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ICEBREAKER
I like to start this icebreaker with a question. Do you know what a catalyst is? Well, a catalyst is something that speeds up or brings about a certain reaction. To illustrate this idea, I'd like to show you a little science experiment. You may be familiar with it, but it's called elephant toothpaste, and it's a great example of the effect of a catalyst. Here's what you're going to need to perform this experiment:
· A plastic bottle
· A paper plate
· 1/2 cup of Hydrogen Peroxide
· 1 Tablespoon of liquid dish soap
· 1 Packet of Yeast
· 1 Tablespoon of Warm Water
· 10 drops of Food Coloring (optional)
So what you do is you take your plastic bottle and place it onto the center of the paper plate. Pour your 1/2 cup of Hydrogen Peroxide into the bottle and add the tablespoon of liquid dish soap. If you want the experiment to be a little more colorful, you can add the ten drops of food coloring to the mix at this point. But be sure to mix it up thoroughly. Now if we were to just leave this mixture here, eventually, over a long period of time, it would break down into oxygen, and water. But we're going to add a catalyst. We're going to mix up the yeast and the warm water together and add it to our bottle. The effect the catalyst has is that it greatly speeds up this process or reaction of breaking down the hydrogen peroxide. So watch what happens when I add the catalyst. Pretty cool right? The moral of the story: Amazing things can happen when you add a catalyst.
TRANSITION
Today I'd like to talk about a spiritual catalyst. A catalyst for receiving one of God's greatest rewards. And I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to cheat a little this week and pull in the first 19 verses of section 76 because I feel they match so well thematically with sections 71-75. Now don't worry. Section 76 has more than enough material for us to dig into next week, so I don't mind double dipping a little here. These verses will help introduce us to this powerful catalyst. And we're going to examine this idea with a marking activity. You're going to need three colors and we're going to put three labels in our scriptures at the beginning of our block. There are three parts to our spiritual science experiment here. We have our Conditions, our Catalyst, and our Results. As we read through the scriptures this week, we'll mark these ideas as we go.
So first we'll start with some of the conditions and results and look for the catalyst last. God has some promises for a certain type of follower. Two things to look for here. What conditions set apart these disciples? And what is his promised results to them? And we'll mark them in our two colors.
Section 76:5-6.
5 For thus saith the Lord, I, the Lord, am merciful and gracious unto those who fear me, and delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end.
6 Great shall be their reward and eternal shall be their glory.
All right. What conditions set apart these disciples? What condition are they in? Well, first, they fear him, and they serve him in righteousness and truth unto the end.
What are his promised results to them? He promises that he will be merciful and gracious unto them. And, he delights to honor them and he offers them a great reward and glory. I want to focus on that idea here. He honors and rewards these followers. With what though? We've got mercy and grace and glory here, but the next verses are going to highlight what apparently is one of the major ways God rewards the righteous. There is a common theme that you're going to find in verses 7-10. Can you find it? What great reward does God delight to honor the righteous with?
7 And to them will I reveal all mysteries, yea, all the hidden mysteries of my kingdom from days of old, and for ages to come, will I make known unto them the good pleasure of my will concerning all things pertaining to my kingdom.
8 Yea, even the wonders of eternity shall they know, and things to come will I show them, even the things of many generations.
9 And their wisdom shall be great, and their understanding reach to heaven; and before them the wisdom of the wise shall perish, and the understanding of the prudent shall come to naught.
10 For by my Spirit will I enlighten them, and by my power will I make known unto them the secrets of my will--yea, even those things which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor yet entered into the heart of man.
Did you see it? He rewards the righteous with revelation and truth. And he uses many different words for it. Let's mark them in our results color. He will "reveal all mysteries" to them. He will "make things known" unto them. "Things to come will I show them". "Their wisdom shall be great". "Their understanding will reach to heaven". He will "enlighten them" by the power of his Spirit, and make known the secrets of his will. Even things that nobody else has seen or heard.
Case in point. Section 76 itself is a perfect illustration of this. It is a groundbreaking revelation that brings to light many unknown things about the Plan of Salvation to us. Some of the doctrines that truly set our theology apart from the rest of the Christian world are found here. It's one of the greatest revelations of the entire Doctrine and Covenants. If I were to ask the average member of the church what they felt were the top 5 most significant sections in the Doctrine and Covenants, I'm willing to bet you that section 76 would be on every single list. God truly revealed mysteries and wisdom and understanding and enlightenment to the leaders of the church on this occasion. Why did he do that? Because they were willing to serve him in truth and righteousness.
There is one more condition that we want to add to our list here. You'll find it in verse 11. They were "in the Spirit" on this occasion. They had invited the Holy Ghost to be in their minds and hearts and were worthy of its presence. Therefore:
Verse 12
12 By the power of the Spirit our eyes were opened, and our understandings were enlightened, so as to see and understand the things of God
So, if we wish to have our eyes opened and understanding enlightened, we too need to be "in the Spirit".
But we haven't figured out what our catalyst is yet. There is something that can activate and speed up the process by which revelation can be received. And amazingly, this catalyst is available to all of us, not just prophets. In fact, many sections of the Doctrine and Covenants came as a result of this catalyst. I want to see if you can figure out what it is. Take a look at the following places in our scripture block this week to see if you can figure it out. Read each one carefully and see if you can identify it.
· Doctrine and Covenants 71 Section Heading
· Doctrine and Covenants for 71:4-6
· Doctrine and Covenants 73:3-5
· Doctrine and Covenants 74 Section Heading
· Doctrine and Covenants 76 Section Heading
· Doctrine and Covenants 76:15-19
Did you find it? What was the catalyst? It's the scriptures or scripture study. In each of these cases, Joseph and Sidney were engaged in the work of what we call the inspired version of the Bible. They described it as translating, but they weren't necessarily translating it from one language into another. What they really were doing was clarifying and correcting (with the aid of the Spirit) many of the errors found in the Bible and restoring some of the plain and precious things that had been lost from them. I'm sure at some point in your study of the Bible you've come upon the letters JST. That stands for Joseph Smith Translation. You'll usually find these in the footnotes, and they are very helpful in understanding some of the more confusing verses in the Bible. Still, I don't think that clarification was the only reason God wanted Joseph to make his way so carefully through the Bible. You may be surprised to discover that many of those plain and precious things that were lost during the great apostasy weren't restored back into the text of the Bible itself, but come in the Doctrine and Covenants as a result of Joseph's questioning as he read. As Joseph prayerfully makes his way through the Bible, questions come into his mind. And he goes to the Lord for help in answering those questions. Many doctrines and church practices are going to be revealed by this process. As Joseph studies the scriptures on a deep and engaged level, the Lord reveals great things to him. Deep and meaningful scripture study becomes the catalyst for revelation. Last week we studied "what is scripture"
Now we'll study what to do with them. So let's take a look at each of these sections in turn. We'll mark them in our "Catalyst" color.
In the section heading of 71 "The Prophet had continued to translate the Bible with Sidney Rigdon as his scribe until this revelation was received". And in this section Joseph and Sidney are told to pause for a little bit in the translation while they try to repair some of the damage done by the anti-church letters circulated by apostate, Ezra Booth.
So look what he says in 71:4
4 Wherefore, labor ye in my vineyard. Call upon the inhabitants of the earth, and bear record, and prepare the way for the commandments and revelations which are to come.
You know, that might be a great title for this lesson. Prepare the way for the revelations which are to come. Scripture study does just that. It prepares the way for revelation. And some really big revelations are about to come. Section 76 will come in just a few months. What helps prepare the way? Verses 5-6.
5 Now, behold this is wisdom; whoso readeth, let him understand and receive also;
6 For unto him that receiveth it shall be given more abundantly, even power.
So we read the scriptures. That will prepare the way for more revelations to come. But not just reading--understanding, and receiving as well. There's a big difference between reading and receiving the scriptures. Receiving suggests allowing their truths to sink deep into your hearts. Some people just read the scriptures. They just scratch the surface or skim through it to get it done. But those that truly seek to understand and receive what's in the scriptures, will be given more abundantly. Studying the revelations of the past, prepares the way for receiving more abundant revelations in the future. With that more abundant revelation will all come power. Knowledge is power. Truth is power. That abundant knowledge and power is available to all those who engage with God's word in this way.
So no wonder God wanted Joseph to be studying the Bible in a careful and prayerful way. It allowed him to receive truth more abundantly.
In 73:3-5 There is a great word that the Lord is going to use to describe how he feels about Joseph and Sidney getting back into the study and translation of the Bible. What is it? The Lord tells them that it is expedient to start translating again. What a great word! I think that's how God feels about us getting into the scriptures. It's expedient. Expedient means suitable for achieving a certain end. Necessary, Vital. Something that needs to be done. Scripture study is expedient. There is a reason why the prophets are constantly counseling us to engage in consistent and daily scripture study. It's expedient for our spiritual welfare.
Then verse 5.
5 And let this be a pattern unto the elders until further knowledge, even as it is written.
As we keep reading, and studying, and receiving, God gives us further knowledge. That's the pattern.
You'll notice there's another expedient in this section as well. What does verse 1 say is expedient? Preaching the gospel. I think that's interesting. Sometimes it's expedient that we preach and give, and sometimes it's expedient that we study and receive. The Lord knows that before we can declare his word, we must first obtain it. Sometimes one is expedient, and sometimes the other is. The pattern takes us back and forth between these two expedients. We need to be engaged in both.
The section heading of 74 tells us that Joseph had recommenced the translation of the Scriptures, when he received the following. Here's a revelation that came as a direct result of Joseph's study and translation of the Bible.
The Section Heading tells us that Joseph had been seeking answers on the proper mode of baptism. One particular verse in 1 Corinthians 7 had often been used to justify infant baptism. So when he comes to this difficult passage, he does exactly what God wants him to do. He asks a question. What does this mean, Lord? Why is it in here? And the Lord answers him and helps him to understand it. That, by the way, is one of the best things we can do to get more out of our own scripture study--ask questions. What does this mean? Why is this story in here? What is the significance of that word or term? What does the Lord want me to understand from this passage? Why does the Lord say that? How can I apply this verse or story to my own life? Some of the best advice I could give you for getting more out of scripture study would be to slow down and ask questions. This gives the Spirit a chance to help you find answers to those questions.
And what happens as a result of Joseph's inquiry? The final phrase of that section is telling. It ends with "and this is what the scriptures mean". Awesome! God helped him understand something that he initially didn't. We can have the same type of experience. This section, section 74, is a microcosm of how scripture study can work. We read them. We find something that we don't understand, we ask a question, and we look to God and the Spirit for help. Then, he helps us to know what the scriptures mean. We could mark that with our RESULTS color. When we petition the Lord for help in understanding the scriptures, he leads us to sources that can help us to know what the scriptures mean.
Now to the section heading of 76. It quotes Joseph as saying: “Upon my return from Amherst conference, I resumed the translation of the Scriptures. From sundry revelations which had been received, it was apparent that many important points touching the salvation of man had been taken from the Bible, or lost before it was compiled. It appeared self-evident from what truths were left, that if God rewarded everyone according to the deeds done in the body the term ‘Heaven,’ as intended for the Saints’ eternal home, must include more kingdoms than one. Accordingly, … while translating St. John’s Gospel, myself and Elder Rigdon saw the following vision.” At the time this vision was given, the Prophet was translating John 5:29.
So there we see the pattern again. Section 76 came as a result of Joseph seeking understanding while he studied and translated the scriptures. Look how he describes the process:
15 For while we were doing the work of translation, which the Lord had appointed unto us, we came to the twenty-ninth verse of the fifth chapter of John, which was given unto us as follows--
16 Speaking of the resurrection of the dead, concerning those who shall hear the voice of the Son of Man:
17 And shall come forth; they who have done good in the resurrection of the just; and they who have done evil, in the resurrection of the unjust.
18 Now this caused us to marvel, for it was given unto us of the Spirit.
19 And while we meditated upon these things, the Lord touched the eyes of our understandings and they were opened, and the glory of the Lord shone round about.
Did you catch the pattern again? They were reading with the Spirit. They came to a part that they didn't understand, and instead of ignoring it, or racing past it, or shrugging it off, they stop, they marvel and they meditate. Great words to mark as well. This is how we gain more abundantly from our scripture study. Marveling and meditating. They are slowing down and asking questions, and meditating on the answer. Sometimes we use the word pondering instead of meditating. Some of the most important work we will do when it comes to scripture study will happen when we aren't even looking at the scriptures. It's when we look away and think about them that knowledge can come. That's how I do a lot of my preparation for these lessons. Yes, I use manuals, and have made notes of things of learned from other teachers or general authorities, but a lot of the insight comes from pondering. When we ponder, we give the Spirit space and opportunity to teach us.
Sometimes, just for fun, I'll do this little activity with my students. I pull out a chair and set it in the front of the room. And then I tell them that I'm going to teach them a very important but technical scripture study skill. I sit down in the chair, and then tell them to put their hands straight out in front of them with their thumbs pointing up. I do this all very methodically. Then, they are to turn their hands so that their fingers are pointing at each other. Then very carefully, and slowly they are to move their hands towards each other and interlace their fingers with the other hand. Then very delicately and steadily so as not to injure themselves they should arch their arms backwards in a continuous motion until their hands rest on the backs of their heads. Now, the finishing touch. They should lean back ever so slightly and glance heavenward with a quizzical look on their face. This, I tell them, is a professional pondering pose. This is what they need to do at certain times as they study their scriptures. They need to stop and ponder what they've just read. Ask those questions. Give the Spirit a chance to teach them and inspire them. Now I know that's kind of cheesy way to go about it, but they usually get a kick out of it and it makes the point.
Joseph and Sydney were willing to do these things, to marvel and meditate, therefore "The Lord touched the eyes of their understanding and they were opened". Mark that in your results color. And that is beautiful imagery. Where else do we see Christ touching somebody's eyes and having them opened? When he heals the blind. It's subtle allusion. We, as mortals are often blind to many truths. There is so much that we don't see. So many people that live in darkness, feeling their way through the mists. The blind leading the blind. The Savior though, can heal the blind and cause them to see. Studying the scriptures can open the eyes of our understanding and cure our mortal blindness. Imagine what it would be like to be blind your whole life and then all of a sudden you're able to see. Section 76 is an "eye-opening" section. As members of the church, we are no longer blind to the truths of the Plan of Salvation. I remember teaching principles from section 76 to investigators on my mission and seeing their eyes opened. Many were so grateful to have some of their most basic existential questions answered. You know the questions. Where did we come from? Why are we here? And what happens to us when we die. Section 76 is going to answer these fundamental questions. It opens our eyes.
TRUTH
So what truth have we just learned? Come up with an "If/Then" statement to describe it. There are many possible answers. Here's what I came up with. If I will read, and receive, and marvel, and meditate on the scriptures, then, the eyes of my understanding will be opened, and God will reveal knowledge in abundance to me.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
Then, be ready to answer at least one of the following questions of your choice:
When has scripture study opened the eyes of your understanding?
Do you love to study the scriptures? If so, why?
What is a favorite scripture of yours that has given you knowledge? What did it teach you?
CONCLUSION
No wonder God wanted Joseph to translate the Bible. It opened up the reception of so many deep doctrinal truths to him, and through him, us. God knew that studying the Bible in this way would cause Joseph to marvel and meditate. Well, if we wish to have our eyes opened, we too are going to need to put in that same type of careful and prayerful study. I believe that scripture study is a test of desire. I feel they've been designed to be a little bit harder to understand. Like the parables that Jesus told so that hearing, they would hear not, and seeing, they would see not. Those that don't care to know probably won't put in the effort required to get much out of them. It weeds out the apathetic. But those who study with desire, those that read with real intent, those that are willing to dig deep (as I say each week), and ask for help for the Spirit, are the ones that gain knowledge more abundantly. The scriptures prepare the way for revelations which are to come into their lives. They will have section 76 like experiences. I once heard someone say "If you want to talk to God, pray. But if you want God to talk to you, study your scriptures". Now this is principle that means an awful lot to me, as you can probably imagine. I testify of this truth with great conviction and enthusiasm that stems from ample experience. The scriptures are a gateway to revelation, knowledge, and understanding. I've seen it happen over and over in my life. So I have a bit of a strange request for you. Don't read the Doctrine & Covenants this year, or any scripture for that matter. Instead, I want you to study them, marvel at them, meditate on them, ponder them, liken them, but never simply read them. I can promise you, that great and abundant knowledge will follow.
Now that is where I would spend the majority of my time if I only had one chance to teach a lesson from this scripture block. Still, as usual, there are some other principles you could teach as well. I'd like to give you just a few brief ideas on how you might cover them
71 NO UNHALLOWED HAND
ICEBREAKER
For section 71, a simple icebreaker. Two discussion questions. When have you encountered opposition or criticism to the church? And How does it make you feel when you hear criticisms or lies about the church? Usually, most of your students will have encountered some form of opposition, or anti-church literature, or persecution in their lives and this will make for a good brief discussion of how it makes them feel. Some of the feelings that are usually shared are anger, frustration, fear, and even doubt. You know, what if they're right? I assure them that the church and its members are no stranger to such opposition. Since that fateful day when Joseph first told a minister in Palmyra of his experience in the sacred grove, ridicule, defamation, and slander have followed the prophet and all those who believe in his divine calling ever since. Nowadays, there are countless books, websites, articles, and videos that all seek to disparage the church and call its truthfulness into question. As members of the church, it's inevitable that we'll run into these kinds of things at some point in our lives. How we deal with that situation is critical to maintaining our faith.
BACKGROUND
At this particular time in church history, the opposition to the church is stemming from a former member whose name we're already familiar with. Ezra Booth. Ezra Booth was the man who'd been converted to the church after seeing Joseph Smith heal Elsa Johnson's arm. He was also one of the brethren who accompanied Joseph Smith on his first journey to Missouri. Ezra quickly becomes disillusioned with the church when he discovers that, one, he's not able to perform miracles in the same way that he'd seen Joseph do it, two, the land of Zion was not what he expected it to be, and three, when he came to know Joseph's imperfections and personality flaws, which he certainly had. So Ezra leaves the church and becomes an outspoken critic of it. He goes so far as to write nine letters leveling criticism at the church and its leaders and has them published in a local newspaper. Of course, Joseph and the other members of the church are really worried about the negative effect these letters might have on missionary work and so he goes to the Lord for counsel. Section 71 is received as a result. The counsel God gave Joseph on this occasion can also help us when we face similar circumstances.
SEARCH
Here's a quick handout activity you could do to cover some of the counsel the Lord gives in this section. It's a secret phrase activity. The objective is to figure out the secret phrase by first filling in the boxes with the word that fits in the blank from the clues. Those words should fit into the boxes next to them. They will then use the numbered boxes to find the secret phrase. Each of the clues is a piece of counsel from the Lord for dealing with Anti-Church opposition.
So here we go.
71:1 ______________ the gospel
Proclaim. Proclaim the gospel. That is the number one way the church fights back. With the truth. Rather than trying to disparage other religions or tearing down other faiths, we focus our attention on spreading truth and inviting others to discover it for themselves. You're never going to go to a Church sacrament meeting and hear a talk entitled "10 Reasons why the Catholics are Wrong" or "Questions that Lutherans can't Answer" or see a Broadway play put on by church members mocking Jehovah's Witnesses or Buddhists. That's not how we do things. We seek to persuade by proclaiming the gospel as we understand it. I often wish other churches and people afforded us the same courtesy. Just like in politics, I'm always wary of candidates who only seem to want to tear down their opponents without offering or promoting their own solutions.
71:1 Follow the ____________.
Spirit. We're going to need the Spirit to determine the best way to handle opposition. There isn't a one-size-fits-all approach. In some cases, ignoring it may be the best approach. In others, fleeing from it may be best. And in others, our next clue may be what we need to do:
71:7 On occasion, we can _______ with them and defend the church openly.
Meet. In this particular case with Ezra Booth, that is what the Lord wanted them to do. He wanted Joseph to publicly go out and seek to defend the good name of the church. Now, hopefully we don't go out and use verse 7 as an excuse to seek confrontation with others or get into Bible bashes. But there is a time and a place to defend our beliefs. Follow the Spirit to know when. Gratefully, there are a number of organizations and websites and church materials that do an amazing job of helping us to understand some of the anti-church crowd's most vocal criticisms. The church topics page is a great resource for this and if you struggle with some of the more troubling claims leveled against the church, I encourage you to go there first. FAIR or FAIRMormon is another great website that I've found has some incredible resources and research done in that area. I personally am not an expert in these kinds of things, but it's comforting to know that they exist, and they are there as a resource when challenges to our faith arise.
71:8 Remember that they are not bringing their strong reasons against you, but against the ______.
Lord. That's nice to know. They aren't challenging YOUR beliefs, but the truths of the LORD'S gospel. They're not fighting against the church, but against God. We're not alone in our struggle. We have God on our side. Therefore . . .
71:9 Remember that no weapon formed against the church shall __________.
Prosper. The church has faced opposition for decades and still, it continues to grow and succeed. The Ezra Booths, and Fawn Brodie's, and Jerald and Sandra Tanners, and Jeremy Runnells, have never and will never succeed in stopping the church as a whole. Though their weapons have matured a bit over the years, they still seem to rehash the same old tropes and criticisms that have been around since the beginning. However, we can take comfort in the fact that no weapon formed against the church shall prosper.
71:10 Remember that those who lift their voices against the church will eventually be _____________.
Confounded. That we can rely on. One day, the error of their attacks will be undeniably laid bare.
71:11 Our ______________ to the commandments may be our best defense against their lies.
obedience. I really believe that this is our best defense. The type of people that we are as a church is our best testimony and argument against the lies and criticisms of our opposition. People will inevitably dismiss their claims when they see the fruits of our living the gospel. They'll say, "What you are accusing these people of, doesn't match up with my experience with them. They are the most upstanding, principled, kind, and happy people that I know". Living our faith will stand as a testimony against the apostates, liars, and naysayers. Perhaps the greatest proof and testimony of Joseph Smith's divine calling are the people of the Restored church themselves.
So, what's the secret phrase? "No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing". It's a line from a very famous quote by Joseph Smith. It's often referred to as the Standard of Truth and I'd like to share the quote in its entirety with you.
The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.”
― Joseph Smith Jr.
TRUTH/LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
When has one of these counsels helped you in facing opposition to the Church?
CONCLUSION
The fact of the matter is that anti-church efforts will never succeed in stopping its growth and progress. It never has and never will. I remember on my mission in Brazil that the most popular news program in the country did a report entitled “The Mormons of Utah”. Unfortunately, the program wasn’t even about the church. It was about the fundamentalists down in Southern Utah with all of its reports of abuse and scandal. But the news program never differentiated between that and the actual Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I’ll never forget talking to one of the stalwart members of the church in that area who was so distraught after watching the program. I remember him saying, “This is going to destroy the church in Brazil.” Well, I ask you, did that news report destroy the church in Brazil? I’m happy to tell you that no, it didn’t. In fact, that very week two new families were baptized into the ward. There wasn’t even a blip in the growth of the church as far as I could see it. So remember this prophecy the next time you encounter protesters at General Conference, anti-church websites and books, critical social crusaders, or hear of apostate groups breaking away from the Saints. These forces have never succeeded in stopping the growth of the church. That we can be assured of because the Lord has promised us in Section 71 that no weapon that is formed against us will ever prosper. And Joseph assures us that no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing.
72 RENDERING AN ACCOUNT
From section 72 a quick search question. What do each of the following verses have in common?
:3, :5, :16, :19, :22
The answer. They all speak of giving or rendering an account of your stewardship. We've spoken about stewardship before. A steward is one who takes care of and is responsible for someone else's property. At this time the church is still seeking to implement the living of the law of consecration and the decision is made that not only is a Bishop needed in Zion, but in Kirtland as well. Newell K. Whitney is called to be the second bishop of the church. Section 72 explains some of the duties of a Bishop. We won't go into great depth there, but realize that the role of the bishop in the early church was much more focused on financial and temporal matters. They were chiefly in charge of managing the affairs of the consecration. Nowadays, the Bishop still covers these kinds of things as the overseer of the welfare program, but is also seen as much more of a spiritual leader and a judge of worthiness. In any case, to this day, we're still called to render an account of our temporal and spiritual stewardships to our Bishop's on a regular basis. On the temporal side, tithing settlement is held each year, and on the spiritual side, we render an account of our spiritual stewardship at least every two years as we seek to obtain or renew our temple recommends. As a currently serving Bishop, I can tell you that is a humbling thing to stand in that position of judgment and accountability. I feel very honored that the Lord would trust me enough to allow his sons and daughters to render their accounts to Him through me. And I don't take that lightly. It's a sacred thing and I've often felt his guiding influence as I've counseled with and discussed both temporal and spiritual matters with the members of my ward.
A discussion question I might ask from this section is why? Why does Heavenly Father want us to render an account of our spiritual and temporal stewardships frequently throughout our lives?
My thought. The further out you put the accountability, the less motivation there is to action. If I only have the final judgment in mind, it's very likely that I won't be as focused or motivated to do what I need to do today. I may be tempted to procrastinate the day of my repentance or put off my responsibilities to God and family. It kind of reminds me of the national debt. It's an accountability that we just seem to always be kicking further down the road. Ah, it will be taken care of at some future point. Let the next generation deal with it. I believe it's an attitude that can have serious future repercussions. Instead, the Lord has us be accountable, in a very real and mortal way, on a frequent basis to one of his representatives. I myself am very grateful for this accountability over the years and feel that all those interviews with past bishops and stake presidents have helped to keep me on the straight and narrow path. It's a positive thing for us to frequently consider the following questions: How am I doing in my temporal affairs? and How am I doing in my spiritual affairs? Hopefully, these frequent course corrections will keep us moving ever forward on the path that leads to eternal life.
74 BELIEVERS AND UNBELIEVERS
Just a brief thought here. This is a bit of a confusing section. No wonder Joseph struggled to get what Paul was talking about in 1 Corinthians 7. In the ancient Church, you had a lot of mixed faith households since the majority of the church membership were converts. Sometimes you had a believing husband, but an unbelieving wife, and vice versa. So the concern was, and you'll see this as you read the section, that if one of the parents wanted their child to be circumcised, while the other didn't believe it was necessary, that could eventually lead to conflict within the family, or the child eventually would be drawn away from the Church of Jesus Christ and continue to follow the law of Moses. There was a tradition amongst the Jews that said all uncircumcised children were unholy or guilty before God. That's the real issue for Paul. This was a dangerous doctrine that he didn't want perpetuated into the Church of Jesus Christ. He wanted the members of the church to understand that, according to verse 7, little children are holy, being sanctified through the atonement of Jesus Christ. We don't believe in original sin in this church. It's the same principle we saw taught very strongly in Moroni 8. So, Paul was worried about this conflict in households where only one partner was a believer. Still, if these converts were already married, he didn't want to encourage them to leave their spouses. He counsels them in 1 Corinthians 7 that they don't need to run out and get a divorce because "the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband. So, it's good to have that sanctifying influence of at least one parent in the household, and perhaps you might eventually save them. However, if you still had a choice, if you were unmarried and looking for a spouse, he counseled that a "believer should not be united with an unbeliever". Now it's important to note that Paul is giving this as his counsel, not a commandment in the church. It's like he's saying, I encourage you strongly to marry in the covenant if you have that choice. But why? Because of the effect that it can have on the lives of future children in that marriage. They may be drawn into incorrect traditions and beliefs.
What's the takeaway for us here? Again, this isn't a commandment in the church, and there is no disciplinary action taken against someone who marries a spouse that is not a member. But, I would think this is still good counsel from the prophets that it is better to marry in the covenant. Not that it's impossible for a believing member to get along and have a happy marriage with one who is not, but more as a consideration of the children. Not to say that the children of that kind of marriage are doomed to fall away either, it's just something to consider as we make that choice. What effect might this kind of union have on future children of this marriage? Will it confuse them? Will it make it difficult for them to choose between Mom's faith or Dad's faith? How will it affect you if they decide to not get baptized, or go to church with you, or serve missions, or go to the temple? Are you ok with that possibility? These are important questions to consider when it comes to marriage, and we would be wise to bear in mind the counsel (not commandment) of a prophet. As a teacher, I would certainly never hesitate to encourage my students to marry in the covenant.
75 PREACHING THE GOSPEL
Section 75 is a collection of mission calls and instructions on preaching the gospel. I don't really see anything unique in this section that we haven't covered sometime before and so I'll leave it to you to study and find your own insights from it. A search question you could ask is "What good advice do you find here for preaching the gospel" and I'll leave it at that.
And there you have just a few brief ideas for covering some of the other points you can find in these sections.
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