Latter-day Saint Pioneers and the Children of Israel

When reading of the Latter-day Saint trek west to Utah, I noticed many similarities with the House of Israel’s exodus in the Old Testament. The most obvious of these similarities is found in D&C 136: 22, which reads, “I am he who led the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; and my arm is stretched out in the last days”. This clearly states that, despite their differences, the hand pushing both groups of people and leading the way to their new land is the Lord. Perhaps the reasoning behind His intervention is the same as well. In the same chapter in the Doctrine and Covenants, it reads, “My people must be tried in all thing, that they may be prepared to receive the glory I have for them…that his eyes may be opened that he may see, and his ears opened that he may hear (vs. 31-32)”. God led these people through many hardships and challenges in order to unite and strengthen them and that they might gain knowledge.

A more specific commonality between the saints journey west and the children of Israel is the organization of their travel. Exodus 18:20-22 and Doctrine and Covenants 136:1-6 both show that the people were organized in companies with captains over certain amounts of people to maintain order. It was the responsibility of these captains as well as all the saints to live in accordance with the commandments of Christ, and both of these references speak of teaching the people of the laws of the Lord. By being reminded of the Lord’s role in their journey, I think it would have helped them push through the difficult times.

Finally, another similarity is the promise of blessings if they, “ do this with a pure heart (D&C 136:11)” and “obey [the Lord’s] voice (Exodus 19:5)”. The saints were promised lands and prosperity, while the children of Israel were promised to become a peculiar, or special, people. While these blessings are different, they are both a result of the righteousness and faith of the people.

Crandall Printing Museum

This week, I had the opportunity to tour the Crandall Printing Museum in Provo. It is the most complete museum of it’s kind in the country and houses multiple functioning printing presses, authentic décor, and very capable and experienced printers. First, we learned the effects of the invention of the printing press by Gutenberg- what previously took months of labor and lots of literate workers could now be copied multiple times in much less time. It still surprised me how long it would take to complete a page, however, and I was amazed at the intricacies involved. As I watched a page get set, inked, and printed I was amazed at the amount of thought and trial and error that must have gone into creating such a machine. I have a new respect for those who had to dig through letters not much larger than a bobby pin to find the right ones and then proceed to organize them into sentences upside-down and backwards. I can only imagine the headache that would give me after a matter of minutes. Despite it’s difficult nature, this hard work ushered in a whole new world of learning and sharing.

It was also interesting to get the church point of view on how the printing press assisted in its founding and growth. Our tour guide is certain, as am I, that the invention of the printing press was no coincidence. In it’s early years, it enabled hundreds of people to obtain their own bible to keep in their homes and study, and decades later it worked hard to create 5,000 copies of the Book of Mormon to assist Joseph Smith in spreading the new word. I was fascinated to learn that in the printing of the Book of Mormon, the workers averaged two pages a minute for seven months! That pace is hard to maintain for 10 minutes let alone day in and day out for seven months! I have no doubt that God gave those boys extra strength to help them accomplish their task. This rapid pace allowed for a huge quantity of books to be printed and bound in a seemingly impossible amount of time- a feat not even considered by early monk scribes. I know that God had a hand in this work in order to get His church established when He wanted it to be. To this day, the church takes advantage of the evolved forms of publication to spread its message to all the corners of the earth.

The Teachings of Joseph Smith

Once Joseph Smith is out of Liberty Jail and has returned to the saints in Nauvoo, IL, we see a decrease in the number of direct revelations from the Lord (“thus sayeth the Lord” revelations) and an increase in teaching and sermons by the prophet himself. Some of these teachings from the Nauvoo period, however, are found in the Doctrine and Covenants as canonized scripture.

The reason we don’t see earlier teaching of the prophet in the Doctrine and Covenants is largely because we don’t have copies of them. Only 10% of his teachings are documented and most of these are just a few sentences describing the subject matter with only a few being the sermon itself. In addition, the Prophet Joseph didn’t teach nearly as many sermons before his incarceration at Liberty Jail. The experiences he had there and his strengthened relationship with the Father molded him into the powerful public speaker he was after he was released.

Still, why are some of his teachings printed as scripture next to direct revelations from Heavenly Father? Sections 127-131 in the Doctrine and Covenants are all epistles and sermons of Joseph Smith and as we read them, perhaps we can get an answer to this question. At this point in the churches history, God has revealed a great deal of His doctrine and ordinances to His children, thus we see a drop in the number of direct revelations. People still need to be taught these doctrines as they progress spiritually, however, so letters and sermons from the prophet are not surprising and these writings contain further instructions and explanations not known to the public of the church. For example, Joseph prepared multiple sermons with further information regarding baptisms for the dead. This is a new commandment for the saints so his teachings become a primary source of knowledge. It is natural, then, that they would be published in the scriptures for the enrichment of the members of the church.

Most importantly, even though these sermons aren’t coming directly from the mouth of Heavenly Father, they are still inspired by His spirit. All of Joseph’s teachings were in accordance with the will of the Father concerning His children and have thus been made available to all those who desire to read them.

Organization of the Church

This weeks reading from the Joseph Smith Papers was about the organization of the High Priests in the church. While I was fascinated with all the details concerning the councils of the priesthood, I was more excited about the implications it had in a broader sense. We read all throughout the Book of Mormon that God is a God of order and wants His church to function likewise. The various division and rules concerning the High Priests is a testimony to me that it comes from God. Order allows the church to function with as few problems as possible and allows for its rapidly growing number of members to all be cared for.

The organization established through Joseph Smith in February 1834 is still present today and allows for the church to continue to progress. Joseph says that the function of the high priests was to “settle important difficulties which might arise in the church which could not be settles by the church…to the satisfaction of the parties” (Joseph Smith Papers 639). Through the reading, it is also apparent that the High Priests are organized in a way that doesn’t allow anyone too much power. There are rules concerning majorities in voting as well as allowances for questioning the verdict and freedom to disagree with decisions made. The revelation also commands the members of the council to make decisions that will be best for all those involved with the ultimate purpose of bringing people to Christ. As a regular member of the church, I don’t necessarily see all the workings of the High Priests but I am definitely aware of their contribution to the church and its stability. It’s a blessing to know that this office was created because of revelation given to Joseph Smith and its workings are dictated by continued revelation and carried out by faithful priesthood holders.

A Trip to the Museum of Art

This week we were able to go to the Museum of Art on BYU campus to see the Types and Shadows: Intimations of Divinity exhibit. Due to the short amount of time we had there, I went back on Saturday so I could walk through the whole exhibit at my own pace. It was interesting to see so many images relating to Christ, some in obvious ways, others in more metaphorical ways. On both of my trips to the museum, there were two paintings that stood out to me and I felt a special connection to.
The first of these paintings was Exchange No. 8 by Ron Richmond. We didn’t pause here long enough the first trip for me to really notice it, but when I returned this was the one that really caught my eye. As shown above, it depicts two chairs, one upright, the other fallen, draped in white and red cloths respectively. The symbolism here is simple but I found it profound and very moving. The upright chair, representing Christ, also symbolizes the mercy seat and judgment of Christ draped in a white cloth of purity and perfection. Bowed at His feat is the fallen chair representing us as humans draped in a red cloth of sin and blood. When I look at this painting, I see the atonement of Christ. As humans, we are imperfect and stained by our sins but as we kneel at the feet of our Savior our sins will be washed away as it says in Isaiah 1:18.
The second painting, Man of Sorrows by Christopher Young, amazed me with its picture-like quality. As we discussed this painting during our tour, we were presented with many possible interpretations. The one I saw most clearly was that this was the mortal Christ; while His body is of Godly perfection, he is wearing the simple clothing of a mortal being rather than being clothed in the full robes we often see him wearing in pictures after the resurrection. I see the mortal Christ bearing the weight of a figurative cross symbolizing the task he knows he must complete at the conclusion of his mortal ministry. I see my Savior going forth in service and charity despite the awful fate that death that awaits Him and it is a confirmation to me that he loves us each more than we can fathom. Something I never would have noticed if it hadn’t been pointed out was the position of his left hand on the cross. It looks as if he is playing a stringed instrument such as a violin. It is a very relaxed pose, again showing how He views His task on earth- that it is out of love for each of us.
In addition to these two paintings, there were numerous others that represented wonderfully the life and mission of Christ. It was the kind of exhibit that made you think and make your own connections to the work of art. As I walked through, I felt a love and appreciation for my Savior as well as the artists that took the time to help remind me of the wonderful things He did for me.

Revelation to the first Elders of the church

In a revelation given in December of 1832 to the first elders of the church, God speaks of two different comforters that his apostles of old received and that he was now bestowing upon those present. The first of these comforters, the Holy Ghost, I was not surprised to learn of, but the second one caught me a little by surprise. As it reads in the revelation, “this comforter is the promise which I gave unto you of eternal life, even the glory of the Celestial Kingdom” (pg. 293). What an amazing comforter that would be! To make it to the Celestial Kingdom, a place for the holiest of all Gods children, is my central purpose in life and my motivation to keep the commandments God has given me.
Throughout the rest of this revelation, the Lord speaks of the Kingdoms of Heaven as well as the return of Christ to the earth. We learn that we will be a part of whichever kingdom we are worthy to enter based on our actions, thoughts, words, and deeds here on earth, but we must also accept the blessings that come with this kingdom, for what good does it do a man to be given a gift only to turn it down? While this seems like a basic instinct, to receive a gift, it is amazing how many times in this mortal life we reject the gifts and blessing of God, sometimes unintentionally. As we keep our thoughts in tune with the Holy Spirit, we will be more able to recognize these gifts and blessings and to open our heart to them. I learned through reading this revelation how important it is for me to be more aware and receptive to the promptings of the Spirit so that I may receive the blessing God has in store for me.
As the revelation comes to a close, the Lord leaves a series of commandments to the first elders of the church, many of which I feel I could work on. He says to “purify your hearts and clean your hands and feet before me that I may make you clean” (pg. 301). I learned of the importance of cleaning ourselves from both our own sins as well as the sins of the world before we are worthy and capable of receiving revelation from God. As I go through my day, I hope to remember Christ and strive to live worthy of the presence of His spirit.
Finally, we learn of the second coming and the reign of the Lord on the earth. As a result of reading this part of the revelation, I know that I need to start preparing now for the second coming of the Lord so that I may be part of the first group to ascend to meet Him at the sound of the first trump. The time is short, and I have much to do to prepare, but this revelation put into perspective for me the importance of readying myself to meet my Savior.

Liberty Jail and the Prophet Joseph Smith

In 1838, at the height of the Great Apostasy when many important leaders were leaving the church, Joseph Smith was arrested and thrown in Liberty Jail. Although it was a great learning period for the church as it found ways to survive without its prophet, it was also a period of great growth for Joseph Smith. The prison bars may have separated him from his fellow saints but they seemed to bring him close to God. The prophesies seen in sections 121-123 of the Doctrine and Covenants show this growth.
First, Joseph Smith gained a greater eternal perspective regarding his suffering and the grace of God. This is easily seen in both sections 121 and 122. In Doctrine and Covenants 121:7-8 it reads, “peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; and if thou endure it well…thou shalt triumph over all they foes”. I try and picture Joseph being in a prison cell so small he can’t even stand up straight, eating food that is quite possibly poisoned, and quickly losing hope of seeing his family again. Then I think of the great comfort this revelation must have brought to him. God is teaching Joseph that the things that seem horrible in this moment are really small compared to the grand eternal plan and that they must be endured well. Besides a greater eternal perspective, I think that Joseph learned to accept God’s will and was reminded of the suffering of others including Christ’s pains as he hung on the cross. This idea is further explored in section 122: 8 where it states, “The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?”. I find this verse as a great comfort to me when I feel the forces of evil knocking at my door. It is a reminder that God triumphs over all so I, just like Joseph Smith, should not fear the world.
Perhaps a more noticeable change in Joseph Smith was his seeming increase in confidence in public speaking. Before his imprisonment in 1839, people such as Parley P. Pratt and Sidney Rigdon often did the majority of public speaking and preaching in the church due to Joseph Smith’s lesser orating skills. After his Liberty Jail experience, however, Joseph Smith is recorded to have given numerous talks preaching and teaching the doctrine given in previous revelations. There are records of extremely powerful and moving talks given by this man that was previously considered a weak speaker. I believe this change occurred when Joseph was brought closer to God than he ever had been before. As he got to know the mercy of his Father in Heaven and learned better his role in the great spreading of the church, he was blessed with the ability to speak powerfully about the gospel he was about to sacrifice his life for. Joseph Smith’s whole experience in Liberty Jail shows how God and His gospel can change human character more than any earthly force.