I hope you enjoy some insights from my Come, Follow Me for Doctrine and Covenants 106-108 If you missed last week’s insight, for Doctrine and Covenants 102-105 click here for it. Please share this with your friends or use this picture to save this pin to read later:
Becoming Children of LIGHT.
Therefore, gird up your loins, that you may be the children of light, and that day shall not overtake you as a thief.
Doctrine and Covenants 106:5
We are Children of God. The offspring of Deity. And as such we have divine nature instilled in us before our birth. President Spencer W. Kimball taught that “Man has in himself the seeds of godhood, which can germinate and grow and develop. As the acorn becomes the oak, the mortal man becomes a god.”
One of these divine attributes we are vested with from our Parentage is the desire to seek after Light. For, after all, our Father in Heaven is, according to James 1:17 a “Father of lights.”
Whereas there is Divinity in our DNA, to attain it we must seek it, we crave it, and come unto Jesus Christ, to fully active our Devine potential. Becoming a Child of the Light is to understand our heritage, to fully accept and honor the rights, privileges, and duties that come with being Children of God. When we do this, we choose the light, and light cleaveth unto light and we will find even greater light until the perfect day. In plain English, we will will chose Christ, become like him, and one day, be perfected in Him. Seeking light is akin to seeking Christ. And in the words of Elder Mark A. Bragg “Seeking the light is in our spiritual DNA.”
Priesthood Succession.
“And they [The Twelve] form a quorum, equal in authority and power to the three presidents [The First Presidency] previously mentioned.”
Doctrine and Covenants 107:24
Often people wonder what happens when the President and Prophet of the Church dies. It is quite simple. 4 things happen.
1st. Immediately upon the death of the Prophet, his counselors are released and the first presidency dissolves and they return to their position within the Quorum of the 12 Apostles.
(Temporarily making it more than 12).
2nd. The Quorum of the 12 Apostles leads the church. And the President of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles becomes the acting Prophet and President of the Church.
3rd. All the Apostles all called to gather together for a solemn assembly where every Apostle fasts, prays, and when they have all received a confirmation they unanimously sustain the President of the Quorum of the 12 as the next Prophet, Seer, and Revelator of the church. All of the Apostles then lay their hands on his head and set him apart.
*During the early years of the Church, the time between steps 2 and 3 was sometimes years.*
4th. The new Prophet then selects counselors from the worthy Melekzideck Priesthood holders for the Church. Whereas there are normally only 2 counselors there have been times where there were more. David O. McKay had 5, Spencer Kimball had 3, and Brigham Young had 8! Often he calls them from the Quorum of the 12. Although it is not required.
*If the called counselor is not an apostle, he can either be ordained one (as in the case of J. Reuben Clark) or they can simply be called into the First Presidency without becoming an apostle (as in the case of Charles W. Nibley and John R. Winder both were never set apart as apostles). But regardless of their apostleship, all members of the First Presidency are still sustained as prophets, seers, and revelators, but when the prophet dies if a counselor has not been ordained as an apostle and joined the twelve previously, he is released and does not join the twelve as in the case of Alvin R. Dyer who returned to being an assistant to the 12. Whereas these examples are of the exception, normally it is an apostle that is called as a counselor in the First Presidency.
Once all 4 steps have been completed there is a press conference from SLC to announce the new Prophet and First Presidency.
For more on this topic see this article about the passing of President Monson, “The 5 Things That Will Happen With The Passing Of President Monson” and also this talk by President N. Eldon Tanner’ where details of the events after the death of Harold B. Lee “Administration of the Restored Church“
Being careful in keeping our covenants.
“And arise up and be more careful henceforth in observing your vows, which you have made and do make, and you shall be blessed with exceeding great blessings.”
Doctrine and Covenants 108:3
I love section 108. Brother Lyman Sherman requested it from Joseph Smith. He had repented of his sins and was seeking the word and will of the Lord. I love how the Lord starts by saying your sins are forgiven. Then says stop worrying about it! But here in verse three, it is my favorite.
The Lord basically tells him, be more careful in keeping your covenants! How often do we actually and actively think “Am I being careful in keeping this covenant?” Am I avoiding the edge of the cliff or am I walking as close as I can while getting away with it? Which way is more careful? In all ways, apply the counsel of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “If you have made covenants, keep them. If you haven’t made them, make them. If you have made them and broken them, repent and repair them.”