My Come Follow Me Studies for this week took me to Doctrine and Covenants 88 in a lesson titled “Establish … a House of God.” The lesson was introduced by the following information.
Every
so often, the Lord gives us a glimpse of His boundless “majesty and power” (Doctrine and
Covenants 88:47) through stunning revelations. Doctrine and
Covenants 88 is that kind of revelation—one about light
and glory and kingdoms that can make our earthly cares seem small by
comparison. Even if we can’t comprehend it all, we can at least sense that
there’s far more to eternity than we ever realized. Of course, the Lord doesn’t
share these grand truths to intimidate us or make us feel small. In fact, He
promised, “The day shall come when you shall comprehend even God” (verse 49;
emphasis added). Perhaps it was to that glorious end that the Lord commanded
His Saints in Kirtland to form the School of the Prophets. “Organize
yourselves,” He said. “Prepare every needful thing; and establish … a house of
God” (verse 119).
More than anywhere else, it is within God’s holy house—and in our homes—that He
can lift our vision beyond the mortal world, “unveil his face unto [us],” and
prepare us to “abide a celestial glory” (verses
68, 22).
Doctrine and Covenants 88 teaches numerous principles, including (1) Jesus Christ offers me peace (Doctrine and Covenants 88), (2) Light and law come from Jesus Christ (Doctrine and Covenants 88:6-67), (3) “Draw near unto me” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:62-64), (4) I can become clean through the Atonement of Jesus Christ (Doctrine and Covenants 88:67-76), and (5) “Seek learning, even by study and also by faith” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:77-80, 118-26). This essay will discuss the last principle about education and will start by sharing the applicable verses (Doctrine and Covenants 88:77-80, 118-126).
77 And I give unto you a commandment
that you shall teach one another the doctrine of the
kingdom.
78 Teach ye diligently and my grace shall
attend you, that you may be instructed more perfectly in theory,
in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in
all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to
understand;
79 Of things both in heaven and
in the earth, and under the earth; things which have been,
things which are, things which must shortly come to pass;
things which are at home, things which are abroad; the wars
and the perplexities of the nations, and the judgments which
are on the land; and a knowledge also of countries and of kingdoms—
[Emphasis added.]
80 That ye may be prepared in all
things when I shall send you again to magnify the calling
whereunto I have called you, and the mission with which I have
commissioned you.
118 And as all have not faith,
seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom;
yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning,
even by study and also by faith.
119 Organize yourselves;
prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a
house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a
house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a
house of God;
120 That your incomings may
be in the name of the Lord; that your outgoings may be in the name of the Lord;
that all your salutations may be in the name of the Lord, with uplifted hands
unto the Most High.
121 Therefore, cease from all
your light speeches, from all laughter, from all your lustful desires,
from all your pride and light-mindedness, and from all your wicked
doings.
122 Appoint among yourselves a teacher,
and let not all be spokesmen at once; but let one speak at a
time and let all listen unto his sayings, that when all have spoken that
all may be edified of all, and that every man may have an equal
privilege.
123 See that ye love one
another; cease to be covetous; learn to impart one to another
as the gospel requires.
124 Cease to be idle; cease to be unclean;
cease to find fault one with another; cease to sleep longer
than is needful; retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise
early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated.
125 And above all things, clothe
yourselves with the bond of charity, as with a mantle, which is the
bond of perfectness and peace.
126 Pray always, that ye may not faint, until I come.
Behold, and lo, I will come quickly, and receive you unto myself. Amen.
[Emphasis added.]
In these
verses, the Lord told the Saints to establish a “school of the prophets” in
Kirtland (Doctrine and Covenants 88:137). He used most of section 88 to teach
the Saints how to establish such a school. These verses can also help us to “establish
… a house of learning” (verse 119) in our own lives.
President
Russell M. Nelson said that verses 77-80 and 118-126 can be blueprints to “remodel
your home [or your life] into a center of gospel learning” and “a sanctuary of
faith” (“Becoming Exemplary Latter-day Saints,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov.
2018, 113). What might your personal “remodel” look like?
The
lesson suggested that we could explore the following questions while studying
verses 77-80:
·
Why
are learning and
education important to the Lord?
·
What
does He want me to
study?
·
How
does He want me to
learn?
·
What
do you think it means to learn “by study and also by faith”? (verse 118)
In a
presentation titled “Seeking Knowledge by the Spirit,” Elder Mathias Held of the
Seventy taught the following concepts.
· “Dear brothers and sisters, the Lord has
repeatedly told us to “seek learning even by study and also by faith.” We can
receive light and understanding not only through the logical reasoning of our
minds but also through the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Ghost.” …
· “And second, we learned that, in addition
to our rational minds, another dimension to gaining knowledge can give us
guidance and understanding. It is the still and soft voice of His Holy Spirit
speaking to our hearts and also to our minds.
"I like
to compare this principle with our visual capacity. Our Father in Heaven has
given us not only one but two physical eyes. We can see adequately with only
one eye, but the second eye provides us with another perspective. When both
perspectives are put together in our brains, they produce a three-dimensional
image of our surroundings.
"Likewise, we have been given two sources of information, through our physical and spiritul capacities. Our mind produces one perception through our physical senses and through our reasoning. But through the gift of the Holy Ghost, the Father has also provided us with a second perspective, which is really the most important and true one because it comes directly from Him. But since the whisperings of the Spirit are oftenn so subtle, many people are not consciously aware of that additional source.
"When these two perspectives are the combined in our souls, one complete picture shows the reality of things as they truly are. In fact, through the dditional perspective of the Holy Ghost, certain “realities,” as pictured exclusively through our mental understanding, can be exposed as deceiving or plainly wrong. Remember the words of Moroni: “By the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things” (April 2019 General Conference). Seeking Knowledge by the Spirit
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