Doctrine & Covenants 2, 3, 10
Object Lesson!
Doctrine & Covenants 2 “Promise Made to the Fathers”
It is the first revelation of the Doctrine and Covenants!
September 21, 1823
It was placed in the Doctrine and Covenants in 1876 by Orson
Pratt under the direction of President Brigham Young.
The message is so important it is in all of the standard
works!
Malachi 4:5-6
Luke 1:16-17
3 Nephi 25:5-6
Joseph Smith History: 36-39
Old Testament
New Testament
Book of Mormon
Pearl of Great Price
Joseph Smith said that those who neglect it in behalf
of their deceased relatives, do it at the peril of their
own salvation (Doctrine & Covenants 128:15, 18).
It is one of two revelations in the Doctrine and
Covenants that comes entirely from an angel.
Section 13 is the other!
Teachings of Joseph Smith
Doctrine & Covenants 2:2
Joseph Smith clarified Malachi’s prophecy by saying “the word
turn should be translated bind or seal!”
Elder John A. Widtsoe one time had this to say about this
section:
“The beginning and the end of the gospel is written in section
two of the Doctrine and Covenants. It is the keystone of the
wonderful gospel arch; and if that center stone should weaken
and fall out, the whole gospel structure would topple down in
unorganized doctrinal blocks” (Elway L. Christiansen,
Conference Report, April 1960, 48).
Everyone who is exalted must be
connected through the sealing
ordinances into the extended celestial
family of God!
The dead have been influential in guiding the
living to perform genealogical and temple work
for them. Indeed, one of the main reasons why
the dead exert such a strong influence to save
their living descendants is so the living will,
upon embracing the gospel, perform this work
in their behalf.
The late Apostle, Elder Melvin J. Ballard, made the following remark in this
regard:
“Why is it that sometimes only one of a city or household received the
Gospel?
It was made known unto me that it is because of
the righteous dead who had received the Gospel in
the spirit world exercising themselves, and in
answer to their prayers elders of the church were
sent to the homes of their posterity that the Gospel
might be taught to them and through their
righteousness they might be privileged to have a
descendant in the flesh do the work for their dead
kindred.
I want to say to you that it is with greater intensity that the hearts of the fathers
and mothers in the spirit world are turned to their children than that our hearts are
turned to them.” Elder Melvin J. Ballard, The Three Degrees of Glory, (Sermons and
Missionary Services of Melvin J. Ballard, 234-61, Delivered at the Ogden Tabernacle).
The Loss of the 116-page Manuscript
(Doctrine & Covenants 3)
At the time Joseph and Martin suffered
excruciating spiritual pain.
The Lord indicated in Doctrine & Covenants 19
that the suffering resulted from the withdrawal of
the Spirit.
These men in some measure had experienced
that. Yet, even that anguish was but a sliver of
pain in comparison to the suffering for sin that
Jesus Christ experienced.
Lucy Mack Smith gave insight to
the punishment that Joseph and
Martin tasted. She wrote that on
hearing that the manuscript was
lost, her son Joseph clenched his
hands together, crying that all
was lost. “He wept and groaned,
walking the floor continually…
“I besought him not to mourn so, for it
might be that the Lord would forgive him,
after a short season of humiliation and
repentance on his part. But what could I
say to comfort him when he saw all the
family in the same state of mind he was?
Our sobs and groans and the most bitter
lamentations filled the house. Joseph, in
particular, was more distressed than the
rest… He continued walking backwards
and forwards, weeping and grieving like a
tender infant until about sunset, when we
persuaded him to take a little
nourishment…
“I well remember that day of darkness,
both within and without. To us, at least,
the heavens seemed clothed with
blackness, and the earth shrouded with
gloom. I have often said within myself
that if a continual punishment as severe
as that which we experienced on that
occasion, were to be inflicted upon them
most wicked characters who ever stood
upon the footstool of the Almighty – if
even their punishment were no greater
than that, I should feel to pity their
condition” (Smith, History of Joseph
Smith, 1996, 165-66, 171).
Doctrine & Covenants 3
God’s Work Cannot be Frustrated!
Five people were to see the plates:
Martin’s wife, brother, father, mother, and Lucy’s sister Polly
Cobb.
Joseph made Martin sign an oath.
Martin had a tendency to say and show more than he should.
Martin Harris was 23 years older than Joseph, (46 at the time)
a prominent and wealthy farmer.
He was the only one Joseph knew who was willing to work as
a scribe and finance the publication of the Book of Mormon.
Some histories say that Martin Harris was excommunicated in 1837.
Some say he was disfellow-shipped. I haven’t been able to find
evidence of either. He married Caroline Young after the death of his
first wife Lucy. Caroline left him in 1856 to gather with the Saints in
Utah.
He joined three other churches at different times. He served a mission
for the Strangites.
He arrived in Utah in 1870 and was re-baptized in the presence of five
Apostles, and later endowed.
He died in Clarkston, Utah, therefore the “Martin Harris Pageant” in
Clarkston. Lucy Harris, Martin’s first wife called Joseph Smith the
“grand imposter.”
The final testimony of Martin Harris was recorded by his
grandson William Pilkington: “On the 9th day of July 1875,
while he was dying, I knelt at his cot….I wanted to get what I
though would be his last words, but he could not talk audibly.”
Pilkington then prayed that his grandfather’s last words could
be understood. He reported, “Strength was given to him and
he bore his testimony as he had done many times before and I
understood every word. He then bore the same testimony to
the whole world and then laid back exhausted (William
Pilkington, testimony sworn before Joseph W. Peterson, 3 April
1934, typescript, Archives and Manuscripts, Harold B. Lee
Library, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah).
Martin died on 10 July in Clarkston, Utah at the age of 92. He
was buried with his Book of Mormon in his right hand and the
Doctrine and Covenants in his left (LDS Biographical
Encyclopedia 1:276).
“The standard of Truth has been erected; no
unhallowed hand can stop the work from
progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs
may combine, armies may assemble,
calumny may defame, but the truth of God
will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent,
till it has penetrated every continent, visiting
every clime, swept every country, and
sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God
shall be accomplished, and the Great
Jehovah shall say the work is done” (History
of the Church, 4:540, Wentworth Letter,
1842).
Doctrine & Covenants 3:7-8
How to handle peer pressure?
Persuasions of Men (v.6)
Joseph Smith’s self condemnation and fear beset the
prophet, He exclaimed “all is lost, all is lost, what shall
I do? I have sinned. He went and groaned continually
“Oh my God!”
Doctrine & Covenants 3:10
God is Merciful!
When Joseph received the plates
and the Urim and Thummim back,
there was a special message.
Joseph said, “The angel seemed
pleased with me and he told me
that the Lord loved me, for my
faithfulness and humility.
Doctrine & Covenants 3:12
A Wicked Man?
How are we “wicked men?”
1.
2.
3.
4.
Set a naught the counsels of God.
Break promises made with God.
Depend upon our own judgment.
Boast in our own wisdom.
At heart Martin was not wicked and
desired to do what was right. He had
faith in Joseph’s mission, however,
he could not stand the pressures of
relatives and friends (Joseph Fielding
Smith).
The path of least resistance
makes men and rivers crooked!
We cannot safely trust
“in the arm of flesh.”
Even when it is pumped
full of steroids, it lacks
the strength to maintain
its grasp on the iron rod.
Not alone does the arm of flesh finally
prove anemic, but it always reaches for
the wrong things (Neal A. Maxwell,
Lord, Increase Our Faith, 87).
Doctrine & Covenants 10
“God’s Wisdom is Greater than the Devil’s”
Doctrine & Covenants 10:4
Sometimes overzealous effort without wisdom and patience
leads into errors. The emphasis is on diligence and direction
rather than on speed in climbing the path to exaltation.
A few in the Church are needlessly laden with programmed
hyperactivity. They are unwisely and unnecessarily exceed
their strength and means, running faster than they are
able. Their fatiguing, Martha-like anxiety should yield more
often to a Mary-like sense of proportion about what matters
most; then the good part will not be taken from them (Neal
A. Maxwell, Men and Women of Christ, 3).
Doctrine & Covenants 10:5
Pray Always!
A prayerful attitude coupled with constant formal
prayers is the source of power necessary to overcome
Satan and his servants.
Doctrine & Covenants 10:25
Pres. Kimball said, “Satan will use his logic to confuse
and his rationalizations to destroy. He will shade
meanings, open doors an inch at a time, and lead from
purest white through all the shades of gray, to the
darkest black” (Faith Precedes the Miracle, 152).
The scriptural advice, “Do not run
faster or labor more than you have
strength” suggest paced progress,
much as God used seven creative
periods in preparing man and this
earth. There is a difference,
therefore, between being “anxiously
engaged” and being over-anxious
(Neal A. Maxwell, Ensign, November
1976, 12-13).
Doctrine & Covenants 10:37
You cannot always judge the
righteous, or as you cannot always
tell the wicked from the righteous.
Compilation of the Book of
Mormon
Large Plates of Nephi
Made about 590 B.C. soon after arrival at the
promised land (1 Nephi 19:1-2).
Used mainly for secular history until small plates of
Nephi were filled in the days of Amaleki (Omni 1:30);
thereafter they were used for both secular and
religious history.
Small Plates of Nephi
Made about 570 B.C. (2 Nephi 5:28-32).
Contain the religious history of the Nephite
people from Nephi to Amaleki.
The book Words of Mormon was added to
the small plates of Nephi when they were
included with the plates of Mormon (Words
of Mormon 1:1-5).
Plates of Mormon
Consist of Mormon’s abridgment of the
large plates of Nephi. Mormon’s own
small book, which contained a more
extensive account of his life, was also
part of the large plates of Nephi. It was
abridged by him with the rest of the
large plates (Mormon 1:4; 2:17-18; 5:9).