Doctrine & Covenants
65-68
Doctrine & Covenants 65
“May the Kingdom of God Go forth, that the
Heaven may come.” This revelation was
designated by the Prophet as a “prayer” (Smith,
History of the Church, 1:218).
Speaking of himself, the Prophet Joseph Smith
said, “I calculate to be one of the instruments of
setting up the kingdom of Daniel by the word of
the Lord, and I intend to lay a foundation that will
revolutionize the whole world” (Teachings, 366).
Doctrine & Covenants 65:2
“The Stone is rolling forward”
Elder Mark E. Peterson, one of the Quorum of the
twelve apostles, testified; the church to which
you and I belong is that stone (Daniel 2:45).
“Daniel’s Prophecy”
Surely this would have seemed an awesome
thing to the then-infant Church struggling for
survival in Kirtland, Ohio, and Jackson County,
Missouri.
Doctrine & Covenants 65:6
Kingdom of God
Whenever there has been a righteous man on the earth,
unto whom God revealed His word and gave power and
authority to administer in His name, and where there is a
priest of God… to administer in the ordinances of the
gospel, and officiate in the priesthood of God, there is
the kingdom of God… (Teachings, 271-72).
This is but another way of saying… “Where the kingdom
of God is not there is nothing (Conference Report, Oct.,
1953, 26).
Kingdom of Heaven
=
Millennial Era
Doctrine & Covenants 66
“William McLellin”
Joseph described William as the wisest man in his own
estimation, have more learning than sense.
He endeavored to write a commandment and failed
miserably. He later apostatized though at the time of this
revelation he was in good standing.
In 1848 after McLellin’s disaffection from the Church and
after Brigham Young had lead the Saints west, McLellin
wrote of his occasion that “I had expected and believed
that when I saw Brother Joseph, I should receive (a
revelation) and I went before the Lord in secret, and on
my knees asked him to reveal the answer to give
questions through his prophet, and that too without his
having any knowledge of my having made such a
request.
I now testify in the fear of God, that
every question which I had thus lodged
in the ears of the Lord of Sabbath, were
answered to my full and entire
satisfaction. I desire it for a testimony of
Joseph’s inspiration. And I to this day
consider it to me an evidence which I
cannot refute” (Journals of William E.
McLellin, 57; spelling and syntax
standardized). (We have no record of
the questions themselves).
William was one of the original “Twelve Apostles.”
He was excommunicated in 1838, after having
been dis-fellowshipped in 1835 and returning to
the church.
Shortly after the extermination order was issued
and 17 men and boys were massacred at Haun’s
Mill, Far West was surrounded by a hostile mob,
led by William McLellin and others. Joseph was
taken prisoner and put in Richmond jail. Heber J.
Kimball was approached by McLellin who
sarcastically said:
“What do you think of Joseph the fallen Prophet now?
Has he not led you blindfolded long enough; look and see
yourself, poor, your family stripped and robbed and your
brethren in the same fix, are you satisfied with Joseph?”
Infuriated, Heber called McLellin a traitor and said, “Yes, I
am more satisfied with him a hundred-fold than ever I was
before, for I see you in the very position that he foretold
you would be in; a Judas to betray your brethren, if you
did not forsake your adultery…
Where are you now?... Have you not betrayed Joseph
and his brethren into the hands of the mob, as Judas did
Jesus? Yes you have;
I tell you Mormonism is true and Joseph is a true prophet
of the living God; and you with all others who turn there
from will be damned and will suffer in hell and Judas will
rule over you” (Heber C. Kimball, Journal 94b, Nov 1, 1838,
Church Archives).
After his rebuke, McLellin left and stole clothing, books,
blankets, and other household items along with a horsedrawn carriage from Joseph’s home.
“While the brethren were imprisoned at
Richmond…McLellin, who was a large and active man,
went to the sheriff and asked for the privilege of
(whipping) the Prophet.
Permission was granted on condition that Joseph would
(be willing to) fight. The sheriff made known to Joseph,
McLellin’s earnest request, to which Joseph consented, if
his (chains) were (removed).
McLellin then refused to fight unless he could
have a club, to which Joseph was perfectly
willing; but the sheriff would not allow them to
fight on such unequal terms (The sheriff knew
McLellin would have no chance against the
Prophet (History of the Church 3: 215).
In 1847 he attempted to organize a new Church
in Kirtland and failed. He joined the Hedrickites in
1869, but left that group 5 months later. His wife
joined the Reorganized LDS Church and they
moved to Independence, Missouri in 1870. He
spent the rest of his life trying to get David
Whitmore to organize a Church. He died in
Independence in 1883.
Doctrine & Covenants 66:10
Seek not to be cumbered.
Forsake all righteousness.
Commit not adultery --- a
temptation with which thou
has been troubled.
Elder Spencer W. Kimball said:
“To want, to desire, to crave – that is to lust, so
when the thought is born which starts a chain
reaction, a sin has already been committed. If
the thought is sown, then develops into lust, it is
almost certain to bring eventually the full harvest
of the act of the heinous sin, adultery…
“…adultery is not the result of a single thought.
There first is a deterioration of thinking. Many sinful
chain – thoughts have been coursing through the
offender’s mind before the physical sin is
committed.
“Yes, as a man thinketh, so does he. If he
thinks it long enough he is likely to do it,
whether it be theft, moral sin, or suicide.
Thus the time to protect against the
calamity is when the thought begins to
shape itself. Destroy the seed and the
plant will never grow.
“Man alone, of all creatures of earth, can
change his thought pattern and become
the architect of his destiny” (Miracle of
Forgiveness, 113-14).
“Commit Not Adultery”
William E. McLellin’s wife, Cinthia, and
an infant child had died before the
summer of 1831. Extent information
suggests that he had a warm and
tender relationship with her and that
the temptation here mentioned came
only after her death and before he
married again (Journals of William E.
McLellin, 251, spelling and syntax
standardized).
Doctrine & Covenants 67
I give you a Testimony of the Truth of these
Commandments
Doctrine & Covenants 67:5-8
A Challenge from the Lord!
Some of the Elders at this time were questioning
the language of the revelations. They were
looking at misspellings, errors in grammar, and
other peculiarities which they thought signaled
these writings to be the product of Joseph Smith.
Doctrine & Covenants 67:9
“Father of Lights”
Still revelation, he is the embodiment, author, and
source of light or in other words the “Father of
Lights” (Mormon Doctrine, 278).
Doctrine & Covenants 68
Scripture is the will, mind, word, voice and power
of God unto Salvation.
Doctrine & Covenants 68:1
“From people to people, and from land to land”
“The prophecy in this verse was literally fulfilled. Orson
Hyde proclaimed the gospel from people to people, from
land to land.’ In 1832, he and Samuel H. Smith traveled in
the States of New York, Massachusetts, Maine, and Rhode
Island --- two thousand miles --- on foot. In 1835 he was
ordained an Apostle, and in 1837 he went on a mission to
England. In 1840 he was sent on a mission to Jerusalem.
He crossed the ocean, travelled through Cairo, and
Alexandria, and finally, reached the Holy City. On
October 24th, 1841, he went up on the Mount of Olives
and offered a prayer, dedicating Palestine for the
gathering of the Jews” (Smith and Sjodahl, Commentary,
409).
Doctrine & Covenants 68:2-4
President J. Reuben Clark Jr. said we can tell when
the speakers are moved upon by the Holy Ghost only
when we are, ourselves, are moved upon by the Holy
Ghost.
In a way, this completely shifts the responsibility from
them to us.
The very words of the revelation recognize that the
Brethren may speak when they are not “moved upon
by the Holy Ghost,” yet only when they do speak, as
so “moved upon” is what they say Scripture. No
exceptions are given to this rule or principle. It is
universal in its application.
“I am more afraid that this people have so much confidence in
their leaders that they will not inquire for themselves of God
whether they are led by Him. I am fearful they settle down in a
state of blind self-security, trusting their eternal destiny in the
hands of their leaders with a reckless confidence that in itself
would thwart the purposes of God in their salvation, and
weaken that influence they could give to their leaders, did they
know for themselves, by the revelations of Jesus, that they are
led in the right way. Let every man and woman know, by the
whispering of the Spirit of God to themselves, whether their
leaders are walking in the path the Lord dictates, or not”
(Journal of Discourses, Vol. 9, 150).
Joseph Smith said, a prophet is not always a prophet, but is a
prophet only when acting as such, and that this means that not
always may the words of a prophet be taken as prophecy or
revelation, but only when he, too, is speaking as “moved upon
by the Holy Ghost” (History of the Church, Vol. 5, 265).
Doctrine & Covenants 68:25-30
“8 things parents should teach
their children!”
President Kimball has stated:
“No true Latter-day Saint, while physically or
emotionally able, will voluntarily shift the burden of his
own or his family’s well-being to someone else”
(Conference Report Oct., 1978, 86).
1. Faith in Jesus Christ
2. Repentance (it cannot be taught
without teaching the Atonement)
3. Baptism
4. Gift of the Holy Ghost
5. To Pray
6. To walk uprightly (to be honest)
7. To observe the Sabbath Day
8. To remember their labors (teach them
to work)
Teach them to work:
In 1939, near the end of the Great
Depression, Channing Pollock wrote
“The Adventures of a Happy Man:
Work Is Its Own Reward. In it he
explained that the unhappiest people
are those who are lazy and fight
boredom, while the happiest are those
who learn to work. He also pointed out
that the best work is never done for a
paycheck. It gets done by those who
believe in what they are doing.
If…we truly want the best for
our sons and daughters, we
would want for them --- not
status --- but more meekness,
mercy, love, patience, and
submissiveness (Neal A.
Maxwell, Even As I Am, 62).
Doctrine & Covenants 75:3
“The Idler shall not have place in
the church”
President David O. McKay has said,
“Let us realize that the privilege to
work is a gift, that the power to work is
a blessing, and the power of love of
work is success.”
President Benson’s talk “What I hope you will
teach your children about the Temple.”
Doctrine & Covenants 68:30
President Heber J. Grant said, “I have little or no fear for
the boy or girl, the young man or the young woman,
who honestly and conscientiously supplicate God twice
a day for the guidance of His Spirit. I am sure that when
temptation comes they will have the strength to
overcome it by the inspiration that shall be given to
them” (Gospel Standards, Salt Lake City: The
Improvement Era, 1969, 26).
Paul Harvey Wrote:
We tried so hard to make things
better for our kids that we made
them worse.
For my grandchildren, I’d like better.
I’d really like for them to know
about hand me down clothes and
homemade ice cream and leftover
meat loaf sandwiches. I really
would.
I hope you learn humility by being
humiliated, and that you learn
honesty by being cheated.
I hope you learn to make your
own bed and mow the lawn and
wash the car.
And I really hope nobody gives
you a brand new car when you
are sixteen.
It will be good if at least one time you can see
puppies born and your old dog put to sleep.
I hope you get a black eye fighting for something
you believe in.
I hope you have to share a bedroom with your
younger brother/sister. And it’s all right if you have
to draw a line down the middle of the room, but
when he wants to crawl under the covers with
you because he’s scared, I hope you let him.
When you want to see a movie and your little
brother/sister wants to tag along, I hope you’ll let
him/her.
I hope you have to walk uphill to school with your friends
and that you live in a town where you can do it safely.
On rainy days when you have to catch a ride, I hope
you don’t ask your driver to drop you two blocks away
so you won’t be seen riding with someone as un-cool as
your Mom.
If you want a slingshot, I hope your Dad teaches you
how to make one instead of buying one.
I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read
books.
When you learn to use computers, I hope
you also learn to add and subtract in your
head.
I hope you get teased by your friends when
you have your first crush on a boy/girl, and
when you talk back to your mother that
you learn what ivory soap tastes like.
May you skin your knee climbing a mountain,
burn your hand on a stove and stick your tongue
on a frozen flagpole.
I don’t care if you try a beer once, but I hope you
don’t like it. And if a friend offers you dope or a
joint, I hope you realize he is not your friend.
I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with
your Grandma/Grandpa and go fishing with your
Uncle.
May you feel sorrow at a funeral and joy during
the holidays.
I hope your mother punishes you when you throw a
baseball through your neighbor’s window and that she
hugs you and kisses you at Hanukah/Christmas time when
you give her a plaster mold of your hand.
These things I wish for you – though times and
disappointment, hard work and happiness. To me, it’s the
only way to appreciate life.
Written with a pen. Sealed with a kiss. I’m here for you.
And if I die before you do, I’ll go to heaven and wait for
you.
Gospel Quote Sheet
The following is a Statement by President David O.
McKay given in June 1965 in President McKay’s Hotel
Utah apartment to a group of brethren in the
Physical Facilities Department of the Church.
While engaged in explaining to them the importance
of the work they were engaged in, he paused and
told them the following:
“Let me assure you, Brethren, that some day you will
have a personal Priesthood interview with the Savior,
Himself. If you are interested, I will tell you the order in
which He will ask you to account for your earthly
responsibilities.
First:
He will request an accountability report about your
relationship with your wife. Have you actively been
engaged in making her happy and ensuring that her
needs have been met as an individual?
Second:
He will want an accountability report about each of
your children individually. He will not attempt to have
this for simply a family stewardship but will request
information about your relationship to each and
every child.
Third:
He will want to know what you
personally have done with the
talents you were given in the
pre-existence.
Fourth:
He will want a summary of your activity
in your Church assignments. He will not
be necessarily interested in what
assignments you have had, for in his
eyes the home teacher and a mission
president are probably equal, but He
will request a summary of how you
have been of service to your
fellowman in your Church
assignments.
Fifth:
He will have no interest in how you earned your
living, but if you were honest in all your dealings.
Sixth:
He will ask for an accountability on what you
have done to contribute in a positive manner to
your community, estate, country, and the world”
(From notes of Fred A. Baker, Managing Director,
Department of Physical Facilities).