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.

Salvation for the Dead

Section 137 is one of my favorite passages in all of the Doctrine and Covenants because of its amazing description of the Celestial Kingdom from the mouth of someone who saw it first hand. Although Joseph Smith’s words (or any other human expression for that matter) could never do justice to the beauty and magnificence that is found in this highest degree of glory, what he is able to provide is still strikingly powerful. He talks of “transcendent beauty…circling flames” (vs.2) as well as “a blazing throne” and streets “paved with gold” (vs. 3-4). The beauty and serenity is such that our mortal minds cannot imagine it.
To Joseph Smith, and I would have to agree with him, the true beauty lies beyond these physical characteristics. The miracle lies within the atonement of Christ and the resulting ability we’ll have to reunite with loved ones on the other side of the veil. As is expected, Joseph sees people such as Adam and Abraham in the Celestial Kingdom, but perhaps less expected is the vision of his parents and particularly his brother Alvin who had never been baptized in the church. This introduces the doctrine of the salvation for the dead. We are taught that those who do not get the chance to accept the gospel in this life will be given that chance in the next, and those who go through mortality without truly learning of Christ will gain this knowledge after death.
This doctrine has great importance to me. About thirty years ago, my parents met and fell in love. After getting married, they were introduced to the gospel and were eventually baptized before bringing my brothers and me into the world. They were the only members of both of their families to accept the gospel, and to this day, we are still alone in our decision. It would be a tragedy if I were to die and make it to the Celestial Kingdom but never be able to see my cousins, aunts, uncles, or grandparents ever again because they had not gained a testimony of the truth. It makes perfect sense that a loving Heavenly Father would provide a way for these people, equally as righteous and noble as any member of the church, to have eternal life in His presence. In section 137 of the Doctrine and Covenants, Heavenly Father relates this very idea to Joseph Smith: “All who have died without a knowledge of this gospel who would have received it…shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of God…For I the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts” (vs. 7-10). Our merciful Heavenly Father has made it so a righteous, humble, and honest person who goes through life with good intentions and faith can make it to His presence, whether they knew of His gospel or not. It is such a blessing and comfort to me to know that I will see my family and friends in the next life despite our differences in this one.

Special Collections

Just when I thought I had seen some of the best things at BYU, I was introduced to the Special Collections in the library. This area houses pioneer journals, stone carvings, metal plates from ancient Rome, Romantic era paintings, and countless other treasures. It was amazing to see and touch things from so long ago; some of the items there predate our civilization! My mind still has a hard time comprehending the significance of that amount of time.
When Brother Taylor read to us out of pioneer journals, he was reading out of the real journal rather than a Xeroxed copy. When he taught us about cuneiform, we got to see an ancient tablet with that exact writing rather than merely looking at a picture in a textbook. I was amazed at the various mediums that were written on such as papyrus, metal plates, animal skin, bones, and shells. I don’t think I can ever complain about having to type a paper again after imagining how hard it must have been to write on a metal sheet. Brother Taylor also showed a variety of ancient scripture that was almost a picture book it had so many fancy decoration, all of which seemed intact. Perhaps it’s just because I’m such a visual learner, but I was entranced at some of the things we saw!
Brother Taylor also shared many things with us concerning our course material in the Doctrine and Covenants. He emphasized the importance of an effective scribe, comparing the monks of the past to those men that helped Joseph Smith in translating the Book of Mormon including David Whitmer and Oliver Cowdry. Their countless hours of writing precious revelations from God have given modern society one of its most important treasures- the Book of Mormon. Those scribes knew the book to be true. Joseph’s relative lack of education is a testimony to the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon; what is found in those pages could never have been dreamed up and written by a young, unlearned man from New York.
Finally, we discussed the publishing of the Book of Mormon and Gutenberg’s printing press. I feel that God played a large influence on the timing of that invention in order to help the word of His gospel spread to the corners of the earth. It’s little things like that that remind me of a Heavenly Father that really has the best interest of His children in mind.
Overall, this experience opened my eyes to some great accomplishments of people of the past. I also gained a great appreciation for all the work done by those that have spent years preserving records that benefit us greatly. My testimony has been strengthened in Joseph Smith, his work, and the scripture we have as a result of his faithfulness.

Suffering: Hold On a Little Longer

President Uchtdorf gave a talk recently entitled “Hold On a Little Longer” about the early members of the church in Kirtland, some of the adversity they went through, and the spiritual lessons that pulled them through. While many people today won’t suffer as the saints did in Kirtland, we all go through difficult times when we feel that nothing could possibly make the situation worse, but as we come to know our Heavenly Father and his unfathomable love for us, it becomes clear that the trials and suffering we go through bring blessings. To see these blessings however, we need to turn to the Lord. When I am going through a hard time, it isn’t until I stop pitying myself and choose to draw near unto the Lord that I feel better; His spirit and love is what gets me through. As President Uchtdorf says, “That is when we need, more than ever, to draw near unto the Lord. As we do, we will come to know what it means to have the Lord draw near unto us. As we seek Him ever more diligently, we will surely find Him” (Ensign, January 2010, pg.7). By turning to the Lord, we get to know Him better and are able to establish a better relationship with Him.
Suffering also has the ability to strengthen testimonies. Suffering isn't just about getting through, but about learning. If we endure our trials well and look for growing opportunities, they will most certainly be presented. As I look back on times I have suffered and how I have been able to recover from those times, my testimony of a loving Heavenly Father who knows me personally grows. My testimony of an eternal plan of happiness in which I can live with my Father is strengthened. The sufferings I have faced have never been more than I was able to handle because I have a Father in Heaven that knows my limits and will not allow me to suffer anything beyond them, thus the suffering becomes a powerful learning experience. I also know that as I am learning and growing, I am preparing to return to live with my Heavenly Father where I can only experience joy. A return to His presence and the eternal joy that awaits there makes any amount of suffering in this life worth going through, for this life is only a small moment in my eternal existence.
In times of suffering and feeling discouraged or abandoned, I try to remember Elder Uchtdorf’s encouraging message of “Hold on a Little Longer”. I know for a fact that no mater how alone I feel, there is always someone there looking out for me and that is my Savior, Jesus Christ. He bled in the Garden of Gethsemane, not only for my sins, but also for my sufferings and heartaches. He knows what I am feeling and is always willing to help if I will only turn to Him and allow him to do so. His hands are always outstretched just waiting for us to reach out and hold on.

Revelation and Patriarchal Blessings

I know, without a doubt, that our Heavenly Father wants a personal relationship with all of His children, and that it is one of our main purposes on this earth to establish such a relationship. One of the ways we can witness God's love for us individually is through our patriarchal blessings. As I have been reading in the Doctrine and Covenants, I have noticed how similar my patriarchal blessing is to much of the revelation given in this great work, and it has only strengthened my knowledge that God knows me better than any one.
At age 16, shortly after moving to Bentonville, Arkansas, I went to receive my patriarchal blessing from a man I had never met. We talked casually for a few minutes before hand and I told him a little about myself, but as he was giving me my blessing, he said things about me and acknowledged some of my character traits that I hadn't told him and there was no way he could have known. It was made very clear to me that this message could not be coming from this man I hardly knew, but rather it was coming directly from my all-knowing Heavenly Father. This also highlights another key similarity- the revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants, just as my patriarchal blessing, come straight from God through a worthy mediator. In the case of the Doctrine and Covenants, Joseph Smith received these revelations through the Spirit which was only present when he was worthy of it. The same idea applies to the Patriarch; he can only be inspired as to what he should say when he is living worth to have the Spirit's companionship.
My favorite part about my Patriarchal blessing, which is also true of revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants, is the individuality of each blessing. Multiple times, God mentions people by name and speaks directly to them for a while. That is such an amazing blessing, and it proves to me, more than anything else, the great power of God in His ability to know each of his children better than we know our closest friends. Heavenly Father uses this great knowledge for our benefit. In D&C 103:1 it reads, "...I give unto you a revelation and commandment, that you may know how to act in the discharge of your duties concerning... salvation and redemption". Although He is speaking of His revelations to Joseph Smith and those reading His words, this also applies to patriarchal blessings. They act as a road map or list of potential blessings that depend entirely on our righteousness.
One possible difference between Doctrine and Covenants revelations and patriarchal blessings is the amount of information given. In various verses of scripture, we read of people being told where they will serve missions or what future callings they will have. While we may not find these details in patriarchal blessings, we do find great advice as to how to prepare for such events and then it is our responsibility to act on that counsel.