Handouts and Notes for Rebecca Holt Stay's LDS Adult Religion Classes
Sunday, July 6, 2025
Wednesday, April 9, 2025
Come Follow Me D&C 23-26 Emma and her children
BYU Studies has a WEALTH of resources linked here for all of these sections.
https://byustudies.byu.edu/come-follow-me/doctrine-and-covenants/12
I want to focus on Emma (D&C 25)
Many years ago at a conference I attended, a presenter – maybe Susan Easton Black? – gave us an overview of LDS Church History by talking about what was happening in the church at the time of the births of each of Emma and Joseph’s ELEVEN children (including the Murdock twins). I was so fascinated by that approach that I copied it for a couple of presentations I have done.
Here is a brief summary of those births and the corresponding Church events.
1. 15 June
1828 – Alvin
Harmony, Pennsylvania.
Emma had helped as a scribe for the Book of Mormon translation during her pregnancy, along with others. After Martin Harris borrowed the 116 finished pages, Emma gave birth to a son, named for Joseph’s oldest brother who had died in 1823. Baby Alvin died soon after birth and Emma was in fairly critical condition for two weeks. Joseph took care of her, delaying his quest to recover the 116 pages. Then the angel Moroni came and took back the gold plates. This was a very dark time for the Smith family.
2. -3. 30 April 1831 – Twins, Thaddeus and Louisa
Morley Farm near Kirtland, Ohio
The final leg of Joseph and Emma’s journey to a new home for the church in Ohio in January of 1831 was by sleigh. At one point, the sleigh overturned and the pregnant Emma was thrown out on the roadside. This may have added to stresses that led to premature labor and delivery of twins in April. Neither Thaddeus nor Louisa survived.
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Liz Lemon Swindle |
5. 4. – 5.That night, 30 Apr-1 May 1831, in Mentor, just north of Kirtland, John Murdock suffered the loss of his wife Julia Clapp Murdock in childbirth, leaving surviving twins, a boy and a girl, and a total of five children under the age of 7. John Murdock took his twin babies to the Smiths to raise as their own, and the Smiths adopted them on 9 May 1831. Those babies were named Joseph Murdock Smith and Julia Murdock Smith. The baby boy, Joseph, died the next year 29 March 1832, at the Johnson Farm in Hiram, Ohio from measles and possibly from exposure to cold air during attack on Joseph Smith six days earlier, when he was beaten and tarred and feathered by a mob. Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon had received the vision of the three degrees of glory (D&C 76) the month before
6. 6 November 1832 – Joseph Smith, III.
Newel K Whitney Store, Kirtland OH. Joseph Smith had traveled to Independence, Missouri, identifying it as Zion, the New Jerusalem in April, 1832. In September, he received D&C 84, the revelation on the priesthood and was working on the Inspired Translation of the bible when Emma gave birth to their first child who lived. Within months, Emma’s comments about cleaning up the mess from chewing tobacco in the School of the Prophets – the room across the hall from Joseph and Emma’s bedroom - prompted Joseph’s questioning the Lord, leading to the Word of Wisdom (D&C 89).
7. 29 June 1836 – Frederick Granger Williams
Smith
Kirtland Ohio
In 1835, the first edition of the Doctrine and Covenants had been published by Frederick Granger Williams. The "Doctrine" part of the book consisted of a theological course now called the "Lectures on Faith". The lectures were a series of doctrinal courses used in the School of the Prophets. The "Covenants" part of the book contained a total of 103 revelations. When the D&C was finished, Williams then printed the first edition of Emma Smith hymnbook which she had been commanded to make in July, 1830 (D&C 25). The print shop was just west of the Kirtland Temple, which was dedicated during Emma’s fourth pregnancy in March-April, 1836. Grateful to have the book finally in print, Emma named her son for her publisher, Frederick Granger Williams.
8. 2 June 1838 – Alexander Hale Smith
Far West, Missouri.
Emma was pregnant again when the Mormons were forced out of Kirtland, Ohio in January 1838 and Jackson County, Missouri. She was 7 month pregnant when they finally arrived in Far West. There Joseph was betrayed and spent months in Liberty Jail. Meanwhile, Emma gave birth to another son and named him after Alexander Doniphan, who had refused an order to execute Joseph Smith, and then was Joseph's defense attorney during Joseph's incarceration at Liberty Jail.
9. 13
June, 1840 Don Carlos Smith
Nauvoo, Illinois
In February 1839, Emma crossed the frozen Mississippi River to Illinois, carrying baby Alexander with 3 other young children clinging to her skirt, under which she carried the original manuscript of the Book of Mormon in a bag tied around her waist. Joseph and Hyrum were allowed to escape from Liberty Jail in April. Together in Illinois, the Mormons built a new city, Nauvoo. In June, 1840, Emma gave birth to another son, named Don Carlos after Joseph Smith’s brother. Both the brother and baby would die in 1841.
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Liz Lemon Swindle |
10. 6 February 1842 – unnamed stillborn son
Nauvoo, Illinois.
On March 17, 1842, just 5 weeks after giving
birth to a stillborn son, Emma Smith was appointed president of the newly organized
Women’s Relief Society in Smith’s redbrick store in Nauvoo, Illinois.
11. 17 November 1844 – David Hyrum Smith
Nauvoo, Illinois
Emma was 4 month
pregnant with another son when Joseph and Hyrum Smith were arrested and taken
to
Carthage Jail in Illinois, where they were killed 27 June 1844.
Rebecca Holt Stay March 2025
CFM D&C 20 Constitution of the Church
So many amazing resources on D&C 20: a Constitution for the new Church.
1. The Joseph Smith Papers project has photos. Read the original document! Articles and Covenants https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/articles-and-covenants-circa-april-1830-dc-20/1
2. The LDS.org website has lots of historical resources to assist your study this year.
D&C CFM Historical resources: photos, biographies, maps, timelines https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/doctrine-and-covenants-historical-resources-2025/10?lang=eng
3. The Religious Study Center at BYU (established to assist CES- seminary and institute- instructors) has a wide variety of good articles.
A. John Welch paper on Book of Mormon language in D&C 20 https://rsc.byu.edu/vol-12-no-2-2011/book-mormon-keystone-church-administration
B. Fayette: The Place the Church was Organized by John K. Carmack https://rsc.byu.edu/sperry-symposium-classics-doctrine-covenants/fayette-place-church-was-organized
C. The Articles and Covenants: A Handbook for New Branches by Craig James Ostler https://rsc.byu.edu/firm-foundation/articles-covenants-handbook-new-branches or
https://rsc.byu.edu/sites/default/files/pub_content/pdf/The_Articles_and_Covenants.pdf
4. Scripture Central has great stuff, as always:
A. Video: what occurred at Whitmer home : 1830 https://doctrineandcovenantscentral.org/section-20/
B. Introductory video to D&C 20 https://doctrineandcovenantscentral.org/section-20/
C. Video: Lynne Wilson addresses questions about the Organization of the Church https://doctrineandcovenantscentral.org/section-20/
D. Harper, Steven C. “Section 20.”
In Doctrine and Covenants Contexts, 39–41 https://scripturecentral.org/archive/books/book-chapter/section-20
E. D&C 20 verse by verse commentary by Casey Griffiths https://doctrineandcovenantscentral.org/sections/commentary-on-dc-20/
Note that D&C 21:8 connects permission for Joseph Smith to rejoice with remission of his sins. (see my CFM D&C 18 notes)
Rebecca Holt Stay : March 8, 2025
CFM D&C 19 Atonement
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Jordan Ring-Sakabe |
The basic idea of Atonement Theology
posits that Jesus' death was necessary in some tangible, cosmic way, as a
"sacrifice" for the sins of humanity. Further, it suggests that this
sacrifice is the "salvific" work of Jesus; the moment that Jesus'
earthly ministry is complete.
HOW exactly the atonement works is
widely debated.
1. Moral Influence: This theory focuses
on not just the death of Jesus Christ, but on His entire life as influencing
people to make better choices through their own will to be more Christlike,
bringing them to repentance and change..
2. Ransom : in this act of Ransom Christ frees
humanity from the bondage of sin and death. He has bought us with his blood
3. Christus Victor: In this theory, Jesus
Christ dies in order to defeat the powers of evil (such as sin, death, and the
devil) in order to free mankind from their bondage, victory rather than
payment.
4. Satisfying Justice: Jesus Christ’s death is
understood as a death to satisfy the justice of God. Satisfaction here means
restitution, the mending of what was broken, and the paying back of a debt, In
this theory, God is acted upon by the Atonement (i.e. that Jesus satisfies
God).
5. Substitutionary Atonement: Jesus is punished in the place of
sinners in order to satisfy the justice
of God and the legal demand of God to punish sin.
6. Government theory : Jesus Christ suffers punishment of our
sins in general, not particular and propitiates God’s wrath, but only for those
who are members of his church. Thus the Church becomes a hiding place from
God’s wrath.
7. Scapegoat : Jesus Christ dies as the Scapegoat of
humanity. “Christianity is a priestly religion which understands that it
is God’s overcoming of our violence by substituting himself for the victim of
our typical sacrifices that opens up our being able to enjoy the fullness of
creation as if death were not.”
Various philosophical theories use the
words Reconciliation, Forgiveness, Sacrifice, Propitiation, and Satisfaction.
In human interpersonal relationships, atonement may be necessary to repair
breaches of trust: descriptions of how to atone include: Apology, Repentance,
Giving a True Account, Moral Reformation and Transformation, Reparation /Restitution
/Recompense /Satisfaction, Penance, Punishment, and Third Party Assistance.
[For an interesting philosophical
discussion of ‘atonement’, see https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/atonement/ ]
The OT uses the word ‘atonement’ to
translate the Hebrew כָּפַר kāp̄ar which means “to cover, purge, make an
atonement, make reconciliation, cover over with pitch [as with Noah’s ark]. ‘Atonement’ is always spoken of in relation
to animal sacrifices made at the tabernacle or later temple. The cover of the
ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies was called כַּפֹּרֶת kapōreṯ : “mercy-seat, place of atonement; the
golden plate of propitiation on which the High Priest sprinkled the seat 7
times on the Day of Atonement symbolically reconciling Jehovah and His chosen
people; the slab of gold on top of the ark of the covenant which measured 2.5
by 1.5 cubits; on it and part of it were the two golden cherubim facing each
other whose outstretched wings came together above and constituted the throne
of God.”
Perhaps the single most complete
description of the atonement (never using that word) is
Isaiah 53: 5f “But he was wounded for
our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our
peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6. . . the Lord hath
laid on him the iniquities of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth; he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter. . . 8 He
was taken from prison and from judgment; . . . For he was cut off out of the
land of the living; for the transgressions of my people was he stricken. . .
.10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief; when thou
shalt make his soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed, he shall prolong
his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. 11 He shall
see the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied; by his knowledge shall my
righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. 12 . .
. he hath poured out his soul unto
death; and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bore the sins of
many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”
The English words “atone” and
“atonement” are derived from the expressions “make at one”, and “at onement”.
Usage of the latter phrase can be traced to as early as the 1300s in the
writings of John Wycliffe. The word thus carries at its heart the notion of
putting parties at one—unifying, or reconciling. The Oxford English Dictionary
offers several definitions of atonement: 1. “the condition of being at one with
others”, 2. “the action of setting at one, or condition of being set at one,
after discord or strife”, 3. “reconciliation or restoration of friendly relations
between God and sinners”, and 4. “propitiation of an offended or injured
person, by reparation of wrong or injury; amends, satisfaction, expiation”.
What did Jesus have to say on the
matter (as reported by his disciples)?
1. Luke
4:18 "He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good
news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and
recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the
year of the Lord’s favor.” And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the
attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.
Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your
hearing.”
2. Mat
8:16-17: “When the even was come, they
brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the
spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: That it might be
fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, Himself took our
infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.”
3. Matt
16:21 : From that time forth began Jesus
to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many
things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be
raised again the third day.
4. Matt
20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister,
and to give his life a ransom for many.
5. Matt
26:27-8: And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying,
Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed
for many for the remission of sins.
6. Luke
22:19-20 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them,
saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my
blood, which is shed for you.
7. John
6:51, 54 : I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man
eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my
flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.. . . Whoso eateth my flesh,
and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last
day.
8. John
10:15, 18: As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down
my life for the sheep. . . . No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of
myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This
commandment have I received of my Father.
9. John
12:32-3: And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
This he said, signifying what death he should die.
10. John
14:3, 6: And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and
receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. . . . Jesus
saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the
Father, but by me.
11. John
17:4,6,19: I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which
thou gavest me to do. . . .I have manifested thy name unto them which thou
gavest me . . . . And for their sakes I sanctify myself,
that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
Paul
uses a lot of terms in speaking of Christ’s mission: propitiation,
justification, sanctification, reconciliation.
Peter
says that Jesus “suffered for us, . . .his own self bare our sins.”
John
taught that “the blood of Jesus cleanseth us from all sin, he taketh away our sins.”
The
English word ‘atonement’ is used only once in the NT: Romans 5:11 “ And not only so, but we also joy in God
through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.” The Greek translated here is καταλλαγή katallagē: which means ‘an exchanging
equivalent values, adjustment of a difference, reconciliation, restoration to
favour.”
Latter-Day
scripture adds a lot:
Nephi
says that “he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin.” “It must needs be an
infinite atonement.” “God raises you from everlasting death by the power of the
atonement.”
Jacob
urges us to “be reconciled unto him through the atonement of Christ.”
King
Benjamin taught his people 3:16-18 :
“And even if it were possible that
little children could sin they could not be saved; but I say unto you they are
blessed; for behold, as in Adam, or by nature, they fall, even so the blood of
Christ atoneth for their sins. 17 And moreover, I say unto you, that there
shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can
come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord
Omnipotent. 18 For behold he judgeth, and his judgment is just; and the infant
perisheth not that dieth in his infancy; but men drink damnation to their own
souls except they humble themselves and become as little children, and believe
that salvation was, and is, and is to come, in and through the atoning blood of
Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.”
Mosiah
quotes Isaiah 53.
Alma
taught the people in Gideon 7:11-13 :
“And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of
every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take
upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. 12 And he will take upon
him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he
will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy,
according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor
his people according to their infirmities. 13 Now the Spirit knoweth all
things; nevertheless the Son of God
suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of
his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power
of his deliverance. . .”
The
risen Christ introduces himself in 3 Nephi 11:
13 “And it came to pass that the
Lord spake unto them saying: 14 Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may
thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the
nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel,
and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world.”
The
Doctrine and Covenants says
D&C
18:11-13 : 11 For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh;
wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come
unto him. 12 And he hath risen again from the dead, that he might bring all men
unto him, on conditions of repentance. 13 And how great is his joy in the soul
that repenteth!
D&C
19:16-19 : 16 For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they
might not suffer if they would repent; 17 But if they would not repent they
must suffer even as I; 18 Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest
of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer
both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and
shrink—19 Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my
preparations unto the children of men.
D&C
29:1 : Listen to the voice of Jesus Christ, your Redeemer, the Great I Am,
whose arm of mercy hath atoned for your sins;
D&C
76:69: 69 These are they who are just men made perfect through Jesus
the mediator of the new covenant, who wrought out this perfect atonement
through the shedding of his own blood.
D&C
138:2-4: 2 And reflecting upon the great atoning sacrifice that was made by the
Son of God, for the redemption of the world; 3 And the great and wonderful love
made manifest by the Father and the Son in the coming of the Redeemer into the
world; 4 That through his atonement, and by obedience to the principles of the
gospel, mankind might be saved.
However you understand the atonement of Christ, His actions were a great gift to us enabling us to forgive others and ourselves and live lives of joy
My daughter sent me this: I appreciated this take on the atonement and it was a theory of atonement I hadn't encountered before. I'd be interested to hear what others think of it, what critiques you might have.
My son wrote this: |
CFM D&C 18 Notes from Hebrew (and a bit of Greek)
D&C 18:9 And now, Oliver Cowdery, I speak unto you, and also unto David Whitmer, by the way of commandment; for, behold, I command all men everywhere to repent, and I speak unto you, even as unto Paul mine apostle, for you are called even with that same calling with which he was called.
Apostolos in its broader sense means “one sent
out or away, emissary,” thus NOT necessarily one of the 12 disciples given an
additional commission to be part of the governing body of the church.
In this
particular historical moment, Cowdery and Whitmer are being ‘sent out’ with the
particular mission of searching out the future 12.
D&C 18:11 For, behold, the Lord
your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all
men might repent and come unto him.
Discuss this
next week
D&C 18:13 And how great is
his joy in the soul that
repenteth!
Context: Joy
and rejoicing in OT: 4 major reasons for Joy and Rejoicing
1. Forgiveness
of sins at the temple thru sacrifices : meat not burned or given to priests as
pay for their help, was taken by the offerer, cooked, and shared with family
and friends: this meal was a big part of ‘rejoicing before the LORD.’
Neh 12:43
Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced: for God had made
them rejoice with great joy: the wives also and the children rejoiced: so that
the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.
Psa 27:6 . . .
therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I
will sing praises unto the LORD.
Ecc 9:7
Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for
God now accepteth thy works.
Isa 35:10
And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting
joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and
sighing shall flee away.
Deu 16:11
And thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy
daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is
within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are
among you, in the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to place his name
there.
Deu 27:7
And thou shalt offer peace offerings, and shalt eat there, and rejoice before
the LORD thy God.
Psa 31:7
I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy
2. Marriage
Isa 25:9
And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him,
and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad
and rejoice in his salvation.
Isa 61:10
I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he
hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the
robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a
bride adorneth herself with
3. Having righteous children
Pro 23:24
The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise
child shall have joy of him.
Pro
23:25 Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee
shall rejoice.
4. Defeating enemies in battle
D&C 18:17 Behold, you have my
gospel before you, and my rock, and my
salvation.
First,
SALVATION or SAVIOR is Jesus’ name. In Hebrew, Yeshua [often translated
as Joshua]is the short form of the name Yehoshua יְהוֹשׁוּעַ yᵊhôšûaʿ: Jehovah Saves. Isaiah (whose name is יְשַׁעְיָה yᵊšaʿyâ or “Jehovah saves” or
“Jehovah will be Jesus” sang [Isa 12:2] Behold, God is my salvation; I
will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song;
he also is become my salvation.
Remember, in
Matthew 1:21, Joseph is told “Thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save
his people from their sins.”
So D&C
18:23 contains a play on words: only thru
Salvation/the Savior can a person be saved. Behold, Jesus Christ is
the name which is given of the Father, and there is none other name given whereby man can be saved;
The ROCK : Jacob stood his stone
pillow up after his dream vision of the LORD and named it EBEN-ezer or stone
that helped me. [Gen 28:22] And this stone, which I have set for a pillar,
shall be God's house:
Exo 17:6 Behold, I will stand before
thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there
shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the
sight of the elders of Israel.
Moses is the first in the OT to call
the LORD “the Rock” in the Song of Moses (Deut 32:4): He is the Rock, his
work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity,
just and right is he.
Deu 32:15 But [Israel] waxed fat, and
kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with
fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of
his salvation.
Hannah also connects Salvation and the
Rock in her song of praise [1Sa 2:1-2] And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart
rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged
over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none holy as
the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our
God.
David often referred to the LORD as the
Rock of his Salvation [Psa 18:2, 31, 46] The LORD is my rock, and my
fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler,
and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. 31 For who is God save
the LORD? or who is a rock save our God? 46 The LORD liveth; and blessed
be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.
Isaiah also sings of the rock [Isa
17:10] Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not
been mindful of the rock of thy strength
D&C 18:18 The NAME“ Ask the Father in my name in faith,
believing that you shall receive, and you shall have the Holy Ghost, which
manifesteth all things which are expedient unto the children of men.
D&C 18:21 Take upon you the name of Christ, and speak
the truth in soberness.
D&C 18:22 And as many as repent and
are baptized in my name, which is Jesus
Christ, and endure to the end, the same shall be saved.
D&C 18:25 Wherefore, if they know not the name by which they
are called, they cannot have place in the kingdom of my Father.
After the golden calf incident, Moses
was talking with the LORD, face to face as a man speaks with his friend [Deut
33:11] and he asks the LORD, “Tell me your name.” So in Exodus 34, when Moses
goes up on the mountain with two tablets of stone (get it? The LORD’s words are
written on rocks, stones) to get the 10 commandments a second time, the LORD
met him there:
[Ex 34:5-7] And the LORD
descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the
name of the LORD. And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed,
The LORD [Jehovah], The LORD [Jehovah] God [Elohim], merciful [rechem] and
gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, [offering] mercy
[chesed] for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that
will by no means clear the guilty;
These qualities are the LORD’s
name. We need to obtain those qualities ourselves to be saved: we need to
be totally covered [immersed, baptized] in those attributes. If we have
not taken that name, if we do not know the name, we cannot be saved.
In other words, the ritual of baptism
is NOT what saves us: we are saved everyday by being kind, merciful, long
suffering, and forgiving others. We are
‘saved’ eternally by learning to be LIKE Christ, enabling us to feel comfort in
His presence.
D&C 18:19 Defining terms:“And if you have not faith, hope, and charity,
you can do nothing.
A. Faith in Hebrew is אֱמוּנָה 'ĕmûnâ or
amanah. It does not mean believing without proof: it means to be
FAITHFUL, TRUE, LOYAL, STEADFAST. It means that if you make a promise,
you keep it.
B. Hope in Hebrew is תִּקְוָה
tiqvâ or tiqvah. To long for or expect good things. Job 6:8
Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that I
long for! Job has a beautiful metaphor for hope in Job 14:7 For there is
hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the
tender branch thereof will not cease.
That is how strong our hope should be, that even if we die, yet shall we
live again.
C. Charity translates several words in
Hebrew.
1. Elder Bednar introduced us to one: Chesed חֶסֶד
cḥeseḏ means ‘loving kindness.’ The LORD treats his children with ‘chesed’ :
Gen 39:21 But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy [chesed] and gave
him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. In return, He asks us to
be merciful, to show loving kindness to others
2. רָחַם rāḥam or
rechem is often translated as compassion, pity, mercy. [2Ki 13:23]
And the LORD was gracious unto them, and had compassion [rechem]on them, and
had respect unto them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob. The original meaning of rechem is womb, or uterus. Rechem is
the compassion a mother has for the child in her womb, giving her life for the
child.
D&C 18:29 And they are they who
are ordained of me to baptize
in my name, according to that which is written;
יָסַד
yāsaḏ ordain, establish, lay a foundation [usually
of the temple], put in order 1Ch 9:22All these which were chosen to be porters
in the gates were two hundred and twelve. These were reckoned by their
genealogy in their villages, whom David and Samuel the seer did ordain in their set
office.
שׂוּם
śûmo set,
ordain, establish, found, appoint, constitute, make, determine, fix;to set or
make for a sign 1Ch 17:9 Also I will ordain a place for my people Israel, and will
plant them, and they shall dwell in their place, and shall be moved no more
שָׁפַת šāp̄aṯ to put or place (rare) Isa 26:12 LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought
all our works in us.
Generally, ‘ordain’ originally, in a
biblical context, meant to appoint, or place someone in a position and give
them authority to act. LATER in the
restoration, this term becomes associated with being given authority to act in
a particular priesthood office.
38 And by their desires and their works you shall know them.
Somehow, members think they are not
supposed to ASK for callings or opportunities to serve, Yet Jesus often said,
“Ask, seek, knock, and it shall be given you.” Almost the only time we formally
ask to serve is in our papers seeking to serve missions, Do you want to proselyte? Go on a service mission?
Do humanitarian work? Do you want to use your medical or legal skills?
Yet, the 12 apostles are to be called
‘according to their desires.’
DESIRE in OT Hebrew : בָּקַשׁ bāqaš to want to do; to ask, requestGen 37:15And a certain man found him,
and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?
Exo 10:11 [Pharaoh to Moses] Not so: go now ye that are
men, and serve the LORD; for
that ye did desire.
שָׁאַל šā'alto
enquire, enquire carefully; to ask for (also the name Saul)
חֵפֶץ
ḥēp̄eṣ that in
which one takes delight, pleasure 2Sa
23:5 . . . yet he [God] hath made with me an everlasting
covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire
Psa 1:2But his delight is in the law
of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
WORKS see
below v.44
D&C 18: 44 And
by your hands I will work
a marvelous work among the children of men,
עָבַדʿāḇaḏ; avodah : work or serve; service Exo
1:13 And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour:
Exo 8:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, Go unto Pharaoh,
and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve
me. [service to God is WORSHIP]
THUS, Mosiah 2:17 And behold, I tell you these things
that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow
beings ye are only in the
service of your God. = When you work to help others, you are WORSHIPPING
God!
מַעֲשֶׂה maʿăśê works, deed, thing done, act; work, labour;
the things you do from the verb עָשָׂה ʿāśâto
do, fashion [God fashioned man in Genesis 2], accomplish, make; to do, work,
make, produce
Exo 23:12 Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh
day thou shalt rest:
יְגִיעַ
yᵊḡîaʿ
: toil or work; products of toil Job
10:3 Is it good unto thee that thou
shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work
[yegiyah] of thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?
יָד yāḏ
literally, hand; that which you do with your hands Exo 14:31And Israel saw that great work
[yad] which the LORD did [asa] upon the
Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his
servant Moses.
מְלָאכָה
mᵊlā'ḵâ
[same word as ANGEL] occupation, business, workmanship, service, use; actions,
works, deeds done with authority from KING [ מֶלֶךְ meleḵ] Gen 2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his workwhich he had made
[asa]; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
Exo 35:21 And they came, every one whose heart stirred
him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the LORD'S
offering to the work [Malaka] of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for
all his service [avodah], and for the holy garments.
Probably the word used in Moses 1:39 For behold, this is my work [what I do as
KING] and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.
MARVELOUS
פָּלָא pālā't to be marvellous, be wonderful, be
surpassing, be extraordinary, separate by distinguishing action; To be beyond
one's power, be difficult to do; To be difficult to understand;to be wonderful, be extraordinary; to
separate, set apart (an offering); to do extraordinary or hard or difficult
thing, a miracle; to make wonderful, do wondrously; to show oneself wonderful
or marvellous
Isa 29:14 Therefore,
behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a
marvellous work and a wonder:
Miraculous
birth : Gen 18:14 Is any
thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto
thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
Plagues of
Egypt :Exo 3:20 And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do
in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go.
Covenant
promises Exo 34:10 And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy
people I will do marvels,
such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation
Nazarite vow
(like John the Baptist, missionaries, or members who meet temple recommend
requirements) Num 6:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them,
When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate
themselves unto the LORD:
Wonders
Joshua 3:5And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow
the LORD will do wonders
among you.
Temples : 2Ch
2:9 Even to prepare me timber in
abundance: for the house which I am about to build shall be wonderful great.