Studying Sections 6, 8 and 9
Headlines:
-LDS view of revelation is very unique, that is the Heavens are open to all that approach God is Spirit and Truth
-We require personal revelation to successfully navigate today's world
-Our merciful Father will reveal as much and as often as we are prepared to recieve
Introduction-LDS view of revelation very unique among Christian churches:
-Catholic church teaches that revelation intended for the Church concluded with the death of the last Apostle. The Word of God in total then, is included in the Bible. The Pope can receive inspiration for the Church related to how the Scriptures should be interpreted but not direct revelation. All revelation today is personal. Catholics do have a firm belief in the efficacy of prayer.
-Protestant-There is nuance among the different faiths, but the view is essentially the same as Catholicism and even more conservative. Sola Scriptora is a commonly referenced term indicating that the Bible is the only source of revelation and that it is infallable, that there are no mistakes in it of any kind (it is perfect). This leads to a rather fundamentalist view of the Bible in terms of rejecting any historical criticism pointing to obvious errors in the text. Since the Holy Spirit would then only lead to one correct intrepation, the last 600 years has been one effort after another to determine correct interpretation. The over 1500 sect (and growing) attest to the difficulty of this task.
-The LDS view is almost upside down from these views. The Heavens are open, with God speaking to Prophets today as in days of old. With the Heavens open, we are able to have a much more flexible view of scripture, not flinching when J.S. corrects/updates the Bible r when new revelation is received. Historical research/criticism into the sources and development of the Bible do not pose a threat to faith. Hence, when the scriptures speak of "the windows of Heaven" Latter Day Saints know that the Lord was patient with his Children who introduced into scripture the false idea that the sky was not porous (hence the firmament) and that rain came through windows opened in the firm heaven.
Even though the heavens are open to all, order is maintained as we all receive revelation for our stewardship. Hence, the Lord was clear that J.S. was the only one designated to receive revelation for the Church, but when N.K. Whitney expressed concern over his ability to be Bishop for the Church he was told by J.S. to ask the Lord directly he should do. As evidence for how different the LDS belief was relative to prevailing views, note that during the Kirtland days a primary reason for persecution was because the Saints claimed to have a Prophet receiving direct revelation. This is why the Saints did not broadcast the receipt of "The Vision" (Sec 76) to the local community. When word of the revelation spread and it was one of the key things that prompted the tar and feathering of Joseph and Sidney (who had received the revelation).
2. Understanding what we should do to receive revelation
We should remember that almost all revelation comes in response to a question (the D&C is a perfect example of this) and that questions come as a result of a situation. For example, the revelation flatly stating that revelation for the General Church (D&C 28:2) would come through J.S. came from his question on the same which was driven by the fact that multiple members in the Kirtland/Hiram area were claiming to receive revelation for the Church. Is this relevant to our personal situations?
Historical notes and notes in my Scriptures:
Sec 6:
Oliver was teaching school in the area where the Smith's lived. While staying with the Smith's he heard the Stories of the Book of Mormon from the family. Prayed regarding the BofM and received an answer to his prayers (see 6:23-24 and note the intimate tone). As a result of this experience Oliver had a burning desire to go to Joseph and help with the translation. At the same time, Joseph was praying for help as he had made little progress with the translation after losing the 116 pages when combined with the fact that Emma was required to help around the Hale home. The situation was tense with the Hales, as Joseph feared that Isaac would "turn them out of doors". Oliver's arrival was an answer to prayer and sorely needed to move the translation forward. Oliver indicated that Joseph expressed no surprise when Oliver arrived.
Some scholars believe that they were at Alma 37 in the translation (re: 24 plates) which prompted Olivers desire to also translate.
Commentary on verses in Section 6:
V. 3 Missionary work saves the Missionary
V. 14 confirms that Oliver had responded to Joseph's prayer (unknowingly).
V. 14-Satan can't know our thoughts (only God can).
V. 18-19 provides good advice on how to support the Brethren and how to express true friendship.
Re: Section 6, Oliver said to David Whitmer "he (J.S.) told him (Oliver) secrets of his life that he knew could not be known to any person but himself in any other way than by revelation from the Almighty".
V. 29 An allusion to the "opportunity" Oliver had to be martyred with the Prophet which he lost when he left the Church. The position of 2nd Elder was given to Hyrum who died at Carthage w/ the Prophet.
V. 37 It isn't generally believed that this verse referenced a direct visitation by the Savior
Sec 7:
This section clarifies John's status and that keys are needed for salvation. We don't know if J.S. had the parchment or if he saw this in vision. Likely part of his Gospel.
V. 5 "greater" means "more" not "better" than Peter's request
Sec 8:
V. 2 The Holy Ghost communicates to our mind and heart. Elder Richard Scott said, "our heart deals with our general feelings, our mind refers to specific thoughts". An impression in the heart leads to a more specific thought in our minds? (See Enos 1:3)
V. 7 Original text of the revelation referred to the "rod of Aaron". No evidence that this was a reference to a divining rod as has been commonly thought (Oliver had no history finding things with this kind of rod). More likely referencing Aaron's rod in Numbers 17:6-10 which budded noting Aaron's authority.
V. 11 Does this verse reference records beyond the Book of Mormon?
Sec 9:
V. 8 The Lord only works with what is already in our minds (See J.S. 1:11)
In Sec 8:2-4 the Lord explains that translation is revelation. Sec 9:6-11 explains why Oliver wasn't able to translate. Note that Oliver was told that he had the gift of revelation in 8:4, however we learn that he didn't understand how yet to use the gift.
One upside to Oliver's failure to translate was that he gained additional respect for the Prophets prophetic gifts.
A scan of the Lesson Manual w/ my scribblings can be found at:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B78D5btorZEeTUxSUmNiM0ZPYlk
Sunday, February 26, 2017
Monday, February 20, 2017
Lesson 3-I Had Seen A Vision
Take away: The Heavens are not Sealed
Study J.S. 1:1-26
Additional notes on lesson sections:
1. After the Apostasy, God prepared the way for the Restoration
-about the time of Renaissance there was a rebirth of learning & art which has the earmarks of the Holy Ghost which generates all light and truth. The Renaissance was a looking back to classical times, particularly Greek and Roman classicism as opposed to the Enlightenment, which jettisoned the past as ballast and looked forward to a new beginning based on reason (a belief in God was part of this ballast). The foundations of the Enlightenment were based on induction (experimentation) rather than deduction (pure math, particularly geometry) and was articulated in Francis Bacon's New Organon. An apt title for the Enlightenment given Aristotle's physics were from his book "The Organon" which had been the foundation of science for about 2000 years.
-As light was breaking in these times prior to the Restoration through Joseph Smith, the Lord was still working through other inspired men and women. He alludes to this in D&C 49:8 where the Lord says that he is working through "men ye know not of". The following quote from John Tyndale from Vilvorde prison where he was imprisoned until he was martyred shows a faith in Christ greater than very few:
I entreat your lordship and that by the Lord Jesus, that if I am to remain here [in Vilvorde] during the winter, you will request the Procureur to be kind enough to send me from my goods which he has in his possession, a warmer cap, for I suffer extremely from cold in the head, being afflicted with a perpetual catarrh, which is considerably increased in this cell. A warmer coat also, for that which I have is very thin: also a piece of cloth to patch my leggings: my overcoat is worn out; my shirts are also worn out. He has a woollen shirt of mine, if he will be kind enough to send it. I have also with him leggings of thicker cloth for putting on above; he also has warmer caps for wearing at night. I wish also his permission to have a lamp in the evening, for it is wearisome to sit alone in the dark. But above all, I entreat and beseech your clemency to be urgent with the Procureur that he may kindly permit me to have my Hebrew Bible, Hebrew Grammar, and Hebrew Dictionary, that I may spend my time with that study.
2. God prepared Joseph Smith to be the prophet of the Restoration
- Joseph Smith Sr. was known by his family to be a visionary man as well, which is one reason why it is believed that he was so accepting of Joseph's visions. Specifically Joseph Sr. essentially saw Lehi's dream of his family and the tree of life (though I didn't write down the reference for this).
-The Smith family was impacted by the religous fervor of the day both in terms of their concern for their own salvation and as part of their efforts to provide for their family. As a family they were known to sell cakes and ale at the outskirts of some of the revivals in their areas (referenced in Mark Staker's history of Kirtland).
3. the First Vision ushered in the restoration of the gospel
Summary of First Vision Accounts (from Gospel Essays):
-2 published versions in J.S. lifetime (the version published in J.S. History is the best known)
-2 unpublished, one from his short autobiography and another from a later journal entry. Both of these were generally forgotten until the 1960's
-5 by contemporaries
A few specifics:
-Th brief 1832 version is in his hand. The focus is on the fact that the Lord appears and he is forgiven of his sins.
-1835 version-J.S. retells the story to Robert Matthews which is recorded by Warren Parish. Joseph mentions the appearance of angels.
-1838 version-published in the Times and Seasons. The focus is on Joseph's search for which Church to join and the subsequent rise of the Church in our day.
-1842 version-Part of the Wentworth letter
The First Vision was a key missionary tool in the very early Church. Great concern over whether one could know if they were saved. Specifically, this feeling known as "protestant angst" arose because each person needed to feel that they were saved, but how could they know that they knew? The message that the heaven were unsealed, that God had again spoken to Man and more importantly, that he would speak to you too had significant resonance for many. The BofM was a proof point for this revelation.
4. Many truths were revealed in the First Vision
In closing I shared that one of the evidences of a true Prophet was that they never back away from their testimony (witness Paul and the early Apostles, BofM Prophets, etc.).
On this point, I shared stumbling over "The Book on Adler" during my study of Kierkegaard who was a Christian but very skeptical of institutional Churches specifically the Lutheran Church in Denmark. He strove to make Christianity "harder", requiring great sacrifice. Those that thought of themselves as Christian simply because they were born into the Church weren't really Christians and "verily, they had their reward".
With this backdrop, he wrote a short book on his view of Adolph Peter Adler, a somewhat renegade Pastor in the Lutheran Church who claimed to have been visited by Christ, which he called a "vision of light" who had told him to "burn all of his books on the faith and that he (Christ) would dictate a new book to him. He shared this vision with great energy in several sermons.
Adler was persecuted for his claim and was suspended/deposed in 1845. In time he downgraded his vision to "strong impressions" and later still to a work of his personal genius.
Kierkegaard believed that Adler that a true Prophet, one that had received a direct revelation would never back away from the claim, that being persecuted and labeled a crazy simply went with the territory in all ages of time. He said, "Adler's later attitude and from his later works it can be sufficiently made out that he himself essentially does not believe it..." P. 169
Regarding persecution of those who receive direct revelations, he notes that even Christ himself would not be believed in our day. "It is often said that in case Christ were now to come forward in Christendom (state Churches), if in a stricter sense than in time gone by "He came unto his own," He would again be crucified - and especially by the orthodox. That is quite true...". P. 168.
Contrast Adler with Joseph Smith's ringing testimony in JS 1:23-26 that he couldn't deny what he had seen. At the end of a long interview with John Delin, Richard Bushman when asked to share his closing thoughts about Joseph Smith (after writing Rough Stone Rolling) said in essence, reasonable people could disagree about whether Joseph Smith had the First Vision and all that followed, but as a historian,he believed after all the years of study of Joseph's life, that he, Joseph, for certain, believed that he had had those experiences. (Fawn Brodie is an example of someone who believed Joseph believed his visions, but thought him mistaken.
Link to scan of lesson note:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B78D5btorZEedWxSMmxUNkV0Wkk
Study J.S. 1:1-26
Additional notes on lesson sections:
1. After the Apostasy, God prepared the way for the Restoration
-about the time of Renaissance there was a rebirth of learning & art which has the earmarks of the Holy Ghost which generates all light and truth. The Renaissance was a looking back to classical times, particularly Greek and Roman classicism as opposed to the Enlightenment, which jettisoned the past as ballast and looked forward to a new beginning based on reason (a belief in God was part of this ballast). The foundations of the Enlightenment were based on induction (experimentation) rather than deduction (pure math, particularly geometry) and was articulated in Francis Bacon's New Organon. An apt title for the Enlightenment given Aristotle's physics were from his book "The Organon" which had been the foundation of science for about 2000 years.
-As light was breaking in these times prior to the Restoration through Joseph Smith, the Lord was still working through other inspired men and women. He alludes to this in D&C 49:8 where the Lord says that he is working through "men ye know not of". The following quote from John Tyndale from Vilvorde prison where he was imprisoned until he was martyred shows a faith in Christ greater than very few:
I entreat your lordship and that by the Lord Jesus, that if I am to remain here [in Vilvorde] during the winter, you will request the Procureur to be kind enough to send me from my goods which he has in his possession, a warmer cap, for I suffer extremely from cold in the head, being afflicted with a perpetual catarrh, which is considerably increased in this cell. A warmer coat also, for that which I have is very thin: also a piece of cloth to patch my leggings: my overcoat is worn out; my shirts are also worn out. He has a woollen shirt of mine, if he will be kind enough to send it. I have also with him leggings of thicker cloth for putting on above; he also has warmer caps for wearing at night. I wish also his permission to have a lamp in the evening, for it is wearisome to sit alone in the dark. But above all, I entreat and beseech your clemency to be urgent with the Procureur that he may kindly permit me to have my Hebrew Bible, Hebrew Grammar, and Hebrew Dictionary, that I may spend my time with that study.
2. God prepared Joseph Smith to be the prophet of the Restoration
- Joseph Smith Sr. was known by his family to be a visionary man as well, which is one reason why it is believed that he was so accepting of Joseph's visions. Specifically Joseph Sr. essentially saw Lehi's dream of his family and the tree of life (though I didn't write down the reference for this).
-The Smith family was impacted by the religous fervor of the day both in terms of their concern for their own salvation and as part of their efforts to provide for their family. As a family they were known to sell cakes and ale at the outskirts of some of the revivals in their areas (referenced in Mark Staker's history of Kirtland).
3. the First Vision ushered in the restoration of the gospel
Summary of First Vision Accounts (from Gospel Essays):
-2 published versions in J.S. lifetime (the version published in J.S. History is the best known)
-2 unpublished, one from his short autobiography and another from a later journal entry. Both of these were generally forgotten until the 1960's
-5 by contemporaries
A few specifics:
-Th brief 1832 version is in his hand. The focus is on the fact that the Lord appears and he is forgiven of his sins.
-1835 version-J.S. retells the story to Robert Matthews which is recorded by Warren Parish. Joseph mentions the appearance of angels.
-1838 version-published in the Times and Seasons. The focus is on Joseph's search for which Church to join and the subsequent rise of the Church in our day.
-1842 version-Part of the Wentworth letter
The First Vision was a key missionary tool in the very early Church. Great concern over whether one could know if they were saved. Specifically, this feeling known as "protestant angst" arose because each person needed to feel that they were saved, but how could they know that they knew? The message that the heaven were unsealed, that God had again spoken to Man and more importantly, that he would speak to you too had significant resonance for many. The BofM was a proof point for this revelation.
4. Many truths were revealed in the First Vision
In closing I shared that one of the evidences of a true Prophet was that they never back away from their testimony (witness Paul and the early Apostles, BofM Prophets, etc.).
On this point, I shared stumbling over "The Book on Adler" during my study of Kierkegaard who was a Christian but very skeptical of institutional Churches specifically the Lutheran Church in Denmark. He strove to make Christianity "harder", requiring great sacrifice. Those that thought of themselves as Christian simply because they were born into the Church weren't really Christians and "verily, they had their reward".
With this backdrop, he wrote a short book on his view of Adolph Peter Adler, a somewhat renegade Pastor in the Lutheran Church who claimed to have been visited by Christ, which he called a "vision of light" who had told him to "burn all of his books on the faith and that he (Christ) would dictate a new book to him. He shared this vision with great energy in several sermons.
Adler was persecuted for his claim and was suspended/deposed in 1845. In time he downgraded his vision to "strong impressions" and later still to a work of his personal genius.
Kierkegaard believed that Adler that a true Prophet, one that had received a direct revelation would never back away from the claim, that being persecuted and labeled a crazy simply went with the territory in all ages of time. He said, "Adler's later attitude and from his later works it can be sufficiently made out that he himself essentially does not believe it..." P. 169
Regarding persecution of those who receive direct revelations, he notes that even Christ himself would not be believed in our day. "It is often said that in case Christ were now to come forward in Christendom (state Churches), if in a stricter sense than in time gone by "He came unto his own," He would again be crucified - and especially by the orthodox. That is quite true...". P. 168.
Contrast Adler with Joseph Smith's ringing testimony in JS 1:23-26 that he couldn't deny what he had seen. At the end of a long interview with John Delin, Richard Bushman when asked to share his closing thoughts about Joseph Smith (after writing Rough Stone Rolling) said in essence, reasonable people could disagree about whether Joseph Smith had the First Vision and all that followed, but as a historian,he believed after all the years of study of Joseph's life, that he, Joseph, for certain, believed that he had had those experiences. (Fawn Brodie is an example of someone who believed Joseph believed his visions, but thought him mistaken.
Link to scan of lesson note:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B78D5btorZEedWxSMmxUNkV0Wkk
Saturday, February 11, 2017
Lesson 1- Introduction to the Doctrine & Covenants and Church History
Lesson 1- Introduction to the Doctrine & Covenants and Church History
No specific Sections studied in this lesson.
Link to PDF of Lesson Manual w/ my written notes:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B78D5btorZEebHl4TDJLN2Nvd0E/view?usp=sharing
No specific Sections studied in this lesson.
Takeaways:
- The Heavens are open in our day
- The Lord directs his Church
- Revelations come as answers to questions (and questions come as responses to the situation).
Notes on the lesson manual:
Suggestions for Lesson Development:
-A keystone is a wedge inserted at the top of an arch which holds the arch together. Also defined as a principle on which all others depend.
-A capstone is a finishing stone, also defined as a crowning achievement, element or event
These definitions are in reference to President Benson's quote calling the D&C the capstone of our religion and the Book of Mormon as the Keystone of our religion.
1. The revelations in the D&C address the needs of our day:
-New doctrines in the D&C include the Word of Wisdom, Eternal Marriage, process of the Atonement, the officers of the Church and others.
-The word "doctrine" translated in the N.T. and O.T. as "instruction". In the 19th century doctrine meant "instruction and content". Covenant in the O.T. means to "form a compact". In the 19th century it meant "mutual agreement to act in agreed ways".
-Most revelations in the D&C were given to a scribe (from J.S.) and copied into one of two books called Revelation Book A and Revelation Book B.
-J.F. Smith-"in my judgement there is no book on earth yet come to man as important as the book known as the Doctrine and Covenants with all due respect to the Book of Mormon, the Bible and the Pearl of Great Price because it was revealed in our day". And, "and so I say it belongs to all the world not only to the Latter Day Saints, and they will be judged by it, and you will be judged by it".
-Neil Maxwell-"in the D&C we recieve the voice as well as the word of the Lord. We can almost hear him talking".
-Hugh Nibley-"The purpose of the D&C, you will find, is to implement the Law of Consecration. It is explained there not once but many times so there is no excuse for not understanding it."
-Boyd K. Packer referred to the D&C as "the book that would never be closed". conf report April 1990
Historical summary of how we got the D&C:
-Kirtland/Hiram Ohio an area of religious ferment. Cambellites had instituted reforms to create alignment with the N.T. Church but were still waiting for more, specifically for the heavens to open in some way.
-Immediately after Church was created, four missionaries were sent west to preach (with a focus on Lamanite peoples). Parley Pratt, Oliver Cowdrey started teaching religious seekers (mainly Cambellites) the restored Gospel. Many (including congregations) joined the Church. Services were unstructured, speaking in tongues was common. Joseph came west to bring order to this new, significant branch of the Church.
-NK Whitney (wealthy merchant) prayed that the Prophet would visit. When Joseph arrived he strode into his store, held out his hand, introduced himself and said, "I'm Joseph the Prophet, you prayed me hear, what would you have me do".
-New members who were viewed as men of integrity (inside the Church and out) such as NK Whitney and Sidney Rigdon believed J.S. was a Prophet. Not only a function of the BofM, but of events such as the healing of Elsa Johnson's withered arm (which Joseph never mentions) and answering William McClellan's five questions in revelation which he confirmed he had shared with no one (see Sec 66).
-Very clear that Joseph viewed Christ as the leader and source of the Church from the fact that he rarely spoke of miracles he performed and that all including himself) received direction and correction in the revelations
-As Joseph tried to bring order to the chaos (speaking in tongues, members receiving revelations) members continually asked him for a revelation (as well as for their personal status). These revelations were cherished by the Saints, hand copied and distributed creating the initial thrust for the D&C. There was such a thirst for the revelations that when the leadership met in John Johnson's house in Nov 1831 to consider how to publish the revelations they voted to print 10K copies, twice the number of the original printing of the Book of Mormon.
Editions of the D&C:
-Original Book of Commandments printed by WW Phelps in Missouri. Of the committed 10Ku run, most of whatever was printed lost in mob violence. Unlikely more than 100 copies survived. Only two known copies today (most valuable historical Church publication).
-1834-approved in Kirtland. Started in 1835 (Aug) and approved by common consent
-1844-Delayed after the martyrdom (included Section 135)
-1876-Orson Pratt under Brigham Youngs direction-rearranged sections, included footnotes. Reprinted -28 times
-1921-Under Heber J Grants direction-deleted Lectures on Faith
-1981-Major rework-included maps, footnotes, new Sections
2. The Lord authored the preface to the Doctrine and Covenants
In class I shared the story from my Mission of E.T. Benson (President of Quorum of the Twelve) in a Stake Conference in Orange Park, Florida. He started off with what appeared to be a few prepared points, then he started to speak unscripted, quoting almost exclusively from the D&C from memory and providing commentary as he moved from quote to quote.
A committee drafted a preface to the revelations but the brethren couldn't agree on the wording. As usual, they turned to Joseph to receive a revelation. After prayer, Joseph spoke slowly as Sidney dilated what became D&C 1, the Lord's Preface to his revelations. (Note: I believe this was at the same meeting referenced above in the Johnson home).
President Benson-"A preface prepares the reader for the message of the book. The Doctrine and Covenants is the only book on earth with a preface from Christ".
Notes from my scriptures:
1:2 "voice of the Lord" that is Christ gave all revelations and "none to escape" that is that all shall hear the Gospel
1:4 "voice of warning to all people"-quite a statement given there were less than 1000 members at the time.
1:10 much of how we will be judged will be from how we treat others
1:13-14 the wicked will be destroyed at the 2nd coming. Arm of the Lord = strength of the Lord
1:19 the weak are chosen because they are humble and teachable
1:24-40 the Lord's testimony of the restoration
1:30 "bring it forth out of obscurity" fulfilled by the Church under President Hinckley
1:36 reference to Idumea. Idumea referred to an area populated by wicked people through which the trade route known as the King's Highway passed through (geographically in Egypt/Arabia). Symbolic of traveling through sin.
Link to PDF of Lesson Manual w/ my written notes:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B78D5btorZEebHl4TDJLN2Nvd0E/view?usp=sharing
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