Principles of Revelation

What 5 principles of revelation can we learn through the Hiram Page crisis recorded in Section 28 of the Doctrine and Covenants?


1. Verse 1 says, "Behold I say unto thee, Oliver...thou shalt be heard by the church in all things whatsoever thou shalt teach them by the comforter..." This teaches us that any member of the church can teach any other member of the church materials concerning the revelations and commandments from God as long as they are teaching by the Spirit. Verse 2 says, "But behold, verily, verily, I say unto thee, no one shall be appointed to receive commandments and revelations in this church, excepting my servant, Joseph Smith Jr., for he receiveth them, even as Moses." In this verse, we learn that revelation for the members of the church can only be given through the prophets.


2. Verse 3 says, "And thou shalt be obedient unto the things which I shall give unto him, even as Aaron to declare faithfully the commandments and the revelations, with power and authority unto the church." In this scripture, God teaches us that whoever is called to teach those in His church or give revelation unto them must do it with power and authority. They must also be obedient. If they are commanded to reveal something unto the people, they must do it.


3. Verse 4 says., "And if thou art led at any time by the Comforter to speak or teach, or at all times by the way of the commandment unto the church, thou mayest do it." This verse teaches us that if we are prompted by the Holy Ghost to teach one another, we must do it. Revelation can come in many different ways. The Lord may reveal to us a gospel principle that we need to teach one of our friends. He knows who needs to hear what and at what time.


4. Verse  says, "And thou shalt not command him, who is at thy head, and at the head of the church." We are not to command the prophet to do anything. We are to let him reveal unto us what the Lord has asked him to reveal. There are certain things that can only be revealed by certain people, and we must realize this.


5. Verse 7 says, "For I have given him the keys of the mysteries, and the revelations which are sealed, until I shall appoint unto them another in his stead." The Lord has given the keys to receive revelations which have been sealed from all others. The prophets are foreordained to be leaders of the church, and there are certain principles that other members of the church could not know first hand. Some principles need to be revealed by the men called of God. 


What does section 28 teach you about the tension between personal revelation and agency with prophetic revelation and authority? Which is more important? Why?


In Section 28, I learned that Satan can easily tempt members of the church to believe that they have the powers of revelation concerning anyone but themselves or their families. Prophets are called of God for a reason; God knows that they were and are faithful members who would be willing to be such wonderful servants of Him. There is tension with sources of revelation because some members believe that they should be the ones who are to reveal truths unto the other members of the church, but they do not have that authority. Revelation from prophets is much more important because the information they tell us comes directly from God.  

Emma Smith: An Elect Lady

Section 25 in the Doctrine and Covenants is the Lord's revelation to Emma Smith. She was an elect lady called of God. All the women in the church should follow her example with these 10 attributes she possessed.

1. Verse 1- "...all those who receive my gospel are sons and daughters in my kingdom."
Since Emma Smith received and lived the gospel, she was considered a daughter of God. When we live the commandments of God, we are able to return to God's kingdom and reign as princesses.

2. Verse 2- "...walk in the paths of virtue before me."
Emma Smith was a virtuous woman, and we are commanded to be virtuous as well. Our virtue should be of the most importance to us. Proverbs 31:10 says, "Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies." In our world today, virtue is a rarity. When a woman has virtue, she is aware of her self-worth and her importance in God's eyes.

3. Verse 3- "...Thou art an elect lady..."
In the footnotes, we learn that being an elect lady means to be called of God. Emma Smith was foreordained by God to serve specific purposes, and she was called for a reason.

4. Verse 5- "...Be a comfort unto... thy husband..."
Elect ladies are always there for their husbands. They comfort them, support them, praise them, and love them. Translating the Book of Mormon was a very difficult calling with a lot of pressures; Joseph Smith needed all the support he could get, especially from his wife. Wives need to let their husbands know that they're behind their righteous decisions and doings 100%.

5. Verse 6- "...And be unto him a scribe..."
The Lord had other duties for Oliver Cowdery to fulfill, so while he was away, Emma Smith was called to take his place as a scribe for the prophet. I'm sure being a scribe was a demanding position, but since Emma was an elect lady, she was willing to do what the Lord asked. Emma Smith had children, a house, and a husband to take care of, but she still accepted God's commandment.

6. Verse 8- "...And thou shalt receive the Holy Ghost."
Elect ladies have the guidance of the Holy Ghost. With the spirit guiding us, we are able to know what the Lord would have us do. Because Emma Smith was a righteous woman, she was blessed with the Holy Ghost. We need the Holy Ghost to guide us, comfort us, warn us, and praise us.

7. Verse 10- "...Thou shalt lay aside the things of this world, and seek for the things of a better."
To be an elect lady, one must focus on the riches and blessings that come from the Lord. Those are the blessings that will last for eternity. If a woman is searching for the instant gratification the world offers, she does not possess the qualities of an elect lady. Since elect ladies are called of God, they must be willing to focus everything they have on God and His work.

8. Verse 11- "And it shall be given thee, also, to make a selection of sacred hymns...which is pleasing unto me." Verse 12- "For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me..."
Emma Smith was called to select hymns to put in the first hymn book. I have a testimony that the hymns we sing to worship God have the power to bring the spirit so strongly into the room. Emma Smith had the great blessing of putting together the first hymn book because the Lord knew the powerful potential they held. When we sing hymns, we are praying to the Lord, and He hears us. Through singing hymns, we may be able to express thoughts and gratitude that we could not express before.

9. Verse 13- "Wherefore, lift up thy heart and rejoice, and cleave unto the covenants which thou hast made."
Elect ladies honor the covenants they've made with the Lord. A covenant is a two-way street. In order for the Lord to bless us as He said He would, it is crucial that we do as He has commanded us. If a woman is called of God, she will follow every commandment of God to the best of her ability.

10. Verse 14- "Continue in the spirit of meekness, and beware of pride."
In order to be an elect lady, a woman must be humble and teachable. If she is not teachable, she is not able to serve the Lord or focus on His works. Pride can lead us down a very destructive path. If we are prideful, there is a great chance that we can be easily offended. I know everyone has heard stories of members letting pride rule them, which can ultimately lead to leaving the church. Emma Smith needed to be humble so that she could carry out the works of God.

Emma Smith had a hard life; she lost multiple children, she was restricted from things she wanted to be a part of, and she had to endure terrible afflictions. The Lord knew what she was going through and what she would eventually experience, so He admonished her with the words in Section 25. I know it was a great test of faith for her when she was not allowed to see the Plates as the prophet Joseph translated them into the Book of Mormon. I know it was also a huge test of faith as she had to endure the challenging trails caused by those who rejected the gospel. The Lord knows each and every one of us, and He will give us advice that perfectly correlates with our trials.

D&C Section 19

This week, I'm going to record my thoughts about Martin Harris' commandment to sell his property in order to help with the printing of the Book of Mormon, revelations given in this section that further our understanding of the Plan of Salvation, and how revelations in this section differ from those of other Christian faiths.

In this section, Martin Harris tells Joseph Smith that he needs to have a commandment in order to sell his property. As I read the accounts listed in the assignment, it seemed to me as though Martin Harris was lacking a little faith. Joseph Smith said to him that he needed to "fulfill what you have got." If we are asked to do something such as Martin Harris was, we need to obey, whether it is an official commanded or not. If God asks us to do something, it is a commandment. It doesn't need to be written down in order for us to obey it. We need to have faith that God is asking us to do something that will benefit us; He always has a reason for what He does. 


Next, I was asked to look through this section and find other revelations that help us further understand the Plan of Salvation. 
Verse 13: "Wherefore, I command you to repent, and keep the commandments which you have received by the hand of my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., in my name."  This scripture brings together two very important parts of the plan and of the gospel: We need to always repent and keep the commandments, but we also believe that God gives us commandments through His servants, the prophets. (Amos 3:7) When the prophets give us advice and tell us things we need to improve, we know those words come straight from God. In Amos 3:7 it says that "Whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same."
Verse 19: "Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men." This scripture helps us understand that everything Christ did and still does is in the name of the Father, and we must do the same. Everything we do should be in the name of the Father. When Christ presented the Plan of Salvation, He told Heavenly Father that the glory would be in His name. He would not take any of the glory for himself.
Verses 25 and 26: "And again, I command thee that thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife; nor seek thy neighbor's life. And again, I command thee that thou shalt not covet thine own property..." This scripture teaches us all about how the Lord does not want us to covet what those around us have, but it also teaches us that we shouldn't covet what we already have. If we have something that the Lord wants us to give up in order to receive something better later, we must sacrifice it because it's a commandment that will bring us blessings. Tithing is a great example of sacrifice. If money is really tight, and we have to choose between paying rent and paying tithing, we should choose to pay our tithing. If we pay our tithing with faith, the Lord will make sure we are taken care of.

The Book of Mormon lists many revelations that the Saints believe in that other Christian faiths do not believe in. Because of this, those other Christian faiths are under the impression that we are not Christians and other such beliefs. At the County Fair in Oregon, there is always a booth that hands out "Jesus loves you" cards and attempts to teach the people that pass by how to be saved. I once heard that to be saved, all we have to do is accept Christ as our Savior. Although that is one of the things we must do, there is still much more to it. We are saved by the grace of God after all we can do. Verse 4 says, "And surely every man must repent or suffer, for I, God, am endless." In order to be saved, we must also repent of our sins. We sin so much every week, and we need to take responsibility for what we have done. A lot of other Christian churches believe that if we accept Christ as our Savior, He will do the rest, and we won't have to worry about anything. However, we must do all we possibly can in order to show our faith and love for God.

Although God can and will punish us, He does it for good reason. He will punish us when he do not obey Him. He will punish us when we deny Him. However, when we are punished, God has our best interests in mind. When He gives us commandments, He knows they will bless us. When He tells us to always believe in Him and follow the commandments, He knows that good things will come of it. If we are punished by God, we are actually receiving mercy. God teaches us through punishment. We have such a merciful God that is willing to give us as many chances as we need to get it right.