I hope you enjoy some insights from my Come, Follow Me for Doctrine and Covenants 84, If you missed last week’s insight, for Doctrine and Covenants 81-83 click here for it. Please share this with your friends or use this picture to save this pin to read later:
The Temple and the Priesthood.
“Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest.”
Doctrine and Covenants 84:20
The Melchizedek Priesthood is unique, whereas the Aaronic Priesthood holds the keys for the ordinances of Salvation, the Melchizedek Priesthood holds the keys for the ordinances of exaltation. The Melchizedek Priesthood is on full display in only one place, the temple.
As you read section 84 I invite you to ponder about how much of it actually relates to the ordinances of the temple and how we all obtain the blessings of the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthood and enter into covenants to receive all that the Father has.
“The Lord loves to do His own teaching in His holy house. Imagine how pleased He would be if you asked Him to teach you about priesthood keys, authority, and power as you experience the ordinances of the Melchizedek Priesthood in the holy temple.”
Russell M. Nelson
Receiving the Second Comforter.
“For without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live.”
Doctrine and Covenants 84:22
One of the most repeated themes and promises of the Doctrine and Covenants is that we can seek and receive the face of the Lord. This is a bold doctrine that man can see the face of God! But any student of the Bible knows that this is a blessing that many of the Saints in the Old and in the New Testament received. Seeing Jesus Christ in this life is a quest that all members should strive for. Within the gospel context, it actually has a name. Seeing the Savior is referred to as receiving the second comforter. On this topic Joseph Smith taught:
“After a person has faith in Christ, repents of his sins, and is baptized for the remission of his sins and receives the Holy Ghost (by the laying on of hands), which is the first Comforter, then let him continue to humble himself before God, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, and living by every word of God, and the Lord will soon say unto him, Son, thou shalt be exalted. When the Lord has thoroughly proved him, and finds that the man is determined to serve Him at all hazards, then the man will find his calling and his election made sure, then it will be his privilege to receive the other Comforter, which the Lord hath promised the Saints, as is recorded in the testimony of St. John, in the 14th chapter, from the 12th to the 27th verses.
Now what is this other Comforter? It is no more nor less than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself; when any man obtains this last Comforter, he will have the personage of Jesus Christ to attend him, or appear unto him from time to time, and even He will manifest the Father unto him, and they will take up their abode with him, and the visions of the heavens will be opened unto him, and the Lord will teach him face to face, and he may have a perfect knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God; and this is the state and place the ancient Saints arrived at when they had such glorious visions-Isaiah, Ezekiel, John upon the Isle of Patmos, St. Paul in the three heavens, and all the Saints who held communion with the general assembly and Church of the First Born”
TPJS, pp. 150-51 (Bold and Italics added)
We are NOT called to reclaim the Anti-Mormons.
“And whoso receiveth not my voice is not acquainted with my voice, and is not of me.”
Doctrine and Covenants 84:52
I get lots of hate mail and messages from Anti-Mormons, I’ve dealt a lot with them. I see people trying to rationalize with them all the time and they ask me for advice. My advice is always someone of a shock. Don’t. It is not worth it. We are called to gather those who will hear His voice. The Anti-Mormons are in open rebellion against His voice. It is NOT our job to reclaim them. We love them. We testify. But then the caravan moves on.
The Church is like a great caravan—organized, prepared, following an appointed course, with its captains of tens and captains of hundreds all in place.
What does it matter if a few barking dogs snap at the heels of the weary travelers? Or that predators claim those few who fall by the way? The caravan moves on.
Bruce R. McConkie, “The Caravan Moves On” Oct 1984
Remembering the Book of Mormon
“And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written”
Doctrine and Covenants 84:57
When was the last time you read the Book of Mormon cover to cover? Have you ever? In this verse, the early Saints were called to repentance by the Lord over their negligence and attitude towards the Book of Mormon. Would the Lord hold us under the same condemnation? Harken to the words of Ezra Taft Benson on this subject:
Unless we read the Book of Mormon and give heed to its teachings, the Lord has stated in section 84 of the Doctrine and Covenants that the whole Church is under condemnation: “And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.” (D&C 84:56.) The Lord continues: “And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written.” (D&C 84:57.)
Now we not only need to say more about the Book of Mormon, but we need to do more with it. Why? The Lord answers: “That they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father’s kingdom; otherwise there remaineth a scourge and judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion.” (D&C 84:58.) We have felt that scourge and judgment!
Ezra Taft Benson, “Cleansing the Inner Vessel” April 1986
Pairing the strong with the weak.
“And if any man among you be strong in the Spirit, let him take with him him that is weak, that he may be edified in all meekness, that he may become strong also.”
Doctrine and Covenants 84:106
This is a verse people misunderstand in the Church. The principle is simple enough, passion is contagious. Does someone have a passion for Family History? They are great to have on the Family History committee to fire everyone up. Have a brother who is an All-Star ministering brother? Pair him up with someone who is not to get the fire started in another brother.
But there is something that we often overlook. WILLINGNESS. This verse is talking to those who are called to labor in the last days. It’s not a verse about convincing people to labor, it is to those called to the work. When you pair someone who has fire and willingness, with someone who lacks the fire but who is willing to work THAT is when the magic happens. Far too often we take the most capable people and pair them with the unwilling. When we do this they either burn out of the fire does not spread. If we were to follow this verse we would find the willing, and then pair the strong and the weak and watch as they grow until both of the willing are strong.
Now, sometimes it is a good idea to take someone who has the fire and pair them with someone who lacks the fire and is barely willing. In this case, communication is key. You need to explain that the main goal is to help his companion catch fire. Far too many times I’ve seen strong people burn out because they are given a large workload and unwilling companions. If you want them to do a large load, give them a willing companion, if you want them to set fire to a companion, then give them a light load.