Watch the video presentation on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/TFSbq93Wbzc
To purchase PowerPoint slides or Handouts for this lesson, go to: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TeachingWithPower
This week I'd like to go a little out of order and begin with Section 7. It's theme and message are a bit different from the others this week. 6, 8, and 9 definitely flow together. However, there is a connection between sections 6 and 7. And that connection comes in verse 27 where the Lord promises Oliver Cowdery:
And now I command you, that if you have good desires--a desire to lay up treasures for yourself in heaven--then shall you assist in bringing to light, with your gift, those parts of my scriptures which have been hidden because of iniquity.
Well section 7 is the fulfillment of that promise. The section heading of 7 tells us that its contents had been "hidden up", but now was coming to light through Joseph and Oliver.
ICEBREAKER
And this section, though small, has a brief but powerful message you can share. I like to introduce it with this fun icebreaker. I tell them that I am going to put some statements on the board that describe one of the living apostles. Their challenge is to be the first person to guess which one it is. We'll start more general and get increasingly more specific. So here we go:
Which one of the living apostles:
· Was called to be a special witness of Christ.
· Was and continues to be a great missionary.
· Was somewhat wealthy before becoming an apostle.
· Wrote one of the most important books ever written about the life of Jesus Christ.
· Wrote one of the most important books ever written about the 2nd Coming.
· Made a career in the commercial fishing industry before becoming an apostle.
· Had a brother who was once an apostle but has since died.
· On one of his missions, he was kicked out of the country and forced to reside on a small island.
· Was boiled in oil by unbelievers, but survived.
· Had a nickname along with his brother. They were called the “Sons of Thunder”. He was also nicknamed “The Beloved”.
· Is mentioned by name in the Book of Mormon
· Helped give the Melchizedek priesthood to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery.
· Was present at the transfiguration of Jesus Christ.
TRANSITION
Have you guessed who it is yet? It's John. And this is fun activity because they don't expect it and are guessing all the names of our modern apostles first. But John is a living apostle! The reason I say that he was somewhat wealthy is because of the huge draught of fish they caught on the day Jesus called him to be an apostle. That haul probably would have made him "somewhat" wealthy. And the part about being boiled in oil is a traditional Christian belief so, I admit that may be apocryphal. The rest of the statements are pretty straightforward though. The book he wrote about the life of Christ is, of course, the Gospel of John, and the book about the second coming is the book of Revelation. Well, how do we know that John is still alive? Because of Section 7 of the Doctrine and Covenants .
BACKGROUND
Some interesting facts about this section. This section is not a "revelation" in the traditional sense as the others in the Doctrine and Covenants. It's actually a translation and came through the use of the Urim and Thummim. Look at the section heading.
"Revelation given to Joseph Smith the Prophet and Oliver Cowdery, at Harmony, Pennsylvania, April 1829, when they inquired through the Urim and Thummim as to whether John, the beloved disciple, tarried in the flesh or had died. The revelation is a translated version of the record made on parchment by John and hidden up by himself."
Now as far as I understand it. Joseph and Oliver probably didn't actually have that parchment physically with them, but that the contents of it were revealed and translated through the power of the Urim and Thummim. Regardless of exactly how it was received, the contents are fascinating and teach some significant truths.
SEARCH
This section describes the conversation between John and Jesus on the shores of the Sea of Galilee following the resurrection. Jesus asks John "what desirest thou". Basically saying, "John, make a wish". Which is really cool. Usually it's us asking Him, “what do you desire that I do." But here, Christ is saying, "What can I do for you? I want to know what you want". A search question then: What exactly was John's wish?
I think many believe the answer to that question was "To live forever" but that's only a partial answer. Continuing to live a mortal existence until Christ's coming was really more of the means, and not the end of his desire. Like the three Nephites, John's desire to live forever didn't stem from a sense of curiosity about the future, or a selfish impulse for "fountain of youth" type powers. He wanted to live until the Second Coming, to bring souls unto Christ. He wanted to do missionary work. That is what brought John joy.
Is there a lesson in that? Does that teach us something about missionary work? Missionary work is so marvelous, like we learned in section 4, that it's the kind of work you could do for over 2000 years and not tire of it. At least to him. But hopefully we feel a measure of that desire and joy. Enough to serve for a good deal of our lives in that service or to put forth the effort to stand as a member missionary at all times, in all things, and all places.
TRUTH
The truth? Missionary work is so marvelous, it's the kind of work you could do forever.
A GOOD DESIRE
But there's another truth I want to examine here. I think the second half of this section is often misinterpreted. Peter, had a different desire. What was it? Verse 4 To "speedily come unto [Christ] in his kingdom". To basically forego "spirit paradise" and return directly to the presence of Christ after his death. Christ then says:
5 I say unto thee, Peter, this was a good desire; but my beloved has desired that he might do more, or a greater work yet among men than what he has before done.
6 Yea, he has undertaken a greater work; therefore I will make him as flaming fire and a ministering angel; he shall minister for those who shall be heirs of salvation who dwell on the earth.
Here's where we need to be careful about the interpretation. Because we see the words, good in relation to Peter's desire, and great in relation to John's desire, we may come to the conclusion that Jesus felt John's desire was better than Peter's. I don't think that's what he's saying. In fact, I think Jesus's message is the exact opposite of that. Jesus doesn't encourage comparison, does he? In John 21 we get Peter's question that prompted this response from the Savior. After being told by Christ that he, Peter, will also die by crucifixion, he turns back to look at John and asks "21 Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Which is so human, isn't it? We're always so worried about others and how our experiences, or gifts, or opportunities compare to theirs.
So what does Jesus say? Back to Section 7
If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? For he desired of me that he might bring souls unto me, but thou desiredst that thou mightest speedily come unto me in my kingdom.
You have two very different desires and I want to please both of you.
Peter, your desire, is a good desire. John's is just different. He just wants to do "more" a of work on earth, or a greater work yet among men. So it's a clarifying statement. When Jesus says greater, he means greater as in more, or additional. John wants to do an additional work among men than what he has before done. Not more than you, more than he has before done. Yea he's undertaken an additional work among men. That was his desire. So Peter, there's no need to compare. Stop worrying about John. What is that to thee? Focus on you.
And to really solidify that idea in Peter's mind--verse 8
8 Verily I say unto you, ye shall both have according to your desires, for ye both joy in that which ye have desired.
I just want both of you to be happy. You both have different desires and that's ok. So be happy and don't compare. Because comparison destroys joy.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
So how can we apply that to us?
Do you ever find yourself caught in the comparison trap? We compare too much and bring unnecessary guilt upon ourselves. We all have different desires, and strengths, and gifts, and blessings, and opportunities. And we shouldn't feel guilty if our desires and gifts are different from others.
For example, with callings. If the Lord came to me and said, what calling would you like most in the ward, I know exactly what I would say. Just let me teach the scriptures, Lord. Gospel doctrine, youth Sunday school, primary. I just want to teach, that's my desire. Now somebody else out there might say "Oh my goodness, I would rather die than teach Gospel doctrine. Teaching terrifies me". But that same person may love to have a more administrative role in the ward, or they have a passion for family history, or missionary work. Those are good desires too. But they may feel badly that they don't have that enthusiasm or gift for teaching. And they compare themselves and say, that person's desire is greater than mine. It's just not true. Honestly, as a bishop, I don't find a lot of passion for the administrative aspect of the calling. It's just not what I love. I love the speaking, and counseling with people, and working with the youth. But budgets, and meetings, and organizing callings, it's just not my strength or passion. I know of other bishops who are really good at that kind of thing. And I could be tempted to feel guilty that I'm not a very good bishop because I'm not as good at those things. And I should want to be better at those things. And I think the Lord says. Ben, you have a good desire. Others, have different desires. And that's ok. You both shall have joy in your desires.
Now, big disclaimer here. That is not to say that we reject or ignore or just give up on working with those other things that are harder for us. We don't want to dismiss them with a "well, that's just not my thing" attitude. We're here on this earth to grow, and have weaknesses turned into strengths, and to be challenged, and we should strive to participate in all areas of gospel work. But keep in mind that different times of our lives reflect different emphases. I spent two years of my life completely focused on missionary work. Right now, as a bishop, I'm doing a lot of administrative and perhaps, when I'm older I'll be able to spend more time in temple and family history work. And I think that's OK.
TRUTH/CONCLUSION
The big takeaway for me in all of this. Don't compare, but find joy in your righteous desires.
GETTING GOD’S GUIDANCE-SECTIONS 6,8,9
ICEBREAKER
As an icebreaker for the other sections, I use a handout activity, and I like to flat out tell them that the major theme here is personal revelation. But you know "Revelation" is such a big word for many people. It has such gravity and magnitude to it. It can be a bit intimidating for some. If that's the case for you. Maybe you could switch out the word revelation for one of its scriptural synonyms. And these sections have a number of them. Yes, the word "revelation" is found here, in 8:2 where the Lord says, this is the spirit of revelation, but he uses other words as well. Can you find them using this activity? I call it "Revelation Variations". I'll give you the verse where the word is found and the number of letters. Then you plug them in and match the numbered boxes to discover the secret phrase below. And I'll make two versions of this. An easy and hard version. The easy version provides them with the letters of the words to unscramble.
But here we go:
6:7 Wisdom
6:7 Mysteries. (Now when we hear the word mysteries in the scriptures, keep in mind that it not's defined in the same way that we use that word. It doesn't mean something mysterious and deep , that nobody understands except for the elite few. When the word is used in the Bible, the original Greek translation suggests truths that are sacred. Or truths that have been hidden from man for a time but can be revealed to the righteous. I imagine temple truths would fit into the category of mysteries).
6:14 Instruction
6:22 Truth
6:24 Witness
8:1 Knowledge
Wisdom, mysteries, instruction, truth, witness, knowledge. Perhaps using one of these words can make personal revelation a little more approachable for you.
And what is the secret phrase? Getting God's Guidance
And that’s the title of the lesson. The word "getting" can be interpreted in two ways. "Getting" as in understanding, and "getting" as in receiving. Today we'll learn principles that will help us to do both.
TRANSITION
In our Doctrine and Covenants 1 lesson we established the truth that God speaks audibly through the mouths of his servants and gives guidance through them--through his prophets and apostles. Well ,their counsel and commandments give us the general principles of the gospel, but we often need more personalized guidance for our individual circumstances. If the scriptures and the words of the prophets are the map, the Spirit and personal revelation are the compass we use to navigate that map depending on our own unique circumstances.
BACKGROUND
All three of these revelations revolve around a very important individual in church history. Oliver Cowdery. Oliver is a teacher who comes to teach in Manchester and ends up boarding with the Smith family. Now Joseph isn't there at the time. He's in Harmony, Pennsylvania, but Oliver soon learns about the plates and has a desire to meet and help Joseph in the work of translation. Joseph Smith Sr. encourages Oliver to pray about this to seek the Lord's will in the matter, and Oliver does have a revelatory experience, which we'll discuss later. It just so happened that Joseph was, at the time, in dire need of a scribe and had prayed for assistance. The Lord promised him in section 5:34 that
34 Yea, for this cause I have said: Stop, and stand still until I command thee, and I will provide means whereby thou mayest accomplish the thing which I have commanded thee.
That was in March of 1829. Oliver shows up on April 5. So the Lord kept his promise. Almost as soon as Oliver arrives, he and Joseph get to serious work on the translation of the plates. And day after day they plow through this great and marvelous work. And you can imagine how amazing that must have been to hear Joseph dictate line after line the wonderful words of the Book of Mormon. Oliver described that experience like this:
“These were days never to be forgotten—to sit under the sound of a voice dictated by the inspiration of heaven, awakened the utmost gratitude of this bosom! Day after day I continued, uninterrupted, to write from his mouth, as he translated with the Urim and Thummim . . . "JS-H Final Notes
But Oliver wanted a further witness of Joseph's divine calling and the truthfulness of the work that he was engaged in. So Joseph goes to the Lord and receives section 6 on Oliver's behalf. Later, Oliver wonders if HE might have the privilege of translating as well. And I love that Joseph isn't like "What, no, I'm the prophet. This is my job! No, he says, Let's go ask the Lord". So Joseph goes to the Lord with his question and section 8 is received. And basically the Lord says Yes. Oliver, I'll give you the opportunity. You're welcome to try. Oliver tries, and really struggles. The words just won't come. This is ,of course, concerning to Oliver and he asks Joseph why it's not working. Joseph once again goes to the Lord and Section 9 is received. And Section 9 instructs Oliver to forego his efforts to translate and to instead be satisfied with acting as scribe for the remainder of the Book of Mormon.
So you can see that all throughout this story, we have a man that is seeking God's guidance to gain understanding, to know what to do, and to have the truth confirmed. Well, Oliver's lessons can become ours as we study these three sections.
SEARCH
We'll use these sections to answer three very relevant questions about getting God's guidance. We're going to learn the Do's, the Don'ts, and the How's of Getting God's Guidance.
Question 1: What can I do to receive God's guidance?
Question 2: What shouldn't I do?
AND
Question 3: How will I know that he's guiding me? (or how will I recognize the guidance when it comes)
As a teacher, I put the words "DO , DON'T, and "HOW TO RECOGNIZE" on the board with lines between them and a list of references to explore. If you don't have a board you could do it with a handout. Then, I count off my students as 1's 2's and 3's and assign them one of the questions. As they discover things, I invite them to come to the front of the room and write what they learned in their assigned section.
Here are some of the things they might find.
DO
6:5
Our first do? Ask, or knock. Receiving God's guidance requires a request on our part. If we really want to receive help from God, we need to ask for it. Other words in this section that are similar in meaning. 6:8 Desire, 6:11 Inquire.
We are going to learn in a later verse though, that just asking isn't enough. It's a vital part of the process, but not the only part.
6:20 Do treasure up these words
I believe God will be much more likely to bless us with wisdom and instruction if we're willing to value what he's already given us. When we receive promptings and answers, do we write them down? Do we act on the promptings? Do we hold them sacred and draw spiritual strength from them in times of need? Do we protect them from influence of the adversary by maintaining our righteousness? If we don't treasure them up, we could lose them. I think that might be what the Lord means when he says:
30 For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.
And if you look back just a couple of verses the Lord tells us what the true definition of rich is.
7 Seek not for riches but for wisdom, and behold, the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto you, and then shall you be made rich. Behold, he that hath eternal life is rich.
The greatest treasures you can accumulate as a soul are wisdom and salvation. One leading naturally to the other.
8:1 DO Ask in faith with an honest heart, believing you shall receive a knowledge.
8:10 That idea is reiterated again in verse 10. Remember that without faith you can do nothing. Therefore, ask in faith. An important distinction to make here. I don't believe it's wise to have faith in a request, but faith in a being. If I have faith that I'm going to get a certain answer. Then If I don't get that answer, or the thing I'm praying for doesn't happen, then I might come to the conclusion that I must not have had enough faith. If the person I love wasn't healed, if I didn't get the opportunity or blessing that I wanted, if God hasn't confirmed my question at the time I wanted it, did I not have sufficient faith? But if I have faith in a being. Faith that He will provide AN answer, not THE answer I want to get. I can have faith in his wisdom and eternal perspective. I can have faith in the belief that he's loving and that he desires to help me in the way that He knows is best. I can have faith in his timetable, therefore . . .
9:3 DO be patient. Oliver wanted to translate. That's a great desire. Nothing wrong with that. However, according to God's wisdom, it was not expedient for him to translate at the present time. Oliver wanted to do it right then. I'm like that sometimes. I want God's answer now. I don't want to wait. I want this opportunity now, I want this blessing now, I want this challenge removed now. And God answers, be patient, that's not expedient at this time. We need to have faith in and patience with God's will.
In the subsequent verses God explains one of the reasons why it wasn't expedient for Oliver to translate. Oliver had made some assumptions about the work of translating.
7 Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me.
So that was part of the problem. Oliver just asked. He figured that's all he needed to do. But if we wish to receive the Lord's guidance, and wisdom, and knowledge, we have to do something more. And let me give you a quick list of verses from these sections that suggest what that "something more" might be. Look for the action words in the following verses. What should we do besides just ask?
· 6:7 SEEK for wisdom
· 6:11 EXERCISE thy gift
· 8:4 APPLY unto it
· 9:8 STUDY it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right.
This seems to suggest that a great deal of mental and spiritual effort is required to receive God's guidance. Think back to Joseph's experience with the First Vision. Did he just wake up one day wondering about religion and then walk into the sacred grove and got his answer? No. He seriously reflected on things "again and again", he studied the scripture. He sought for wisdom by going to different meetings, and talking to people, and pondering in his mind, he applied himself and exercised faith in the scriptures and the promise within them, and acted on it. Then he asked and got his answer. I think Oliver expected to just get it. God often requires work for his wisdom. Which makes sense. Things that require more work to obtain are usually the most valuable to us. Exercising brings strength. Studying sinks the knowledge deeper into our minds. The harder the hunt, the more rewarding the reward. So if you expect wisdom from God, more than likely you're going to have to work for it. Show God your desire. That's also why patience is required.
One more DO here:
9:14 DO stand fast in the work wherewith I have called you. Remember that the thing which you desire may not be your calling. Be willing to accept that. Oliver wanted to translate but the Lord said that that calling belonged to Joseph at that time. Like we talked about in Section 7. Don't compare. People have different callings, different gifts, different challenges, different opportunities. Your job is to stand fast in YOUR calling. As long as you're doing that, the Lord will give you the guidance you need in your sphere of life. I think that verse also suggests enduring to the end. Your journey and search for guidance may be years in the making. In the meantime, don't give up. Continue to stand fast in your work.
Well those are the Do's. But what are the don'ts?
DON’T
6:36 Don't doubt.
Doubt clouds the channels of celestial communication. Believe in God's love. Believe that he CAN answer and believe that he WILL answer.
6:36, 9:11 Don't fear. Part of the reason Oliver couldn't translate was because "he feared". We must have faith, not fear. Fear is how Satan operates. God operates by faith. In seeking God's guidance what might we fear? Fear that God isn't there; fear that the answer will never come; fear that we're being deceived, fear that we're not worthy of an answer; fear that the answer won't be the one we want; fear of what the answer might require of us. We've gotta push those fears out of our minds and have confidence in our Father in Heaven.
6:12 and 8:10. Don't trifle with sacred things. To trifle is to treat lightly. Don't treat sacred revelatory experiences lightly. Be careful who you share them with. Be careful how you talk about them. Don't use them to build yourself up in the eyes of others. Don't disregard them or despise them if they aren't the answer you expected or desired. There are a number of ways we can trifle with his words.
8:10 Don't ask for that which you ought not
Apparently, there are some requests you shouldn't make. Some things you shouldn't ask for. The temptations of Jesus are a good example of this. Satan tempted Jesus to ask for things he ought not. To turn the stones into bread out of a sense of selfishness and to jump off the pinnacle of the temple in an attempt to make God prove he would save him. Don't ask God to take away the agency of another. To make them fall in love with you, like the genie in Aladdin explained. Don't ask to be excused from keeping certain commandments or counsels. There are certain things you shouldn't ask.
9:6 Don't murmur
Don't murmur over the answer you receive. Like Laman and Lemuel , who immediately after hearing an angel tell them that the Lord would deliver Laban into their hands, start murmuring. They got their answer. They just didn't like the answer they got. Don't murmur about your answer Don't murmur about the Lord's timing. Don't murmur when the Lord says no, and you wanted a yes.
HOW WILL I KNOW
How will I know (that it's the Spirit and not just my own mind)? How can I recognize the Spirit?
I'd like to begin this by sharing a quote by Joseph Smith. He said:
A person may profit by noticing the first intimation of the spirit of revelation; for instance, when you feel pure intelligence flowing into you, it may give you sudden strokes of ideas, so that by noticing it, you may find it fulfilled the same day or soon; (i.e.) those things that were presented unto your minds by the Spirit of God, will come to pass; and thus by learning the Spirit of God and understanding it, you may grow into the principle of revelation, until you become perfect in Christ Jesus.
(Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.151)
That's a comforting quote to me. Joseph tells us that personal revelation is something you learn and grow into. It's not just an "either you have it, or you don't" kind of thing. That means that there is a learning process here. Learning something takes time. It even suggests that you might make some mistakes, and that's ok. You're growing into the spirit of revelation. Like Samuel and the voice of the Lord. He doesn't recognize it at first. He thinks it's Eli. But God doesn't give up on him. He keeps trying to communicate with Samuel, until he gets it. God will do the same with us. Not only do we need to be patient with God, as we saw earlier, but we need to be patient with ourselves too. We need to learn it and grow into it. But here are some things that will help.
The verse that I feel is the crux or the pinnacle of the answer to that question is 8:2.
2 Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart. Mind and heart by the power of the Spirit. Often, we associate the spirit more with our feelings than our thoughts--I know I've received an answer because of how I feel. And that is true. The Spirit does communicate with our hearts and through our feelings. But is the heart a greater judge of truth than the mind? I don't think so. God guides with both. Remember the quote, when "pure intelligence" flows into you or gives you "sudden strokes of ideas"--that's the Spirit too. I know I've had that experience before. In making decisions for my family or ward. When I'm preparing lessons or pondering the scriptures. The spirit communicates to my mind. It teaches me things. Or it confirms things in my mind that I'm hearing or being taught with a sense of clarity, or rationality. When things make sense.
"A thought, accompanied by a feeling" is the most succinct answer I can give somebody for how to recognize the Spirit. And you can see the wisdom in having this kind of system, can't you? In fact, I'll often ask my students that question. Why do you think the Spirit communicates to both mind AND heart?
My thought. It's easier to recognize truth more accurately when you have TWO gauges to go off of. Because I'll tell you, there have been times in my life where I've heard somebody speak or teach or say something that seems to make sense in my mind, but my heart says no. This isn't truth. There is more than meets the eye here. It doesn't feel right. On the other hand, sometimes I may get caught up in an emotion, and my heart is feeling something, but then my mind steps in and says no. Don't be manipulated here. They are using emotion to try and convince you of something that's not true. They use anger, or pity, or fear. Don't fall for it. Perhaps the adversary steps in with that fear we talked about earlier. Fear that maybe the church isn't true, that Joseph was a fraud that he wrote the Book of Mormon. Fear that I'm being deceived. But then, my mind steps in and says: "Wait a minute, let's think about this rationally and pragmatically. How could he have written the Book of Mormon? At the age he was? With the education he had? With the time it took? With the power the words of the book has? These are not the words of a fraud. There's no way. The mind and the heart both helping each other to gauge and recognize the truth. What a sophisticated system of checks and balances our Lord has given us!
Now you'll see this heart and mind theme all over these sections.
6:15 Behold, thou knowest that thou hast inquired of me and I did enlighten thy mind; and now I tell thee these things that thou mayest know that thou hast been enlightened by the Spirit of truth;
6:16 Yea, I tell thee, that thou mayest know that there is none else save God that knowest thy thoughts (mind) and the intents of thy heart (feelings).
6:23 Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God? (now peace is a feeling. But he's speaking it to his mind. Mind and heart, in one. And this particular verse refers to an experience Oliver had before he ever met Joseph. Back when he was at the Smith family home, he had prayed to know if Joseph's work was divine and God spoke peace to his heart. Joseph had no idea that this had happened. Another evidence of his prophetic mantle)
9:8 Can you find both mind and heart here?
8 But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.
9 But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong; therefore, you cannot write that which is sacred save it be given you from me.
That has mind and heart all over it. Study it out, think about it in your mind, seriously reflect on it. Then ask. Then you feel something. A burning in the bosom. Now the burning of the bosom phrase has given members fits over the years. Some have expressed fear that they have never felt the Spirit because they haven't ever felt that heat.
Dallin H. Oaks helps us with understand with the following quote:
“What does a ‘burning in the bosom’ mean? Does it need to be a feeling of caloric heat, like the burning produced by combustion? If that is the meaning, I have never had a burning in the bosom. Surely, the word ‘burning’ in this scripture signifies a feeling of comfort and serenity. That is the witness many receive. That is the way revelation works” Dallin H. Oaks
The burning doesn't necessarily need to be heat. The word "burn" is just an effort to try and explain something that's hard to put into words. If the word "burn" doesn't work for you, then try something else. That burning can be comfort, serenity, peace, joy, love; these are warm words. Those are the feelings most often associated with truth.
THE BLESSINGS
Well I have one more bonus category for you. The Blessings. The blessings of seeking personal revelation or guidance from God. If we are willing to do the DO's, and avoid the DONT's, and we've learned to recognize the HOW. Then what can we expect? There are many blessings spread throughout these sections, but allow me to highlight a few.
· 6:5 You will receive.
· 6:5 It shall be opened to you.
· 6:7 The mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto you. I like that word "unfolded"
· 6:7 You shall be made rich with wisdom and salvation
· 6:20 I will encircle thee in the arms of my love
· 8:1 You shall receive a knowledge
· 8:3 I love how verse 3 applies. He says that this spirit of revelation is the same spirit by which Moses brought the children of Israel through the Red Sea on dry ground. Now why would he choose that particular miracle as an illustration. Liken the scriptures. How are we sometimes like the Children of Israel at the Red Sea? They were trapped. Have you ever felt trapped by your circumstances? They didn't know what to do. Have you ever felt like you didn't know what to do? Have you ever felt like you didn't have a way out? Ever felt hemmed in by your enemies or your circumstances? If you can learn how to get guidance from God, he can open a way for you, like he did for the Children of Israel. A way to escape. A way through your obstacles. A solution to your problems can be presented, even in unlikely and miraculous ways. You can part your own Red Sea's with God's guidance.
· 8:4 you can be delivered out of the hands of your enemies
· 9:14 You shall be lifted up at the last day.
And one more section to read. The very end of section 6 is so beautiful. We just have to take it verse by verse. It's so comforting. I think God realizes that this journey of faith we're on is not always going to be easy. Others may not always accept the things we do under God's guidance. So he says, starting in verse 29.
29 Verily, verily, I say unto you, if they reject my words, and this part of my gospel and ministry, blessed are ye, for they can do no more unto you than unto me.
On the surface, that doesn't sound like such a comforting verse. You know Joseph, don't worry, they can't do anything worse to you than they did to me. Ummm, but they crucified you. They can't do any worse?
Yes, yes, but . . .
30 And even if they do unto you even as they have done unto me, blessed are ye, for you shall dwell with me in glory.
Joseph, if you die for your faith, you shall dwell with me in glory.
31 But if they reject not my words, which shall be established by the testimony which shall be given, blessed are they, and then shall ye have joy in the fruit of your labors.
32 Verily, verily, I say unto you, as I said unto my disciples, where two or three are gathered together in my name, as touching one thing, behold, there will I be in the midst of them--even so am I in the midst of you.
So I'm with you. I'm in your midst. You're not alone.
33 Fear not to do good, my sons, for whatsoever ye sow, that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow good ye shall also reap good for your reward. (You're going to get good things. And I love that he calls them his sons)
34 Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail.
(You will win in the end. Evil cannot prevail over good. Just do good, and everything will be ok in the end)
35 Behold, I do not condemn you; go your ways and sin no more; perform with soberness the work which I have commanded you.
(These are the same words spoken to the woman taken in adultery. You'll probably make some mistakes along the way Joseph and Oliver. But I won't condemn you. I'll forgive your sins)
36 Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.
(When you get discouraged. When things are dark. Look unto me. There's no need to doubt or fear. And what is it that He wants them to look at?)
37 Behold the wounds which pierced my side, and also the prints of the nails in my hands and feet; be faithful, keep my commandments, and ye shall inherit the kingdom of heaven. Amen.
(Remember my sacrifice. Remember my victory over sin. Remember my victory over death. Remember my love for you. This will keep you going. This will fill you with faith and confidence)
Beautiful, isn't it? And you know, can you sense Joseph speaking with a prophetic voice that far exceeds his age and experience? For heaven's sakes, he's only 23 years old, and you already get a sense of spiritual maturity; the kind we see in our modern-day prophets who far exceed Joseph in age and experience. The only explanation I have for that is that Joseph isn't really speaking from his own age and experience. He's speaking through the prophetic mantle that's been placed on his shoulders. It's the Lord that is speaking through him. That's why we sense that maturity and power. You know, there is just as much theological and spiritual power in these early revelations as there is in later ones of his life. Section 3, and 6, and 9 flow with the same beautiful and profound voice as sections 84, 93, and 121. This builds my faith in Joseph as a prophet. How many 23-year old’s do you know that can write like this? Joseph was no deceiver; he was a prophet. That's the only rational conclusion that I can come to.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
When have you felt that you were being guided by God?
When have you experienced these blessings in your life?
TRUTH/CONCLUSION
I hope this lesson has helped you to understand God's guidance on a deeper level. God speaks to our minds and hearts. He wants to help us! But we have to learn and grow into this principle of revelation, or knowledge, or wisdom, or instruction. Seek, and ye shall find, ask, and ye shall receive, knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
Comments