Doctrine and Covenants 88

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INTRO

Hello fellow teachers and welcome to Teaching with Power. I'm Ben Wilcox and thank you so much for taking this time to join me today. This week we’ll be studying Doctrine and Covenants 88. One single section, but wow, is it ever a section. Definitely one of the pinnacles of the Doctrine and Covenants. Joseph Smith is really hitting a revelatory stride in Kirtland at this time. So, we've had 76, then 84, now 88, and in a couple of weeks we'll get 93, then 107, and so on. But I tell ya. There is so much good stuff in section 88 that I have to be honest and say that it was really difficult for me to try and abridge the messages in this section down to about one hour. There is so much we could dig deeply into. But one of the things I like to try and model for you here on Teaching with Power is good teaching practice which requires us to be selective. Therefore, we will not be covering everything here in depth. And you won't be able to either. You’ll have to rely on the Spirit to decide which truths will be most beneficial to your students and how much time to spend on each. I would like to give you some ideas, though, and then I trust you can take them, choose the most meaningful to you, and put together a lesson that focuses on those key truths. So, if you will, grab your scriptures and your marking pencils, let's dig deep, as much as we can.

ICEBREAKER

As an icebreaker, I like to show my class the following four pictures and ask them which of the pictures best represents their life right now and why? Now this is a personal question that you just want them to ponder and not answer out loud. If you picked one of the stormier pictures, then I know that today’s lesson can help you to find more calm and serenity in your life. Then I like to set the tone for section 88 by playing the hymn “Where can I turn for Peace?” and asking my class to just listen and to pick out their favorite line from the hymn to share. There is a great video version of this hymn sung by the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. I’ll provide a link to it in the video description below. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJvZFUZ-c0I)

BACKGROUND

Now the first thing I would like you to do is to look at the date that section 88 was received. December 27 and 28, 1832. Now compare that with the dates that both section 86 and 87 were received. Section 86 was received on December 6, 1832. And 87 on December 25, 1832. So, all within the same month with section 88 coming hard on the heels of 87. Do you remember what sections 86 and 87 were all about? Section 86 interpreted the parable of the wheat and the tares for us with a warning of the coming wickedness and apostasy in the latter days. What about section 87? It was the prophecy on war. Right? Joseph prophesied that there would be a new era of war ushered in by the American Civil War which would eventually break out into worldwide conflict and consume all nations. Now, what's the nickname for section 88? Look closely at the section heading. It was designated by the Prophet as the olive leaf, plucked from the Tree of Paradise, the Lord's message of peace to us". Now if you put all these sections together, I think there’s a clear message the Lord is trying to get through to us. It's as if the Lord is saying "In a world of wickedness and apostasy (section 86), war and conflict (section 87) I will show you the way to find peace (section 88). He’s going to show us how to find peace in that kind of a world. We’re not talking about a life free of problems, hard work, trials, or tragedies. That would be unrealistic. But what the Lord can do for us is help us to find an inner peace that allows us to maintain our hope and tranquility even when the world around us seems to be in turmoil.

So,what we can do as we read section 88 is to frequently ask ourselves, “How can this bring me peace?”

BREAKING DOWN THE SECTION

First item of business before we study. Let's carve this section up into smaller pieces so that it’s a bit easier to digest. One way you can approach this section is to place this list up on the board and allow your students to choose the segments that they’re most interested in. Or to take a poll and cover the sections with the most votes. With my seminary students, sometimes with a large section like this with much more material in it than we have time to cover, I’ll make a huge target on my white board with each of the segments labeling each ring. I then give them a Nerf gun with those suction cup bullets and allow them to shoot at the target. We cover the segment that the dart lands on and if it’s one that we’ve already covered, we just do the one adjacent to it. So here is how I would thematically divide Section 88.

1-5 The Comforter (Partner Share)

6-13 The Light (Thinking Map)

14-17 The Redemption (Video)

18-40 The Law (Object Lesson)

41-50 The Universe (Picture Tour)

51-62 The Parable (Interpret a Parable)

63-86, 117-126 The Verbs (Handout)

87-116 The Trumpets (Summary)

127-141 The School (Application Activity)

So that’s how I carve this section up. You’ll notice that each section also has an activity attached to it. I like to include that information to my students as they try to decide which segments they most want to cover. Since this week is so huge, I’m not going to go into the usual depth and full treatment I usually like to give. Instead, I’m going to give you a learning activity for each and a few thoughts that I hope can help you form a foundation from which to build. So here we go. Section 88.

1-5 THE COMFORTER (Partner Share)

We’re going to do a partner share activity for this first segment. Give your students some silent time to read and study verses 1-5 looking for an answer to the following question: Can you find something in these verses that can bring us peace? Then have them pair up with a partner to share their answers with each other. I usually give them something to help them decide who goes first. So I’ll say, whoever is older goes first, or tallest, or has the smallest shoe size, something like that, and let them share. How would you answer that question though? I think there are several things we could mention.

Verses 3-4 stand out to me in particular:

3 Wherefore, I now send upon you another Comforter, even upon you my friends, that it may abide in your hearts, even the Holy Spirit of promise; which other Comforter is the same that I promised unto my disciples, as is recorded in the testimony of John.

4 This Comforter is the promise which I give unto you of eternal life, even the glory of the celestial kingdom;

What can bring us peace here? The Comforter brings us peace. Interesting that he chooses that particular title for the Holy Ghost here, in this context. This is one of the functions of the Holy Ghost. Yes, he gives us guidance, yes, he confirms truth, yes, he can warn us of physical and spiritual dangers, but another one of his commissions is to comfort us in times of trouble and turmoil. Isn't it nice to know that there is a member of the Godhead specifically called and dedicated to that duty--to comfort the Saints. To assure us that all will be well. The Holy Ghost can fill us with peace if we turn to it.

The Holy Ghost is also referred to by another title here. The Holy Spirit of Promise.

Elder Bednar taught the following about this power:

The Holy Spirit of Promise is the ratifying power of the Holy Ghost. When sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise, an ordinance, vow, or covenant is binding on earth and in heaven. (See D&C 132:7.) Receiving this “stamp of approval” from the Holy Ghost is the result of faithfulness, integrity, and steadfastness in honoring gospel covenants “in [the] process of time” (Moses 7:21). However, this sealing can be forfeited through unrighteousness and transgression.

(Conference Report, April 2007)

So, another one of the Holy Ghost's duties is to ratify or confirm ordinances and covenants. If our baptism, or marriage, or endowment covenants are sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise, then they are valid not only on earth but in heaven as well. They are eternal and sure. That doctrine can bring us peace in knowing that if we keep our covenants, then their validity will be eternal in nature. The Lord is bound when we do what he says.

In verse 4 we’re told that this Comforter is the promise which I give unto you of eternal life and the glory of the celestial kingdom. So, one of the ways the Holy Ghost can give us peace is by assuring us of a better world. That is a peaceful promise. No matter how bad things get here on earth, no matter how severe the wickedness and war, we are guaranteed that things won’t always be like that. The trials and tragedies of this world are temporary. They don't last. Death, sorrow, pain, temptation, sin. These are the qualities of a fallen world, not an eternal one. That promise of better things to come can help us through our current trials.

Like, the promise of summer holidays or graduation can help propel the homework weary student through to the end of the school year. The promise of crossing the finish line in victory and a well-deserved rest can spur the exhausted athlete on. The promise of standing on the summit for an exhilarating view and a sense of accomplishment can push the mountain climber forward. The glory of the goal ahead of us can provide motivation and comfort and peace. There will be an end to the wars of this world. There will come a day when both the actual and spiritual battles of mortality will cease. And if we've lived worthy, the glory of the Celestial kingdom will make all the difficulties or problems we may have faced in life seem like distant memories. We've spoken about the beauty and nature of the Celestial kingdom on many occasions this year, so I won't go into that here. But I’m convinced that heaven will be worth any sacrifice or mortal pain that we must endure here in order to obtain it. It will be more than worth it.

TRUTH

The Comforter brings peace

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

Now a second question you can ask here is a class question.

Have you ever had a time in your life where you felt the influence of the Comforter? Please share.

As a teacher, you may even wish to start things off by sharing an experience of your own with the class. I remember a time when we were selling our first home and something happened that filled us with anxiety and worry, and I remember praying that night for an answer on what I should do. I didn’t get any specific guidance on what to do, but I do remember this feeling washing over me that seemed to say, “Don’t worry, Ben, it’s going to be OK. Everything will work out in the end.” And it did, within a week. I believe that feeling came from the Comforter.

6-13 THE LIGHT (Thinking Map)

Our next segment. The light.

These verses are a bit of a parenthetical statement on the person and power that made the glory of the Celestial kingdom possible. That person is Christ and the power is what we refer to as the light of Christ. For an activity, I give them the following handout or thinking map and ask them to write down everything they learn about the light of Christ from these verses in radiating circles around the center circle.

When they’ve finished that activity, it could look something like this:

:6 it is in and through all things

:6 it is the light of truth

:7 it shines from Christ

:8-9 it’s in the light of the sun, the moon, and the stars

:10 it’s in the power of the earth

:8-10 it’s the power by which the sun, moon, stars, and earth were made

:11 it quickens our understanding

:12 it fills the immensity of space

:13 it is in all things

:13 it gives life to all things

:13 it is the law by which all things are governed

Once they’ve done that study activity, I like to ask them a bit of a science question: Scientifically speaking,

Answer: The Sun. The sun is the ultimate source of all power and energy. Now if they said that we get our energy from food, you could explain that if you eat a hamburger, that hamburger came from a cow, but where did that cow get its energy? From the plants it ate. Where did the plants get their energy? The sun. Someone might say, but wait, what about dams that produce electricity by the power of gravity and falling water. Well, you ask, how did that water get to a higher place, so that it could travel down by gravity and produce power? The sun evaporated that water and brought it high into the sky as rain clouds, which then fell on the earth and brought it to that higher elevation. What about wind power? Well, the sun heats the earth's surface, and the earth heats the air above it, causing wind. What about the power that comes from coal, oil, and gas? Well, those fossil fuels are the converted forms of plants and animals that once lived on the earth and grew capturing the energy of the sun.

But now I have another question. Where did the sun get its power and energy? Think about what you just read in 88:6-13

The sun, S-U-N, gets its power from the Son, S-O-N. The light of Christ is in and through and around all things. Now is the light of Christ an actual, physical presence that inhabits the universe? Is it a power kind of like "the force" in Star Wars, for lack of a better comparison? Maybe. It does say that it fills the immensity of space.

But could it possibly be metaphorical in nature? There are what I call "the interchangeables" in scripture—certain words the scriptures often use that can be interchanged synonymously with others. One of those words is light. What are some of the others? See if you can find them in the following verses.

88:13

50:27

84:45

93:36

First we’ve got the three L's in verse 13. You have light, life, and law. This power is all three.

We words could we add from 50:27?

We can add Spirit, and power.

How about 84:45?

We can add the word “truth” to our list.

And then from 93:36?

Glory and intelligence.

For this reason, we could also express the term “light of Christ” as the power of Christ, the glory of Christ, the law of Christ, the intelligence of Christ or the truth of Christ. So, is the light of Christ an actual physical presence or is his power in the sun because he understands it, because he created it, because he knows how to make it work and was the ultimate source and author of its power? Is the sun and the moon and the stars more of a manifestation of his glory and intelligence?

When you start looking at these interchangeables it really opens up a lot of interpretive possibilities. For example, when God created the earth, his first words were "let there be light". But some have wondered how God could create light before he ever even creates the sun. He doesn’t do that until the fourth day. Well, use one of the interchangeables there. Perhaps what God really meant was "let there be intelligence, let there be truth, let there be law, let there be life.”

So, which is it? Is it literal or metaphorical? I would answer, yes. More than likely it's probably both.

TRUTH

The light/law/life/intelligence/power/truth/glory of Christ is in and through all things

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

How can this knowledge bring peace?

To me, this brings peace in that it teaches me that if I embrace that truth and glory and intelligence of Christ, then it can bring light and order and law to my life as well, just as it gives those things to the universe.

14-17 THE REDEMPTION (Video)

Next segment. The Redemption. Please read verses 14-17 and see if you can find a message of peace here.

14 Now, verily I say unto you, that through the redemption which is made for you is brought to pass the resurrection from the dead.

15 And the spirit and the body are the soul of man.

16 And the resurrection from the dead is the redemption of the soul.

17 And the redemption of the soul is through him that quickeneth all things, in whose bosom it is decreed that the poor and the meek of the earth shall inherit it.

The promise of the resurrection can bring us peace. Experiencing the death of a loved one or facing our own mortality may be some of the most troubling challenges we’ll ever face in this life. That experience can often be anything but peaceful. But understanding that death is not the end can be balm to the wounded soul. Yes, this world can be filled with war and suffering, but the resurrection will take care of all of that. There is peace in knowing that if you or someone you love, dies in war, or natural disaster, or sickness, they will be resurrected.

There’s a great church inspirational video called “Until we Meet Again” that you could show at this point and ask them to look for how the doctrine of resurrection brought peace to someone. You could watch that here, or I’ll provide a link in the video description. (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2010-05-11-until-we-meet-again?lang=eng)

After the video, you could ask “How does the doctrine of resurrection bring you peace?”

For me, it wasn't that long ago that I lost my dear mother to cancer. She was so young. Only in her fifties and taken from us before she could really enjoy the retirement years and being a grandmother to our children. My faith in the doctrine of the resurrection took on a whole new meaning and significance after that experience. It brings me peace. I know that I will see her again and that she's not far from us. The soul and personality that is Laurie Wilcox lives on, and one day I will get to see her alive and well and we'll talk again and laugh again and rejoice again. The doctrine of the resurrection is a doctrine of peace.

18-40 THE LAW (Object Lesson)

As an activity for this section, I like to pull out a large magnet and play "Will it attract?”. I bring out several different objects and ask them to raise their hands and make a prediction on whether they think that object will be drawn to the magnet or not. So here are the objects I would use.

An apple, another magnet, a nail, an unlit match, a burnt-out match, a penny, a stick, a paper clip, a soda can, a dollar bill, and a piece of cold cereal. You lift each object up and ask if they think it will be attracted to the magnet. You might be surprised yourself with some of these objects. I have a large powerful magnet that I like to use, and I’ll put a link where I got it if you’re interested in the video description. (https://amzn.to/2VqiLn4)

Now, if there were only one verse in this section that I would have you read in order to understand it better, it would be verse 40. It contains the key to understanding the whole segment. In science, there are laws and there are theories. A law is an irrefutable fact of observation. They describe what will happen in a given situation. You have the law of gravity, the laws of thermodynamics, Newton's laws of motion, and so on. Since we've been playing with magnets, let's talk about attraction. In science you may have heard that opposites attract. But, is that true in Celestial science? According to verse 40, what attracts what?

40 For intelligence cleaveth unto intelligence; wisdom receiveth wisdom; truth embraceth truth; virtue loveth virtue; light cleaveth unto light; mercy hath compassion on mercy and claimeth her own; justice continueth its course and claimeth its own; judgment goeth before the face of him who sitteth upon the throne and governeth and executeth all things.

I love the nouns and verbs in this verse. For nouns, I have intelligence, wisdom, truth, virtue, light, mercy, and justice. Then the verbs or the "eth's" as I like to call them. Cleaveth, receiveth, embraceth, loveth, cleaveth, claimeth, continueth.

What's the law of heaven? Likes attract. Similar qualities or characteristics draw those same kinds of things towards them. Truth will naturally attract and draw more truth towards it. Virtuous things will attract more virtue.

Now with that principle, or that law, in hand, read the segment and see if it makes more sense. For example, verses 20-24

20 That bodies who are of the celestial kingdom may possess it forever and ever; for, for this intent was it made and created, and for this intent are they sanctified.

21 And they who are not sanctified through the law which I have given unto you, even the law of Christ, must inherit another kingdom, even that of a terrestrial kingdom, or that of a telestial kingdom.

22 For he who is not able to abide the law of a celestial kingdom cannot abide a celestial glory.

23 And he who cannot abide the law of a terrestrial kingdom cannot abide a terrestrial glory.

24 And he who cannot abide the law of a telestial kingdom cannot abide a telestial glory; therefore he is not meet for a kingdom of glory. Therefore he must abide a kingdom which is not a kingdom of glory.

Do you see how that works? Each of the kingdoms exert a force. Those things that are like it, will be drawn towards it. So, if I've lived my life striving to live a Celestial law, and acting like a Celestial person would, then the Celestial kingdom will draw me towards it. Naturally. Because like things attract. If I've lived a virtuous life, then I will be drawn towards a virtuous location. If I've sought for and loved intelligence and truth all my life, then I will naturally be drawn to a location of intelligence and truth. But If I'm not able to abide a Celestial law. If I haven't lived my life creating the magnet, then I can't abide a Celestial kingdom, because the attraction isn't there. Like when you turn a magnet over and place it next to another, there is a repelling force. They don't connect. An individual who has not lived a Celestial law probably wouldn't feel even comfortable in a Celestial kingdom. They would feel out of place. But let's say I’m able to live a Terrestrial law. Well then, that kingdom will draw me towards it. The same with a Telestial kingdom. But if someone doesn't want to live a law at all but seeks to become what verse 35 calls “a law unto itself” and they decide that they’re just going to do their own thing—create their own law—do it their way. Well, then there is no kingdom that is drawn to them or them to it. Since they haven't created the magnet, or lived any portion of God's law, then there is nothing within them that attracts them to any portion of God's glory. They attract nothing. Therefore, they receive nothing. No light. Just outer darkness. That’s what verses 32-35 talk about, but we looked closely at those verses back when we studied section 76.

Let’s look at a few more verses: 28-29

28 They who are of a celestial spirit shall receive the same body which was a natural body; even ye shall receive your bodies, and your glory shall be that glory by which your bodies are quickened.

29 Ye who are quickened by a portion of the celestial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fulness.

You can really see the law of "likes attract" here. Let's express it like this. Which words go in which blanks?

If I live a Celestial __________, then I will be of a Celestial ______________ and be resurrected with a Celestial _____________ and inherit a Celestial _________.

The sentence would read: If I live a Celestial law, then I will be of a Celestial spirit, and be resurrected with a Celestial body, and inherit a Celestial kingdom. Because likes attract.

The next verses reiterate the same principle for the other kingdoms and for outer darkness. If I live a Terrestrial law, then I will be of a Terrestrial Spirit, be resurrected with a Terrestrial body and inherit a Terrestrial glory, and so on. The pattern is law-->spirit-->body-->glory.

Now read verses 36-39:

36 All kingdoms have a law given;

37 And there are many kingdoms; for there is no space in the which there is no kingdom; and there is no kingdom in which there is no space, either a greater or a lesser kingdom.

38 And unto every kingdom is given a law; and unto every law there are certain bounds also and conditions.

39 All beings who abide not in those conditions are not justified.

So, live the law of the kingdom you wish to inherit. Create the magnet, and it will draw you to it.

TRUTH

Likes attract.

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

Now back to our ultimate question. How can that principle bring us peace?

We can have peace in this world by living eternal law. If I live a virtuous life, then virtue will find me. If I'm merciful to others, then mercy will find me. If I am kind to others, then I will draw kindness to me. If I have a love for truth, and intelligence, and wisdom, then truth, intelligence, and wisdom will naturally be drawn towards me. And there are other practical ways that you can apply this principle. If I want to marry a virtuous, merciful, kind, and honest person, what do I do? I create the magnet. I strive to be a virtuous, merciful, kind, and honest person, and those kinds of people will naturally be drawn towards me. As a parent, what do I do if I want hard working, patient, loving, and courteous children? I create the magnet. I strive to be a hardworking, patient, loving, and courteous parent and those qualities will more likely be manifested in them. And then, in life in general, I’ve found that if I radiate a positive, optimistic, grateful, and happy attitude, then, more often than not, and I truly believe this, I will attract more good and positive and uplifting things and people to me. But if I send out negative thoughts, grumbling, or complaining, you will also attract more of those kinds of things. Misery loves company, but so does happiness.

41-50 THE UNIVERSE (Picture Tour)

How many of you have ever looked up at the stars far away from the lights of the city, without all the light pollution? I mean, really see the stars. So much so that you can see the Milky Way cutting a swath of light through the middle of the night sky? It's beautiful. For this segment, I like to take my students on a bit of picture tour and show them a number of beautiful images of space and the earth and the planets. And as we look at these pictures, did you know that what you are really looking at are not landscapes, spacescapes or astronomy, but portraits. Portraits of the same individual. Who are these really pictures of?

Read verses 41-50 for the answer.

And who are they portraits of? They’re portraits of God. When we look at the world and the universe that God has created, we’re really seeing is God moving in his majesty and power. In other words, our observation of the world and universe around us can build and strengthen our testimony of Him because all those things testify of him. Remember, that he is in and through and around all things and the power by which all things were made. They all testify of him. Alma made that point to Korihor when he said:

"all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator." Alma 30:44

I love that truth. I do see the face of God in the world and universe around me. How can we not believe in a divine power when we look at these pictures? When we look out and see all that order and beauty and intelligence. How can we not believe that there is something bigger and intelligent and purposeful behind it all? To believe that it is all just a giant cosmic accident and the product of infinite coincidence. To believe that, I feel, requires more faith than it does to believe in God. Consider the earth itself. It has been placed in the exact perfect distance from the sun to support life. If it were just a little bit closer to the sun, all life would die. It would be too hot. If you moved it just a little bit further away from the sun, all life would die, because it would too cold. Even just that little bit of a tilt in the axis of the earth creates the seasons that make it winter on one half of the world, and summer on the other. And that's just one of the factors that make this planet capable of supporting life. There are many others. The earth's placement in the galaxy is ideal, the fact that it has a large moon, the amount of water on it, its oxygen rich atmosphere, it's moderate rate of rotation. All these conditions had to be just right for a planet like earth to support life. To me, that's just too many coincidences to be considered coincidences. It bears the handprints of divinity all over it.

TRUTH

When we see the world and universe around us, we are seeing God.

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

How can this truth bring us peace? Observing the beauty and order of the world and universe around us brings peace. Is it any wonder that sitting next to a clear mountain lake brings us peace, or looking at a waterfall, or sitting next to the ocean? Is it any wonder that staring up into the night sky can be a peaceful and awe-inspiring experience? I think part of the reason for that is because, on some level within all of us, we are recognizing the hand and presence of God in it all. It's one of his ways of saying, “I'm here, and I love you”.

These verses promise that there will come a day when we will fully grasp this truth. He promises that:

"the day shall come when you shall comprehend even God, being quickened in him and by him.

50 Then shall ye know that ye have seen me, that I am, and that I am the true light that is in you, and that you are in me;"

Oh, isn't that beautiful? His face will be familiar to us because we will have seen it already in the universe and the people around us, and even, hopefully, within ourselves.

THE PARABLE (Interpret a Parable)

Now he's going to take that idea and build on it with this fascinating little parable. Not only is it profound in its doctrinal implications, but profound in its personal application as well.

If you remember last week, I gave you a three-step process for interpreting parables. Let’s use that here as well.

First, we’ll identify the different elements of the parable. There’s not many and I’ll do that step for you. You have

The Lord of the field

The field

The servants

The visiting

Now for the parable. See if you can identify what each element represents:

51 Behold, I will liken these kingdoms unto a man having a field, and he sent forth his servants into the field to dig in the field.

52 And he said unto the first: Go ye and labor in the field, and in the first hour I will come unto you, and ye shall behold the joy of my countenance.

53 And he said unto the second: Go ye also into the field, and in the second hour I will visit you with the joy of my countenance.

54 And also unto the third, saying: I will visit you;

55 And unto the fourth, and so on unto the twelfth.

56 And the lord of the field went unto the first in the first hour, and tarried with him all that hour, and he was made glad with the light of the countenance of his lord.

57 And then he withdrew from the first that he might visit the second also, and the third, and the fourth, and so on unto the twelfth.

58 And thus they all received the light of the countenance of their lord, every man in his hour, and in his time, and in his season

59 Beginning at the first, and so on unto the last, and from the last unto the first, and from the first unto the last;

60 Every man in his own order, until his hour was finished, even according as his lord had commanded him, that his lord might be glorified in him, and he in his lord, that they all might be glorified.

61 Therefore, unto this parable I will liken all these kingdoms, and the inhabitants thereof –every kingdom in its hour, and in its time, and in its season, even according to the decree which God hath made.

All right. What do you think each element represents?

The Lord of the field=would be God or Jesus Christ

The field=Now it’s not the earth in this case. We might be tempted to interpret it that way. But this parable is far grander in scale. Remember the previous segment. It was talking about looking into the heavens and all the stars and the planets and galaxies you can see. The field is the entire universe.

The servants=Who would the servants be then? All these kingdoms are the servants. Those kingdoms must be worlds. God revealed to Moses that “worlds without number have I created” (Moses 1:33) and D&C 76:24 taught us that “by him and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God. (D&C 76:24) We are not alone in the universe. Verse 61 tells us that he is likening the servants to these kingdoms and the inhabitants thereof.

The visiting=then would be personal appearances or visitations of the Savior to each of these worlds. This is not the only planet that Christ cares about or watches over. This is the only world where he came and lived as a mortal man, but he has visited all the others. He probably visits them much in the same way that he visited the Nephites in the Book of Mormon. Appearing and blessing and teaching. And so, he visits these kingdoms, one by one, each in their turn. But not just once, but back and forth, from the first to the last, and the last to the first, and the first to the last. He’s quite a busy Savior, but is he too busy?

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

Our third and final step then is to ponder spiritual application. I would turn that one over to my class and ask what they feel this teaches them and how they feel it can bring them peace.

I feel there are several different things that this parable can teach us beyond just the doctrinal implication of worlds without number that Christ visits. It’s what that reveals about his character that interests me most.

It reveals that the Lord loves his children. He makes time for each and every one. Remember his visit to the Nephites that we studied last year, where he gave time and attention and blessings to each individual in the crowd one by one. Here we’re seeing that same interest and concern played out on a universal scale. This is just the kind of God that he is.

Well, since this is an aspect of his character, we can also apply this on an individual level as well. Christ has time for me, and he has time for you. If he can visit worlds without number, he can also visit the inhabitants without number of those worlds. He visits “every man in his hour, in his time, and in his season”. It brings me peace to know that the Lord of the field visits. He visits each in their time. Every individual planet and child enjoys the presence of their Savior.

And what does his presence bring? Joy. They experience the joy of his countenance, and they are “made glad with the light of the countenance of his Lord”. He comes to bring them joy and gladness and peace.

On an individual scale, I believe that’s true. I can think of many experiences in my life where I felt the presence and joy of the countenance of my Lord. Times where I felt his love and awareness of me. I imagine you have too.

But there’s another thing I’d like to point out that I don’t think we consider very often. We tend to focus on the fact that he comes. That he visits. But what else does he do according to verse 57. He also withdraws. He doesn’t remain with us in that intensity or in that way all the time. So there will be times in our lives when we feel that he is near, and times when he doesn’t seem to be as near. That can be worrisome to us sometimes and we ask, “How come I don’t feel the presence of Christ like I used to?” Now the explanation may be that we need to make changes in our lives. On the other hand, the explanation could just be that we are in a withdrawal stage of our lives. It’s not that we are less worthy, or less in tune. But it may just be the natural rhythm of spiritual experience—at times basking in the light of his presence, and at other times working things out on our own. Growing. Living. Pondering. Learning to walk on our own two feet. I think we’ve got to become just as comfortable with the withdrawals as we are with the visitations. Remember that one time, Jesus was in the boat with his apostles during a storm, but later, he sends them out on their own. He withdraws from them. It’s not until later that he comes walking on the water to meet them again. With the Nephites, he spends a number of days with them, and then he leaves. Just look at what he says in verse 62 after he’s told the parable:

62 And again, verily I say unto you, my friends, I leave these sayings with you to ponder in your hearts, with this commandment which I give unto you, that ye shall call upon me while I am near.

What should I do at those times when he withdraws? I should ponder those experiences in my heart. He gives us time to process these experiences, learn from them and reflect on them.

This also brings me peace because it explains why I may not always feel that intense spiritual presence of the Godhead. I don’t need to feel guilty for not feeling that way all the time.

63-86, 117-126 THE VERBS

This next segment I call the Verbs. Now that God has revealed all these deep and soul expanding truths in the first half of the section, he’s got some things that he would like us to do. Now for the application.

The activity for this section is a secret phrase activity. I’ve gone through and removed several of the key verbs suggesting the actions our Heavenly Father wants us to take based on this knowledge he’s given us. Have your students find and write those verbs in the boxes. They’ll know they’re right if they fit. When they’re done identifying those verbs, they can then use the corresponding letters to discover the secret phrase. Now, each one of these verbs is an entire lesson in and of itself, so I’ll try to keep the commentary to a minimum, but you could have a good discussion about how these actions can bring peace while you correct the handout. So here we go.

DRAW NEAR unto me, and I will draw near unto you.

SEEK ME diligently and ye shall find me. I think that’s a noteworthy addition to that phrase. Usually the phrase is simply, Seek and ye shall find” But here he says Seek Me and ye shall find Me. It’s not only the truth and answers that we need to seek for, but for Christ himself. And we could also add verse 83 as a cross reference that invites us not only to seek him, but to seek him early. A great verse for the youth. The best time to solidify your commitment to Christ is always now. When you’re young, or as soon as you hear his word. Don’t procrastinate that day. Seek him early.

ASK, and ye shall receive. Knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

REMEMBER the great and last promise which I have made unto you. To be honest, I’m not exactly sure what promise it is that he’s referring to here. My best guess is that it’s referring back to verse 4 that talked about the promise of eternal life and Celestial glory. But if you have any other ideas, I’d love to hear them in the comments.

CAST AWAY your idle thoughts and your excess of laughter far from you. I really don’t think this means that God doesn’t like laughter. Although he is going to say it again and in even harsher terms in verse 121 where he’ll say cease from all your light speeches, from all laughter. Still, I believe there is a big difference between light-heartedness, and light-mindedness. Most modern-day humor is light minded. Full of vulgarity, put-downs, potty humor, and innuendo. That’s the kind of laughter I think he’s warning against here. Not good natured, lighthearted fun or humor. Or perhaps this is just a reminder that the purpose of life is not just ease and entertainment, but to grow in truth and experience. Sometimes, in our cell phone and Netflix world, it’s easy to get distracted from what matters most s we idle away our time. Some rest and passive entertainment is ok, but we would do well to cast away the excess of these things.

PONDER the warning in their hearts which they have received.

These next three I combined:

ASSEMBLE yourselves together, organize yourselves, prepare yourselves

And the next three are also combined thematically:

SANCTIFY yourselves, purify your hearts, cleanse your hands and your feet. We need to seek to be clean. But it’s not just us that does it. He says to do these things ourselves so that I may make you clean. He helps! We don’t just do it on our own.

CONTINUE in prayer and fasting.

TEACH one another the doctrine of the kingdom, teach ye diligently. These are some great verses for teachers, and since this is Teaching with Power, I think it’s appropriate for us to point this one out. Teachers need to teach doctrine, not opinion, not speculation, not hearsay, and not the ideas of this world. And we must be diligent in our efforts to teach. We got to strive to be diligent in our preparation, diligent in our love for our students, and diligent in our efforts to improve.

MAGNIFY the calling whereunto I have called you. That’s an idea we talked about extensively last week.

TESTIFY and warn the people. This is a call to proclaim his gospel. And it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor. If we knew a flood, or a storm, or a gas leak, or some natural disaster was headed towards our neighborhood, would we only save ourselves? Or would we raise a warning voice to all around us as well. Missionary work is like that. It’s an act of love, unselfishness, and warning.

Tarry ye, and LABOR diligently

ABIDE ye in the liberty wherewith ye are made free. AND

ENTANGLE not yourselves in sin. So, stay in the freedom that comes from living the right way. Obedience is all about freedom, while temptation and sin are all about entanglement and captivity. Ask the person addicted to drugs, alcohol, pornography, or gambling how free they feel. Ask the person in jail for committing crimes how free they feel. Ask the person who has been dishonest and filled their life with lies how free they feel. Subjecting ourselves to the addictions and lusts of the natural man entangle and capture us. Satan always promises freedom at the same time he’s wrapping us up in chains. He wants us to think that liberty is just doing whatever we want. That it’s all about our rights. No, liberty is the right to choose the right and the pursuit of happiness. That happiness can only come through righteousness. Righteousness always was happiness.

I love this next verse

SEEK ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom. Seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith. Education is important to God. Spiritual and secular. If you go back to verse 78 (the one about teaching diligently) he tells us that we should be instructed in all things that pertain to the kingdom of God, that are expedient for us to understand. And then the next verse tells us what is expedient for us to understand. And it’s not just religious education. I like to quiz my students here on what academic title they would give a class in school on those topics. What would be the official academic name for these studies? Things in heaven. Now that could be a reference to spiritual education, but what subject is also a study of the things in the heavens? Astronomy. Things in the earth and under the earth? Geology. Things which have been? History. Things which must shortly come to pass? Current events. Things which are at home, things which are abroad, the wars and perplexities of the nations? Domestic and foreign affairs. The judgments which are on the land? Law. A knowledge of countries and of kingdoms. Geography. And then here in verse 118. Seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom. What would that be? My favorite subject, literature. The best literature is the scriptures, of course, but I think we could also include Aristotle, and Shakespeare, and Dickens, and Austen, and CS Lewis to that list as well. And there could be many, many other subjects that I’m sure God could add to that list. But he makes his point clear. He wants us to learn—learn about a lot of things. Hopefully our education doesn’t end with 12th grade or a college degree but continues throughout our lives. My father is a great example of this. He loves learning. He has an insatiable appetite for knowledge, and it has enriched his life deeply.

PREPARE every needful thing.

Another great verse for teachers

APPOINT among yourselves a teacher, and let not all be spokesmen at once, but let one speak at a time and let all listen unto his sayings, that when all have spoken that all may be edified of all, and that every man may have an equal privilege. I can’t tell you how many times this verse has come in handy in teaching a seminary class. When students start to speak out of turn or over one another, I’ll sometimes have to remind them that reverence and respect in class is a scriptural principle. And just for fun, take a quick look at verse 129 for another great verse on teaching.

See that ye LOVE one another. Jesus said that this was the defining characteristic of his disciples. “By this shall men ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

Now for the ceases.

CEASE to be covetous. From 124 cease to be idle, cease to be unclean, cease to find fault one with another, cease to sleep longer than is needful. I’ll go more into that one next week when we talk about the Word of Wisdom.

CLOTHE yourselves with the bond of charity.

Finally,

PRAY always, that ye may not faint.

So what’s the secret phrase here? It’s one of my favorite quotes of former apostle Robert D. Hales. He said:

“How we live our religion, is far more important than what we say about our religion.”

(Conference Report, April 2015)

All of these verbs that we just looked at are about living our religion.

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

First I ask them to pick one of the verb phrases and have some share how doing that thing can bring peace or how it has brought them peace.

Then, circle two or three of the Verb phrases that they wish to focus on over the next few weeks, and then I encourage us to get to work living our religion. I believe that doing these things will bring us peace.

87-116 THE TRUMPETS (The Trumpets)

This is the section that I’m going to summarize. We just can’t cover it all deeply. This section is all about the Second Coming and gives a timeline of a number of events that will take place when Christ returns. It’s a great place to study the Second Coming, but it’s a topic we’ve covered before in sections 29 and 45, and we will again in section 133. But if I only had a short amount of time to teach section 88, I would probably focus on the other teachings we’ve discussed here. But let me give you a quick summary. I call this section “The Trumpets” because it describes the two soundings of trumpets from each of seven angels. Each sounding of the trumpet hails in an important event. So let me just briefly describe what happens at the sounding of each trumpet.

The first four are the four resurrections that will take place.

1. The resurrection of the heirs of the Celestial kingdom

2. The resurrection of the heirs of the Terrestrial kingdom

3. The resurrection of the heirs of the Telestial kingdom

4. The resurrection of the heirs of Outer Darkness

5. At the fifth, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ

6. The sixth heralds the end of all wickedness and apostasy.

7. And in the seventh, Christ announces that “It is finished”, that his work for mortal man has ended, ushering in a new age for the earth.

Then each of the angels sounds again. At each sounding, all the secret acts and mighty works of men during each of the earth’s seven time periods will be revealed.

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

Now how does all of this bring us peace? It brings us peace to know that Christ is returning. That we’ll see him again. That wickedness and death and sorrow will not last but ultimately be overcome in Christ’s return as the king of kings. It also brings peace to know that one day we’ll understand all the why’s and how’s of history. All the secret works will be revealed, and we’ll understand why God dealt with mankind the way he did. On a worldwide scale and a personal one. We may wonder why God allowed certain things to happen or we may have questions about certain events that took place in our own lives. The promise comes that one day we too will gain his eternal perspective and understand all things.

117-141 The School (Application Challenge)

Our final section. This one I’ll deal with briefly. This section speaks specifically of the establishment of the school of the prophets in the upper room of the Newel K. Whitney store in Kirtland, Ohio. This is a special place to me for many reasons, but a major one is that this small room represents the beginnings of church education in this dispensation. It’s the precursor to the seminaries and institutes program of the church, my profession. This was to be a place of learning and training for leaders of the church who, we have to keep in mind, had only been members of the church for a very short time before being called to these high positions of authority. In some cases, mere months. The Lord felt they needed some guidance and instruction. These final verses establish some of the guidelines for carrying out that program. There are just two verses I’d like to highlight here:

Verse 133, and verse 137

The question for these verses is the same we’ve been asking the whole time. What can bring us peace in these verses? Verse 133 describes the salutation the brethren were instructed to say to each other when they entered the room, and 137 describes what kind of environment the school of the prophets was to be.

133 Art thou a brother or brethren? I salute you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, in token or remembrance of the everlasting covenant, in which covenant I receive you to fellowship, in a determination that is fixed, immovable, and unchangeable, to be your friend and brother through the grace of God in the bonds of love, to walk in all the commandments of God blameless, in thanksgiving, forever and ever. Amen.

Isn’t that a phenomenal greeting!

137 And ye are called to do this by prayer and thanksgiving, as the Spirit shall give utterance in all your doings in the house of the Lord, in the school of the prophets, that it may become a sanctuary, a tabernacle of the Holy Spirit to your edification.

How can these things bring us peace? I like to put it this way.

TRUTH

We can find peace in people and places. Through fellowship, friendship, family, brotherhood, and sisterhood, we can find peace. I’m so grateful that I don’t have to face my life alone. I have my wife, my children, my brothers and sisters, my parents, my ward members, my students, my coworkers, and many, many, more. These people can bring peace. Other people can often cause trouble in our lives as well, it’s true, but if we approach all people with the kind of attitude we see in 133, with a determination to receive them in a fellowship that is fixed, immovable, and unchangeable to be their friend in the bonds of love. If we salute one another with this attitude, peace will reign. We can find peace through people.

We can also find peace in places. Last week we spoke about standing in holy places. Verse 137 talks about what these kinds of places can be for us. They can become sanctuaries or places of safety. I sometimes like to imagine large angels guarding the doors of our temples, our churches, and our homes, keeping the devils out, saying “oh no, you can’t bother him here” or “leave her alone, you many not enter this place”. There is a different feeling that accompanies an entrance in to one of these holy places. They are sanctuaries. They are also tabernacles of the Holy Spirit to our edification. Oh, that’s such a good phrase. That’s what we want our classrooms to be for our students, our homes to be for our children, and our churches to be for our fellow members. Tabernacles, places we can feel the Spirit, places we can be edified. We can find peace in places.

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

For the activity, I like to do a personal application activity. I hand out a sticky note to each of my students and invite them to write down either a person or a place that brings the peace and to stick it in their scriptures on this page. They’re not allowed to remove it until they have either reached out to that person to express their gratitude for them, or they have gone to that place and spent some time there and expressed gratitude to their Heavenly Father for it. We often say in our closing prayers in a lesson “Help us to apply this lesson to our daily lives”. Well, this little activity can help us to do just that.

CONCLUSION

Well, that’s section 88. Whew. I know we couldn’t go into great depth on all of these amazing topics, but I hope I was able to give you a few ideas, a few insights, a few activities that you could choose from that will help you to teach it. I hope I was able to portray the main message of the section to you. Remember, section 88 is the Lords message of peace to us. If you ever feel like your boat is being tossed in the waves of the storms of life, study section 88 and the truths it teaches, and peace is sure to come. May you find peace, my friends and fellow teachers, in your lives and all that you do.