Come, Follow Me Insights by Gogo Goff Doctrine and Covenants 29

I hope you enjoy some insights from my Come, Follow Me for Doctrine and Covenants 29. If you missed last week’s insight, Doctrine and Covenants 27-28 click here for it. Please share this with your friends or use this picture to save this pin to read later.

Videos, articles, and insights for this weeks study of Come Follow Me Doctrine and Covenants 29: by Jeremy Goff, aka Gogo Goff

Christ is calling us!

“Listen to the voice of Jesus Christ, your Redeemer, the Great I Am, whose arm of mercy hath atoned for your sins; Who will gather his people even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, even as many as will hearken to my voice and humble themselves before me, and call upon me in mighty prayer.”
Doctrine and Covenants 29:1-2

One of the marvelous aspects of the Doctrine and Covenants is that it was written often as communication directly between Jesus Christ and the prophet Joseph Smith. And it contains a lot of direct communication with God. The Christian world has the ‘red letter bible’ where all the words of God are in red. If the Doctrine and Covenants attempted to put all the words of Christ in red almost every verse in section 29 would be in red! My mind goes to the words of one of my favorite hymns. “Israel, Israel, God is calling, Calling thee from lands of woe.” The one question is will we harken to Him?

"What would he do even now for America if this nation would truly accept him! What would he do for England, for Mexico, for Scandinavia, for Germany, for the Orient, for South America, and for all peoples if they would turn to him, repent of their transgressions, and accept his divine invitation!" Mark E. Petersen — “What would he do even now for America if this nation would truly accept him! What would he do for England, for Mexico, for Scandinavia, for Germany, for the Orient, for South America, and for all peoples if they would turn to him, repent of their transgressions, and accept his divine invitation!”
Mark E. Petersen

Is Final Judgement, Final?

“And now, behold, I say unto you, never at any time have I declared from mine own mouth that they should return, for where I am they cannot come, for they have no power.”
Doctrine and Covenants 29:29

There is a doctrine spread among members of the Church that after final judgment people can still progress from kingdom to kingdom with everyone enjoying the blessings of the faithful, IE no matter where you are sent at judgment day everyone will be able to have eternal increase, no one will truly be damned. Even those who are cast out will eventually become exalted. Supporters of this doctrine quote an obscure passage here, or use logic or philosophies there, but can not point to a clear authoritative declaration that such movement between kingdoms is doctrinally based. But here in Doctrine and Covenants 29:29, Christ speaks of final judgment and the notion that people can return to his presence after they have been sent away at Judgement day and clearly says that He has NEVER at ANY TIME declared they should return.

There is safety in avoiding skinny doctrine, IE, doctrine that is not repeatedly taught in the scriptures and over the pulpit of general conference. But rather is it some obscure hidden doctrine that only ‘special people’ know about. Elder Neil L. Andersen denounced skinny doctrine in October 2012 general conference when he taught, “There is an important principle that governs the doctrine of the Church. The doctrine is taught by all 15 members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve. It is not hidden in an obscure paragraph of one talk. True principles are taught frequently and by many. Our doctrine is not difficult to find.”

"There is an important principle that governs the doctrine of the Church. The doctrine is taught by all 15 members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve. It is not hidden in an obscure paragraph of one talk. True principles are taught frequently and by many. Our doctrine is not difficult to find." Neil L. Andersen

ALL Children Are Saved.

“But behold, I say unto you, that little children are redeemed from the foundation of the world through mine Only Begotten;” Doctrine and Covenants 29:46

My first nephew died only a few minutes after he was born, I remember holding his little body…I can still close my eyes and see the hospital room. God must save children. I’ve heard of people of other churches teaching that children who die before they’re baptized won’t be saved to that I reply with. I can not believe in a God who punishes innocent babies, that is not a God of Love, but a god of hate.

This verse teaches us the truth, God is love, and He loves ALL of His children, and those little children who die before the age of accountability will be saved. But not just saved, they will not be denied ANY blessing. President Joseph Fielding Smith taught:

“Joseph Smith taught the doctrine that the infant child that was laid away in death would come up in the resurrection as a child; and, pointing to the mother of a lifeless child, he said to her: ‘You will have the joy, the pleasure, and satisfaction of nurturing this child, after its resurrection, until it reaches the full stature of its spirit.’ There is restitution, there is growth, there is development, after the resurrection from death. I love this truth. It speaks volumes of happiness, of joy and gratitude to my soul. Thank the Lord he has revealed these principles to us.” (Gospel Doctrine, pp. 455–56.)

Truly God is a loving and just God! I love the words of Bruce R. McConkie about little children who pass away: “Jesus loves and blesses children. They are the companions of angels. They shall be saved. Of such is the kingdom of heaven.”