavits demonstrate that the Saints could have spared themselves great
abuse and suffering
if they ahd succumbed to the mobbers' demands that they deny their faith,
slander Joseph
Smith and give up their membership in the Church or denounce the Book of
Mormon.

Clark V. Johnson, "A Profile of Mormon Missouri, 1834-1839," Regional
Studies in
Latter-day Saint Church History: Missouri," Edited by Arnold K. Garr and
Clark V.
Johnson (Department of Church History and Doctrine, Brigham Young
University, 1994)
- ------------------------------

This was included in lesson 29 instead of 30, by me.  (Sorry)

10. Church Discipline

THE PURPOSES of Church DISCIPLINE

The purposes of Church discipline are to (1) save the souls of
transgressors; (2) protect the innocent; and (3) safeguard the purity,
integrity, and good name of the Church. Church discipline includes giving
cautions in private interviews, imposing restrictions in probations, and
withdrawing fellowship or membership.

The first purpose of Church discipline is to save the soul of the
transgressor (see D&C 1:31-32, 19:13-20, 42:37, 58:42, and 64:12-13). God
does not overlook sin, and his servants cannot ignore serious
transgressions if they have knowledge or evidence of them (see Mosiah
26:29). But God does forgive repentant sinners; his servants should follow
that example.

Church discipline helps save the souls of transgressors by assisting
members to repent. It helps them recognize and forsake sin, make
restitution, and demonstrate their renewed commitment to keep the
commandments of God. The demands of justice require punishment or
repentance for transgression. Sin causes suffering; repentance relieves
suffering. God commands us to repent so we will not receive eternal
punishment and have to suffer even as the Savior suffered for the sins of
mankind (see D&C 19:11-21, Alma 42). For the repentant, "mercy claimeth
the penitent, and mercy cometh because of the atonement" (Alma 42:23).

Often, the change that results from repentance can be brought about by
informal Church discipline, including private counseling or informal
probation. However, in some instances, the only way to encourage true
repentance may be to convene a disciplinary council (formerly called a
Church "court") and consider formal Church discipline. Without formal
Church discipline, some transgressors may never experience the change of
behavior and the change of heart necessary to qualify them for redemption
through the Atonement, for "none but the truly penitent are saved" (Alma
42:24).

The second purpose of Church discipline is to protect the innocent.
Whether the offense is physical harm, sexual abuse, drug misuse,
fraudulent practices, or apostasy, leaders are responsible to take
disciplinary action. With inspiration, a priesthood leader should be alert
to spiritual and physical threats to Church members and, when necessary,
should act to protect them (see Alma 5:59).

The third purpose of Church discipline is to safeguard the purity,
integrity, and good name of the Church. Consequently, serious
transgressions that harm or denigrate the Church may require the action of
a disciplinary council.
- -------------

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

Date: Wed, 10 Sep 1997 21:25:44 -0700
From: "Perry L. Porter" <[e-mail]>
Subject: ---> Lesson 32

Doctrine and Covenants 106-8

Lesson 32

Scriptural Highlights

1. Power and authority of the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods

2. Three quorums that preside over the Church

3. Functions of priesthood quorums and their presidencies

Express your feelings about the priesthood and the blessings you have
received through it. Invite class members to express their feelings about
the priesthood and to share insights and experiences relating to

D&C 107.

Discussion and Application Questions

* What is the historical setting for D&C 107? (See the Class Member Study
Guide for this lesson and the heading to D&C 107.) How does this
revelation fit into the Lord's line-upon-line restoration of priesthood
authority? (See the first additional idea for this lesson.)

* What is the significance of the original name of the Melchizedek
Priesthood? (D&C 107:1-4.) How can we show greater reverence and respect
for the Lord's name? (D&C 63:60-64.)

* What power and authority are given through the Melchizedek Priesthood?
What power and authority are given through the Aaronic Priesthood? (D&C
107:6-20.)

* In D&C 107 the Lord describes the three quorums that preside over the
Church. What are the functions of the First Presidency? (D&C 107:9, 22,
65-66, 78-81, 91-92.) What are the functions of the Quorum of the Twelve
Apostles? (D&C 107:23-24, 33, 35, 39, 58.) What are the functions of the
Quorums of the Seventy? (D&C 107:25-26, 34, 97.)

* What did the Lord reveal about how the presiding quorums of the Church
are to make decisions? (See D&C 107:27-31 and the quotation from Elder
Craven.) How can we apply these principles as we make decisions at home
and at church?

* What are the responsibilities of special witnesses of Jesus Christ? (D&C
107:23.) Why is it important to know that there are such witnesses among
our Church leaders?

* What occurred at Adam-ondi-Ahman three years before Adam's death? (D&C
107:53-56.) What will occur at Adam-ondi-Ahman before the Savior's second
coming? (D&C 116.)

* In D&C 107:72 and 74 the Lord emphasizes the duty of bishops to be
judges in Zion. In what ways are bishops judges? Why are such judges
necessary in the Church?

* What did the Lord reveal about the duties of quorum presidents? (D&C
107:85-89; 112:11-12.) In D&C
107:85, what did the Lord suggest about the duties of quorum members? How
can quorum members better edify one another?

The Lord commanded, "Let every man learn his duty" (D&C 107:99). How do we
learn our duties? How can we encourage and support each other in
performing our duties? What blessings come as we learn and perform our
duties? (D&C 84:33-39.)

* The Lord has counseled, "Strengthen your brethren" (D&C 108:7; see also
Luke 22:31-32). How has someone strengthened you? How can we better
strengthen others?

Quotation

Elder Rulon G. Craven: "The members of the Twelve strive to live according
to the promptings of the Spirit. They speak their mind. However, they are
also good listeners and speak when moved upon by the Holy Spirit. Their
posture in quorum meetings is to listen and sense the directing power of
the Spirit, which always leads to a unity of decision. l marveled as I
watched the directing power of the Spirit touch the minds and hearts of
the members of the Twelve, influencing the decision-making process.... My
witness from personal observation is that you can have unwavering faith in
the united counsel of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve.
They will lead you in the path of righteousness, happiness, and inner
peace" (Ensign, May 1991, p. 28).

Additional Ideas

1. The Lord restored priesthood authority and organization line upon line
as follows:
a. Aaronic Priesthood: 15 May 1829 (D&C 13)
b. Melchizedek Priesthood: May or June 1829 (D&C 128:20)
c. Elders, priests, teachers' and deacons: April 1830 (D&C 20)
d. Bishop: 4 February 1831 (D&C 41)
e. High priests: June 1831 (heading to D&C 52)
f. First Presidency: 1832 (D&C 81)
g. Oath and covenant of the priesthood: 22 September 1832 (D&C 84)
h. Patriarch: 1833
i. High council: 17 February 1834 (D&C 102)
j. Quorum of the Twelve and Quorum of the Seventy: February 1835 (D&C 107)

k. Keys of gathering and sealing: 3 April 1836 (D&C 110)

2. Suggested topic for family home evening: "The Priesthood in Our Home,"
lesson 19 in the Family

Home Evening Resource Book.

Next Week's Reading Assignment Doctrine and Covenants 109-10

Page 63

Class Member Study Guide

Lesson 32

Counselors had been called to assist the Prophet Joseph as early as March
1832 (see D&C 81 :1), and the First Presidency was formally organized one
year later (see the heading to D&C 90). The year 1835 brought further
developments in Church organization. On 14 February the Quorum of the
Twelve Apostles was formed, and two weeks later the Quorum of Seventy was
created. Most of the members of these quorums had been part of Zion's Camp
and had demonstrated their faithfulness during the hardships encountered
on the march to Missouri. On 28 March the Lord revealed D&C 107, in which
he
defined the priesthood and revealed more information about the
responsibilities of priesthood holders.

* What power and authority are given through the Melchizedek Priesthood?
What power and authority are given through the Aaronic Priesthood? (D&C
107:6-20.)

* What does D&C 107 teach about the functions of the First Presidency, the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and the Quorums of the Seventy?

* How can you more effectively strengthen others as instructed in D&C
108:7?

The First Presidency of the Church in 1835 (left to right): Sidney Rigdon,
Joseph Smith, and Frederick G. Williams. Painting of Joseph Smith used
courtesy of Library-Archives' Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter
Day Saints, the Auditorium, Independence, Missouri.

Page 64

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

August 13, 1997

Section 106

Section 107

Verses 1-58 were received 28 March 1835. Verses 59-10, except 61, 70, 73,
76-78, part of 92, and 93-98, were received in November 1831. Kirtland,
Geauga County, Ohio. (The verses received in November 1831 were received
in Cuyahoga County, Ohio.)

... Knowing that they would soon depart for the East, members of the
quorum requested that the Prophet "enquire of God for us and obtain a
written revelation ... that we may look upon it when we are separate that
our hearts may be comforted." ... Some evidence suggests that Oliver
Cowdery served as scribe.

Organizationally, verses 21-37 2343 significant because they tempered the
earlier supremacy of the presidency of the high priesthood by equally
dispersing presiding priesthood authority among fie quorums of church
government. ... "common council" (i.e., a bishop, his counselors, and
twelve high priests.).

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. 215-216.

Compare the textual similarities of sections 107:59-100 and 63:13-35. Both
revelations were received in November 1831 in Ohio.

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. 326.

... The organization of the Twelve Apostles was an early topic of
discussion by the Prophet and the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon.
In October 1831 it was decided that "they would be ordained & sent forth
from the land of Zion." However, the loss of Zion (Jackson County,
Missouri) in 1833 precluded that arrangement, and they were "ordained and
sent forth" from Kirtland....

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. 327.

... making it much more difficult to remove a member of the First
Presidency:

... inquiry was made of the Lord relative to the trial of the first
Presidency of the Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints, For
transgressions according to the item of law.... Let the first Presidency
of my Church, be held in full fellowship in Zion and all her Stakes,
untill they Shall be found transgressors, by Such an high Council as is
named in the above alluded Section, in Zion, by three Witnesses Standing
against Each member of Said Presidency, and these witnesses Shall be of
long and faithfull Standing.... ... when a descision is had by Such an
Council in Zion, it Shall only be for Zion, it Shall not answer for her
Stakes, but if Such descision be acknowledged by the Council of her
Stakes, then it Shall answer for her Stakes.

...if Such descision Shall be acknowledged by a majority of the Stakes,
then it Shall answer for all her Stakes and again, The Presidency of my
Church may be tried by the voice of the whole body of the Church of Zion,
and the voice of a majority of all her Stakes.... Except a jamority is had
by the voice of the Chrurch of Zion and a majority of all her Stakes, The
charges will be considered not Sustained.

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. 328-329.

The Lord commanded the Prophet Joseph to call together all of the men who
had participated in the Zion's Camp march. These men were to be called to
the ministry and from among them twelve were to be called as apostles to
carry the word of the Lord and the blessings of his gospel to all nations.
This meeting was convened at Kirtland, Ohio, on 14 February 1835.

Under the hands of Joseph Smith the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon
had been blessed and authorized to select the Twelve from among the
members of the Camp of Zion.

The first Twelve in this dispensation scarcely knew what to do. They
determined in a short while that they would go out to preach the gospel.
As they were about to leave, on 28 March 1835, just six weeks after their
initial call, they wrote a letter to Joseph containing an interesting
request and expressing a choice evidence of their complete faith in their
prophet.

Signed by the Council of the Twelve by their clerks, Orson Hyde and
William E. McLellin, it read in part as follows:

We therefore feel to aks of him whom we have acknowledged to be our
Prophet and Seer, that he inquire of God for us, and obtain a revelation,
(if consistent) that we may look upon it when we are separated, that our
hearts may be comforted. Our worthiness has not inspired us to make this
request, but our unworthiness. We have unitedly asked God our Heavenly
Father to grant unto us, through His Seer, a revelation of His mind and
will concerning our duty that coming season, even a great revelation, that
will enlarge our hearts, comfort us in adversity, and brighten our hopes
amidst the powers of darkness.

... In those early years of the Church in which this revelation was given
there was no distinction made between a quorum and a council Today we
would say that most quorums are not councils. In these verses the quorums
being referred to (the First Presidency and the Twelve) are also
priesthood councils. A priesthood council is an administrative
decision-making body of priesthood bearers called together under the
direction of a priesthood president or a key holder. All quorum
presidencies are priesthood councils.

Wilson K. Andersen, "Revelations on Priesthood, Keys, and Quorums,"
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. 403-412.

quorum vosunum: of needing to be one - quorum was abbreviation used in
English common law

This extensive revelation on priesthood is dated in the 1921 edition as 28
March 1835.

However, it is clear that not all of the section was received on that day.
The 1981 edition adds this explanation: "Although portions of this section
were received on the date named, the historical records affirm that
various parts were received at sundry times, some as early as November
1831."

The records referred to tell us that when first published in the 1835
edition of the Doctrine and Covenants, this revelation was section III and
captioned "On Priesthood" with no date given. Later, the 1876 edition was
prepared by Elder Orson Pratt, and he place this revelation as section
CVII with the explanation "the fore part, or first fifty-eight verses,
being given March 28th, 1835; the other items were revealed at sundry
times." Since the entire document appeared in the 1835 edition, the
"sundry times" spooken of by Elder Pratt had to have been earlier than 28
March 1835.

The material now in verses 59-100 is in the "Kirtland Revelation Book,"
which states that this material was revealed in November 1831. This
information clarifies D&C 107:58, which refers to an earlier but
unspecified revelation on Church government. Likewise, verse 93, which
speaks of a "vision showing the order of the seenty," also seems to refer
to an earlier revelation. There are other evidences that parts of section
107 were received earlier than the traditional date. For example, verses
53-55 occur verbatim in a blessing given by the Prophet to his father on
18 December 1833, sixteen months before the popular date given for section
107.

The realization that section 107 is a compilation of revelations rather
than a single one received on 28 march 1835 is historically quite helpful
to understanding the Doctrine and Covenants. It says something about how
revelation comes and how it is used and indicates that the Prophet
received some revelations earlier than the date under which they appear
formally 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, p. 412-413.

The First Presidency had jurisdiction over the entire church. (Verse 22)
Members did not necessarily come from the Quorum of the 12 Apostles. When
Joseph Smith was killed, the First Presidency did not automatically
dissolve, as is done today. First Counselor Sidney Rigdon was sustained in
his position as a member of the First Presidency; Second Counselor Amasa
Lyman returned to his position in the Quorum of the 12 Apostles. It was
also sustained that Sidney Rigdon should continue the mission to
Pennsylvania (that he wasn't doing when the Prophet died). Also, even
though Rigdon was sustained as a member of the First Presidency, the
saints clearly sustained to follow the Quorum of the 12 Apostles as they
completed the Prophet's goals to build a temple, complete the exodus to
the west, etc.

(Rigdon didn't even have all the temple ordinances, making it impossible
for him to supervise the administration of those ordinances to other
church members. He was excommunicated a few months later for attempting to
administer those ordinances which he had not yet received.)

The Quorum of the 12 Apostles originally had jurisdiction only in areas
where no High Council was organized. (Verses 23-24, 33) "Mission-field
jurisdiction" is what is meant by the phrase "thus differing from other
officers in the church in the duties of their calling." Joseph Smith
administered the temple ordinances to most of the Quorum of the 12
Apostles, and also specifically gave the assignment and authority to
perform those ordinances to the 12 Apostles.

This temple authority (usually called "Keys of the Priesthood" in that
time period) was the basis for the succession of the 12 Apostles after the
Prophet was killed.

The seventy (verses 25-26) also had jurisdiction only in the "mission
field," "thus differing from other officers in the church in the duties of
their calling." The phrase "equal in authority to that of the Twelve
special witnesses or Apostles just named" has always been ambiguous. It is
clear from several talks by President Hinckley--especially during the time
period that President Benson was ill--that the seventy do NOT have the
same authority. President Hinckley continually stated that the First
Presidency and the 12 Apostles hold the keys of the priesthood. (It is
also obvious because the First Presidency and 12 Apostles call and
delegate to the seventy.)

The high council in Zion (Jackson County, or later in Nauvoo), had
jurisdiction over the majority of the saints (verse 37). High councils in
the "Stakes of Zion" (using the analogy of the stakes around the center
pole of a tent that support it) had jurisdiction over smaller numbers of
saints in their respective stake boundries. (verse 37) It should be
obvious that the Quorum of the 12 Apostles are now essentially the high
council described in these verses; this high council has not been
eliminated, just combined with the 12 apostles.

McLellin's journal presents students of early Latter-day Saint history
with a different chronology of--or at least a different location
for--events surrounding the meeting in which the Twelve met with the
Prophet ... and Joseph's asking for and receiving the first fifty-eight
verses of the revelation known as the "Revelation on Priesthood" (D&C
107). ... indicate that the meeting was held in Kirtland on March 18,
1835. ...

... March 30, it is also possible that this extremely significant meeting
and Joseph's receipt of the "Revelation on Priesthood" occurred in
Huntsburg rather than in Kirtland.

The Journals of William E. McLellin, 1831-1836, Edited by Jan Shipps and
John W.

Welch, (Brigham Young University and BYU Studies, 1994), p. 167.

Section 108

... The revelation informed Sherman that he would receive an ordination in
conjunction with the "first of mine elders," a term which referred to a
chosen few who were to receive an "endowment." The Kirtland endowment was
to consist of rich outpouring of God's spirit upon the faithful elders.
Preparation for the "endowment" occupied much of the Church leaders' time
during the early month of 1836. Brethren who had been selected to
participate in this important event met regularly in the Kirtland Temple
during January and February 1836. This preparation, intended to sanctify
the brethren, involved the following:

1. Confessing of sins and asking forgiveness,

2. Covenanting to be faithful to God,

3. Having one's body washed and bathed with cinnamon-perfumed whiskey,

4. Washing one's own body with pure water and perfume,

5. Having one's head anointed with holy oitl,

6. Having the anointing blessing sealed with uplifted hands (the sealing
blessing consisting of three parts: solemn prayer, a sealing prayer, and
the hosanna shout), and

7. Washing of faces and feet and partaking of the Lord's Supper.

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. 216-217.



On that same day that the apostles were first called, Elder Lyman Sherman
was called to be one of the presidents of the Seventies. Some months
later, in December, President Sherman came to the Prophet Joseph with a
request for the word of the Lord through him, "for," he said, "I have been
wrought upon to make known to you my feelings and desires, and was
promised that I should have a revelation which would make known my duty."
Section 108 was then revealed.

Wilson K. Andersen, "Revelations on Priesthood, Keys, and Quorums,"
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. 412.

This revelation is directed through the Prophet Joseph Smith to Lyman
Sherman. The former editions of the Doctrine and Covenants have not
presented enough background material in the heading to enable the reader
to understand the content of the revelation correctly; consequently, there
has been some misunderstanding concerning it Former editions have
interpreted the revelation as a promise to Brother Sherman that he would
be ordained to the office of elder (see the heading to the 1921 and
subsequent printings). However, since Brother Sherman was already a
seventy and a high priest at the time of the revelation, some additional
background is needed.

On 26 December 1835, Lyman Sherman came to the Prophet and said he was
"wrought upon" and troubled and desired a revelation through the Prophet
as to his (Sherman's) duties.

Just what was bothering him is not specified.

The direction in D&C 108:2-4 (26 December 1835) is that Brother Sherman
should let his "soul be at rest concerning your spiritual standing" and
that he would be "remembered with the first of mine elders, whom I have
chosen." This is not intended to mean an ordination to the office of elder
in the Melchizedek Priesthood (as the 1921 edition states), since he was
already a high priest, but seems to mean something like, "You shall be one
of the first (leading) elders in the Church, etc." In 1837 he was released
from the office of seventy (since at that time high priests could not be
seventies) and was subsequently called as a member of the Twelve (16
January 1839) but died (February 1839) before he was ordained. The
headnote and content summary to this section in the new edition of the
Doctrine and Covenants are worded in a manner to guide the reader toward a
proper context and interpretation. This section is a clear example of the
need for adequate background information if we are to understand
correctly.

Robert J. Matthews, "The New Publications of the Standard Works--1979,
1981," Brigham Young University Studies, Volume 22, Number 4, p. 413.

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

Date: Wed, 10 Sep 1997 21:26:15 -0700
From: "Perry L. Porter" <[e-mail]>
Subject: ---> Lesson 33

Doctrine and Covenants 109-10

Lesson 33

Scriptural Highlights

1. Obedience and sacrifice bring spiritual blessings.

2. An inspired dedicatory prayer helps the Saints understand the purposes
of temples.

3. The Lord accepts the Kirtland Temple, and messengers restore vital
keys.

Invite any class members who have attended a temple dedication to share
their experiences. Prayerfully consider how you can most effectively teach
the significance of temples and the importance of the events recorded in
D&C 110.

Discussion and Appilcation Questions

* Why did the Lord want the Saints in Kirtland to build a temple? (D&C
95:8; 109:5-9; compare D&C 88:117-20.)

* How were the Saints blessed for the sacrifices they made in building the
Kirtland Temple? (D&C 109:4-5; 110.) How might we make greater sacrifices
to further the work of the Lord done in the temples?

* Why must we be worthy when we enter the temple? (D&C 109:20-21;
97:15-17.) What blessings may we receive as we attend the temple worthily?
(See D&C 109:13-19 and the quotation from President Benson.) How have
these blessings been evident in your life?

What responsibilities and blessings do we have as we leave the temple?
(D&C 109:22-28, 34-46.) What does it mean to you to leave the temple armed
with the power, name, and glory of God? (D&C 109:22.) How has temple
attendance strengthened you against temptation? (D&C 109:24-28.) How has
temple attendance prepared you to proclaim the gospel? (D&C 109:23,
38-42.)

* During the dedicatory prayer for the Kirtland Temple, the Prophet prayed
for the Church's enemies. (D&C 109:50.) How do you think the Saints felt
about praying for those who drove them from their homes? What good can
come from praying for our enemies?

* What did Joseph Smith pray for in D&C 109:54-80? How intently do we pray
for these blessings today? How has the Lord answered prayers that the
entire Church has offered?

* Why do you think Joseph Smith described the Lord's appearance by
comparing it to fire, snow, the sun, and the rushing of greet waters? (D&C
110:1-4; Joseph Smith - History 1:17.)

* Which ancient prophets appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in
the Kirtland Temple? (D&C 110:11-16.)

What keys did Moses restore? (Articles of Faith 1:10.) What did Elias
restore? (Abraham 2:9-11.) What power did Elijah restore? (See Malachi
4:5-6 and the quotation from the Prophet Joseph Smith.) How are we blessed
today because the Lord has restored these keys and powers?

Quotations

President Ezra Taft Benson: "When you attend the temple and perform the
ordinances that pertain to the
House of the Lord, certain blessings will come to you:

" * You will receive the spirit of Elijah, which will turn your hearts to
your spouse, to your children, and to your forebears.

" * You will love your family with a deeper love than you have loved
before....

" * You will be endowed with power from on high as the Lord has promised.

" * You will receive the key of the knowledge of God. (See D&C 84:19.) You
will learn how you can be like Him. Even the power of godliness will be
manifest to you. (See D&C 84:20.)

" * You will be doing a great service to those who have passed to the
other side of the veil in order that they might be 'judged according to
men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.' (D&C 138:34.)

"Such are the blessings of the temple and the blessings of frequently
attending the temple" (Ensign, Aug. 1985, p 10).

The Prophet Joseph Smith: "The spirit, power, and calling of Elijah is,
that ye have power to hold the key of the revelations, ordinances,
oracles' powers and endowments of the fulness of the Melchizedek
Priesthood and of the kingdom of God on the earth; and to receive, obtain,
and perform all the ordinances belonging to the kingdom of God, even unto
the turning of the hearts of the fathers unto the children, and the hearts
of the children unto the fathers" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith,
p. 337).

Additional Ideas

1. Encourage class members to attend the temple regularly.

2. Have class members sing a hymn about the temple.

Next Week's Reading Assignment Doctrine and Covenants 111-20

Page 65

Class Member Study Guide

Lesson 33

The first latter-day temple was completed in Kirtland, Ohio, in 1836
through great personal sacrifice.

When work on the temple began, most of the Saints had been in Kirtland
less than two years and were very poor. Nevertheless, they gladly
responded to calls to work on the Lord's house.

Work on the temple was interrupted in 1834 when most of the able-bodied
men marched to Missouri with Zion's Camp. Work was also slowed by
persecution. The men who worked on the temple often had to stand guard at
night to protect their work from vandalism.

The women fed and clothed the workmen and wove carpets and draperies for
the temple's interior. Some of the sisters contributed glassware to be
crushed and mixed into the plaster to give the temple's exterior a
sparkling appearance.

The Saints' sacrifices in building the temple brought many blessings. In
the months before the temple was dedicated, remarkable spiritual
manifestations occurred. On 21 January 1836 the Prophet Joseph Smith and
others saw a glorious vision of the celestial kingdom (see D&C 137). In at
least ten subsequent meetings in the temple, people reported seeing
angels. Some even saw the face of the Savior. (See History of the Church,
2:379-82.)

The temple was dedicated on 27 March 1836. Joseph Smith read a dedicatory
prayer that had been given to him by revelation (see D&C 109). The Spirit
of the Lord was poured out upon the people. Prophecies were given in
tongues, angels appeared, and a pillar of light rested on the temple.

One week later on 3 April 1836, the resurrected Lord and the ancient
prophets Moses, Elias, and Elijah appeared in the temple (see D&C 110).
All these events were in fulfillment of the Lord's promise that in Ohio
his Saints would be "endowed with power from on high" (D&C 38:32).

* What blessings may we receive as we attend the temple worthily? (D&C
109:13-21; 97:15-17.)

* What responsibilities do we have as we leave the temple? (D&C 109:22-28'
34-46.)

* What keys and powers were restored to Joseph Smith in the Kirtland
Temple? (D&C 110:11-16.)

The Kirtland Temple was built by the Saints of Kirtland, Ohio, through
great sacrifice. It was dedicated by the Prophet Joseph Smith on 27 March
1836 (see D&C 109).

Page 66

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

When the revelation was given to build this temple there were only about
one hundred
members (approximately twenty families) living in the Kirtland township.
These people were
not only few in number, but they lacked land, money, and architectural
knowledge. ... Within
three years, membership in Kirtland increased from one hundred to thirteen
hundred.

During a fifteen-week period, extending from 21 January to 1 may 1836,
probably more
Latter-day Saints beheld visions and received gifts of tongues,
interpretation of tongues, and
prophecy than during any other period in the history of the Church.
contemporaries reported
that members beheld heavenly being during ten meeting, that many saw
visions during eight of
these meetings, and that Latter-day Saints beheld the Savior on five
occasions.

... On the evening of 21 January 1836, about forty men entered the nearly
completed Kirtland
Temple. Although the outside plastering had been completed, workers were
busy at that time
plastering and painting the interior. While climbing the circular
staircase, these bearers of the
priesthood passed the second floor, which resembled the first with four
tiers of pulpits on
either end of the room. They continued to the third floor, an attic which
had been divided into
five classrooms. About sixteen of these men gathered in the west room,
which was then being
used as a classroom by students studying Hebrew. Accompanying Joseph Smit
were his two
counselors and his father (who was serving as patriarch), Hyrum Smith, the
two bishoprics
(one from Missouri and the other residing in Kirtland), and Joseph Smith's
scribe, Warren
Parrish.

After the Prophet had introduced one of the ordinances connected with the
Kirtland
endowment--the ordinance of anointing--Jospeh Smith testified that "the
heavens were
opened upon us," and he "beheld the celestial kingdom of God, and the
glory thereof." ...

Before this remarkable series of vision ended, the high councils from
Kirtand and Missouri
entered the room, received their anointings, and were blessed with the
ministering of angels.
The Prophet added that while some of these leaders communed with holy
angles, others "saw
the face of the Savior" and the spirit of prophecy and revelation was
poured out in might
power. When Oliver Cowdery attempted to describe this unusual meeting, he
wrote, the
"glorious scene" was "too great to be described." "I only say," he added,
"the heavens were
opened to many, and great and marvelous things were shown."

... On Saturday, 26 March, the day preceding this solemn assembly, Joseph
Smith, Oliver
Cowdery, Sidney Rigdon, Warren Cowdery ..., and Warren Parrish (Joseph's
scribe) met in
the president's room on the third floor of the temple to make final
preparations for the service.
According to Oliver Cowdery, during this meeting he assisted Joseph Smith
"in writing a
prayer for the dedicaiton" of the Lord's house.

On Sunday, 27 March, approximately eight hundred members (only a portion
of those who
desired to attend) crowded into the temple to participate in its
dedication. During this meeting,
which began at nine o'clock and continued until four in the afternoon with
only a fifteen or
twenty minute intermission, Sidney Rigdon conducted and spoke for two and
one-half hours.
In the afternoon, Joseph Smith delivered the dedicatory prayer which had
been received by
revelation... Following this prayer the choir sang a hymn written earlier
by William W. Phelps
in anticipation of a glorious occasion, "The Spirit of God Like a Fire is
Burning." The Prophet
then received approval of this prayer from the respective priesthood
quorums and the
congregation."

Following the closing remarks by Hyrum Smith and Sidney Rigdon and
Rigdon's closing
prayer, the congregation sealed the proceedings with the Hosanna Shout,
shouting "Hosanna!
Hosanna! Hosanna to God and the Lamb!" three time, and "sealing it each
time with amen,
amen and amen."

Some who attended this solemn assembly testified that an angel was present
and accepted the
proceedings. Others were more specific and declared that the Savior was
present and that the
apostle Peter had come to accept the dedication.

By early April bearers of the priesthood had received their washings and
anointings, including
participating in the ordinance of the washing of feet; they had therefore
received a partial
endowment. Shortly thereafter, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery knelt in
prayer behind
drawn curtains adjacent to the large pulpits on the werst side of the main
floor of the temple.
The date was Sunday, 3 April 1836, exactly one week following the
dedication of the Lord's
House. During the morning hours Elder Thomas B. Marsh (then president of
the Twelve) and
Elder David W. Patten (also an apostle) spoke to the Saints. In the
afternoon the Presidency
and the apostles participated in administering and passing the sacrament,
after which Joseph
Smith and Oliver Cowdery commenced praying privately. At that moment these
two men
participated in one of the most important visions of the ages. Alghough
temple work as we
know it today was not performed in our first temple ..., the keys to
engage in temple work
were unfolded in that House of the Lord....

... The identity of Elias--whether he be Noah, Abraham himself, or a
prophet named Elias
from the days of ABraham--is not clearly known.

Milton V. Backman, Jr. and Robert L. Millet, "Heavenly Manifestations in
the Kirtland
Temple," Studies in Scripture, Volume One: The Doctrine and Covenants,
Edited by
Robert L. Millet and Kent P. Jackson (Sandy, Utah: Randall Book Co.,
1984).

... In December the important "Olive Leaf" revelation not only spelled out
significant doctrine,
but also commanded the elders to establish a house, "even a house of
prayer, a house of
fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of God." ...

... It was a striking building that utilized traditional motifs arranged
in an unorthodox pattern,
with two main doors instead of three, a vertically unaligned center window
used to light both
floors, and a second story replacing the more typical gallery. Inside, two
sets of pulpits gave
the assembly room an unusual double front. Four tiers of lavishly carved
pulpits for the
Melchizedek Priesthood were placed on the west (where other denominations
placed a single
pulpit), and pulpits for the Aaronic Priesthood were placed on the east.
Veils or curtains
lowered by hidden ropes and pulleys divided the room into quarters and
covered the pulpits
when the presiding officers wished privacy.

The temple was built of sandstone covered with plaster. ...

... Two months before the dedication ceremonies that Prophet introduced
among the leaders
an ordinance of washing and anointing with oil, wich symbolized the
spirituality and cleanliness
they desired. At an impressive meeting in the attic rooms of the temple,
the Prophet and
others reported visions of the celestial kingdom....

On the day of the dedication, March 27, nearly half the crowd had to be
turned away, but the
ceremonies were later repeated for them. Morning and afternoon meetings
were held, the
sacrament of the Lord's supper was served, a new hymn was sung, several
testimonies were
heard, and the event concluded with the whole congregation shouting
together three times:
"Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna to God and the Lamb, Amen, Amen, Amen."

... That night members of the priesthood met in the temple to be
instructed in the ordinances
of washing of feet and anointing with oil. Suddenly, they reported, they
heard the room filled
with sounds of wond. People outside the temple heard the sound and said
they saw a shaft of
light on the temple steeple, and inside the priesthood members spoke in
tonges. In an
atmosphere like the day of Pentecost, the Prophet admonished the Twelve to
carry the gospel
to the nations. Two days later priesthood members spent an all-night
session receiving
washings and anointings, and on March 30 another day of pentecost was
recorded. Several
testified to visions of the Savior and of angels. A final outpouring of
such experience came on
April 3 following two meetings attended by a thousand Saints. Joseph Smith
and Oliver
Cowdery dropped the curtains that surrounded the west pulppits and, after
solemn prayer,
received visions of the Savior and the ancient prophets Moses, Elias, and
Elijah, each of
whom restored certain keys pertaining to the last days.

... regular Sunday meetings at 10 A.M. and 4 P.M., fast meetings on the
first Thursday of
each month with Patriarch Joseph Smith, Sr., presiding, school classes
durng the week, and
separate meetings for the Melchizedek Priesthood quorums on weekday
evenings. Soona
new corps of missionaries left, having received the "endowment from on
high" promised when
the Saints left their New York homelands to gather in Ohio. ...

James B. Allen and Glen M. Leonard, The Story of the Latter-day Saints,
(Salt Lake City:
Deseret Book Company, 1976) p. 97-101.


Section 109

Approximately one thousand Saints crowded into the Kirtland Temple on the
morning of 27
March 1836 to participate in the dedication of that sacred edifice. Prayer
were offered,
hymns sung, and sermons preached. The dedicatory prayer was pronounced by
Joseph Smith
in the afternoon, when he announced that Peter the apostle had been in
their midst to accept
the dedication.

After the prayer had been read, the several quorums, as well as the entire
congregation, voted
unanimously to accept it.

... I met in the presidents room pres. J. Smith, jr. S. Rigdon, my brother
W.A. Cowdery &
Elder W. Parrish, and assisted in writing a prayer for the dedication of
the house.

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. 218.

... When the dedication prayer was read by Joseph, it was read from a
printed copy. This
was a great trial of faith to many. "How can it be that the prophet should
read a prayer?" ...

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. 330.

Section 110

... Although this revelation was not published until 1852, it was recorded
contemporaneously
in the Prophet's diary in the hand of Warren A. Cowdery....

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. 220.

Elijah means "My God is Jehovah". El = God, -i- = of me (Eli- = my God),
Jah is a shortened form of Jahweh (Jehovah in English). Elias means the
same thing. The -as ending in Greek is equivalent to the -jah ending in
Hebrew. So Elias and Elijah are the Greek and Hebrew forms of the same
name. Elias and Elijah do not, however, appear to be the same person in
this revelation.

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

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