Watch the video on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/dbRmkEqiCXU
ICEBREAKER
The icebreaker this week revolves around the idea of preparation. So I like to start with this question.
See if you can name the top 5 professions that require the most schooling. Of course this is a more generalized list, and I'm sure you could argue that other certain specific disciplines could require more training, but in general:
Surgeon-Doctor
Lawyer
Dentist
College Professor
Engineering
Some of the runners up are: Veterinarians, Architects, Biologists, and Psychiatrists.
(Info taken from: https://moguldom.com/14329/professions-longest-schooling/)
TRANSITION
Well it makes sense doesn't it? You wouldn't want a surgeon to operate on you that didn't have a lot of preparation and experience beforehand. You wouldn't want a lawyer to represent you that didn't know what they were doing, and you probably wouldn't want to learn from a professor that had a fake degree. Certain responsibilities require preparation and lots of it. So it should come as no surprise to discover that even prophets need preparation. When Joseph Smith had the First Vision at age 14, he was not ready at that point to start organizing the church. The Lord gave Joseph a period of preparation to help him to be ready for those great future responsibilities.
In fact, let's talk about those for a second: What are some of the great future responsibilities Joseph would have?
Translating the Book of Mormon
Organizing the church
Establishing cities
Building Temples
Serving Missions
Receiving Revelations
Not to mention being a husband, and a father as well.
It really is amazing to consider all that Joseph was able to accomplish in his short 38 years here on earth. But he still needed some preparation to accomplish all that.
SEARCH
JS-H 27-65 is going to show us some of the things that God gave Joseph to help prepare him for his future sacred responsibilities and here's how I'd like to approach this. I'm going to highlight some phrases from this section, and you ponder what it is that God is giving Joseph to prepare him. Here we go:
:29-30 I betook myself to prayer and supplication, calling upon God
What has God given Joseph to help prepare him? Heavenly communication through prayer. Joseph already knew from his experience with the First Vision that he could go directly to his Heavenly Father for help and guidance. Like he learned from James 1:5, if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, and it shall be given him.
And we all know what happens next. Joseph does receive a divine manifestation in the form of an angel. His room fills with light and Moroni appears (and I get a kick out of the description of what he was wearing in verse 31. Joseph really goes into detail. Just a robe, bare feet, bare arms, open neck. That's what we get to wear in heaven! A robe, not all the uncomfortable garb we wear to religious functions today. When you get there, they present you with your robe and you live for eternity in comfort. Now if you go to hell, they hand you a suit and tie, or a dress and high heels for the women.
:33 he was a messenger sent from the presence of God to me, and that his name was Moroni
God gave Joseph prophetic guidance. There were no living prophets on the earth at that time, so he sent him the next best thing. A resurrected prophet. And that prophet, Moroni, gives him all the instruction he needs to bring forth the Book of Mormon and set in motion the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ.
:33 God had a work for me to do, and that my name should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues, or that it should be both good and evil spoken of among all people.
Here, God provides Joseph with a vision of his future. An increased understanding of his role in the unfolding of the restoration. That the work he was being called to do was important and notable. So much so that people all over the world would know his name for good or evil. Has that prophecy been fulfilled? Yeah, it sure has. I remember speaking to people in little makeshift shelters in obscure villages in the interior of Brazil, and many of them had heard of Joseph Smith. Now the majority knew his name for evil, but it was a great honor to teach his name for good and change their perception of him in the minds of some.
:34 He said there was a book deposited, and the fulness of the everlasting Gospel was contained in it.
:36-41 He commenced quoting the prophecies of the Old Testament
What is it that Moroni is doing in this section? He's quoting scripture. Mostly from the Old Testament interestingly enough. So he quotes Malachi, which we'll study Malachi 4 later today because that shows up as Section 2 of the Doctrine and Covenants, although it's worded a little differently. He quotes Isaiah 11 which describes the gathering of Israel and Christ's millennial reign. He quotes Acts 3:22-23 that prophecies that all who will not hearken to Christ will be cut off and that that day was soon to come. He quotes Joel 2:28-32 that prophesies of the last days when sons and daughters will prophesy, old men shall dream dreams, and young men shall have visions (hint, hint, like you Joseph) . And then Joseph tells us that Moroni quotes many other passages of scripture. So what's he doing here? Not only has Moroni given him a sense of the future, but also a sense of what? The past right. That previous generations had prophesied and looked forward to Joseph Smith's day and that he would be a part of living up to that legacy and fulfilling that heritage.
:44 Well Moroni leaves, but look at this. "I suddenly discovered that my room was again beginning to get lighted". :45 he again related the very same things. Then Moroni leaves again. But, :46 But what was my surprise when again I beheld the same messenger at my bedside, and heard him rehearse or repeat over again to me the same things as before. By the time Moroni leaves the third time, it's morning and time for Joseph to work in the fields. He does, but Father Smith notices something is wrong and tells Joseph to go back home. On the way home, he collapses at the fence and, what happens? Moroni appears again. :49 I looked up, and beheld the same messenger standing over my head . . . He then again related unto me all that he had related to me the previous night. Why do you think God has Moroni do this? To impress the message deeply upon his mind by repetition. He's given him repeated messages. Joseph's a teenager after all and they often need frequent reminders of what to do. I teach teenagers, so I know how this works. I know that I have to remind my students at least four times to put their name on their paper for most of them to do it, and some will still forget. So repeated messages.
:46 (backtracking a little here, during one of the visits, Moroni . . ) added a caution to me, telling me that Satan would try to tempt me (in consequence of the indigent (or poor) circumstances of my father's family, to get the plates for the purpose of getting rich. Moroni gives him a specific warning. Joseph, Satan will tempt you, but you've got to be strong. You've got resist that impulse.
:49 After Moroni's fourth visit he tells Joseph to go and tell his father about the vision. Which Joseph does. Why would Moroni want him to do that? I think it's because he knows that Joseph's family will support him and encourage him. Joseph's father immediately tells Joseph that he should go and do as the messenger commanded. The first family of the church is a shining example of what Latter-day families should strive to be like. They support Joseph to the end. That's another link in the chain of my testimony of Joseph Smith as a prophet. Either Joseph is a prophet, or he made it up. If he did make it all up, the first people he would have had to deceive was his own family, and I don't buy it. From everything I've read, this family shared was filled with love and support and loyalty. There is no way that Joseph would have put them through what they would have to endure for a lie. Moroni knew that Joseph Smith Sr. would support his son, as well as Lucy Mack, and Alvin, and Hyrum, and Samuel, and all the others. God gave Joseph a supportive family.
We know that Joseph then goes to the Hill Cumorah and uncovers the plates but was then forbidden to take them. We'll talk about that conversation a little later, but Joseph tells us:
:54 I went at the end of each year, and at each time I found the same messenger there, and received instruction and intelligence from him at each of our interviews. What has God provided Joseph with here? A yearly interview with a priesthood leader, to continually help and prepare Joseph until the time when he would begin to take on the great responsibilities placed before him.
Just look at our list. Look at all the things that God did for Joseph to help prepare him for his sacred responsibilities.
Prayer
Prophetic Guidance
A Vision of his Future
A Sense of the Past
Latter-day Scripture
Repeated Messages
Specific Warnings
A Supportive Family
A Yearly Interview
Now this is my favorite part of the lesson, because they often don't see it coming, and I love to see the way their eyes light up when they get it. When they make the connection. So I say, all right, let's liken the scriptures. Joseph had great responsibilities and opportunities on his path, in his future. What are some of yours?
Many of them are the same or similar right?
Being a wife or husband
Fatherhood or motherhood
Temple covenants
Church responsibilities
Missionary work
Career
Now God gave Joseph a lot of things to help him and prepare him for that amazing future. But that was Joseph Smith, right? Of course he's going to give him a lot of help. But what are some the things that God has given you, to help prepare you?
And hopefully somebody gets it. They usually do. He's given you all the same things! Hasn't he?
How has God given us these same things?
We have access to God and divine manifestations through prayer also!
We have prophetic guidance. In fact, he's given us 15. The first presidency and the quorum of the twelve.
We have access to a vision of our future work and blessings. Where can we get that? A patriarchal blessing! Also, President Nelson has invited the youth to be a part of the youth battalion and that they have been destined to help gather Israel.
We have latter-day scripture. The Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price. All the principles we need to survive the last days are found within them.
We have a sense of the past and a rich heritage. Not only the people in the scriptures, but the pioneers, our own ancestors, those in our families that first joined the church, either distantly or recently.
We get repeated messages, don't we? Weekly church, daily scripture study, seminary, institute, youth activities, general conference, the messages in the Liahona and For the Strength of Youth, firesides, FSY, and on and on. God has provided ample repeated messages to help us.
We have specific warnings of how Satan will try to tempt us. The prophet's give us warnings, local leaders give us warnings, the standards in the For the Strength of Youth Pamphlet gives warnings. Satan will not go down without a fight. We've got to be prepared.
We hopefully have a supportive family. I suppose that this may not apply to all. But if you don't have a supportive immediate family, you can at least turn to a supportive ward family.
And then, does that last one apply? A yearly interview. Yep. That's one of my favorite things to do as a bishop, is sit down with the phenomenal youth of my ward and check in on their growth and progress and offer instruction and help.
Isn't that amazing! God cares just as much about your future in his church as he did about Joseph. Your future is important enough to him to give you the same things. What a loving Heavenly Father we have.
Before we conclude this portion of the lesson though. There is one more similarity I'd like to illustrate here. Even with all that Joseph has going for him, how does he describe himself as a teenager. Specifically during those intervening years between the First Vision and Moroni's visits. Go back to verse 28.
He was left to all kinds of temptations.
He mingled with all kinds of society (suggesting that it probably wasn't the best kind of society he was mingling with)
He frequently fell into many foolish errors,
He displayed the weakness of youth, the foibles of human nature
He was led into divers temptations, offensive in the sight of God.
Now he assures us that he wasn't guilty of any great malignant sins,
but that he was guilty of levity, or light mindedness, associated with jovial company
not consistent with that character which ought to be maintained by one who was called of God.
Well, what did we just learn about Joseph as a teenager? He wasn't perfect, and he made some mistakes and felt he wasn't living up to the character of somebody who was in his position. Somebody that was called of God. Can you relate? I remember taking a Church History class from Susan Easton Black at BYU, which was amazing by the way, who explained that Joseph often spent time at the Blacksmith shop in Palmyra. Why would he do that? Probably because the people that were usually there were passersby. People stopping to get their wagon wheels fixed, or guns repaired or fix tools. People that didn't know about Joseph's story because we learned from last time, the people in Palmyra heaped persecution on Joseph's head. But what kinds of people or society would be passing through? Trappers, salesmen, con-men, people escaping their past, transients. Not the best of society. Jovial company. Levity. I'm sure Joseph probably felt he went a little too far in his association and conversations with them. Besides, Joseph admits that he had a "native cheery temperament". Sometimes teenage boys can be a little light minded and cross the line of propriety. So Joseph worries about that aspect of his youth.
So are we probably going to make some mistakes? Yeah. Even Joseph did. We'll probably fall into foolish errors, and divers temptations, and display the weakness of youth and the foibles of human nature.
A great example of this weakness of youth comes when Joseph first goes to the Hill Cumorah to uncover the plates. Now we all know what the temptation Joseph is going to face when he goes for the plates, right? Moroni specifically warned him about it. What was it? Not to use the plates for money. The treasure was the record, not the material they were recorded on. So what do you think is going to happen? Is Joseph going to be strong and resist that temptation? You might be surprised at what happens. In verse :53 we find that as Joseph makes an attempt to get the plates and is forbidden by the messenger to take them. That is quite an understatement when you read the full story of what happened. Oliver Cowdery relates this to us, and surely, he got this from Joseph. This is a bit of a long quote, but I think it's significant to help us understand the principle here. Let's accompany Joseph here to the hill and get into his mind a little.
"You will have wondered, perhaps, that the mind of our brother should be so occupied with the thoughts of the goods of this world, at the time of arriving at Cumorah, on the morning of the 22nd of September, 1823, after having been wrapt in the visions of heaven, during the night, and also seeing and hearing in open day; but the mind of man is easily turned if it is not held by the power of God through the prayer of faith, and you will remember that I have said that two invisible powers were operating upon his mind during his walk from his residence to Cumorah, and that the one urging the certainty of wealth and ease in this life, had so powerfully wrought upon him that the great object so carefully and impressively named by the angel, had entirely gone from his recollection that only a fixed determination to obtain now urged him forward . . ."
So what had Joseph decided as he was walking to the Hill Cumorah? To use the plates for money. Right. "A fixed determination to obtain now urged him forward." Surprising. But, of course, I think it also speaks to Joseph's character in this that his motivation to use the plates for money isn't necessarily out of a desire to get wealth and notoriety. But to help his family. Because the Smith family had suffered a number of financial failures up to this point.
"After arriving at the repository, a little exertion in removing the soil from the edges of the top of the box, and a light pry, brought to his natural vision its contents. . . .On attempting to take possession of the record a shock was produced upon his system, by an invisible power which deprived him, in a measure, of his natural strength. He desisted for an instant, and then made another attempt, but was more sensibly shocked than before. . . ."
(remember, he's a teenager, he needs repeated messages for them to get through)
" He therefore made the third attempt with an increased exertion, when his strength failed him more than at either of the former times, and without premeditating he exclaimed, "Why can I not obtain this book?" "Because you have not kept the commandments of the Lord," answered a voice, within a seeming short distance. He looked, and to his astonishment, there stood the angel who had previously given him the directions concerning this matter. In an instant, all the former instructions, the great intelligence concerning Israel and the last days, were brought to his mind: he thought of the time when his heart was fervently engaged in prayer to the Lord, when his spirit was contrite, and when his holy messenger from the skies unfolded the wonderful things connected with this record. He had come, to be sure, and found the word of the angel fulfilled concerning the reality of the record, but he had failed to remember the great end for which they had been kept, and in consequence could not have power to take them into his possession and bear them away."
So that's part of the reason why Joseph had to wait nearly four years to actually obtain the plates. He wasn't ready. He needed further preparation.
Oliver also adds this poignant observation regarding Joseph,
"In this, which occasioned a failure to obtain, at that time, the record, do not understand me to attach blame to our brother; he was young, and his mind easily turned from correct principles, unless he could be favored with a certain round of experience. And yet, while young, untraditioned and untaught in the systems of the world, he was in a situation to be led into the great work of God, and be qualified to perform it in due time. "
Oliver Cowdery
Messenger and Advocate, vol. 2 (October 1835-September 1836), Vol. 2 October, 1835 No. 13)
So, we too are probably going to have our minds turned on occasion from correct principles. We're going to err, and display weakness. Even Joseph did. We need to be favored with a certain round of experience. Now, like Joseph, hopefully we're not guilty of malignant sins. But we too are in a situation to be led into the great work of God and qualify to perform it in due time.
But what did God provide Joseph with and all of us when we do fall into foolish errors? He forgives him. He gives him another chance. He works with him. He teaches him. He was still called to do great things. He gives him experience. God will do the same for us!
CONCLUSION
Well isn't our Father in Heaven amazing. Not only has given us great opportunities and responsibilities, but He also has the foresight and care to provide us a chance to prepare for those things. It is evidence of the great outpouring of love and concern that he must feel for us. And a plea to all of us, and maybe even more specifically the youth: Please don't take these blessings for granted. I think I did. If we recognize this preparation and the love and take advantage of them, then, like Joseph, I'm certain that we too will accomplish great things in his kingdom.
RECLAIMING THE LOST
There is one brief insight from these verses I want to add here before we move on. It comes in verse :28. One of the great questions of religion is what you do when you encounter those that don't believe in what you do. If you have conviction in your own beliefs, you can only come to the conclusion that they are wrong. That they're deluded. So what do you do? Unfortunately, in much of religious history, embarrassingly, especially in Christianity, they resorted to wars, persecutions, crusades, inquisitions, burnings at the stake, executions, and pogroms. It's is a sad commentary on religion that this is how the religious have often dealt with that question. Their solution when you encounter the lost sheep? Slaughter it. Is that the way Christ would have it? Obviously not. So what's a better solution. I love the way Joseph puts it. Because he found himself in that situation. Persecuted sorely for not believing what everyone else around him believed. Now read verse :28 and see if you can find a better solution for dealing with lost sheep. Can you find it?
Joseph says: "having been forbidden to join any of the religious sects of the day, and being of very tender years, and persecuted by those who (here's the solution) ought to have been my friends and to have treated me kindly, and if they supposed me to be deluded to have endeavored in a proper and affectionate manner to have reclaimed me—
So what should we do when we encounter a lost sheep, or somebody who believes differently than us, or who we disagree with religiously, or politically, or intellectually? We befriend them. We treat them kindly; we endeavor in a proper and affectionate manner to reclaim them. That's Christ's way. We don't hate them, or persecute them, or mock them, or shun them, or try to eliminate them. We should try Joseph's suggestion. The history of this world would be so different, so much better, if mankind could only follow that advice.
SUMMARY-I'm only going to summarize verses 55-65. They're mainly narrative. In the midst of Joseph's preparation to receive the plates, life goes on for him and the Smith family. Some significant events described here. Joseph works, his older brother Alvin dies, which really has a profound effect on Joseph, and we'll talk more about Alvin when we get to section 137. While working for Josiah Stoal , he meets and falls in love with an amazing woman, Emma who he marries to the dismay of her parents. They move back to the Smith farm where Joseph finally receives the plates and begins the work of translation with the help of Martin Harris, a wealthy farmer in the area. You also have the Professor Anthon incident described here but we'll try to discuss that another time perhaps.
But I'd like to spend the remainder of our time in Doctrine & Covenants section 2. A huge section in meaning and significance, but very short in length.
ICEBREAKER
As an icebreaker, I like to introduce this lesson with a scripture study skill. Often, I like to sprinkle these in my lessons throughout the year because one of my goals as a teacher is to train my students in the fine art of scriptures study. I want to teach them how to do it on their own. Here is how I introduce one of the fundamentals of effective scripture study. I begin by telling them that I have some questions that I've always wondered about and maybe they have too. And then I share this list.
Why is something sent by car called a shipment, but something sent by ship called cargo?
Why does the sun darken our skin but lighten our hair?
Why is abbreviated such a long word?
Why is Charlie short for Charles when both are the same amount of letters?
When butterflies get nervous, what do they get in their stomachs?
If olive oil comes from olives, where does baby oil come from?
Now that's kind of fun list and they usually get a kick out of it, but then I tell them that one of the most important things they can do when studying their scriptures is to slow down and ask questions. Maybe even write them down. When you are willing to ask a question, you give the Spirit an opportunity to answer you. Or you inspire yourself to go deeper into a personal search for the answers. Actually, this is one of the ways we got many of the sections of the Doctrine and Covenants. When Joseph was working on his inspired version of the Bible, he stopped and asked the Lord questions about what things meant and why they were there. In response, he often got a revelation. We should study our scriptures in the same way.
SEARCH
So today, we're going to practice the skill of asking questions. and I'd like to start out with one of my own.
What is interesting about this set of scripture references? What do you notice?
Malachi 4:5-6
Luke 1:16-17
3 Nephi 25:5-6
Joseph Smith History 1:38-39
Doctrine & Covenants 2
There are actually two things I hope my students would notice. The first, each of these references basically says the same thing. They are different variations of the same prophecy. A second interesting thing, though. Look at the books in which they are found. Notice anything? You have Malachi, Luke, 3 Nephi, Joseph Smith-History, and Doctrine and Covenants section 2. The prophecy is found in each of the standard works. You've got the Old Testament, the New Testament, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, even the itty-bitty Pearl of Great Price has it.
So what does that suggest about this particular prophecy? It must be important then right? Well today, we'll spend our time looking closely at this prophecy as it is presented in Section 2 of the Doctrine and Covenants. This is a great section to practice our "Asking Questions" skill because it's so short. Now don't be deceived by the length of the section. It may be short in length, but it is massive in spiritual significance.
In fact, John A. Widstoe said this about this small section:
“The beginning and the end of the gospel is written in section two of the Doctrine and Covenants".
John A. Widstoe
(Quoted by ElRay L. Christiansen, in Conference Report, Apr. 1960, p. 48.)
Wow. That's quite a statement, isn't it? What does he mean by that? Let's try to figure out why.
SEARCH
Your assignment is to read section 2 and come up with at least one question for each verse. Then, we're going to spend the rest of the lesson trying to answer your questions.
Now as the teacher, you should have the answers to a bunch of questions prepared beforehand. Still there is no way to guarantee that they will ask the questions that you've prepared for. More than likely, the majority will. But what do you do if they ask a question that you haven't thought of? Celebrate that! That's great. You can seek the inspiration of the Spirit in the moment. You can ask the class collectively for their help and thoughts. You can type their question into the church website and see what comes up, or challenge the class to try and find an answer to that question by the next class time. This can be a really great and engaging class activity that works well because the section is short but meaty and it covers the things that they are interested in. I'll usually give them a handout to help them frame the activity.
Now for this video, I'll give you examples of some of the most common questions that I've gotten over the years and provide you with some insights and quotes that can help you to
answer their questions.
Verse 1-I'll break this into two sections.
I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet.
What does he mean by revealing the Priesthood here?
The definition of Priesthood is the power and authority of God. So the promise is that in the latter-days, God would reveal or give unto manpower or authority to do something. And he would reveal or give it through the hands of Elijah.
Who was Elijah?
Elijah was an ancient prophet of Israel. Some notable stories from his life: He was he prophet who was fed by ravens during a heavenly induced drought. He was the one who called down fire from heaven in a standoff with the priests of Baal on the top of Mt. Carmel. And he was the one who was taken into heaven by a chariot of fire.
Why Elijah?
I'll let Joseph Fielding Smith answer that question:
“It has been a mystery to many members of the Church why this important mission was reserved for Elijah and why these authorities could not have been bestowed by some other prophet.... Why send Elijah? Because he holds the keys of the authority to administer in all the ordinances of the priesthood; and without the authority is given, the ordinances could not be administered in righteousness.’” Joseph Fielding Smith (Doctrines of Salvation, 2:113–14.) So Elijah held specific Melchizedek priesthood keys that would need to be restored in the latter-days. Which specific keys? We'll talk about that in a second. Verse 2 gives us some clues.
Now the second half of that verse.
Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
What is the great and dreadful day of the Lord?
Simply put: The Second Coming.
Why is it described as being both great and dreadful?
It depends on how you define the words great and dreadful. In the scriptural sense, great probably means momentous or significant, and the second coming certainly will be. But if you define the word great as meaning "good" or " excellent", then I would say that the second coming will be great for some, but dreadful for others. Great for the righteous, dreadful for the wicked. Also, dreadful doesn't necessarily have to be defined as a negative thing either as in terrible or frightening. It could also be interpreted as meaning "awe-inspiring" or "impressive". I think that's the way Jacob uses the word in Genesis 48 when he has his vision of the stairway to heaven. He says, "How dreadful is this place", but dreadful in a positive way.
Has Elijah come yet?
Easy answer: Yes! He has. He has revealed or restored that priesthood power and authority. When? On April 3, 1836 in the town of Kirtland, Ohio within the walls of the Kirtland temple. You can read about that visit in Doctrine and Covenants 110. There, Elijah appears to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery and confers upon them the "keys of this dispensation" and the next verse will help us to understand what specific keys he's referring to. Interesting sidenote. Since this prophecy appears in the Old Testament, Jewish people also believe in it, that Elijah will return. So at Passover, they always place an empty chair at the table for Elijah, in case he returns. Well, when was Passover in 1836? April 3 was the second day of Passover. So, on that day when thousands of Jewish families all over the world were setting out an empty chair for Elijah's return in 1836, they didn't realize that he actually did come that day, in Kirtland, Ohio!
Verse 2
And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers.
Two key words, promises and fathers.
Who are the fathers?
Great question. There are actually two different sets of fathers being referred to in this verse. You've got THE fathers. and THEIR fathers.
First "the fathers" refers to the Patriarchal fathers. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
You can see this in Doctrine and Covenants 27:10 which says
10 And also with Joseph and Jacob, and Isaac, and Abraham, your fathers, by whom the promises remain; (So you can see these men are referred to as our fathers, by whom, the other key word "the promises" remain.)
Bruce R. McConkie also confirms this:
In the prophecy that “he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers,” the phrase “the fathers” refers to “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to whom the promises were made. (Elder Bruce R. McConkie, Millennial Messiah [1982], 267).
There are two reasons we call them patriarchal blessings. One, because they are given by a stake patriarch. But they're also called patriarchal blessings because they link us to the patriarchs. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob (also referred to as Israel) had 12 sons. We refer to their posterity as the twelve tribes of Israel. When you receive a patriarchal blessing your lineage is stated, connecting you with the patriarchs and the promises made to them.
What are the promises made to the fathers?
The promises are the promises of what we call "The Abrahamic Covenant". Now that is a very deep subject, and we could spend hours on what that entails. But we'll just summarize.
God made promises to the ancient prophet Abraham that if he ministered the gospel to others, then he would be blessed with the P's here. Posterity above the number of the sands of the sea. A place, either the New Jerusalem or a place with God in his kingdom and power, the power of the priesthood. You can read about this more specifically in Abraham chapter 2
But let's talk about those keys again. What specific priesthood keys did Elijah restore:
The Bible Dictionary: Elijah held the sealing power of the Melchizedek Priesthood
Bruce R. McConkie:
“What are the promises? They are the promises of a continuation of the family unit in eternity” Elder Bruce R. McConkie, Millennial Messiah [1982], 267).
It was a promise of eternal families. Eternal connections between husbands and wives, parents and children, mankind and God. Some of the greatest blessings of the eternal gospel. Can you see why John A. Widstoe would say that the beginning and the end of the gospel is written here?
Who are the children?
Joseph Fielding Smith again:
“The children are those now living” (President Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, ed. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols. [1954–56], 2:127).
Who are "their" fathers?
So what we've established at this point is that this promise of sealed families that was made to THE fathers, is going to have an effect on us, the children. It will turn our hearts to our fathers. Our fathers, in this sense, are our ancestors. Why? Because when we have been blessed with the fruit of the gospel, with the promise of eternal sealing, it is only natural for us to want to share that privilege with our families. Like Lehi at the tree of life. After he partook of the fruit, his first desire was to share it with his family. We want them to have it too! This promise gets planted in our hearts. I don't think it's a coincidence that he uses that particular word. The promise gets "planted" in our hearts. There it grows into something living and beautiful. We talk about having a family tree, with roots and branches. We sometimes call that blooming and flourishing being filled with the spirit of Elijah. Have you felt it yet? It's a powerful emotion. Joseph Smith called this temple work for our ancestors, "the most glorious of all subjects belonging to the everlasting gospel" (Doctrine and Covenants 128:17) And it is glorious; this work of uniting our ancestors to each other, to ourselves, and to God. Can you see how important the message of this section is? Case in point:
Verse 3
If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming.
Why would the earth be wasted at the second coming?
Because millions of our Heavenly Father's children would be lost. Many of our own ancestors would be lost. We believe in a Heavenly Father that is just. We believe in a Heavenly Father that values every one of his children's souls. We believe in a Heavenly Father that is no respecter of persons. We believe in a Heavenly Father that sent us to this world as families, with connections. The work for the dead proves it. Now if we're born in the covenant and we're only thinking of ourselves, we may not grasp the significance of this. But if we realize that our parents had parents, and they had parents, and they had parents and so on and so on, and that they must surely wish to have that connection and sealing blessing as well, how can we not but feel a desire to provide them with that opportunity, since we are connected to them. And not only will they not have that blessing, but we will lose ours if we fail to do this work for them.
Joseph Fielding Smith again:
“Why would the earth be wasted? Simply because if there is not a welding link between the fathers and the children—which is the work for the dead—then we will all stand rejected; the whole work of God will fail and be utterly wasted” (President Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, ed. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols. [1954–56], 2:122).
We need them just as much as they need us. If we do not do this work, we will stand rejected. And the whole earth will be utterly wasted.
Well there is one more very important question that must be asked before we conclude. As a teacher, I would make sure that this was the final question you cover if it hasn't already been asked.
What can I do?
Here are some suggestions:
You could start by going to Familysearch .org and exploring all the incredible tools the church has for doing this work.
With the instruction found there you can start searching for the names of your ancestors that have not yet had their work done and gathering their information.
Once you have their names, you can take them to the temple and perform vicarious ordinances on their behalf. What a beautiful act of service that is. This is literally "giving of yourself". Your own body becomes the means by which they receive God's promises.
You can research the lives of your ancestors. Learn more about them and their life experiences. That study will enrich your own life and your appreciation for them.
You can involve yourself in the work of indexing which makes family history research possible for thousands.
There is much you can do.
Now the Doctrine and Covenants has a lot more to say about the work for the dead, so stay tuned. You will see that this becomes a major driving force in church history. The restoration of the priesthood, the building of temples, the revelations on the plan of salvation, all point back to the importance of this work that we do for the dead. No wonder it was one of the very first prophecies quoted to Joseph by Moroni in this dispensation.
CONCLUSION
But I hope that you have felt the Spirit of Elijah in your own life. He has returned! Has this prophecy been fulfilled for you? Have you felt the promises made to THE fathers planted in your own heart? Has your heart turned to your fathers? I can promise you that glorious blessings are always attached to a glorious work. I hope the biggest question that you leave with today is "What can I do?" And that you will do something. I'll leave you with this promise made by Elder Bednar to those that choose to engage in this work:
"As you respond in faith to this invitation, your hearts shall turn to the fathers. The promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be implanted in your hearts. Your patriarchal blessing, with its declaration of lineage, will link you to these fathers and be more meaningful to you. Your love and gratitude for your ancestors will increase. Your testimony of and conversion to the Savior will become deep and abiding. And I promise you will be protected against the intensifying influence of the adversary. As you participate in and love this holy work, you will be safeguarded in your youth and throughout your lives."
(“The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn,” Oct. 2011 general conference).
May those blessings be yours.
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