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BACKGROUND
For some background, go with me to the heading of section 49 of the Doctrine and Covenants. This section revolves around a religious sect of Joseph Smith's day called the Shakers. Now just like the term Mormons, that's not the official name of their church. They were really called the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing. The reason they were referred to as Shakers, though, because of the way that they worshipped. Their meetings were full of dancing, or shaking, or convulsing, even rolling around on the floor, which they believed was an indication of the presence of the Spirit. Well, a new convert to the Church of Jesus Christ by the name of Leman Copley, who had formally been a Shaker, was struggling to let go of some of his former beliefs. So, in an effort to benefit both Leman and the Shakers, Joseph Smith went to the Lord for some added doctrinal understanding on some of the Shaker beliefs. Now I don't believe that this was done in the spirit of criticism, or competition, or disparagement, but an effort to help and perhaps increase their understanding. You can see the spirit of this in verse 4 where the Lord tells them to go and reason with them. He doesn't say to go and attack them, or Bible Bash with them, or chastise them, but to reason with them. In section 50 he's going to tell them not to preach with "railing accusation", "neither with boasting nor rejoicing". Reason and invitation are the proper approach to gospel instruction. So, Sidney Rigdon, Parley P. Pratt and Leman Copley head off, section 49 in hand, to share with the Shakers. Unfortunately, and a bit unsurprisingly it was rejected. But, perhaps the real intended audience of section 49 wasn't really the Shakers so much as it was for the benefit of Leman Copley and us as members of the Church of Jesus Christ because not only does this revelation add to OUR understanding of the particular doctrinal topics it addresses, but, along with section 50, illustrates two very important principles of gospel living that continue to bless us as members of the Church.
A MORE PERFECT UNDERSTANDING
Both of these principles are going to help us to (allow me to just list some of these for you) gain "a more perfect understanding". They will help us to be right before Him, or before God. They will help us to understand so that hopefully, one day we may reach the perfect day and chase darkness from among us with the truth.
Now that desire for greater light and understanding and rightness before God stands in opposition to another attitude that we may encounter at times. It's in verse 2. The Lord says that the Shakers desire to know the truth in part, but not all. Interesting. Sometimes people are more interested in a partial gospel, rather than a fulness of the gospel. Now why would people only want a part of the gospel? Well, maybe they have a "desire in part" approach to the restored gospel. They want to pick and choose the parts that they like but leave out the things that they don't. So perhaps somebody may look at the church and say, "I really like what your church teaches about eternal families, and those temples are beautiful, and your teachings on service and sacrifice are really beautiful, and the members of your church, on the whole, seem to be such happy and hardworking and honest people. I like that. I want those things. But 10% of my income to tithing? Gold plates and garments? No alcohol or coffee? and serving in a volunteer calling? ahhhh, I'll pass on those things. I just want the parts that I like." Well, I'm afraid that that's not a "right before God" kind of attitude. "Have it your way" may work for Burger King, but not for following Christ. The gospel is not about bending God's will to ours, but our will to God's. Joseph Smith is the ultimate example of someone who truly desired to have "a more perfect understanding". It didn't matter to him what sacrifices would be demanded, what ridicule he would have to endure, or what effort would need to be expended. That just didn't matter to him. The understanding is what mattered. He wanted both sides of the coin, the good along with the difficult, the sacrifice along with the blessing. And so, he sought after understanding and light, and truth, all his life, from Palmyra to Carthage. The Doctrine & Covenants itself stands as a testimony to that attitude.
So, if you share Joseph's desire, that desire for a more perfect understanding, then sections 49-50 are going to offer you some guidance in the matter.
So, from section 49: Don't add to or take away from the truth.
and from section 50: Preach and receive truth by the Spirit.
Let's deal with each of these in turn. First:
DON'T ADD TO OR TAKE AWAY FROM
ICEBREAKER
As an icebreaker, we're going to begin this lesson with what I call the "add to or take away" challenge. The instructions are simple. I am going to give you a category and a number. The number is incorrect. All you need to decide is whether we need to add to or take away from that number in order to make it correct. So here we go.
Height of Mt. Everest
22,032 Ft. We need to add to that number. The actual elevation is 29,032 ft.
The Richest Person in the World is worth
90 Billion. We need to add to that number as well. That would be Jeff Bezos who currently is worth 112 Billion
Fastest 100m Sprint
10.1 seconds. We need to take away from that number. Jamaican sprinter Usain bolt holds that record at 9.58 seconds
Tallest Waterfall
1500 ft. We really need to add to that number. It's more than twice that high. That would be Angel Falls in Venezuela that drops a full 3212 ft
Tallest Living Man
9' 1” We’ve got to take away from that number a bit but is no less impressive. The tallest man in the world is Sultan Kosen of Turkey who is 8' 3"
The most amount of straws that somebody was able to fit into their mouth at once
223 Add to. The actual number is 650. Why would anybody want to hold that world record? I have no idea, but there it is.
Missions in the Church
333, We can add to that number. It's 405
Membership of Church
18,567,422. We have to take away, but not much. As of 2020, church membership stands at 16,663, 663 (2020) But don't worry, we'll get there.
Forget about the Shakers for a bit now. Remember, this really isn't about condemning another faith. Do we sometimes make the same mistake with our commandments and standards? Do we sometimes, take away or add to? Do we desire to only know the truth in part, but not all?
Can you think of any examples of how members of the church might take away or add to?
Am I balanced in my discipleship?
Are there any areas in my life that I'm adding to or taking away from?
What can I do to recenter my obedience?
What is a gospel teacher's responsibility?
What is a gospel hearer's responsibility?
How can we know that truth has been taught or received?
What must we do with the light of truth?
When have you experienced "understanding, edifying, or rejoicing " in a gospel learning setting? What was it like?
Are there things that are keeping you from getting more out of your gospel learning experiences? What could you do about it?
TRANSITION
Well, there are some verses of scripture in the Bible that have long given missionaries of the church headaches. I had these verses quoted to me almost on a daily basis as a missionary by people who wished to dismiss the validity of the Book of Mormon. And those verses come from the very final chapter of the Bible, Revelation 22:18-19
18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
So, they would read these verses, and then, triumphantly proclaim, "See, the Book of Mormon can't be true because the Bible clearly says you cannot add to or take away from it". So then, to help them understand those verses, you would have to explain a bit of the history of the Bible, and that when those words were written, the Bible didn't exist in the form it does today. All those books and prophetic writings had not been compiled into the book we know as the Bible. So John's words could not be referring to the Bible as a whole, but only to the book of Revelation itself. Notice how it says the words of the prophecy of "this book", the book of Revelation, and the words of the book of "this prophecy". The prophecy of book of Revelation. So John was worried about somebody altering the words of his revelation, changing it, or editing out the parts they didn't like. He wasn't making a declaration to end all future scripture. The real message of those verses is "Don't change God's doctrines or His words". We err when we add to his revealed truth, and we err when we take away from it.
The doctrines of the Shakers are a good example of both. In their teachings, they have either added to or taken away from the truth. There are five specific Shaker beliefs described in the section heading. Let's see if you find each one. Also, you need to decide whether the belief is an example of adding to or taking away. And I like to do this as an activity handout which you fill in as you study the section.
So first, the beliefs.
They believed that Christ's Second Coming had already occurred. What's that an example of? That would be adding to. To say that something had already happened, when in fact, it hadn't.
And another belief in relation to the Second Coming,
That Christ had appeared in the form of a woman named Ann Lee. Again. I would say that is adding to. I can't think of any places in the scriptures that mention this as a sign of the coming of Christ.
Baptism by water was not considered essential. That would be taking away. The scriptures seem to be pretty clear on the importance of baptism. As Jesus said in John 3:5 "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." But the Shakers were subtracting this doctrine by saying it wasn't essential.
The celibate life was considered higher than marriage. I guess this one depends on how you look at it. It could be an example taking away the importance of marriage. But it could also be an example of adding to the law of chastity. Taking it to the extreme. That not only should sexual intimacy be limited to marriage, but that it should be avoided altogether. Adding to in that sense.
Now that last one really illustrates the dangers of adding to or taking away. This policy in regard to celibacy is eventually going to prove the undoing of the Shakers. Because, think about it, if none of your members are marrying or having children, what eventually is going to happen to your church population? Well, unless you are consistently bringing in many new converts, your membership is going to dwindle. And that's what happens. The Shakers don't really exist as a religion anymore. I think there's like two left.
The eating of pork was specifically forbidden, and many did not eat any meat. So, doctrinal vegetarianism. They were saying that God did not approve of the eating meat. That, to me, would be adding to. Placing a restriction on what we are able to eat.
And finally:
So, the moral of the story is "Don't add to, or take away from God's principles"
RESTORING THE BALANCE
Well last week I used the story of the Buddha to illustrate the principle of balance. We want to try and find the Goldilocks zone on these doctrines. Not too hot, not too cold, but just right. Section 49 is going to help bring the Shaker doctrines back into God's perfect balance. So, try this matching activity next on the handout. I'll give you a set of verses, and you match the verses with the doctrine it's correcting. Then, provide a short description of the correct doctrine that restores the balance.
So first, verses 6-7.
6 And they have done unto the Son of Man even as they listed; and he has taken his power on the right hand of his glory, and now reigneth in the heavens, and will reign till he descends on the earth to put all enemies under his feet, which time is nigh at hand
7 I, the Lord God, have spoken it; but the hour and the day no man knoweth, neither the angels in heaven, nor shall they know until he comes.
This corrects the doctrine that Christ's second coming had already occurred. The time is "nigh at hand" but it hasn't happened yet. And nobody knows when that time will be.
Next, verses 12-14
2 Believe on the name of the Lord Jesus, who was on the earth, and is to come, the beginning and the end;
13 Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, according to the holy commandment, for the remission of sins;
14 And whoso doeth this shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, by the laying on of the hands of the elders of the church.
This corrects the doctrine that baptism is not essential. In truth, baptism is essential, it is a holy commandment and makes it possible for us to receive a remission of our sins, and to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Verses 15-17
15 And again, verily I say unto you, that whoso forbiddeth to marry is not ordained of God, for marriage is ordained of God unto man.
16 Wherefore, it is lawful that he should have one wife, and they twain shall be one flesh, and all this that the earth might answer the end of its creation;
17 And that it might be filled with the measure of man, according to his creation before the world was made.
This corrects the Shaker doctrine of celibacy. The Shakers had taken the law of chastity to an extreme by saying that it was all bad, that sex was to be avoided at all times. I would say that our modern society has taken it to the opposite extreme and almost completely taken away the law of chastity and has a very casual view of sex and that anything goes. Both extremes are problematic. The truth is that marriage is ordained of God. Marriage is a heavenly institution. It's a part of the plan and absolutely crucial to our exaltation. Later in the Doctrine & Covenants we're going to learn that in order to obtain the highest degree of the Celestial Kingdom, we must enter in to the new and everlasting covenant of marriage. Therefore, sexual intimacy is appropriate and necessary in God's plan. It makes it possible for the earth to answer the end of its creation. What would we say that is? To provide a mortal experience for God's spirit children. Procreation is the means by which bodies are provided for that purpose and allow (ideally) for children to be born into a family with a loving father and mother to raise and protect and teach them.
Verses 18-21
18 And whoso forbiddeth to abstain from meats, that man should not eat the same, is not ordained of God;
19 For, behold, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which cometh of the earth, is ordained for the use of man for food and for raiment, and that he might have in abundance.
20 But it is not given that one man should possess that which is above another, wherefore the world lieth in sin.
21 And wo be unto man that sheddeth blood or that wasteth flesh and hath no need.
That corrects the Shaker doctrine of abstaining from meat. The truth. The resources of the earth have been made and provided for the use of man. It's ok to eat meat. God made the resources of the earth for mankind to use. But I really like the balancing principle here also. That idea of the earth being made for man can be taken to an extreme. Back in the 1800's, it seems like the mindset was to shoot anything that moved. There was a drive to show that man could tame nature and the wilderness. What early settlers did to the bison population is a good of example of this. So the Lord says, “You can use animal life for food, but don't waste flesh if you have no need, don't kill for killing's sake." Sometimes, having an abundance of something inspires waste. The Lord wishes us to be wise in our use of the earth's resources. He's going to go into much more detail on that in Section 59.
Finally, verses 22-23
22 And again, verily I say unto you, that the Son of Man cometh not in the form of a woman, neither of a man traveling on the earth.
23 Wherefore, be not deceived, but continue in steadfastness, looking forth for the heavens to be shaken, and the earth to tremble and to reel to and fro as a drunken man, and for the valleys to be exalted, and for the mountains to be made low, and for the rough places to become smooth--and all this when the angel shall sound his trumpet.
This is the final correction to the Shaker's beliefs about the second coming. They believed that Christ had already appeared in the form of Ann Lee. Of course, that was not the case. Christ is prophesied to come in glory from the heavens, not as a man traveling on the earth. His coming promised to be a public and worldwide event, not a behind-the-scenes occasion for only a select number of people. And I love another possible correction of Shaker practices that may be alluded to here in verse 23. You see the word "shaken" in there don't you. What is it that was to shake in the last days? The members? No, the heavens and the earth would be shaken, not the members of the church. What were the members of the church to be? Steadfast. Steadfast and immoveable in truth, standing in their holy places. Their faith was to be unshaken, like Jacob says in the Book of Mormon.
TRUTH
Now to me, the real value of this section is not so much in the specific doctrines addressed here, but in the overall principle it illustrates. Can you see how the gospel can correct and balance misunderstandings? How it can give us the whole truth, and not just truth in part. The overarching principle I see here in section 49:
To be right before God, I must strive not add to or take away from the laws and commandments of the gospel.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
Well, perhaps sometimes we're tempted to feel that certain aspects of the gospel aren't that necessary, or we rationalize by saying that we can still be "good people" and not do those specific things. Maybe we decide that things like church attendance, tithing, media choices, or the Word of Wisdom just aren't convenient to live. So, we keep what we like and discard the rest.
On the other hand, we may be tempted to ADD to commandments. We too can be guilty of taking things to extremes. There have been fringe groups in the church that have taken certain doctrines so far that it causes them to break away from the church. A person may think that if a 24 hour fast is good, perhaps a 48 hour one would be even better, or more and seriously jeopardize their health. People may become obsessed with gospel hobbies or gravitate towards political extremes. More common though, may be an unhealthy focus on perfection. Expecting too much of ourselves or others and filling our hearts with anxiety, guilt, and judgment.
So, maybe we could do a bit of a self-evaluation here. There are some questions we may want to frequently ask ourselves:
CONCLUSION
Well, my friends, a small caution before we conclude here. In this self-evaluation, we need be merciful to ourselves. We don't want this to be a club to beat ourselves up with. This process of centering and balancing our obedience is a lifelong endeavor. Nobody other than Christ himself could walk the path perfectly straight. I once heard somebody share that when pilots fly to a destination, it's almost never in a straight line. The pilot has to constantly evaluate and reevaluate their direction of travel, which requires them to course correct frequently throughout the flight. Back and forth, off a few degrees here, and off a few degrees there, but consistently checking their bearings and traveling in a forward direction. I suggest we do the same, being mindful not to fly too far off course. Being careful not to subtract too much, lest we become apathetic to the commandments. And being careful not to add too much, lest we become dangerously overzealous. Instead, we can seek the "goldilocks zone" of obedience. And gratefully, we don't have to do that alone. The Spirit, the scriptures, and the counsel of living prophets can all help us to find that balance. No wonder they speak to us every six months, no wonder we go to church every week, no wonder we're asked to study our scriptures daily and pray frequently. All these things can serve as course correctors. I encourage us all to heed them and I testify that if we do, we will one day arrive at our Celestial destination.
SECTION 50 PREACH AND TEACH BY THE SPIRIT
ICEBREAKER
if you're teaching the youth, there's something really fun that you can do with your class to introduce this section. Sometime before class, I hand a few students some pieces of paper with an invitation and some instructions. I try to do it discreetly so as not to arouse suspicion in the other students, but the papers invite those students to do something rather strange at a certain signal during the class. Let me give you an example of one of them. It says:
Will you please help me during my lesson?
Keep it a secret though so as not to ruin the effect.
(Please do not let anyone else know about this beforehand)
Shortly after I begin the lesson, I will put I slide up to the screen that says D&C 50. THAT IS YOUR CUE TO BEGIN! (Don’t wait for anything else, just start!!!)
At the cue, Jump onto your chair and pretend you are sword fighting someone. Move all around the room, and make it dramatic!!! (Please continue doing this for about 30 seconds. I will stop you)
I know it might be kind of hard not to laugh as you do this, but please do it as seriously as you can straight faced with no laughing. Just so you know there will be others that are also going to do similar things on cue.
Thank you!
So, I have a number of these that I hand out to random students, and I try to pick students who I know won't feel too self-conscious about it or embarrassed to do it. Some of the other requests include, pretending to row an imaginary boat across the floor, jumping up and down, barking like a dog, pretending to play catch with an imaginary ball, and frantically running out of the room.
This really makes for an exciting opener as the bewildered students wonder what in the world is going on. After the 30 seconds are up, I tell them that I was actually the one who put the other students up to it and that I want to talk to everyone about the experience.
And I ask them:
How did it make you feel when the other students were doing these strange things? (Common answers I get are confused, worried, a little upset with the students doing it, or some say they thought it was funny)
And then:
How do you think these kinds of things would affect a seminary class, or a Sunday school class, or a sacrament meeting if they were happening all throughout it?
Well, it would be very disruptive, you wouldn't get much out of the meetings or class. It would be distracting to the teacher or the speaker, OR it would make things entertaining, but probably not very uplifting.
TRANSITION
I then ask one of the students to read the section heading to the class, which says:
Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Kirtland, Ohio, May 9, 1831. Joseph Smith’s history states that some of the elders did not understand the manifestations of different spirits abroad in the earth and that this revelation was given in response to his special inquiry on the matter. So-called spiritual phenomena were not uncommon among the members, some of whom claimed to be receiving visions and revelations.
The "so-called spiritual phenomena" Joseph is referring to were the kinds of things members were doing in the middle of their church meetings. Strange things like people jumping up and down and or rolling around on the floor or running out of the meeting. With what we just experienced as a class; you can imagine the effect that would have on the nature of their meetings. Still, those members thought those things were of God. They didn't know any better. Their desire to experience something or anything of a spiritual nature left them vulnerable to the deceptions of the adversary. They swung the door open so widely for any kind of spiritual influence, that the wrong kinds of influence were able to make their way in.
Section 50 then, was given to help them and us learn how to recognize that which is of God and that which is not. That phrase comes up a number of times here. If we are to ever come to a more perfect understanding, then we're going to need some help in recognizing when something is divine or devilish, fact or falsehood, Celestial in nature or Terrestrial in nature. Because here's the problem:
2 Behold, verily I say unto you, that there are many spirits which are false spirits, which have gone forth in the earth, deceiving the world.
3 And also Satan hath sought to deceive you, that he might overthrow you.
AND
7 Behold, verily I say unto you, there are hypocrites among you, who have deceived some, which has given the adversary power; but behold such shall be reclaimed;
Satan and his false spirits and maybe even hypocrites among us are actively trying to deceive and overthrow us.
Now I believe that the methods Satan and his servants employ to deceive have changed and matured with the times. I'm not too worried about members of the church being fooled by bizarre spiritual manifestations like the church was experiencing back then. But don't think for a second, that Satan has given up on his efforts to deceive or keep us from the truth. He just has to be a little more subtle now. Remember that his overall goal is to get between us and the truth. And I think he can do that in one of two ways. One, the direct attack. He sends lies and false spirits, and deceivers. Perhaps nowadays that can come in the form of anti-church material on the internet, it can come from teachers, or coworkers, or even family and friends who seek to sow seeds of doubt in our hearts, or it can come in the form of suggestions from the adversary himself to our minds. On the other hand, there is the indirect attack as well. It's true that he seeks to put false things into our minds, but he also seeks to keep true things from entering in as well. It's like Wormwood says to his apprentice devil in the Screwtape letters:
“It is funny how mortals always picture us as putting things into their minds: in reality our best work is done by keeping things out.”
Satan knows that if he can get in the way of our gospel learning experiences, half of his battle is already won. If he can just work his way in, and put up barriers between teacher and student, or missionary and investigator, or parent and child, then he wins.
So the Lord says:
10 And now come, saith the Lord, by the Spirit, unto the elders of his church, and let us reason together, that ye may understand;
11 Let us reason even as a man reasoneth one with another face to face.
12 Now, when a man reasoneth he is understood of man, because he reasoneth as a man; even so will I, the Lord, reason with you that you may understand.
Love it. Let's talk about this. Let's use our common sense. I'm going to reason with you here so that it's impossible for you to misunderstand.
Because, unfortunately, (jump to verse 15)
15 And then received ye spirits which ye could not understand, and received them to be of God; and in this are ye justified?
There's a hint to the solution in that verse too. These spirits they were receiving. They couldn't understand them. No truth was coming from those experience. Nothing uplifting or bettering was coming from them. So:
16 Behold ye shall answer this question yourselves; nevertheless, (AND THIS IS GOOD) I will be merciful unto you; he that is weak among you hereafter shall be made strong.
So I'm understanding in this. I'm a merciful God. I know you're still trying to figure this stuff out. The church is young, you're new converts. But let me help you out. Let me reason with you. Here is the simple solution to overcoming the deception of the adversary, here's how you make sure that your gospel learning experiences effectively communicate truth.
And at this point, I invite you to pause the video and read verses 17-25. As you read, keep these 4 questions in mind and we'll come back and talk about them.
So first, what is a teacher's responsibility?
17 Verily I say unto you, he that is ordained of me and sent forth to preach the word of truth by the Comforter, in the Spirit of truth, doth he preach it by the Spirit of truth or some other way?
18 And if it be by some other way it is not of God.
The teacher's responsibility is to teach by the Spirit of truth. and not some other way. And that should prompt a question from us. What are some of the other ways a person might preach the gospel other than by the Spirit of truth? That's a good brainstorming question. Have your students tackle that one for a while.
The section itself offers a few suggestions:
:6-7 I can teach by deception. I can purposely try to lead people astray. Make people question their faith or knowingly teach false doctrine. Hopefully that's not something we run up against too often.
I can teach hypocritically. I can tell you what I feel you should do when I have no intention of doing that thing myself or to believe something that I don't
:26 I can teach with pride and consider myself greater than you. See myself as your superior rather than your servant. A preacher of the gospel is to act in a servant's role, not a kings. The focus is on the truth, on Christ, or on the Father, or on the hearer, not the teacher. I like how Alma described the teaching in the church of his day.
Alma 1:26
26 And when the priests left their labor to impart the word of God unto the people, the people also left their labors to hear the word of God. And when the priest had imparted unto them the word of God they all returned again diligently unto their labors; and the priest, not esteeming himself above his hearers, for the preacher was no better than the hearer, neither was the teacher any better than the learner; and thus they were all equal, and they did all labor, every man according to his strength.
:33 I can teach with railing accusation.
I can call you to repentance, point out your faults, chastise you in public and tell you what you are supposed to be doing, rather than teaching with a spirit of invitation or persuasion.
I can teach with boasting and rejoicing over you. With self-righteous indignation I can point out why you are wrong as I tower over you on my soapbox.
OR, Can you think of any other ways a teacher might teach that is not by the Spirit?
I can try to teach by the power of my charisma, I can teach with insincerity, I can teach with indifference and a lack of concern for my students. I can teach unprepared and shoot from the hip.
None of these tactics is going to successfully connect hearers with truth because they are all "some other way". Satan knows that if he can get a preacher of the gospel to teach in "some other way", then he will successfully block the communication of truth.
Now that's not all there is to it. There's more to this equation than just the teacher. Satan is going to attempt to block understanding from every possible angle he can. A teacher can be doing everything right. They can be teaching with the Spirit, teaching with great love, teaching prepared, and a hearer could still walk away without understanding. What could be going on there? The answer is that teaching is a two-way street. Satan can block from the teacher side, and he can block from the hearers, or the receivers side. We know what teachers need to do. What about the receiver?
What is a gospel hearer's responsibility?
19 And again, he that receiveth the word of truth, doth he receive it by the Spirit of truth or some other way?
20 If it be some other way it is not of God.
The hearer has to receive by the Spirit of truth and not in some other way.
What are some of the other ways a student might receive that are not by the Spirit? Another good brainstorming question. They may be indifferent or apathetic towards it. They may feel that all the responsibility for the success of the experience lay with the teacher. They may decide not to participate which is sure to induce boredom. They may sleep through it or be on their cell phones. They could be prideful and hyper critical of the teacher. All of these things can successfully block the influence of the Spirit and understanding. That's why it's possible for one person to leave a gospel learning setting uplifted and fed, while another walks away unaffected and unmoved.
21 Therefore, why is it that ye cannot understand and know, that he that receiveth the word by the Spirit of truth receiveth it as it is preached by the Spirit of truth?
If we wish to have powerful, life changing, uplifting gospel learning experiences, then both the teacher and the hearer need to be seeking the Spirit. Because when the speaker and the hearer, and the Spirit are all fulfilling their roles, miraculous things can happen in that kind of an environment.
How can we know that truth has been taught or received? (and I would add "by the Spirit")
There will be three indicators that the truth has been taught and received.
What are they in verse 22?
22 Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together.
There will be understanding, edification, and rejoicing. You'll understand one another. And I think that's in two ways. You'll understand on a cognitive level, like, I understand what it is you are teaching, but I also understand in the sense that we both share a mutual belief, we truly understand one another, more in the heart than in the head. Both preacher and hearer are edified or built up. That's what edifying means. Maybe you've sometimes heard a building being referred to as an edifice. So, when I edify you, I'm building something in you. Your faith is built, your connection with God is built, your gospel knowledge is built. And then, it just feels good. There is a joy that accompanies learning and understanding. The truth makes you happy. When you feel these things, truth has been taught. Can you see how this would be helpful to the early Saints? All those strange so-called spiritual phenomenon was not producing any of these things. There was no understanding communicated, no edification, no rejoicing. And can you see how this will help us today? We've got to teach and receive by the Spirit or I'm afraid our meetings will be just as ineffective as some of those early ones in Kirtland. If nobody is walking away with understanding, edification, or rejoicing, then either the teacher or the hearers have not earnestly sought the spirit. But when they do, it's magical.
Have you ever had an experience like that in a gospel learning setting? Where you walked away from the experience just feeling great. You understood something better, it built you up and increased your faith, and you just felt happier. You left rejoicing. That's how you know if the Spirit was present in that setting. It's also how you know if something is of God. The things of God are always accompanied by understanding, edification, and rejoicing. I know that I've taught classes where I didn't feel those things, and in some of those occasions it was my fault, and in others, I imagine it was the class's fault. On the other hand, I've taught classes where those three words are the perfect description of what happened. It's one of the reasons I became a seminary teacher. When you look out over the faces of your students, and you sense that connection, that the Spirit is there, that they are coming to an understanding about something, that they feel their faith being built, that they feel joy at the sound of the truth, there is nothing quite like it. It's the Spirit of truth, and it's amazing.
So now our last question: What must we do with the light of truth?
23 And that which doth not edify is not of God, and is darkness.
24 That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.
25 And again, verily I say unto you, and I say it that you may know the truth, that you may chase darkness from among you;
I love those verses. It's such a beautiful description of how we come to "a more perfect understanding". And not only that, but it's also the way we become perfected. We've first got to "receive" the light, and then we've got to continue in God. Which means, we need to act on that truth and light. Accept it, live it, love it. And if we do that, then we will receive more light. And then we act on that, and so on, and so on, until the perfect day. That's why the Lord provides us so many opportunities to teach each other and learn from each other in the church. I love this little parable I've heard my Dad tell to illustrate this truth. I usually like to do it as a little object lesson as I tell it. I have a lamp with a dimmer switch. Sometimes you can even buy an extension cord that has a dimmer switch built into it that you can use with almost any light. Here's a link to one you could purchase: https://amzn.to/3eG47NW. So the story goes like this. Imagine yourself in a room, a very dark room with only a small amount of light visible. Just enough to make out the outlines of some furniture and the walls around you. You can tell the room is in disarray. There is a couch haphazardly shoved into a corner with the cushions spread everywhere on the floor. Two chairs are overturned and a table with some legs missing is lying upside down in the middle of the room. A floor lamp with its shade missing is propped diagonally against the wall. As you survey this scene, you hear a voice. And the voice says, “clean the room”. So, you get to work. You slide the couch against the wall and gather and replace all of its cushions. You set the chairs on their legs and move them to the other corners. You find the lamp shade and place it on the floor lamp and set it upright. You determine that the table is unrepairable and throw it out of the room. Now as you look around the room, you determine that it’s clean. So you call out to the voice saying “The room is clean!” The voice responds saying. “Well done, thou good and faithful servant, your reward is more light, clean the room again”. And with that, the room becomes a bit brighter. Now with the added light, you can see things that you couldn’t see before. You notice that there is a lot of trash and paper on the floor. There was a picture upside down in the corner that you missed before, and the end of a rolled-up rug is poking out from under the couch. So, you clean up the trash, hang the picture on the wall, and roll the rug out in the middle of the room and you say to yourself, well there, the room is clean. Then you hear the voice which says: Well done though good and faithful servant, your reward, is more light, clean the room again”. And with that, more light brightens up the room. With the added light, you notice that the floor is covered in dirt, the chairs and couch are dusty, and the picture is hanging a little slanted on the wall. So you straighten the picture, sweep the floor and dust all the furniture. Now you look around and say to yourself, surely now the room is clean. The voice responds, well done, thou good and faithful servant. Your reward, is more light, clean the room again. The lights come on even brighter than before. Now you start to think about what more you could do. You think to yourself, well I could mop the floor and really make it shine. Those walls have a lot of smudges and dark spots on them, I’ll repaint them. I could vacuum the rug and perhaps I could reupholster the couch and repaint the chairs to match. So you do all those things, and you call out to the voice: “The room is clean!” To which you hear the voice say “Well done thou good and faithful servant, your reward is more light, go and clean again. Now you wonder what more you can do, but then a though strikes you. I could get a new table, those other walls could use some beautiful pictures, perhaps I could add a vase with flowers and perhaps some new chairs. And on and on this could go. Every time you report, you are given more light and told to clean again. Pretty soon you’re knocking out walls, and adding wood floors, and upgrading the rug and furniture. You are filled with a vision of what the room could someday be, and you find fulfillment and purpose in adding to and improving it.
I think that's the spirit of verse 24 there. You know you are engaged with truth when it moves you in this direction. You know the path you're on is of God and you know what is being presented to you is of God when it improves your life and adds light and understanding to it. I've felt this way myself. The more I study and learn from the scriptures, the more I act on it and live it and apply the truth, the more the Spirit is willing to teach me. And there is so much to learn. I'm still on this journey. I know I've still got a long way to go, but I have gained so much thus far.
TRUTH
If we teach and receive the truth by the Spirit, then we will gain understanding, edification and rejoicing.
If we act on that truth, God will bless us with more and more until we are perfected.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
CONCLUSION
So how are we going to gain a more perfect understanding, know the truth in all, arrive at the perfect day, and chase darkness from among us? We've got to make sure that we don't add or take away from the gospel, and we need to preach and receive by the Spirit. By doing this, little by little, line upon line, light and truth will grow brighter and brighter in our lives. We won't be deceived by the adversary, by the false spirits, or the lies of hypocrites. Satan puts up a pretty good fight against truth, but when it comes right down to it, his darkness is no match for the light of the gospel. Darkness cannot comprehend light. When we allow it into our minds and hearts, the darkness goes running. As soon as a light comes on in a dark room, our eyes are immediately drawn to it. Darkness is merely the absence of light. It has nothing to offer us. It's pure void. God's light and truth, on the other hand, is real, tangible, and edifying. May we always seek for, teach, receive, and continue in the light of God's truth, until the perfect day when all of the adversary's lies and falsehoods are just a distant bad memory. Until then, may we continue in faith.
FINAL VERSES
Well, we could end right there, BUT I can't help but just touch on the final verses of section 50. He ends it so tenderly. Remember, this is a corrective section. It's a bit of a rebuke. But listen to how he ends it.
40 Behold, ye are little children and ye cannot bear all things now; ye must grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth.
(I love that little alliterative phrase, ye must grow in grace)
41 Fear not, little children, for you are mine, and I have overcome the world, and you are of them that my Father hath given me;
42 And none of them that my Father hath given me shall be lost.
43 And the Father and I are one. I am in the Father and the Father in me; and inasmuch as ye have received me, ye are in me and I in you.
(I love that as well. Yes, Christ is with us, I can have his Spirit and light and presence within me. But that's not all. A part of me is within him as well. I hold a place in the heart of the master)
44 Wherefore, I am in your midst, and I am the good shepherd, and the stone of Israel.
(I like that too, the tenderness of the good shepherd, and the strength of the stone of Israel)
He that buildeth upon this rock shall never fall.
45 And the day cometh that you shall hear my voice and see me, and know that I am.
46 Watch, therefore, that ye may be ready. Even so. Amen.
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