My Come Follow Me studies for this week took me to Doctrine and Covenants 67-70 in a lesson titled “Worth … the Riches of the Whole Earth.” The lesson was introduced by the following paragraphs:
From 1828 to 1831, the Prophet Joseph Smith received many
revelations from the Lord, including divine counsel for individuals,
instructions on governing the Church, visions of the latter days, and many
inspiring truths of eternity. But many of the Saints hadn’t read them. The
revelations weren’t yet published, and the few available copies were
handwritten on loose sheets that were circulated among members and carried
around by missionaries.
Then, in November 1831, Joseph called a council of Church
leaders to discuss publishing the revelations. After seeking the Lord’s will,
these leaders made plans to publish the Book of Commandments—the precursor to
today’s Doctrine and Covenants. Soon everyone would be able to read for
themselves the word of God revealed through a living prophet, vivid evidence
that “the keys of the mysteries of the kingdom of our Savior are again
entrusted to man.” For these and many other reasons, Saints then and now consider
these revelations to be “worth … the riches of the whole Earth” (Doctrine and
Covenants 70), section heading).
This scripture block contained several principles, including (1) The Lord’s servants speak His will when moved upon by the Holy Ghost (Doctrine and Covenants 67:1-9; 68:3-6), (2) “Continue in patience” (Doctrine and Covenants 67:10-14, (3) I can help center my home on Jesus Christ (Doctrine and Covenants 68:25-31), (4) “True and faithful” friends help me follow Jesus Christ (Doctrine and Covenants 69:1), and (5) I am accountable for the revelations the Lord has given (Doctrine and Covenants 70:1-4). This essay will discuss principle #3 about centering our homes on Jesus Christ.
The Lord’s Counsel to Parents
The Lord’s words in Doctrine and Covenants 68:25-31 refer
specifically to parents, but the counsel is good for everyone who is willing to
center their home on the doctrine of Jesus Christ. The applicable scripture
verses are as follows:
25 And again, inasmuch as parents have
children in Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized, that teach them
not to understand the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the Son
of the living God, and of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying
on of the hands, when eight years old, the sin be upon the
heads of the parents.
26 For this shall be a law unto the inhabitants of
Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized.
27 And their children shall be baptized for
the remission of their sins when eight years old, and
receive the laying on of the hands.
28 And they shall also teach their
children to pray, and to walk uprightly before the Lord.
29 And the inhabitants of Zion shall
also observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy.
30 And the inhabitants of Zion also
shall remember their labors, inasmuch as they are appointed to labor, in
all faithfulness; for the idler shall be had in remembrance before
the Lord.
Principles to Be Taught in Homes
In the
above verses, the Lord teaches several principles that should be taught in the
home. Each of the principles can be part of the foundation of a Christ-centered
home – part of your current home or your future home.
·
Repentance:
Alma the Younger
was blessed at a particularly critical time in his life when he remembered the
words that his father had taught him about the Savior’s atoning mission (see Alma
36:17-20; see also 2 Nephi 25:26).
·
Faith
in Christ: President
Russell M. Nelson gave five suggestions for developing faith:
“First,
study. Become an engaged learner. Immerse yourself in the scriptures to
understand better Christ’s mission and ministry. Know the doctrine of Christ so
that you understand its power for your life. Internalize the truth that the
Atonement of Jesus Christ applies to you….”
“Second,
choose to believe in Jesus Christ. If you have doubts about God
the Father and His Beloved Son or the validity of the Restoration or the veracity
of Joseph Smith’s divine calling as a prophet, choose to believe and
stay faithful. Take your questions to the Lord and to other faithful sources.
Study with the desire to believe rather than with the hope that you can
find a flaw in the fabric of a prophet’s life or a discrepancy in the scriptures.
Stop increasing your doubts by rehearsing them with other doubters. Allow the
Lord to lead you on your journey of spiritual discovery.”
“Third,
act in faith. What would you do if you had more faith? Think
about it. Write about it. Then receive more faith by doing something that
requires more faith.
“Fourth,
partake of sacred ordinances worthily. Ordinances unlock the power of
God for your life.
“And fifth, ask your Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, for help (Nelson, “Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains”).
·
Baptism:
Alma taught the
baptismal covenant to some of the Nephite people in his day and the importance
of accepting it. This covenant is described in Mosiah 18:8-10, 13.
8 And it came to pass that he said
unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called)
and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God,
and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens,
that they may be light;
9 Yea, and are willing to
mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of
comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all
things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be
redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection,
that ye may have eternal life—
10 Now I say unto you, if this be the
desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of
the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with
him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his
Spirit more abundantly upon you?
13 And when he had said these words,
the Spirit of the Lord was upon him, and he said: Helam, I baptize
thee, having authority from the Almighty God, as a testimony that ye
have entered into a covenant to serve him until you are dead as to
the mortal body; and may the Spirit of the Lord be poured out upon you; and may
he grant unto you eternal life, through the redemption of Christ, whom he has
prepared from the foundation of the world.
·
Gift
of the Holy Ghost: For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices gives two ways to invite the influence
of the Holy Ghost into our homes: (1) “Repent. Turn to the Lord with the
desire to improve. When you’ve done something wrong, honestly admit it before
God and, as needed, to your bishop and anyone you may have harmed. Do your best
to make things right.” (2) Rejoice in the gift to do better and be better. Even
when it is not easy and takes longer than you’d like, never stop trying. Keep
working and trusting in the Lord. The Savior will help you every step of the
way.”
· Prayer: The Savior taught about the power of prayer in the home. A children’s song titled “Love Is Spoken Here” (Children’s Songbook, 190-91) teaches about the influence that watching a mother and/or father in prayer can have on children. Other promised blessings can be found in 3 Nephi 18:15-21.
1.
(Girls) I see my mother kneeling with our family each day.
I
hear the words she whispers as she bows her head to pray.
Her
plea to the Father quiets all my fears,
And
I am thankful love is spoken here.
2.
(Boys) Mine is a home where ev’ry hour is blessed by the strength of priesthood
pow’r,
With
father and mother leading the way,
Teaching
me how to trust and obey;
And
the things they teach are crystal clear,
For
love is spoken here.
3.
(3rd ending) I can often feel the Savior near
When
love is spoken here.
· Other principles can be found in Doctrine and Covenants 68:25-31 and “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.”
No comments:
Post a Comment