Doctrine and Covenants 27-28

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BACKGROUND

I'd like to begin with a bit of background to Section 27, because it comes in a different way from a majority of the others in the Doctrine and Covenants. Joseph Smith and Emma are being visited by their friends, Newell and Sally Knight and they decide to partake of the sacrament together. Joseph leaves the home and sets out to find wine for the sacrament service. As he's going, he's met by a heavenly messenger who gives him the instruction and revelation found in section 27. He returns home. They make their own wine and partake of the sacrament together. I feel this section teaches us yet another principle of divine revelation. So many of the revelations we read in the Doctrine and Covenants come as a result of Joseph seeking, asking, and knocking. He has a question; he approaches the Lord with that question and then receives a revelation as a result. The Lord responds to effort. However, this is a bit of a different case. This revelation came at a moment when Joseph wasn't even expecting or even asking for one. At times the Lord works in this way as well. Sometimes he blesses his children with needed revelation even when they aren't actively seeking it. Like a father bringing home a surprise gift for his children, just because he loves them. Have you ever had a revelatory experience like that? I know that on occasion, I have. I remember sitting in the temple when a moment like that came. I wasn't seeking any answers or searching for a solution to a problem or pondering a difficult decision. I was just sitting in the endowment room during a session when this thought and feeling struck me that I had never contemplated before. It was personal in nature, so I won't go into details, but it was a small gift from a loving Father in Heaven. Sometimes, revelation can come like this as well.

SECTION 27-THE GREAT SACRAMENT MEETING

ICEBREAKER

With that as an introduction, I like to do the following Sacrament TRUE/FALSE activity as an Icebreaker. You can do it from PowerPoint slides or as a handout. First, try to identify which of the following statements are true and which are false without looking at the accompanying references. Then check your answers using the references as a guide. So here we go:

1.Bread and water are the only two emblems we should use for the sacrament. (Doctrine and Covenants 27:2) FALSE

Verse 2 of section 27 teaches us what doesn't matter and what does matter when it comes to the sacrament. It doesn't matter what emblems are used to perform the sacrament. Bread and water are encouraged and preferred by the church, but in a pinch, other items may be used as well. I heard a story where following World War 2 in Europe, potato peelings were used for the sacrament. A long time ago, I remember being on a tour in Central America with other members of the church and clean water wasn't available. So juice was used. So what we actually eat, and drink are not what really matters. What does matter? The way we take it. It must be taken with an eye single to the Lord's glory, remembering his sacrifice. I remember teaching this principle in a seminary lesson and a student excitedly shouting out, "So we could have donuts for the sacrament?" My response, technically, yes, but why would that maybe not be the best idea? What would people likely be thinking about? Would it be the sacrifice of the Savior or the taste of the donuts. The purpose of the sacrament is not to feed us physically, but spiritually.

2.Partaking the sacrament is one way of bearing your testimony. (3 Nephi 18:7) TRUE

3 Nephi 18:7 tells us that the sacrament is a testimony unto the Father that you remember him. Sometimes I like to partake the sacrament with that in mind. When I take that piece of bread or cup of water to my list, I'm in a way bearing testimony to God and all around me, that I believe in Christ. That I believe in the power of his atonement and resurrection.

3.The only covenant that is repeated in both the prayer on the bread and the water is to keep his commandments. (Doctrine and Covenants 20:77, 79) FALSE

It's true that there is only one covenant that is repeated but it's not the covenant to keep his commandments. It's the covenant to always remember him. This is the emphasized covenant. If we always remember Christ, we will be sure to continually walk his straight and narrow path.

4.In the early days of the Church, wine was used in the sacrament. (Doctrine and Covenants 27:3-4) TRUE

This is true. You can see that in verses 3-4. Now this sometimes worries members of the Church since we currently live the Word of Wisdom which we know prohibits the drinking of alcohol. I've often heard well-meaning members and teachers explain to me that the wine Joseph Smith would have used or Jesus Christ in the New Testament for that matter was actually non-alcoholic, and more like grape juice. I'm afraid that just isn't true. Yes, the wine used in the New Testament and the early church, pre-section 89, did in fact have alcohol in it. So how do we justify that? Did God change his mind? We'll talk more about that when we get to section 89, but sufficeth to say that foundational principles never change, but the way in which those principles are applied do, depending on the circumstances and the time period. For our day, "in consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days" the Lord has instructed that it is better for us, to avoid alcohol altogether.

5.Partaking of the sacrament is an invitation to judge ourselves and our spiritual progress. (1 Corinthians 11:28, 31) TRUE

I love the way that Paul puts it in the New Testament. He invites us to "examine" ourselves. To look inward and contemplate how we are doing and where we can improve. For, if we judge ourselves, we should not be judged. I like that thought. Perhaps it suggests that if I spend my entire life, each week at the sacrament, judging myself, making course corrections, fixing errors, repenting for sins, resolving to develop a Christlike character, when I get to the final judgment, Christ won't really need to judge me--because I had been doing that myself my entire life.

6.The bread specifically reminds us of Christ's victory over sin through the atonement, while the water specifically reminds us of Christ's victory over death through the resurrection. (Doctrine and Covenants 27:2) FALSE

Just the opposite. Verse 2 of section 27 shows that we are to remember unto the Father his body which was laid down for us, and his blood which was shed for the remission of sins. We take the bread as an emblem of his body as a memorial to his victory over death. We take the water as an emblem of his blood which was shed for our sins. The sacrament is a weekly reminder of that greatest of victories over the two great obstacles to our exaltation.

7.One purpose of the sacrament is to create unity with others in the church as we partake the sacrament together. (1 Corinthians 10:16-17) TRUE

The sacrament is sometimes referred to as communion. If you look at footnote 16c for that verse in the New Testament, you’ll see that it suggests the words aid, fellowship, and partnership. The sacrament is something that brings us together as congregations in the church in the Spirit of fellowship, brotherhood, and sisterhood. So one of the purposes of the sacrament is to unify us. It’s a moment when all the members of the ward are coming together in a common purpose and focus. I know that I've noticed as a bishop, that oftentimes it is during the sacrament that I have received promptings and inspiration about members in my ward. It just seems to come more easily in that setting.

8.We should partake the sacrament with the spirit of hope, remembering that Christ can and will forgive our sins. (Matthew 26:28) TRUE

Yes. I believe that that is one of the meanings of the covenant to always remember him. We are to always remember his mercy and grace. The sacrament should not be a time of self-flagellation or a guilt fest. We are to remember his mercy. That he forgives. We need to always remember him in hope.

TRANSITION

Well, as this activity suggests, finding meaning in the sacrament can be approached in a number of different ways. I suppose the risk in doing the same ordinance every week is the possibility of it becoming commonplace or mundane in our minds. Maybe you've struggled to keep your sacrament experience meaningful? Does your mind wander? Are you just going through the motions each week? We can counteract that difficulty by realizing that there are various ways to approach this weekly ordinance. It is a testimony, a unifier, a self-examination, and a memorial. Perhaps we could alternate our focus each week. Now section 28 gives us yet another way of looking at and approaching the sacrament. The sacrament is also an inspiration--a motivator for action as we contemplate future blessings. Yes, the sacrament is a memorial. When we partake of it, we can look into the past and remember Christ's sacrifice made for us so long ago. Also, we can look to the present during the sacrament. I bear testimony of him in the present moment, and I carry out a self-examination of my present spiritual state. But there's another direction that I can look. The sacrament also points to the future. It causes my mind to reflect on a very important "future" sacrament meeting. That sacrament meeting is described in section 27, verses 5-14.

SEARCH

Let's take a closer look. 3 questions to consider as you read those verses.

Who will be there? Mark them in one color.

What will some of them bring with them to this meeting? Mark that in another color

Can you find any statement of purpose for this meeting? Is there any explanation for why this meeting is taking place?

Question 1. Who is going to be there? It's quite a list. Moroni. Elias which is Noah. John the Baptist, Elijah, Joseph, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, Adam, Peter, James and John. Nany prophets from various dispensations. You have Old testament prophets on that list, New Testament prophets, Book of Mormon prophets and we could include the prophets of the Doctrine and Covenants who are being spoken to in the section, like Joseph Smith. The specific names that are mentioned here, though, are only representative examples. Just think of all the others who will also be in attendance. Nephi, King Benjamin, Samuel the Lamanite, Elisha, Eve, Ruth, Jeremiah, Esther, Paul, Brigham Young, Wilford Woodruff. They'll all be there. Not to mention that Jesus Christ himself will be officiating. But is this meeting just for prophets? Or did you see anybody else included on the guest list. Verse 14. "And also with all those whom my father has given me out of the world. So, all the faithful Saints from all ages will also be in attendance. That's an impressive group of people. And that thought gives you an opportunity to ask a really fun question. Who would you most like to meet at that Sacrament meeting and why? Oh, and that is a really hard question for me to answer. Over the years I've made so many good friends in the scriptures. They have stood by me, inspired me, counseled me, and comforted me through all kinds of circumstances. Good and bad. I can't wait to see them face to face and thank them for their selfless service to me. The thought of having that kind of experience inspires and motivates me to want to be better and keep myself worthy of such a privilege. There is an African American spiritual that I believe you're all familiar with that I feel really captures the spirit of section 27. Have you ever heard the song "When the Saints go Marching In"? Well that's what's happening here. All the Saints are marching into the valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman, which we'll discuss in more detail in a later section. That's where I want to be at that time. "Oh how I want to be in that number, when the Saints go marching in."

That's an experience we can be pondering as we partake of the sacrament. We want to be in that number with all those whom the father has given Him out of the world. And that is another beautiful thought and phrase. Who has given what to who? It's the father that's giving something. Who is he giving it to? He's giving it to Christ. But what is the gift being exchanged? It's us. His saints. His disciples. We are a gift from the Father to Christ. Isn't that a magnificent thought? Usually we speak of God giving Christ to us. God has given us the gift of his son. And that's true. Think of John 3:16. 'For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son." Christ is a gift to us. But at the same time. We are a gift to Christ. We have great worth to him. Remember section 18. The worth of our souls is great. So great that he was willing to lay down his life for us. This sacrament meeting will, in a way, be a great gift exchange. As we receive Christ, and he receives us.

And can you imagine partaking of the sacrament as Christ himself officiates? That very idea is suggested by Luke 12:37. How would it be to hear Him utter the sacrament prayers? To see Him break the bread. Would the sacrament take on new meaning if it were Christ passing it to you? Where you could see the marks of the nails in his hands as you reached for the emblems of that very sacrifice? This is a sacrament meeting not to miss.

Question #2

What will some of them bring to the meeting. There is a key word that is repeated frequently in the description of those prophets that will be in attendance. What's the key word? Keys. Keys is the key word. They will bring the keys of their authority. We've talked extensively about the importance of authority in past lessons, but the idea is reiterated here. These individuals hold and represent all the necessary authority needed to govern God's kingdom. And all of those keys would be restored to Joseph Smith in the latter-days. Which leads nicely into our last question.

Question #3

The statement of purpose for this meeting? Part of the why for the meeting? Verse 13. "to gather together in one all things both which are in heaven and which are on earth". This last dispensation is called the dispensation of the fullness of times. This is the dispensation where all is brought together. It's about unifying all good things in one. All prophets will be there, all keys will be present, all those whom the father has given Christ will be in attendance, past and present. Our righteous ancestors will be in attendance. All truth will be brought together in one great whole. Past, present and future will all be unified.

That gathering of all things into one has already begun and will finally culminate in this great sacrament meeting. And how lucky are we here in the latter days to be the beneficiaries of the Lords efforts to gather all into one. No previous generation or dispensation has been given as much as we have. We have the Old testament, the New Testament, the Book of Mormon, and the Doctrine and Covenants, all in one! We also have all the wisdom of our living prophets as well at our disposal. We have access to numerous temples. No generation or dispensation has been blessed with more opportunities. And not only do we have all this religious truth at our disposal. We also have all the collective incredible wisdom, and understanding, and truth, and art, and literature, and beauty of all cultures, and nations, and people. In our day and age, WE can enjoy the wisdom of Socrates, and Shakespeare, and the Buddha, and CS Lewis, and marvel at the art of Michelangelo, and Monet, and Ansel Adams, and enjoy the music of Mozart, and Beethoven, and Andrew Lloyd Webber. We also enjoy a greater understanding of science and physics and biology and mathematics than any previous generation. We have the knowledge of Newton, and Einstein, and Curie, and Da Vinci. And all of this truth and beauty and wisdom is available in the palm of my hand, with these incredible little gadgets we carry with us. All things are being gathered into one. And that will only increase and become more glorious as time passes. This is more than just a gathering of people to Jackson County. It's a gathering of all truth, all scripture, all righteousness, all that is virtuous, lovely, praiseworthy or of good report. We want it all!

TRUTH

A great truth from section 27 then: Before the Second Coming, the righteous of all times and dispensations will gather together for a great sacrament meeting with Christ himself.

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

And now, from what you've learned today. What aspect of that meeting do you most look forward to? Is it meeting former prophets? Or your ancestors? Or partaking of the sacrament with Christ officiating? Or being surrounded with all that goodness and virtue? What most inspires and motivates you as you look forward to that glorious event?

CONCLUSION

Can you see how section 27 can become a great inspiration for all true disciples of Christ? What a superb section to give to Joseph when he wasn't even looking for one. In a way, the Lord was showing Joseph that this little sacrament meeting he was about to have with a small number of saints was in some way connected to the great sacrament meeting of the future. So too with us, every week we partake of the sacrament, we can also look forward, and ponder our possible part in that meeting. Do you " hope to be in that number, when the Saints go marching in?" I hope so. Now before we conclude this portion of the video, I'd like to connect it with the final verses of section 27. The thought of this future glorious sacrament meeting should cause us to realize two things. There are two wherefore's in verse 15. What are they?

Wherefore, lift up your hearts and rejoice. This realization should keep us happy, and optimistic, and inspired. It can help us to endure. The other wherefore, though, is a bit more somber and serious. Wherefore, "Gird up your loins and take upon you my whole armor that ye may be able to withstand". If I wish to be in attendance at that sacrament meeting, then I'm going to need to arm myself. There is a struggle to be made before that celebration can take place. Satan is going to do everything in his power to keep you and I from making it there. We're going to have to fight, before we enjoy the victory. The next section of this lesson will instruct us on how to do just that.

SECTION 27-PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD

ICEBREAKER

To introduce this portion of the section, for an Icebreaker I like to encourage my students to take out a hymnbook and look at the following hymns. What do they all have in common?

60, 246, 250, 251, 253

60 The Battle Hymn of the Republic

246. Onward Christian Soldiers

250. We are all enlisted

251 Behold a Royal Army

259 Hope of Israel

Did you figure it out? They all have a common theme. War. Each one uses war or battle imagery.

Just listen to the words of "Hope of Israel":

"Hope of Israel, Zion’s army, children of the promised day, see the Chieftain signals onward, and the battle’s in array, hope of Israel, rise in might, with the sword of truth and right, sound the war cry, watch and pray, vanquish every foe today.

With so many war hymns, does that mean that we, as a church are a warlike people, in general? That we love fighting and any chance we have to get into a war, we jump at it because God likes war?

No, that's not it, is it. These hymns are not talking about fighting literal battles, but spiritual ones. War is a symbol for mortality--the spiritual conflict we face in this life. The war we fight with Satan, the war with temptation, the war with the evil of the world, and the war with our natural man. I suppose that the Lord could have compared mortality to a game or a contest, but no, this is more serious than that. Mortality is a war. The stakes are high. If we lose this fight, we could lose our exaltation. Our enemy is real and well equipped. It’s a struggle that will last us a lifetime.

Well, if you knew you were going into a battle, and that it was your life that was going to be on the line. What would you want to take with you?

I'm sure you would want a weapon and some armor. That's the Lord's suggestion here. If you want to survive this battle, if you want to be around to be able to enjoy the victory feast of the great sacrament meeting, then you need some armor.

And since this is a different kind of war, we need a different kind of armor. The armor of God.

POWER WORDS

Before we take a look at the actual armor, a brief activity. I want to zero in on verse 15 and ask you one question.

What word do you feel is the most important in vs. 15 and why?

What word did you choose? Here are some of my favorites?

Whole. Take on the whole armor of God. We can’t afford to leave behind any piece of it. In a battle sense, if you are my enemy, and you see that I've forgotten a piece of my armor, where are you going to aim your attack? My weaknesses. If I don’t wear my helmet, you’re going to go for my head, if I don’t have breastplate, you’re going for my heart. It only makes sense. That’s why we can’t afford to be lax in any area of our obedience. Satan doesn’t care if he defeats us with word of wisdom problems or chastity issues. He could care less if he gets us with pornography or pride. Drugs or dishonesty. He just wants our soul. It’s the ends that matter to him, the means are inconsequential. So we absolutely must seek to obey all God’s counsels. I like this quote from President Nelson:

““[You] will encounter people who pick which commandments they will keep and ignore others that they choose to break. I call this the cafeteria approach to obedience. This practice of picking and choosing will not work. It will lead to misery. To prepare to meet God, one keeps all of His commandments”

Russell M. Nelson

“Face the Future with Faith, Ensign, May 2011, 34).

We've got to wear the WHOLE armor of God.

I like the word ALL

What does that suggest about the fight? It’s going to require your all! This will not be easy. Expect it to be tough, expect there to be setbacks, and wounds, and pain. You are going to have to endure if you want to win. You can’t ease up at all and you've got to constantly be on your guard. This fight will require your ALL.

I also like the word Stand.

I've got to make a stand in this battle. Stand in this case is an active word, not a passive one. Like Custer's Last Stand wasn't him just sitting there waiting to be defeated. It was his last fight. We need to fight in this battle. The word suggests determination and tenacity. When God asks us to Stand in holy places, I don’t think he meant for us to cower and hide in them. He meant for us to make a stand for our beliefs and standards, actively. President Hinckley once wrote a little book called "Standing for something". We're going to need to stand for something if we wish to "withstand" the evil day. He that stands for nothing will fall for anything. A quote sometimes attributed to Alexander Hamilton.

And those are just my favorite words in those verses. Perhaps you found some others that mean something to you.

THE ARMOR OF GOD

Now let's talk about this armor. First, what are the purposes of armor? I can think of at least four.

The obvious one, protection. If we put on this armor, we will be protected from Satan

But what else does armor do for the wearer?

Confidence. If you put on the armor of God, you will be more confident in the face of temptation. You don't want to go into battle feeling vulnerable and exposed. If you're wearing armor, you'll feel much more prepared and ready to fight, knowing that certain attacks will have no effect on you.

Intimidation. If you come out onto the battlefield with the armor of God on, you may not even have to fight if you are intimidating enough to the enemy. Satan may realize he doesn’t even have a chance if you have your armor on.

And finally, recognition. You will be able to recognize who is also on the Lord’s side, if you have the same armor as they do. In a war, each opposing side has a special uniform or style of armor that they wear. In the confusion of battle, the armor you wear will help you and others to recognize who is fighting for who.

With those 4 purposes in mind, let's examine the actual pieces of armor. How many are there and what are they?

I count 6.

Loins girt about with truth

Breastplate of righteousness

Feet shod, or boots, with the preparation of the gospel of peace

Shield of faith

A helmet of salvation

And a sword of the spirit which is the word of God.

Now you could do a lot with these phrases. And I’ve often seen teachers approach this by showing how those particular gospel principles protect those certain representative parts of the body. So they explain how truth can protect our chastity, and righteousness can protect our hearts or how the preparation of the gospel can protect the direction we travel in life . And that is a great approach which can yield some insight. However, for me, I don’t like to pigeonhole myself into only seeing how those principles protect those specific parts of my life. I like to look at how each of those ideas helps me win my overall war with Satan and temptation. The major idea, to me, here, is that these principles protect us, all of us.

So take a close look at each of those words.

With the purposes of armor in mind, how do these things help protect us, give us confidence, intimidate the enemy or help us recognize who is on the Lord's side?

TRUTH

RIGHTEOUSNESS

PREPARATION

FAITH

SALVATION

THE SPIRIT

THE WORD OF GOD

A teacher, with that question, you could now spend a bulk of the class time talking about how those principles help us in our fight .

I'm not going to cover each, but maybe just two ideas. We've previously spoken of the two-edged sword of the Spirit and the word of God a few weeks ago. Well, these are some of our greatest tools in defending and defeating. A sword is both defensive and offensive in nature. All of the other pieces of the armor are defensive. But God doesn’t expect us to go through life just being beat up by the adversary, hoping that our armor doesn’t fail. He gives us a weapon! We can go on the offensive. Remember from Section 21 that we are taking this fight to Satan's doorstep--that the gates of hell shall not prevail against us. We’re not just trying to survive; we’re trying to win!

I also love the image of the shield of faith. Faith will act as one of our greatest defenses. It is what can quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. The lies and temptations of the adversary will simply bounce off the shield of our faith. I can resist temptation because I believe that certain principles will bring me happiness. I can withstand the lies, because my belief in the doctrines of salvation is strong. I can walk the paths of virtue with confidence because I believe in the promises and counsels of the scriptures and living prophets. It's when we neglect our testimony, or abandon our faith, that sin and temptation start to pierce through our armor.

TRUTH

So what's the truth? Life is a spiritual war. If we wish to win it, we must rely on the principles of TRUTH, RIGHTEOUSNESS, PREPARATION,FAITH, SALVATION ,THE SPIRIT, AND THE WORD OF GOD.

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES-ARMOR CHECK

I think we're all familiar the activity of labeling the different parts of the armor of God. But I like to take that a step further. Before any battle, a soldier would go through his armor and make sure that all was in order--to assure that he had every piece that he needed to survive--that nothing was broken--that everything was secure and reinforced--that his weapons were sharp. That's what I'd like you to do now. Do an armor check. You could do it with this handout. Are there any weaknesses in your armor right now? If so, which? What can you do strengthen that piece of armor? Pick a piece of the armor that you feel you need to work on? You can then circle one of the possible suggested ways you could do this, or listen to the Spirit and come up with your own. So:

Do you need to fill your life with more TRUTH by listening to the prophets and limiting your exposure to the lies of the world through the media?

Do you need more RIGHTEOUSNESS in your life by resolving to keep certain commandments and standards that you've been neglecting.?

Do you need more PREPARATION in your life by preparing yourself spiritually for the temple, the mission field, marriage, parenthood, the second coming, or the judgment?

Do you need more FAITH in your life by nourishing your testimony through hearing the word of God, by acting on your beliefs, and by sharing your testimony with others?

Do you need more SALVATION in your life, by turning to and relying on the atonement of Jesus Christ, by repenting of your sins, and looking forward with hope to the resurrection and judgment?

Do you need more of the SPIRIT in your life by learning to more carefully hear and recognize its still small voice, and heeding its promptings, and being worthy of its constant companionship?

Do you need more of the WORD in your life by making time for consistent and meaningful scripture study and seeking to apply what you learn.

If you did that little activity, I invite you to follow through. I can promise you it will make a huge difference in your spiritual war.

CONCLUSION

My grandpa fought in World War 2 and he rarely talked about it. On the few occasions that he did, it sounded terrifying and devastating. He spoke of losing fellow soldiers and seeing the devastating casualties of so many young men. I hope and pray that I would never find any of you among the casualties of this spiritual war. Casualties in the spiritual war are even more discouraging, seeing as the consequences of that loss are more than just mortal, but can be eternal as well. Unfortunately, I have seen casualties. Friends, neighbors, ward members, students, people who have fallen in battle in one way or another. People who took off their helmet, set down their shield of faith, or removed their breastplate of righteousness. Please don't do this! I can assure you that Satan will have no mercy on you, and these individuals are quickly hewn down. On the other side. I've seen great heroes in this conflict as well. Valiant soldiers fighting for the cause of Zion. People making good choices, setting good examples, following their general the prophet, and fighting heroically for truth. We already know which army will win in the end. The only question is if you will survive yourself. So put on the whole armor of God every morning, pick up your sword and face those silent spiritual battles with courage and hope. If you will, you will win, and the victory will be sweet. Because one day, the war will end. And those that have survived will enjoy a victory celebration like no other. They will be in attendance at that great sacrament meeting of the future.

So fight, and fight well. Put on the armor and conquer you will!

SECTION 28-REVELATION VS. IMITATION

ICEBREAKER

For an icebreaker, I often like to do the following. I say: I'd like to present you with a hypothetical situation. Let's say that one day, as your teacher, I walk into class and pull out this rock. Then I actually do pull out a rock and I try to choose a very unique and special looking rock, perhaps even a polished one with colorful swirls in it. And I say. Whenever I hold this rock, it seems to help me see things more clearly and understand what I should do. The other day I was thinking that my family could really use a new car, but that financially it just wasn't possible. But as I held my rock, the solution presented itself. I felt inspired to instruct you as my students that each of you should bring in a dollar for me every time we have class for the next 6 months. That should about cover the cost of a new car." Now if I really did that. What would you say? And then, just let them share their thoughts for a minute. But then I give them a challenge to get them into the scriptures. I ask them to go to section 28 and find a verse that would back up their justification for not complying with the "inspiration" or revelation that I got from my special rock. Now there are any number of verses that they could use from that section but verse 11 comes to mind as one of the best. Especially the part that says, "tell him that those things which he hath written from that stone are not of me and that Satan deceiveth him

TRANSITION

In today's lesson, we’re going to examine a situation from early church history that was somewhat similar. A time when a certain member of the church was making the claim that he was using a stone to receive divine revelation for the church. Let's see how Joseph handled that situation. In one of the final verses of section 27 God encouraged Joseph to "be agreed as touching all things". Well, Section 28 presents us with a situation where the church was not agreed on a specific issue. The issue revolved around Hiram Page, an early member of the church and one of the Eight Witnesses of the Book of Mormon. Hiram had found a stone that he believed gave him the ability to receive revelation for the church. As you can imagine, this is rather troubling to Joseph. His revelations seem to be in conflict with those received by Hiram Page. So, this isn't Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, but Hiram Page and the Seer Stone. The problems really begin when many of the early church members (in particular the Whitmers) are believing in and following Hiram Page's revelations from the stone. Now we shouldn't be too quick to condemn Hiram at this point. I don't believe he was deliberately trying to lead the church astray. I just believe that he was deceived or overzealous. Remember that many of the initial revelations of the Doctrine and Covenants deal with principles of personal revelation. Think of sections 6, 8, 9, 11, and 18. This idea of receiving intelligence from God is a major thrust of the doctrine of the new church. Also, Joseph carried with him a seer stone from which he said revelations could more easily come to him. Hiram Page is just claiming something similar here. But, there is conflict. The revelations don't match up. So Joseph decides to appeal to the Lord on the matter and receives section 28 as a result.

Remember a few weeks ago in Section 20 that we discussed the principle of order in the Church. They're still kind of figuring this stuff out. Who can receive revelation? Is there a hierarchy of revelation? Can anyone be inspired by God to receive revelation for the church? They still needed some clarification on the order of revelation and section 28 is going to help clarify and establish that order.

SEARCH

What I like to do in the section is a matching activity. I give my students the following handout. On one side I have specific verses that I feel teach important principles of general revelation in the church. On the other side, I have a number of revelatory principles. Some of them are true, and some of them are false. Their job is to match the verse with the proper principal. False principles will have no match.

Let's examine each verse and principle in turn.

Verse 2

But, behold, verily, verily, I say unto thee, no one shall be appointed to receive commandments and revelations in this church excepting my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., for he receiveth them even as Moses.

The principle match is E. Only the prophet/president of the church is authorized to receive revelations (or commandments) regarding the entire church. It only makes sense that an organization have a leader who has the final say or is authorized to declare revelation or guidance by God in church matters. Yes, we believe in presidencies with counselors, and councils within the church, where multiple people work together to make decisions and deal with issues specific to their sphere of leadership. But even within those presidencies and councils, you have a single leader who has been authorized, called, and set apart to make final decisions based on receiving guidance by God. Everybody in a council is not always agreed, each person in a presidency is not always agreed. The final say then must rest with a decision maker who has been given the authority to lead by the Spirit on those matters.

I like the way Richard Lyman Bushman puts it in his biography of Joseph Smith entitled "Rough Stone Rolling" as he discusses this matter. He said:

"Acknowledging every rival claim to revelation would quickly lead to anarchy" (Bushman, "Rough Stone Rolling", p. 120).

Can you imagine a ward council working this way? Where each individual could claim to be receiving revelation for the ward? How would you sort out disagreements between organizations or individuals who see matters differently? No, that would lead to anarchy. It makes much more sense for there to be a leader appointed by God to make a final decision.

Verse 3

3 And thou shalt be obedient unto the things which I shall give unto him, even as Aaron, to declare faithfully the commandments and the revelations, with power and authority unto the church.

The match is G. We are to be obedient to the revelations given to the prophet/president of the church.

This makes perfect sense. If a leader is being guided by the spirit, or a speaking by the authority of God's guidance and boys. Then we should be willing to follow that counsel and revelation. In our heart of hearts, we may have the conviction that we are right, and that an inspired leader has got it wrong. We're in dangerous territory when we come to that conclusion. Some may even seek to sabotage the decision or guidance. Indeed, much of the apostasy in the early church Among church leadership stemmed from this very dynamic. Certain men, invested in their ego, and their own understanding and sense of what should be done, sought to undermine the leadership of Joseph Smith or others in positions higher than their own--to place their own claims above them. When these situations arise, we would do well to place our pride to the side, and humbly except the guidance we receive from inspired leaders.

Verse 4-5

4 And if thou art led at any time by the Comforter to speak or teach, or at all times by the way of commandment unto the church, thou mayest do it.

5 But thou shalt not write by way of commandment, but by wisdom;

The match is I. We are encouraged to speak and teach by the Spirit and impart of our inspired wisdom to others.

This order does not mean that individuals cannot speak by inspiration of the Spirit and impart wisdom and instruction to others. We all can speak inspired words. We all can be guided by the spirit as we give talks, bear testimony, teach lessons, and preach the gospel. Prophets, stake presidents, bishops, and organization presidencies are not the only ones who can be led by the Spirit to bless others. They simply must remain within their jurisdiction.

Verse 6

6 And thou shalt not command him who is at thy head, and at the head of the church;

The match is B. This is perhaps the most succinct principle of the entire section. The most straightforward. Don't command someone at thy head.

Joseph said it this way:

"I will inform you that it is contrary to the economy of God for any member of the Church, or any one, to receive instructions for those in authority, higher than themselves; therefore you will see the impropriety of giving heed to them; but if any person have a vision or a visitation from a heavenly messenger, it must be for his own benefit and instruction, for the fundamental principles, government, and doctrine of the Church are vested in the keys of the kingdom."

Joseph Smith Jr.

(HC 1:338)

We've got to stay within our lane. In sprinting, runners must stay within their lane, or they will be disqualified from the competition. There would be chaos and unfairness if runners could move in front of their competitors, trip them up, or seek to block them from the finish line. They have to stay within their lane. The same with revelation. There is a specific order to revelation. A hierarchy. And those at the head of that lane are responsible for revelation for matters that lie within their lane. That is another key consideration to consider here. That doesn't mean that somebody at your head has authority to receive revelation on all matters in your life. Only on matters considering they're lane. The Bishop doesn't have the right to command on your personal family or individual matters. They can speak by wisdom, and give their counsel, but they cannot speak by way of commandment. It wouldn't be right for a bishop to tell you who you should marry, or to receive a testimony for you. However, it would be right for a Bishop to receive revelation on issuing you a calling, or to give instruction on actions you need to take to fully repent after transgression, because those things lie within his lane. Those are matters over which he has specific authority or jurisdiction. And there are other matters that are the sole responsibility and authority of an individual to receive.

The Prophet is the only one that can receive revelation for the entire church, as far as church matters are concerned.

A stake president is the only one that can receive revelation for his Stake, as far as Stake matters are concerned

A Bishop is the only one that can receive revelation for his ward, as far as Ward matters are concerned.

A quorum or organization leader is the only one that can receive revelation for their organization, as far as that organization is concerned.

A parent is the only one that can receive revelation for their family, as far as family matters are concerned.

And an individual is the only one that can receive revelation for themselves, as far as individual matters and decisions are concerned.

Everyone must stay within their lane. When anybody crosses over into the lane of another, they are out of order, and their claim to revelation can be dismissed, no matter how justified they feel, or well-meaning they are.

Because the major message of the section is verse 13 "all things must be done in order".

Another important point to consider lies in verse 11:

11 And again, thou shalt take thy brother, Hiram Page, between him and thee alone, and tell him that those things which he hath written from that stone are not of me and that Satan deceiveth him;

The match is D. Satan seeks to deceive people by imitating revelation. This is why the order is so important. They may feel that they are receiving revelation, when really, it's just the adversary trying to throw a wrench in the works. Satan does have the power to imitate revelation. He's an excellent counterfeiter. Paul taught in 2 Corinthians 11:14 that "And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light." Sometimes it's difficult to tell the difference between revelation and imitation. The principles that are taught in this section can help us to not to be deceived in this way. If we know the proper lane structure. If we know and understand and respect the proper lane structure, we will much more easily be able to determine the counterfeits.

Let's step away from the handout for just a moment and really let this principle sink deep into our understanding. I'm going to display some case studies on the screen, and I want you to decide whether this is an example of revelation or imitation. For each we'll try to explain why it falls into which category, using the principle of "not commanding him who is at thy head "as a guiding principle.

REVELATION VS. IMITATION CASE STUDIES

• You have just been called as the Relief Society President of your ward. Word gets out and a sister approaches you to tell you that she has received an answer to a prayer that she should be called as your first counselor. You, however, feel that you have been prompted to call somebody else to that position.

  • Imitation. The Relief Society president has the authority to receive revelation on who she should call to be her counselor.

• A friend of yours tells you that they generally agree with the prophetic counsel about not forming serious relationships too young . But they feel that they are an exception because they are more mature than your average teenager, and that the Spirit must be giving them the go ahead because they don’t feel guilty for doing it. Besides, their parents don’t care either.

  • Imitation. Whose lane are they violating? The prophets. They don't have the revelatory right to excuse themselves from prophetic standards.

• Your bishop tells you that he feels God has called you to be the Gospel Doctrine teacher even though you don’t feel qualified or prepared to take that calling.

  • Revelation. Who serves in specific callings is a revelatory right for a bishop. Now individuals still have the ability to accept or reject such a calling, but they do so in contradiction of their leaders inspiration.

• A young man's parents have counseled him not to go to the lake with his friends because they have a great impression that something bad is going to happen. His friend's parents tell him that they have a very good feeling that this trip will strengthen their child’s testimony because of them, and they feel strongly about him coming.

  • I suppose this could be an example of both. Which set of parents has the revelatory right? The young man's own parents, not his friends parents.

• The prophet reminds all the worthy, able, young men of the church that it is their priesthood duty to serve a full-time mission.

  • This would be revelation. The prophet has the revelatory right to inform members of the church of their duties.

• A well-respected person in your ward begins teaching people that, because of his extensive study of church history and scripture, that he has come to the conclusion that it is appropriate for women to be ordained as priests to bless the sacrament.

  • Imitation. That person is out of their lane. Only a prophet could make that kind of declaration.

• Jeffrey R. Holland visits your mission and tells the missionaries that he can sense that some of them are planning on leaving their missions to go home. He tells the missionaries very forcefully that Heavenly Father is displeased with this and that God's desire is that they stay and complete their missions.

  • Revelation. This actually happened to me. Elder Holland did come to my mission, and I can still remember him gripping the edges of the pulpit and with great fervor making that declaration. Elder Holland was completely within his revelatory role in making that declaration of Heavenly Father's will regarding those missionaries.

• Your good friend says that he feels the prophet is leading the church astray and that he has been called to be the new prophet to set things straight. He is calling you to be a member of his new quorum of Twelve Apostles.

  • Imitation, obviously. And as crazy as that sounds, that is something that actually did happen to a good friend of our family. He, of course, turned down the offer. But there are some individuals out there that feel so strongly about their own opinion, that they are willing to separate themselves from the divine authority of the brethren. They do so at their own peril. We can rest assured that God will never allow a prophet to lead us, as a church, astray.

• A returned missionary tells a young woman he's dating that the spirit has revealed to him that she is to be his future wife and that he has seen in vision their future family.

  • This is imitation. And young women, if a man ever tries this on you, you should probably run. Who you marry is a matter of personal and individual revelation. Now I do believe that it's possible that an individual may feel inspired that a certain person would be a good fit and match for them. The Spirit could send that message to them and have it be a completely legitimate feeling and thought. But that other person still has their agency and right to receive revelation from their perspective, that the match would be best and right for them. As strange as it sounds, what might be a great fit for the one, may not necessarily be the greatest fit for the other. Both individuals have the right for their own personal revelation, but only as it regards them and their decisions.

Now these examples are not meant as binding and conclusive illustrations for every similar situation. I'm sure there are exceptions to every rule. The purpose of this activity is just to give us a general idea of the principle of staying within our revelatory lanes.

There is one more principle to match here. Verse 12.

12 For, behold, these things have not been appointed unto him, neither shall anything be appointed unto any of this church contrary to the church covenants.

The match is C. God will never reveal revelation to someone that is contrary to the teachings of the prophet/president of the church and established revelation.

This is another way to tell whether what you're receiving is revelation or imitation. Another powerful guideline. If what you feel you are being inspired with goals contrary to already established church covenants or revelations, then you can know for certain that it is imitation. You may ask yourself, what are 16 million other members of the church doing regarding this matter. For example, somebody feels that it is appropriate for them to start praying to Heavenly Mother. Well, our 16000,000 other members of the church praying to heavenly mother? No. That would be contrary to church covenants. And they should disregard it. Perhaps a teenager feels that they should be exempt from the commandment of not stealing because their parents aren't willing to buy them the things that they want. Well, what are 16 million other members of the church doing? They are keeping that commandment; therefore, they should not feel justified. Doing that little check with whatever seeming insight that comes your way is a great method for protecting yourself from deception. It's a nice safeguard for recognizing counterfeit inspiration.

TRUTHS

Well here's a quick recap of the principles of revelation we've discovered today.

· Only the prophet/president of the church is authorized to receive revelations regarding the entire church.

· We are to be obedient to the revelations given to the prophet/president of the church.

· We are encouraged to speak and teach by the Spirit and impart of our inspired wisdom to others.

· You may not receive revelation concerning matters that are the responsibility of someone in authority above you.

· Satan seeks to deceive people by imitating revelation.

· God will never reveal revelation to someone that is contrary to the teachings of the prophet/president of the church and established revelation.

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

As you look at that list, here are a few questions to consider. Have any of these principles helped you to recognize real revelation?

OR

How have you been blessed by the revelations of those at your head?

CONCLUSION

Well I'm happy to inform you that Hiram Page did accept this revelation as well as those who had been deceived by his stone. A valuable early lesson for the church was learned and an order was established. We are still being blessed by that order. There is an order to revelation, and we can find confidence and counsel in trusting that order. I'm personally very grateful for the direction I've received from God through his inspired leaders. I came to realize later in my life that my parents really did know best, and their inspired guidance has helped me to become the man I am today. I'm grateful for my Quorum leaders, and bishops and stake presidents that have provided me with wise counsel and opportunities to serve. I'm grateful for the brethren and the general leadership of the church. There is no doubt in my mind that they are divinely led. And I'm also grateful that I have not been left out of that loop. That God has given certain responsibilities and instructions specifically to me, and only me--that I can have a direct connection with heaven myself, and gain wisdom from God as an individual. God is a god of order.