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SECTION 37-LITTLE SECTION-BIG SACRIFICE
We're going to start with just a quick summary of section 37. I call it the little section with the big sacrifice. And here, the section heading tells us that this revelation is the first commandment concerning a gathering in this dispensation. Joseph had already revealed that a gathering was to take place back in Section 29, but the actual location had not been made known yet. Here, the Lord is going to get more specific. He tells them to "go to the Ohio", and that they should "assemble themselves together at the Ohio" with Kirtland being the designated spot, where the missionary labors of Parley P. Pratt and others have resulted in the conversion of many in the area. The church at that time has a number of different branches spread throughout upstate New York in places like Fayette, Harmony, Palmyra, and Colesville. But unfortunately persecution has really intensified, and it was now time to leave and gather. Now this is going to be quite a difficult commandment for the New York saints to follow and I hope that we can appreciate that. They are being asked by the prophet to sell their farms and homes, many at great financial loss in order to move to a place a hundred of miles away that they know nothing about so that they can start all over again. Just think of the faith that that would require. I mean, would you be willing to do that if President Nelson asked you to do the same?
If there was one quick insight that I would offer from this small section, it would be verse 4. It says:
4 Behold, here is wisdom, and let every man choose for himself until I come. Even so. Amen.
That is a perfect description of the way the Lord does things. He provides wisdom but then lets us choose for ourselves. The New York saints were given reasons for gathering and promised great blessings if they would. But nobody was forced to sell their farms or to move. God provided the wisdom, but allowed them the agency of choosing for themselves. Now we may take that principle for granted, but it has taken many world religions centuries to figure that out. It seems like for centuries, the policy for many religions was "Behold, here is wisdom, accept it or we'll kill you". Christianity will struggle with this, Islam will struggle with this, Hinduism will struggle with this, and many world governments have struggled with this. Gratefully, in the restored gospel, invitation and agency are the policy. And I imagine we could all agree that it is the best policy.
SECTION 38-THE PILLARS OF CONSECRATION
ICEBREAKER
But now to section 38, where we're going to spend the bulk of our time this week. As an icebreaker for this section, I like to do the following object lesson. I give each of my students a small paper cup, you know, like those little dixie bathroom cups. Then I invite my students to draw some kind of picture or symbol on the cup that represents them and then have them bring it up to the front to me. First, I take a single cup of my own and place it under a square piece of wood. Then I step up onto the board, and the lone cup, of course, smashes under my weight. All alone, one single cup cannot handle much pressure or weight. Then, how I approach this next step depends on the size of the class. If it's a big class-20-30 students, I take their cups and place them in a tightly arranged group upside down. Then I take that same board and place it on top of the bottoms of the group of cups that represent the class. Then very carefully. I step up on to the board. And, usually, if I've planned it right, the cups are able to hold my weight. And I know it sounds like it wouldn’t work, but trust me, I’ve done this before, and it does. You'd be surprised at how much weight the combined cups can handle. Now if my class were smaller, or if I was of more considerable heft, I might approach this differently. Perhaps I would grab a large weight from a weightlifting set and place that on top of the board instead. Certainly, the more cups you have, the more weight it can handle. You might want to do some practice runs yourself to see how many cups are needed to support the amount of weight you will place on it.
However you do it, after that demonstration, I ask: What’s the moral of the object lesson?
And they're sure to get it. To me, the lesson is Unity=Strength. We are much stronger together than we are alone.
TRANSITION
Now to get them into the scriptures, give them the following search challenge: Can you find a statement about the importance of unity on page 65 of the Doctrine and Covenants? And the clearest statement on that subject is found at the end of verse 27: I say unto you, be one, and if ye are not one ye are not mine. God knows and emphasizes the importance of gathering and unity within the church. Just like with the cups, the more of us that are unified in a common purpose, the stronger we will be against the pressures of the adversary and the world. Today in Section 38 we're going to learn some principles that will help us to be more unified as God's people.
BACKGROUND
Some quick background first. Section 38 provides additional wisdom for the Saints on gathering to the Ohio. And knowing the background is really going to help us understand some of the themes that we're going to find here in this section. For example, knowing that the New York Saints are facing severe persecution will help you understand why he talks about the powers of darkness prevailing on the earth (:11) the enemy being combined (:12) and people planning their destruction in secret chambers(:13). Certainly there were powers and people that wished to step on and crush the early church. Knowing that many are going to have to sell their land in order to gather helps us understand the Lord's promises in verses 17-20 of a better land that they would inherit for eternity since this world will eventually become the Celestial Kingdom. Knowing that this commandment (to sell their farms and move) is going to make a lot of them poor helps us to understand the many temporal or financial principles regarding the rich and the poor that we find in this section. Their temporal welfare is obviously going to be at the forefront of their minds. Knowing that the saints are going to need some encouragement to follow this instruction helps us to understand the Lord's promise that in Kirtland, he will give unto them his law, and there they shall be endowed with power from on high. In the coming weeks, we'll see how the Lord is really going to follow through on that promise. All in all, the Lord is asking his people to do something very difficult. And when they arrive in Kirtland, that law that they are going to receive is also going to challenge them. So before he starts asking them to live this law, he wants them to understand something about the lawgiver.
KNOWING THE LAWGIVER
I really love the first 8 verses of section 38. It's like the Lord wants them to understand the kind of being that is asking them to do something difficult. Knowing the nature of the lawgiver makes it easier to follow and trust the given instruction .
SEARCH and SHARE
And here. I invite you to study verses 1-8 and learn everything you can about the Lord, the lawgiver. I really want you to dig deep on this. Don't take any words or phrases for granted. What do you learn about the character or the personality of Jesus Christ from this section? And be prepared to share at least one thing that you learned or found.
Here are a few of my own thoughts. One overarching truth that stands out to me in these verses is the dual nature of deity, both of which are true and important. When I say the words Jesus Christ, or God, or the Lord, what do you picture in your mind? How do you picture your relationship to them? How do you picture your relationship to Christ? Do you picture him all powerful or all personal? As grand or intimate. There is an important balance in the way we approach the nature of the members of the Godhead. In some places in the scriptures, you have very warm and personal symbolism for Jesus Christ. He is the loving father, the good shepherd, the mother hen, the bridegroom-all very intimate images. On the other hand, you have the all-powerful, almighty, all-knowing, God of incredible authority and magnificence. Which do you picture him most as? Is he more of a Father or a King to you? Which is the correct view? Well, he's both, and we should seek a balance between those two concepts of deity.
Here in the opening verses of section 38 I see both sides. Just look at the first line, he says "Thus saith the Lord your God. He could've just said "Thus saith the Lord God", but no, he adds "your" God. That's personal. It's as if he says, "I'm not just the God of all mankind, I am your God." You, personally are one of my own. But then he moves to the expansive. The Great I Am, Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the same which looked upon the wide expanse of eternity, and all the seraphic hosts of heaven, before the world was made." So, He is great. He is the beginning and the end of all things. He has infinite perspective and looks upon the wide expanse of eternity. In terms of distance he is great, in terms of time, he is great. Then verse 2
The same which knoweth all things, for all things are present before mine eyes; So in terms of intelligence and wisdom and comprehension he is great. It reminds me of Isaiah's description of the Lord in Isaiah chapter 40. He said:
12 ¶ Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,
He's so grand, so powerful that he could just reach down and scoop up the Pacific Ocean and hold it in the palm of his hand.
and meted out heaven with the span,
A span is the distance between the tip of your thumb and the tip of your pinky. He's so grand and powerful, that He could just hold his hand out and tell you exactly how big the universe is.
and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure
He could tell you the exactly how many grains of sand make up the entire planet
and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?
He could pick up the Himalayas, put them in a scale and tell you exactly how much they weigh.
Such incredible power and might. And yet, at the same time, he's also the kind of God that you can talk to casually on your knees each morning and evening. And he'll listen. Do you get what I mean by the two sides of God's nature here?
Verse 3 I am the same which spake, and the world was made, and all things came by me. Remember last week when we talked about his title of Maker. Jesus Christ is the Maker of heaven and earth, and all things that are on it. When he speaks about his role as Creator, I believe it's a gentle way of reminding us that he knows how things work, because he made them. Therefore, we must learn to trust the Maker.
Now verse 4 returns us to the personal.
4 I am the same which have taken the Zion of Enoch into mine own bosom; and verily, I say, even as many as have believed in my name, for I am Christ, and in mine own name, by the virtue of the blood which I have spilt, have I pleaded before the Father for them.
That's very personal. He takes them into his own bosom. It's an embrace. He encircles them in the arms of his love. Can you get any more intimate and individualized than an embrace, a hug? What kinds of people give you hugs? Your spouse, your parents, your children, family and very close friends. Jesus is the kind of being that takes you into his bosom. Like it says in hymn 187
3.Oh, love effulgent, love divine!
What debt of gratitude is mine,
That in his off’ring I have part
And hold a place within his heart.
Next, another act of pure love, He pleads before the Father for them. Can you imagine Christ pleading for you? Saying something like, "Father, Ben tries so hard. He doesn't always do the right thing, but he wants to, and he's working to be obedient and to serve in your kingdom. Please be merciful to him." Christ pleads for us with great love and concern.
Then, he goes back to the expansive. A warning here.
5 But behold, the residue of the wicked have I kept in chains of darkness until the judgment of the great day, which shall come at the end of the earth;
6 And even so will I cause the wicked to be kept, that will not hear my voice but harden their hearts, and wo, wo, wo, is their doom.
So there are consequences to not hearkening to his voice. A reminder that he is a just God and expects the wise use of our agency.
Then to conclude, a return to the personal:
7 But behold, verily, verily, I say unto you that mine eyes are upon you. I am in your midst and ye cannot see me;
That's reminiscent of the Lord’s words to Orson Pratt last week, when he said "Behold, I am with you, until I come". It also reminds me of that beautiful primary hymn "If the Savior stood Beside Me". I love the verse that says:
"He is always near me, though I do not see him there
And because he loves me dearly
I am in his watchful care
So I'll be the kind of person that I know I'd like to be
If I could see the savior standing nigh watching over me"
I testify that he is watching over you, personally. That you are in his watchful care.
So I ask you once again. How do you see Christ? I think it's important that we don't just view him as "up there" looking down in glory from his heavenly realm. But right next to us. With us. Watching over us.
Remember the story of Jesus on the Sea of Galilee? Where was he when he spoke those comforting words "Peace, be still"? It could have been a voice from heaven speaking those words. But instead, there was Jesus, in the boat with them. Experiencing what they were experiencing.
Now I believe in the all-powerful Jehovah that reigns over this earth in majesty and I hold a deep respect in my heart for his magnificence. At the same time, he's not just that "eye in the sky" to me. I believe in a personal Savior that is with me on my boat, standing there, watching over me, strengthening me through and calming my storms.
Finally, verse 8. But the day soon cometh that ye shall see me, and know that I am; for the veil of darkness shall soon be rent, and he that is not purified shall not abide the day.
So one day, we will meet Jesus Christ in the flesh, and receive a perfect knowledge of his reality and love. But hopefully that won't be the first time that we sense his presence. Maybe your familiar with Elder Bruce R. McConkie's final testimony in general conference before he died. He said. "I am one of his witnesses, and in a coming day I shall feel the nail marks in his hands and in his feet and shall wet his feet with my tears. But I shall not know any better then than I know now that he is God’s Almighty Son, that he is our Savior and Redeemer, and that salvation comes in and through his atoning blood and in no other way."
Now there was a man who knew Christ, who walked with him on a daily basis.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
As a part of this lesson, you might consider singing or playing either of those two hymns I just mentioned as your class contemplates the following truth and does a brief pondering and writing activity. This could be done as a simple handout and filled in while they listen.
TRUTH
The truth: Jesus Christ is both powerful and personal, grand and intimate, above us and with us.
PONDERING HANDOUT
The questions on the handout:
Why do you feel it's important that we understand the "All powerful" side of Christ?
Why do you feel it's important that we understand the "All personal" side of Christ?
What quality do you love most about your Savior?
After the music has stopped playing. You could then invite students to share their thoughts.
CONCLUSION
Well as I said earlier, I really love these introductory verses. Jesus is a great God, isn't he? A being worthy of our worship, admiration, and emulation. He is all powerful, yet all personal, the beginning and the end, and everything in between.
A FOUNDATION FOR CONSECRATION
Now to move on to the bulk of section 38 and its major message. There's another little bit of background you should know that will help you to understand this section better. Around this time, Joseph has received, by revelation, the Book of Moses. And in Moses 7, the Lord talks about the city of Zion established under the leadership of the prophet Enoch. So this idea of creating an ideal unified society is fresh on Joseph's mind when he's receiving section 38. I'm sure that Joseph was intrigued by the description of Zion found in Moses 7:18
18 And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them.
Being of one heart and one mind speaks to the principle of unity. But something that will aid in that spirit of unity is what follows. One of the defining characteristics of Zion is that there are no poor among them. Joseph knew a little something about poverty and was sensitive to the plea of the impoverished. His own family had undergone a number of hardships and financial failures in their lives. So he wonders what was to be done about inequalities within the church. Section 38 is going to establish the foundation for what we call the law of consecration. The details of that law we'll look at more closely next week when we study section 42, but Section 38 contains the foundation of it. There are certain principles and truths that must we understand and embrace before we can ever expect to live it. And it doesn't really matter what end of the economic or political scale you place yourself, there are things in this law that will challenge YOU. So be prepared. We're going to go through and discover these principles together. I see seven foundational principles here and I call them "The Seven Pillars of Consecration". I might have my students fill out the principles on this chart as the class reads the identified verses together and marks them in their scriptures. They could then place that chart into their scriptures for future reference when they are done. So as you go along, just call on your students to read the verses out loud and seek to identify the principles behind them.
Pillar #1 is found in verse 16
16 And for your salvation I give unto you a commandment, for I have heard your prayers, and the poor have complained before me, and the rich have I made, and all flesh is mine, and I am no respecter of persons.
The first thing I must realize and believe is that no person is better than another in God's eyes. All flesh is His and He is no respecter of persons. WE are his. We shouldn't say things like "I am my own man", or "I am my own woman". Better to say, "I am God's man" or "I am God's woman". And WE belong to God as well as everybody else. The poor individual is just as important, and valuable, and loved as the rich individual. Both rich and poor are HIs. There is something about accumulating wealth that makes it very difficult for the successful person not to come to the conclusion that "Because I have more, I must be more". OR "I have better things, therefore, I must be better". Net worth and individual worth are two very different things. God is no respecter of persons, and therefore neither should. That is pillar #1. If I don't recognize the worth of all of God's children, rich or poor, then I am really going to struggle with the law of consecration.
Pillar #2. Verse 17
17 And I have made the earth rich. The truth here is that there is enough on this earth for everyone--and to spare. The earth is rich. It's not that if you get something, that there is going to be less of it for me now. There is plenty for everyone. If I don't believe this, I may develop a scarcity mentality, and seek to hoard my resources from all others, because "Well, I've gotta get mine". It's like when the pandemic started and toilet paper (of all things) became the most sought-after commodity there was. Now I'm pretty sure that there was enough toilet paper in the world at that time for all that needed it. Yet there arose a scarcity mentality which caused people to gather up as much as they could for themselves. Well, on a broader scale, that's kind of what's happened with the earth's resources and money. I've got to gather up as much as I can, because there is not enough to go around for all. Some are meant to be rich, and others are meant to be poor. I just want to be sure I'm on the right side of that scale. Don't fall for that lie. The earth is rich.
Pillar #3 Also in Verse 17 and we could add verse 39
"and behold it is my footstool, wherefore, again I will stand upon it."
And from verse :39 and it must needs be that the riches of the earth are mine to give;
This is an idea we'll go into more depth on later in the Doctrine & Covenants but the major gist of it is this. All things belong to God. Nothing is really ours. We are mere stewards of the things that we have. If I truly embrace that truth, then it should make it easier for me to consecrate. It's easier to give up something that doesn't really belong to us, right? So we say, "Lord, you want me to consecrate my money or my increase to your kingdom? Sure, I can do that. It's yours anyway. I can give you what's already yours". But if I believe that my possessions really mine, well then, that may be much more difficult for me to sacrifice, because, it's mine. Now this pillar differs from pillar #1 in that this one focuses on our possessions while the first focuses on self and time.
Pillar #4 verse 18
18 And I hold forth and deign to give unto you greater riches, even a land of promise, a land flowing with milk and honey, upon which there shall be no curse when the Lord cometh;
The pillar. I must believe that there are greater riches than worldly ones. I need to know what matters most. Temporal wealth is not the best thing. As Jesus said.
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-20)
Pair this with the first part of verse :39 which says:
39 And if ye seek the riches which it is the will of the Father to give unto you, ye shall be the richest of all people, for ye shall have the riches of eternity;
The riches of eternity are what we want to prioritize in this life. What are some of those riches? There's one mentioned in verse 30. Can you find it? It's wisdom. We can take our experiences and wisdom with us into the next life. We can take our faith, our family relationships, our memories, our acts of righteousness, sacrifice, and obedience. These are the things that matter most.
All the rest--the worldly accolades, the possessions, the accumulation of wealth, the houses, the boats, the cars, you can't take them with you. So be sure to know where to place your heart. Because "where your treasure is, there will your heart be also". (Matthew 6:21)
It might be good to ask ourselves where we think God will find our hearts at the judgment? Will it be in heaven? If so, perhaps the Lord will look at us and say, "You know, your heart has already been here in heaven for decades, it only makes sense that you be reunited with it."
Pillar #5 verses 24-27. This is a big one.
24 And let every man esteem his brother as himself, and practise virtue and holiness before me. (Then he repeats himself)
25 And again I say unto you, let every man esteem his brother as himself.
I must be as concerned with my brother's well-being as I am about my own. Unfortunately, it is in our nature to think of ourselves first, and our brother second, or not at all. But God wants us to be one. Remember the end of verse 27. "I say unto you, be one, and if ye are not one, ye are not mine". A house divided against itself cannot stand. It's very difficult to be united when there is great and obvious disparity in wealth between persons. The haves and have-nots. Economics can be a very divisive issue and it's been one of the biggest problems that the world has grappled with since the beginning. Governments have wrestled with this. Socialism vs. Capitalism, Welfare States vs. Social Darwinism. And is there some form of balance that can be found between extremes. I really don't believe that the Lord approves of the poor exploiting the rich any more than he approves of the rich exploiting the poor.
So He tells a little parable here in verse 26.
26 For what man among you having twelve sons, and is no respecter of them, and they serve him obediently, and he saith unto the one: Be thou clothed in robes and sit thou here; and to the other: Be thou clothed in rags and sit thou there--and looketh upon his sons and saith I am just?
Now that's quite fascinating. He's saying that he knows that kind of situation is not fair. But then look at verse 27
"Behold, this I have given unto you as a parable, and it is even as I am." So wait, He's saying that he recognizes that this is the way His world is currently set up, and that He knows it's not fair? Yes. And we may want to protest and say "God, how can you let a situation like this exist if you know it's not fair?"
Well, to help answer that question, I once saw this little comic that depicts a young man talking to Jesus. He looks at him and says, "How could you let things like hate, famine, war, suffering, disease, crime, and poverty exist in our world?" and Jesus responds back with "Interesting that you should ask because I was about to ask you the exact same question".
Do you kind of get the point that's trying to make? Yes, this fallen world has a lot of injustice and inequality in it. But who's responsible for that? God? or man? And since man is responsible for the problem, who's responsible for the solution? I think the point the Lord is making with this parable is that he knows that the world is not just--that some of his children actually do sit in rags while others in riches, and this pains him. It may pain us as well and so we look around and say, "God, the way things are in this world aren't fair!" And he says "Good, you're developing a sense of justice, now go out there and do all that you can, as far as is possible, to make it more just, more fair, so that I can be a just God". God really wants to be fair, but in a world of agency, he can't just come and fix it for us. He gives us the chance to fix it. . This is one of the ways that we become one. Become unified in your prosperity, and that will help you to become unified in spirit.
PILLAR #6
That leads us into the next pillar which is related. The attitude of pillar #5, will lead us to the action of pillar #6 It's in verse 35.
And they shall look to the poor and the needy, and administer to their relief that they shall not suffer;
There really is no way around this one. No excuse that can justify selfishness. The scriptures are clear. Those who have been blessed with abundance, have a responsibility and an obligation to help those who have not-- those that are in need. And let's be clear about one thing. This is not just for the temporal benefit of the poor. This is also about the spiritual welfare of the rich. God is concerned about both parties. It is a good, positive, uplifting, spiritually strengthening thing to give and God knows this. There is power and light and love and unification that is created in receiving. But there is also power and light, and love and unification that is created in giving. It's good for the soul. I'm sure you've felt that before when you have sacrificed to give to others. When God asks you to give of your abundance, he is thinking of your welfare, just as much as the welfare of the person you are giving to.
PILLAR #7
On the other hand, there is a balancing principle here. This whole system will only work if all individuals are willing to commit to the principle in verse 40.
40 And again, I say unto you, I give unto you a commandment, that every man, both elder, priest, teacher, and also member, go to with his might, with the labor of his hands, to prepare and accomplish the things which I have commanded.
All must be committed to labor with their might. It will be a very deunifying thing if those that are receiving aren't laboring with their might. I can't just sit back and say "Well, I'm just going to let everyone else take care of me". We believe deeply in the principle of self-reliance in this church. We all must go to and labor with our might. This whole section and the law of consecration are not about rich bashing or the redistribution of wealth, it's about all laboring for the common good of all. That's why I love the principles that guide the church's welfare program. As a bishop these past years I have experienced this firsthand, and it really is a beautiful thing. The church doesn't just give handouts. There is a plan in place. A self-reliance plan that encourages the receiver to go to with their might and do all that they can to return to self-reliance. BUT, the church is there to help through temporally difficult times. At certain points in our lives, because of circumstances beyond our control, we may find ourselves where all our efforts are just not enough. Near the beginning of my service as bishop, I remember a good brother that got cancer and couldn't work his construction job because of the effects of the treatment. At the same time, his wife was pregnant, and couldn't work herself. They could not support themselves, and their family could only help so much. In that kind of situation I say, thank heavens for the church's welfare system. It's for just such circumstances that the program exists. And the church did help! And that family was able to survive those dark days of need. There have been times when ward members have lost their jobs and they just don't have enough while they are looking for new employment. And I know it's really difficult for these individuals to come in and ask for help. And they're doing all they can. They've gone to family, they've cut expenses, they are working overtime to find a new job, but it's just not enough. And I love it when I can look at them and say "You know what, you have spent most of your life paying tithing and fast offerings and giving to others, and you will again. But there comes a time in most of our lives when we need to receive. Times when it is proper and right to receive. That's why the program exists, for just such occasions. So don't feel guilty for receiving at those times. And I didn't really understand this until I became bishop. I always thought fast offerings throughout the world were sent to Salt Lake and all pooled together, and then bishops could call on those funds for those that needed it. But that's not really how it works. Fast offering funds remain within the ward and are used for the benefit of those that live in those ward boundaries. Now, it is true that funds that remain unused can go to help people in other places, but I love the principle of helping those within your own community. It's not "the church" so to speak, that is helping them. It's their neighbors, it's their friends, it's their ward members that are making that sacrifice for them. What a wonderfully unifying idea. We all labor with our might to be self-reliant, but we collectively take care of each other, so that we can all successfully weather the dark days of our need.
TRUTH
Now these 7 principles SET US UP to live the law of consecration. Consecration is a theme that is going to come up over and over again in the Doctrine & Covenants, so be prepared to talk about it again. It's a law that the early Saints are really going to struggle with too. In fact, it's a law that WE continue to struggle with as a church. So stay tuned, more details and help are coming.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
But to liken the scriptures to ourselves, a discussion question: Which pillar of the foundation did you feel you most needed to hear today?
CONCLUSION
I'm grateful for the unifying principles that undergird the law of consecration. I testify that unity is absolutely essential for our survival as a church. I believe that these ideas, though challenging, will bring us happiness and success in the long run. So instead of thinking that we are better because we have more, perhaps we can do better, by giving more. Instead of having a scarcity mentality, we can have an abundance mentality, and remember that that the earth is rich and has enough for all. Instead of claiming things as ours, we can claim all as His. Instead of setting our hearts on riches, we can set our hearts on righteousness. Instead of just looking after ourselves, we can be our brother's keepers. Back in section 29, the Lord taught the Saints that "all things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal". The things that we've looked a today may seem very temporally focused. However, each pillar is designed to bless us spiritually--to make us less proud, less selfish, less lazy, less greedy, and more like the Savior.
SECTIONS 39-40 THE TRAGEDY OF JAMES COVEL
ICEBREAKER
Now to sections 39 and 40. For an icebreaker, a discussion question. What is the worst thing you've ever lost? I think for both my wife and I, we would share the same thing. Neither of us still have our original wedding rings. I was working in the yard on my sprinklers one day and suddenly realized that my ring was gone. Perhaps it had slipped off while digging and messing around in the mud. I searched and searched, and dug, but to no avail. I had lost my wedding ring forever. My wife remembers placing her ring on the bedstand before going to bed. The next day, when she was about to go out, it was nowhere to be found. We believe that one of our toddlers had perhaps found it and who knows where they might have taken or put it. We tore the house apart from top to bottom, but it never turned up. Now those were hard losses, more so for their nostalgic value than their financial value and we have since replaced them. Losing things is no fun.
TRANSITION
Today we're going to examine a person who lost something far greater than a ring, or money, or a cherished nostalgic object. That person is James Covel. Sections 39 and 40 revolve around this man that we learn in the section heading had been a Methodist minister for 40 years. Now we don't really know much more about this man other than what we find in these two sections. But James Covel has a critical lesson to teach all of us.
SEARCH
I would approach this lesson as a crossword puzzle activity if you are teaching youth. They can fill in the puzzle and then you can use it to spark a class discussion as you go over the answers. Now if you're teaching adults, you could just verbally ask these questions as you go along. But here, let's go through the answers together and I'll give you an example of some of the things I might talk about as I corrected the handout.
What do we know about James Covel's background from the Section Heading of 39?
18 Across He was a _____________ minister for about 40 years METHODIST
Now think about that for a second. A minister for 40 years. What an incredible asset for the early church to possibly gain here. I mean, he knows the scriptures, he understands religious theology, he has experience in teaching and working with people. If he were to join the church, he would have the potential to be a powerful instrument in God's hands.
What did he say he was willing to do in the Section Heading of 39?
He would _________ any command that the Lord would give him through Joseph Smith. OBEY
That's promising! He must have been very impressed with the prophet to make that kind of commitment. I'll do anything you ask Joseph! Unfortunately, as we'll soon learn, that's turns out to be a bit of an overzealous statement. So now to the heart of the story. I feel the lesson of James Covel hinges on 3 tiny but incredibly significant words
The three most significant "tiny" words in the entire James Covel story:
39:8 Thine heart ___ now right before me at this time IS
Which I think speaks volumes about James Covel The Lord knows him. He understands his heart. And it's true. His heart is right before God. He has a willingness to obey any command. But it's almost as if the Lord is anticipating something here. He seems to emphasize those other words. Thine heart is "now" right before me "at this time". Perhaps hinting at something he knows about his personality. Maybe James Covel was one of those types of people who gets really excited about something in the beginning, but then, as soon as things get a little difficult, or challenging, or tedious, he sneaks out the back door. It's like that New Year's Resolution excitement we get. I'm going to start exercising, flossing my teeth every night, practicing the piano! But then, a month later, we're back to our old habits and nothing has changed.
39:10-11 ___ thou wilt hearken to my voice/ __ thou do this IF
Now there's an important tiny word. IF. Blessings can only come IF we act on God's word. IF we are obedient. Like the Lord says in Doctrine and Covenants 82:10 "I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise." Blessings are contingent upon our obedience.
40:1 The heart of my servant James Covel ____ right before me. WAS
But now, the most tragic word of the entire story. His heart WAS right before me. He got excited. Things looked promising. But something happened. Things changed. And how quickly they changed. Look at the dates on these two revelations. Section 39 was received on January 5, 1831. When was Section 40 given? It says January of 1831. Less than a month! That's a fast turnaround. It's like those sports car owners that brag about how fast their car accelerates. My car can go from 0 to 60 in under 5 seconds. Well James Covel's IS could change to a WAS in under one month. He reminds me of the parable Jesus tells about the man who sits down to build a tower but doesn't count the cost and then isn't able to finish it. Perhaps James Covel failed to count the cost of discipleship in the restored Church of Jesus Christ. He started the tower, but left off rather quickly. And speaking of the parables of Jesus. These next descriptions of where James went wrong are a clear reference to the parable of the sower. James Covel had a soil problem.
Where did he go wrong?
39:9 Thou hast rejected me many times because of _________ PRIDE
40:2 The fear of ________________ PERSECUTION
40:2 The ________ of the world CARES
40:2 Caused him to _________ the word REJECT
40:3 He _________ my covenant BROKE
What kind of soil was James Covel? He's not the wayside soil. That's a symbol for those that never even let the seed of God's word get into their hearts at all. At least the seed did enter his heart and it WAS right for a time. But what kind of soil was James Covel? He actually seems to be a combination of two of the soils. He's stony soil because the word never takes root, and the fear of persecution causes the seedling of his faith to wither away. He's also an example of the thorny soil which represents those that allow the cares of the world to choke the seedling of their faith. The final result of this? He rejects the word and breaks his covenant to obey. And when we do that, we lose things.
What did he lose?
39:8 Great ____________ upon thy head BLESSINGS
39:10 The days of thy _______________ are come DELIVERANCE
39:10 _______ away your sins WASH
39:10 You shall receive my __________ SPIRIT
39:11 I have prepared thee for a _____________ work GREATER
39:11 Thou shalt preach the ___________ of my gospel FULNESS
39:11 A blessing so ________ as you have never known. GREAT
39:12 _____________ shall rest upon thee POWER
39:12 Thou shalt have great _________ FAITH
39:12 I will be ______ thee and go before thy face WITH
Oh, It's so sad. That is such an amazing list of blessings. He had so much going for him. He really lost lots.
The final result of the James Covel story?
40:3 It remaineth with me to do with him as seemeth me _______. GOOD
The Lord says that he'll handle it. That he will deal with James Covel as seemeth him good. Which I think is an important word to focus on. He doesn't say "as seemeth me bad", but good. I'm not sure that the tone of that verse is ominous so much as it is melancholy. I think God continues to work with people, to love them, and offer them more opportunities to change in the future. He will deal with them as seemeth him good.
Now for the final, open-ended question:
What lesson do you feel is taught by the story of James Covel?
I don't like to approach this story with condemnation in my heart for James Covel--with a "well, it serves him right" kind of attitude. It's pretty easy to jump on the judgment bandwagon and dismiss him as an unbeliever. Rather, what I walk away with from these sections is a great sense of sadness and loss. This story is a tragedy. James Covel lost so much. Blessings greater than he had ever known. There is so much promise in section 39. I mean, think about it. What could a man like James Covel have done for the church? He had been a minister for 40 years. It sounds like the Lord is setting him up for real greatness in the church. I mean, look at Sidney Rigdon, who had also been a minister for a long time before joining the church. We all remember his name. But James Covel, I doubt many in the church ever remember that name other than when they study these two sections. Who knows whatever became of James Covel? And maybe that's the point. He lost great opportunities. Who knows, maybe James Covell could have been a name like Parley P. Pratt or Brigham Young. I mean, he gets more direct revelation through Joseph Smith in the Doctrine & Covenants than either one of those two. Maybe God saw that James Covel had the potential to be one of the greats. Section 39 seems like the Lord is reaching out to him. Giving him an opportunity, offering him a vision of his potential, hoping that he will take it. Yet sadly, James doesn't. His heart was right. But then it changed.
It reminds me of this famous couplet from the poet John Greenleaf Whittier: "For of all sad words of tongue or pen, The saddest are these: 'It might have been!'" (From the poem "Maud Muller", John Greenleaf Whittier)
TRUTH
When we reject God's word, we lose great blessings and opportunities. (But I don't always like to dwell on the negative side of a principle. If this is true, something else must be true as well.
When I accept God's word, I gain great blessings and opportunities.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
A question for you to ponder on your own. Is pride, the fear of persecution, or the cares of the world holding you back from receiving great blessings? What could you do about it?
CONCLUSION
For us, when it comes to the opportunities the Lord presents to us, hopefully we can learn from James Covel's mistakes. There's probably a little James Covel in all of us. I'm sure we all fall into the same trip of starting things that we don't finish--of failing to count the cost or sticking with our resolutions of righteousness. What blessings do we lose because of our pride, the fear of persecution and the cares of the world? What do we lose when we pass up on opportunities to share the gospel, to serve others, to sacrifice for our fellow man, to bear our testimonies or to fulfill callings? It's my prayer that we will gain the great blessings that God has in store for us, that we'll respond to his effort to reach out to us, and that the seed of God's word will bear plentiful fruit in our futures.
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