Come Follow Me LDS- Doctrine and Covenants 6-9
Jan 25, 2021
'Lessons on Revelation'
- These sections show us how the Lord is teaching Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery how to receive revelation
- Like the pouring out of the Spiritual Gifts at Pentecost
- The prophetic principle taught with the story of Solomon asking for the Gift of Wisdom over riches
- We learn why Oliver Cowdery cannot translate
- The 'burning of the bosom' is put into context
Raw Transcript
all right
all right welcome to the quick media
come follow me series we are covering
doctrine and covenants
sections six through nine today
and we're going to see here again as
we've been covering since the end of the
book of mormon
this idea about the opening of the
heavens the continual idea of
the holy ghost who is
kind of the icon of spiritual gifts
and the opening of heaven all the
blessings that come down from heaven
just as john the baptist is the icon of
the aaronic priesthood
and melchizedek i suppose is the icon of
the melchizedek priesthood
the holy ghost is the icon of the
opening of the of the
of the heavens and and that's exactly
what we get here in section six
through nine let's start with section 6.
we're going to dip down into a number of
these scriptures here
and they're not all cohesive but overall
again we're looking at the holy ghost
the gifts
and the idea of asking to open up the
heavens
right just like from joseph smith from
the time he's with the first vision
he's going and he's knocking to receive
an answer
right knock and it shall be opened unto
you and so
that's the theme here that's what we
continually get and that's what you
would expect
right with the with the opening of the
heavens again with the restoration of
the gospel
with a new dispensation of keys and
revelation
etc from the heavens so
verse one in section 6 and a great and
marvelous work
is about to come forth unto the children
of man so again this is a reference to
isaiah this comes from isaiah
and isaiah is the prophet that is the
messianic prophet he is the prophet of
the prophecies of the last days
he is the prophet that speaks so much
about the gathering of israel so
this is he's involved right even even in
latter-day
scripture isaiah is heavily involved
in verse 2 it says behold i am god
give heed unto my word which is quick
and powerful
sharper than a two-edged sword
to the dividing asunder of both joints
and marrow
okay again think of the imagery here
because this is something where we can
if we understand what is the imagery
here is what the symbolism here
is then we can see this in other parts
of the scriptures so
his word right give heed unto my word
which is sharper than a two-edged sword
the word of god is the best
way to think about that is the
scriptures
and the scriptures are the law so
the word the law
judgment which would come from that law
are all kind of combined so again i go
back to
my one of my favorite scenes right which
is the story of the garden of eden
the drama scene there and we have the
cherubim that are placed before
the tree of life and and those cherubum
they are holding
a a sword of justice right
the flaming sword is a sword of justice
and and here we get the same thing here
my word which is quick and powerful
sharper than
a two-edged sword and then down in verse
three
behold this is something we just had in
section four
the field is white all ready to harvest
or repeating there
it's like he's going over this again and
again like moroni's visit to joseph
smith
telling saying the same things over and
over again as
this dispensation is opening up the
field is white all ready to harvest
therefore who so desireth to reap let
him thrust in his sickle
with his might and reap while the day
lasts that he may treasure up for
his soul everlasting salvation in the
kingdom
of god then i'm going to go down here to
verse 7
and talk about something that i think is
very interesting that that brings us
back to
a sometimes when you read the scriptures
you find these
concepts and
and if you start thinking about them and
you start seeing them in other places in
the scriptures you say to yourself wait
a minute here
this is a principle it's not just a
story it's not just an event
it is something that the lord wants us
to understand
it's something that the authors are
drawing from
from perhaps even something further back
that they understand represents a
certain
principle right so so if i go to
uh verse 7 here and
verse 7 here tells me this it says
seek not for riches but for wisdom
and behold the mysteries of god shall be
unfolded unto you
and then shall you be made rich
behold he that hath eternal life
is rich now what what is he drawing on
there we get the same thing in the book
of mormon with mosiah right
where we're told it's kind of like hey
let me help you figure out your values
hierarchy
you know is what benjamin is doing in
the book of mormon talking about
the rich and seeking for riches and
seeking first for the kingdom of god
um helping the beggar right he's helping
us with
this idea of our values hierarchy the
same thing is happening here with the
lord here in section six
but what are they both likely referring
back to
well they're referring back to something
that i would suggest
may even reach back further but they
they're referring back at least to
king solomon you know so we get this
like this title
of solomon that is solomon the wise you
know when we talk about all his wisdom
and give examples that we get from
the old testament and these stories
about how wise he was
why is that built up that's what we want
to ask ourselves
why do the authors build that up
as as a title as as this
idea about who solomon is
and i think the reason to that is is
because the lord
is wanting us to understand something
about him
right it's just like again i use the
example of moses a lot
as far as understanding a principle
about something that is mentioned about
him
which is that he he wasn't a very good
orator
and he needed aaron to help him speak
well that why is that being written
there is there there's
there's something more to that and if
you look through the scriptures you see
this idea
of the weakness of the prophets or
really they say weakness but it's really
a
meekness that eventually because all
weaknesses can become strengths right
and so that's really more the concept of
that i think that's the idea with
solomon
and his wisdom it's a principle
that the authors are trying to teach us
and so if we go back and look in first
kings
chapter three here's what we get here
starting in verse 10 and the speech
pleased the lord
that solomon had asked this thing wait a
minute that's not right
and that's what we get if we go back to
first kings
chapter uh three starting with verse
nine here here's just the
few verses here that give us the story
of of
the wisdom that solomon receives
it says give therefore thy servant this
is solomon speaking to the lord who he
sees face to face here he says give
therefore thy servant an understanding
heart
to judge thy people that i may discern
between good
and bad for who is able to judge this
thy so great a people
and the speech pleased the lord
that solomon had asked this thing why
did it please him because
his values hierarchy at this time in his
life
is in the right place he's asking for
the right things
he says and god said unto him because
thou hast asked
this thing and has not asked for thyself
long life neither has to ask riches for
thyself
right he's not asking for things for
himself
he's not asking for things for himself
he's asking for something else for
for others the gift he wants is to bless
the citizens of his kingdom the members
of his kingdom
nor hast thou asked the life of thine
enemies
but has asked for thyself understanding
to discern judgment
behold i have done according to thy
words
lo i have given thee a wise and an
understanding heart
so that there was none like thee before
thee neither after thee shall any arise
like
unto thee so again in the scriptures the
authors are writing
their prophets they're writing about
principles they're they're compacting
this idea
down into this event and
and of course it's a very important
event here he's
talking with jehovah face to face but
it's a principle
that we're learning here about solomon
it's not that he was wise
it's that we can be wise that's what the
prophets are trying to relay to us
so and then finally in verse 13 and i
have also given thee
that which thou hast not asked both
riches
and honor so that there shall not be any
among the king
the kings like unto thee all thy days so
what do we learn from that
right it's it's that's a hard thing
that's a two-edged sword so to speak
it's like oh i really would like riches
so maybe if i ask for wisdom first he'll
give me riches too
that wouldn't be really the way to look
at it right his he's got a sincere heart
here and what he really wants to do is
to bless
his people and so the lord understands
that so with us
if we're in that position if we are
sincerely
truly wanting to bless others
then that gift comes to us right and
it's it's the opposite
of the parable of the talents with the
servant who only has one one
one one talent right one one
piece of silver and he ends up burying
it
so that he doesn't lose it right which
is against the the idea here with the
lord that i see which is kind of more
this law of abundance
and it's oh there's there's there is no
limit to anything
but i have to get things straight first
i have to i have to put my priorities in
place
first and then everything eventually
can come through that would be a
blessing
to me so if we're focused on the wrong
things
then we may not get anything but if we
eventually get our values
in place through our decisions and our
heart our sincerity
and and what our actions are then the
lord can bless us that much more we get
the same thing in
with benjamin right in in the book of
mosiah
right if you ask for these things then
you can be blessed with
with other things like riches which can
be anything that would be something
personally for us as long as that's not
the priority
that we're asking or that we're at what
gifts we're asking for
and again going back to the overall idea
here that we're
covering here at the beginning of this
dispensation with joseph smith
this is about the heavens opening and
the gifts that are coming down here well
what is
what is happening here with with jehovah
and solomon
he's the the veil has been opened
and solomon is asking for
a gift right he's asking for a gift and
this is the gift that he is asking for
so as we go through the message of
mormon and moroni and opening up here
even
starting off a couple times here now
with the doctrine and covenants the idea
of
faith hope and charity well these are
like the greatest gifts
and so that's what we should aspire to
and then perhaps based on this principle
a lot of these other gifts will be given
to us
if we're if we've got our values
hierarchy straightened out
in regards to the gifts so
again summarizing the principle back at
verse seven in section six
seek not for riches but for
wisdom and then shall you be made rich
which would be
the all of the other spiritual and
temporal blessings that would be
possible for us
and he clarifies that here at the end of
that verse by saying behold
he that hath eternal life is rich
right because you have everything your
everything is opened up to you so make
sure
that you're not looking for something
short term
right that you're not looking for
something short term to blood to
just for yourself look for something
eternal
and then in verse 8 verily verily i say
unto you even as you desire of me
so it shall be unto you and if you des
you desire you shall be the means of
doing
much good in this generation that's
really what the lord's hoping for
just like with solomon right he wants
he he wants us to be asking for wisdom
he wants us to be asking for
uh the spiritual gifts that will bless
the lives of those around us
that we that we will do good and perform
righteousness
and then 10 we start getting these
trigger words again of these themes that
we're looking at in these sections here
early on in the doctrine covenants again
10 behold thou
hast a gift again just a continuation if
you look up the word gift
and and the holy ghost and the power of
the holy ghost
you're gonna see that from the book of
mormon
right especially starting in chapter
seven all the way through
and going through ether and then through
moroni and then starting off here with
the beginning of
of uh the doctrine and covenants you're
going to see that i do that the idea of
spiritual gifts
right in a sense this is the opening of
the heavens again with
with joseph smith is like the pentecost
experience
that peter and the apostles had that
first year after the death of the savior
right this dispensation this opening of
the heavens and
all the spiritual gifts coming down to
peter that's what that is
it's the same thing that's happening
here with joseph smith
right because it's it's the it's the
opening of a dispensation
and a restoration of the keys and and an
opening of the veil in the heavens
and in 11 and if thou wilt inquire thou
shalt know mysteries which are great
and marvelous therefore thou shalt
exercise thy
gift right and the gift is the gift of
seership here
that thou mayest find out mysteries that
thou mayest bring many to the knowledge
of the truth yet convince them of the
error of their ways
and then just like we talk about what
being rich is here in in
in verse 13 if thou wilt do good yea
and hold out faithful to the end thou
shalt be saved in the kingdom of god
which is the greatest of
all the gifts of god for there is no
gift greater than the gift of salvation
you see what's
happening here right this is meant to
trigger our minds
about this theme here of these gifts
15 behold thou knowest that thou hast
inquired of me
and i did enlighten my mind
and at the bottom of that verse that
thou mayest know that thou hast been
enlightened by the
spirit of truth again the spirit of
truth would be a gift
right one of the spiritual gifts
and then sure enough a little bit
further down in this section we get to
verse 19 and here's what the lord says
you know because we're talking about
gifts admonish him in his faults and
also
receive an admonition of him be patient
be sober this is to oliver cowdery
and then a little bit further down here
remember that this section is is a
a revelation basically talking to oliver
cowdery
it says admonish him in his faults that
would be joseph smith
right and also receive admonition of him
be
patient be sober be temperate have
patience
faith hope and charity right so again if
we see these things and not just look at
a bumper sticker of a verse that we
memorize
we put everything start putting things
in the scriptures into into context and
and and search for meaning in a
chapter or a couple of chapters or a
couple of sections
we start to see something that is
unveiled to us that strengthens our
testimony and
and our belief in the scriptures and how
they're written and why they're written
this makes sense right the veil is being
pulled back for us
as we see this idea about the gifts the
spiritual gifts
and faith hope and charity as a way of
talking about
announcing a major ingredient of the
opening of
the heavens and in 20 he says something
that we get several times in the
scriptures he says
i will encircle thee in the arms of my
love and this to me is temple imagery
right this is this is meeting the lord
and and and having him embrace you
and being embraced and encircled in the
arms of
the lord's love all right and we can
look at a couple of ideas
we get a little context with this if we
look at a couple of other scriptures
that are similar
second nephi iv says something very
similar it says
he was i'm encircled the lord encircled
me around in the robe
of thy righteousness again if we're
thinking in a night
in a filter in the interpreter of
temple imagery and drama we we look at
that a little differently
right is why is he talking like this he
encircled me around in the robe
of thy righteousness interesting okay
alma 12 encircled about with his chains
talking about satan so
satan will also embrace us he'll also
encircle us around about with something
but it's not his
love and it's not the robes of
righteousness
it's with his chains and so then we
start getting a different idea about oh
wait a minute let's look at the
opposites here right
lehigh the opposite opposition in all
all things second if i too
well if on one side is chains
which are going to restrict me and take
away my freedom
and growth and progress then what does
it mean to be encircled about with his
love it's not just a feeling
that he has for me i mean that's nice
and comforting
and important i'll say but that's not
what is his love
then for us if we look at it that way we
understand that it is
through the opportunity that he gives us
to grow and progress
that is what his love represents his
love is a
transaction his love is a sacrifice
it is an effort it is his suffering
it is lowering himself below us that's
what love is
right it is it is action
it is effort and sacrifice and so
being encircled about by his arms of
love
right is is because of what he's
done for us and what he's done for us is
give us the opportunity
to have freedom to have agency
to have growth the opposite of the
chains
right couple more of these alma 14 this
is referring again to
satan it says encircled about by the
pains
of hell the opposite of that i would say
would be hope
our state of mind with hope would be the
opposite
uh alma 26 encircled about with
everlasting darkness
and destruction right okay the opposite
of that
would be light and order
right that's and and creation that would
be the opposite
so that's what being encircled about by
the arms of his love
would represent
all right then there's a little bit more
talk down below here uh with oliver
cowdery
we start getting these ideas about how
is revelation gonna work
right remember joseph and oliver are
here together they're in the early 19th
century there's
there's a lot of different ideas about
how you receive revelation
a lot of superstitious stuff um they're
involved with some of that it's part of
their culture
right it's part of what they know
it's like being an alchemist in the
medieval times right
it's it's a uh uh it's part of their
culture
and and so this is they're together
and and they're they're trying to learn
these things they're trying to learn
about this revelation as this
as the heavens open up and joseph
receives
of course first the first vision and
then the visits by
the visits by moroni and then the plates
right and and the other objects and now
he's translating
the the book of mormon there's there's
they're working through this
they're working through this kind of a
thing and the lord is helping them
hold their hand a little bit as they
walk through understanding
this idea about revelation and having a
gift
told here in verse 25 and behold i grant
unto you a gift if you desire of me
to translate even as my servant joseph
this never really happens and it's not
because he wasn't given the gift
right he receives the talent the piece
of silver
but he buries it is what ends up
happening
right he doesn't he doesn't use it
through faith
to magnify it and so we'll get to that
here in just a bit
we get another concept here in verse 26
that i find is very very interesting it
says verily verily i say unto you
that there are records which contain
much of my gospel
which have been kept back because of the
wickedness of the people
right this is this is back in april 29
right let me
take a look here yeah april 1829
and and so this is well before the the
uh um the the
facsimiles and and the parchment that
we're
going to end up getting here for joseph
that produces one way or the other
somehow produces
the book of abraham right it's another
book of scripture so
he's saying that a lot of this is held
back it it remains
buried until there's less wickedness
until there's there's
there's a worthy group of people to
receive
this type of revelation and so
that's how the lord works it's not like
well when when is when is he going to
decide to reveal this
a lot of that has to do with when are we
going to decide to be worthy enough
as a church to receive more that's one
thing but individually
are are we ready to receive certain
things are we
worthy enough to receive them
and another backing up here in verse 23
did i not speak peace to your mind
concerning the matter
right he's talking again he's trying to
he's trying to help him recognize
how to work with a spirit trying to help
him understand revelation
okay going to the next section here we
get to section seven
and this one here is pretty interesting
right they they're they're reading the
book of
the book the bible as well they're going
through some of this information about
about some of the prophets a lot of the
revelations that we get in the doctrine
covenants come from
joseph smith reading the bible and and
trying to piece things together
while he's taking notes and making the
joseph smith translation as well of the
bible
and one of the things they come upon is
john the beloved and and
what became of him and you know is he is
he really
because many people would say in
christianity that he ended up living
beyond a normal mortality
right he's to remain on earth and so
joseph smith
asks about this and this is the response
that the lord gives and and it's
interesting again to me because there's
some some of these principles that that
follow through with
what the lord is trying to teach them
this is all happening in april of 1829
and so this is what he's saying is that
this comes from
something that john the beloved actually
wrote
that he actually wrote and so this is
given to him
to uh um joseph smith
he sees a version right he's basically
this is what it says at the end of the
summary the revelation is a translated
version
of the record made on parchment by john
and hidden up by myself
right they're inquiring again here
through the urim and thumb
so they get the words here directly of
john
here's how it starts out and and the
lord said unto me
john my beloved right first person for
john
what desires thou for if thou shalt ask
what you will
it shall be granted unto you okay again
think about our theme
think about our thing if thou wilt ask
it shall be granted unto you
knock and it shall be opened it's the
same idea here that that
the lord is teaching them right and he
said
unto the lord give unto me power over
death
that i may live and bring souls unto
thee okay so that's the
gift that john the beloved had asked for
he wants to remain as being able to
preach
immortality and again
talking about john my beloved or john
the beloved
i again seems to me like a title that
that the lord has from him from
heavenly father as well that jesus
christ would have behold this is my
beloved
son beloved means david or
david in hebrew is beloved
and so he's told that he will tarry
until
i come in my glory right and shalt
prophesy before nations
kindreds tongues and people so who is he
who is he now does this mean become
coming in his glory is this back at
kirtland is this back in the time of the
first vision
or is this his second coming and is he
still working and tearing here in
mortality
it's kind of something it's not that
important i think for us to understand
but
but how would he do this how is he how
is he
tarrying and and ministering under those
immortality if he is still around
and then he contrasts that of course
this is john writing about it and so
he's
he's going to talk about peter a little
bit differently he says and for this
cause the lord said unto peter
if i will that he tarry till i come
what is that to thee for he desired of
me that he might bring souls unto me
but thou desirest that thou mighty
speedily come unto me in my kingdom so
peter
when he was asked what he desires what
is the lord going to give him
he said i want to speedily come unto you
i want to be with you
which is great that's a wonderful thing
but
the idea of the the gift that john the
beloved asks for is an even
greater thing right it's an even greater
thing and we get the same idea
in the book of mormon when jesus is
speaking with the twelve disciples well
the three nephites
as we call them right they asked to be
able to
tarry and minister among the people in
the
uh in the world immortality and so that
was even greater
so it's kind of like good and better
is giving us a distinction between the
two here but
they're gifts we're talking about gifts
here
and then going down to verse six yeah he
has undertaken a greater work this is
speaking to peter about john here
therefore i will make him as flaming
fire and a ministering angel that would
be john the beloved
he shall minister for those who shall be
heirs of salvation who dwell
on the earth and then in seven
and i will make thee it seems to he
seems to go back to john here right he's
speaking directly now to john
and i will make thee to minister for him
and for thy brother
james remember james and john
are brothers and they were called the
sons of
thunder right and so you have peter
james and john here mentioned and it
says and unto you three i will give this
power
and the keys of the ministry until i
come
well of course who were you know where
did the keys go
they went to joseph smith or they're
going to go here
to joseph smith here shortly so this is
again he's receiving this
but he's he's uh uh
he's he doesn't understand yet probably
the peter james and john
holding the keys as he's being told here
are going to bring those keys to joseph
smith
okay then chapters 8 and 9 again this is
a big focus on oliver cowdery
and a focus on revelation working with
revelation
the gift of seership the gift of
translation
uh in the in the summary here of
section eight it says that that oliver
county desired to be endowed with the
gift of translation so
you know you can imagine how excited
these two are together as they're
working together
and and joseph is able to translate and
oliver can't i mean
how would you feel right you starting
off it would be incredible but
eventually you might think to yourself
well
can i do this i would like to be able to
do this too this is incredible
i would like to be able to translate and
and why not
right and the lord does say why not
basically
it doesn't work out but he basically
says yes
i bless you with the gift of translation
you're going to receive the talent
you're going to receive the
the piece of silver let's see what you
do with it right
and and we get these words here in verse
1.
uh even so surely shall you receive a
knowledge of whatsoever things you shall
ask in faith with an honest heart
very important there you can't just it's
got to be for the right reason you've
got to be in the right state of mind
believing that you shall receive a
knowledge concerning the engravings of
old records right so it's not just the
book of mormon here i think that they're
talking about they're talking about much
more and el ver calgary does
become involved with these things down
the road and he does still
try these attempts at translation even
with the book of abraham later on
but he explains again trying to tutor
these two
about revelation he says in verse two
yea behold i will tell you in your mind
and in your heart by the holy ghost
which shall come upon you and which
shall dwell in your heart so he's
piecing this together a little map of
understanding
of how revelation is going to work it's
not necessarily what happened to joseph
smith where
you see the father and the son and you
have a vision like this
right there the revelation comes in a
number of different ways
and he draws a parallel in verse 3 with
moses
and aaron he says now behold this is the
spirit of revelation
behold this is the spirit by which moses
brought the
children of israel through the red sea
on dry ground
that's kind of interesting here right
it's the same thing
that that it's the same spirit of
revelation
that moses is working with that he's
receiving this revelation
on how he is going to bring the children
of israel
out of captivity out of egypt
and it's what the new dispensation is
doing as well
it is going to be bringing the people of
the world a new light
and the opposite of the pains of hell
the chains of hell
that we had talked about it's going to
break those chains for those that accept
it
and they're going to be brought out of
egypt so to speak and brought
out of captivity into freedom
and hope and and the ability to to
progress
spiritually to to the
ends of receiving exaltation
so it's the same spirit by which moses
brought the children of israel
through the red sea on dry ground
therefore this
is thy gift this is what he's telling
oliver cowdery
apply unto it and blessed art thou so
we get this coupling here here is your
gift
apply unto it that's what does that mean
it's the same thing we have with works
versus grace
it's the same thing here is your
opportunity here is the love i have
given you
what i have done for you apply
unto it it is not just here is your gift
now
now go do it right now now go translate
no it's that's not how the gospel works
you have to
apply unto it you have to work at it
and blessed art thou for it shall
deliver you like
the children of israel out of egypt out
of the hands of your enemies
when if it were not so they would slay
you and
bring your soul to destruction
okay so this is this is something again
they're they're
we're paralleling the idea of moses and
the children of israel coming out
of egypt verse five
again mentioning gift verse six now this
is not all thy gift
verse six for now this is not all thy
gift for you have another gift
which is the gift of aaron behold it has
told you many things well where does
this come from well
originally and this seems very strange
to us and again they're in a completely
different world where they're
trying to move out of this and move into
something of more a greater
understanding of revelation
that's what the lord is trying to teach
them and so he says you have another
gift
well originally this gift was was
this gift that we're told here this gift
of aaron
which has told him many things was not
written as the gift of aaron it was
written as a sprout
or a rod right so he had some type of a
rod that he was using
this is their world it's just very
different than than
something we would understand but it
wasn't really something that's going to
work the lord's trying to teach him
something
look this is you've got a gift um maybe
this is going to work maybe it's not i
mean
look at the urum and thummim these
stones are they going to work for for
for oliver are they going to work for
you or me
probably not are they going to work for
joseph when he's
pure when he's in the right state of
mind when he is able to work through
what he has to do
applying unto the gift to be able to see
what he needs to see
and translate the book of mormon yes
and it would but originally this is some
type of a rod and so
that's what we see it's it's the gift of
aaron and in the original book of
commandments it's
called a sprout and then changed quickly
before they go to publication i believe
to a rod and then later on i think it
was 1935
as they changed from the book of
commandments and they move to what they
call the doctrine and covenants
and they incorporate the uh i believe at
that time the
the lectures on faith at the time into
the doctrine and covenants then they
they go back and oliver and and joseph
who are on the committee to
go back and look at all of these
revelations and make any changes they
feel that they need to
they make the change to this phrase of
the gift of aaron
is what they move that too so
so that's kind of how we would see that
and it is a good coupling a good
understanding of how this works right
it's like
moses receiving the help from aaron
right moses is weak in other words
he's he's he's hum he has to be humble
uh he doesn't speak well
maybe that's true or maybe it's symbolic
but aaron is his help with that well
joseph is very uneducated oliver is
educated
and so this oliver becomes a great
support and help to joseph
even in the translation process but then
going beyond that
he he becomes kind of like an errand to
joseph's moses so to speak
therefore he says doubt not for it is
the gift of god and here's the problem
he doubts
he fears and he he buries the talent
and you shall hold it in your hands see
it's a physical instrument it's a rod
and do marvelous works and no power
shall be able to take it away out of
your hands
for it is the work of god sometimes we
read this is where critics come in a lot
and
we read these scriptures with these
absolutes that come from the lord
and we say to ourselves well wait a
minute this lord says that this is
what's going to happen
and no one will take this from you and
you know it's all set for you and then
it doesn't happen
well how is that possible why would you
write that
well again the reason is is because
oliver doesn't apply unto it
right we were to receive the fullness of
the gospel in the new dispensation here
but there are some things that we're
missing because of our wickedness
and because we're not ready and that's
the way the process always works
we can't we can't switch immediately in
the twinkling of an eye
our entire spirit and heart and
understanding
so that's the way that's what's
happening here right we have for example
in the new dispensation we still don't
practice fully
the uh um
[Music]
the law of consecration that that's a
major it's like that's like the pinnacle
of where we're supposed to be as a zion
people and we
we don't we try to aspire to it in many
ways
but we don't really we don't really do
that do we
but we're told that the whole
dispensation is going to be well it was
revealed but then it's been removed
it's been taken away just like with the
children of israel when the higher law
was removed from them
so the lord will say yes this is what is
going to happen
this is everything i'm giving unto you
but it's us
up to us to apply unto it as oliver is
told
in verse 9 here and therefore whatsoever
you shall
ask me to tell you by that means
you don't think of this as a physical
object but for us right
by the means of revelation that i will
grant that i will grant unto you
and you shall have knowledge concerning
it
but you have to apply unto it
so this is if we look at these sections
here talking especially about oliver
cowdery
who's trying to move up more to a
position of where joseph smith is
as a revelator right we we we can
step in his shoes and say oh
the lord is is holding them by their
hands
and trying to teach them how to do this
how to open up the heavens that's what's
got to happen
he's got to help them and and so if
it's the same with us how do the heavens
open up for us
this is a great rehearsal for us to go
through right to go through and
and and review these these sections
about how to learn how to receive
revelation
how to learn to have the the blessings
of heaven come down
upon us because uh we have applied unto
it
and because we have helped open up those
heavens
that's what's happening here in these
sections
verse 10 remember that without faith you
can do nothing
therefore ask in faith right he's
teaching them little principles here
do not ask for that which you ought not
well of course we learned that with
joseph smith and the 116 lost pages
right
ask that you may know the mysteries of
god telling him even what to ask for
learn about the wisdom of solomon that's
what you need to ask for first not for
things for yourself
ask for the wisdom of solomon so that
ask for gifts
spiritual gifts that help you bless the
lives of others and then everything else
can come into place
okay and then section nine is the one
we're a little bit more familiar with
right the burning of the bosom
and and so if we again we take section
nine i'll bite
look we can we can narrow this down to
our bumper sticker what's our bumper
sticker
let me let me search for this real quick
here our bumper sticker
is um verse eight
of section nine but behold i say unto
you that you must study it out in your
mind
then you must ask me if it be right and
if it is right i will cause that your
bosom shall burn within you
therefore you shall feel that it is
right
okay so you know unfortunately that's
it's kind of like again water runs
downhill and that's what we go to and
that's good
it's good it's good to have that
scripture memorized it's good to have
that as a reference but unless we really
see the whole context here
the the unveiling of this of of this new
revelation and these spiritual blessings
the understanding that the lord is
holding oliver's hand
to try to teach him how to receive this
revelation
and the spiritual gifts then we lose
really what's happening here this is
just one of the different ways that the
lord is trying to
uh the the the the different points the
lord is trying to make to oliver
so it's not just the only thing it
doesn't mean that we're always going to
receive a a burning of the bosom
he's telling us this is another thing we
need to do to receive revelation
along with these other things i've
already talked about
and so if we look at the whole chapter
and then even go beyond that into these
other sections
this becomes a a much
richer concept and a much richer verse
for us than if we just look at it as a
as a
a bumper sticker verse so then in
section nine
it doesn't work out for for for oliver
right he he can't translate he can't do
it
and it's not because the lord doesn't
want him to
right here's what it says in verse one
behold i say unto you my son that
because you did not
translate according to that which you
desired of me
and did commence again to write for my
servant joseph smith jr
even so i would that you should continue
until you have finished this record
which i have entrusted unto him that's
the book of mormon
right so he tried and he failed and
we're going to learn a little bit more
about that
and then behold other records have i
they're already being told
that there are going to be other records
remember there's the joseph smith
translation of the bible itself that's
not
a separate record but it is in a sense a
type of the way they use the term
translation
it's inspiration and and oliver can be a
part of that
um other records are going to be the
book of abraham there may have been more
you know there's a mention of
a book of joseph that was involved there
as well there's um
the doctrine and covenants here and and
the sections that are that are going to
be given he's going to be involved with
a lot of this
so other records have i that i will give
unto you power that you may assist
to translate okay
again loose word there translate
and then we get a little better idea of
what the term wisdom might refer to
in verse 3 be patient my son for it is
wisdom in me
i have the wisdom i'm trying to have you
have more wisdom
is what the lord is saying right from me
comes pure wisdom
so that's what you should ask for like
solomon
you're not where i am yet so ask for
more wisdom that's the way i see that
so the work which you are called to now
is not to translate
but to write for my servant joseph to
act as aaron did in a sense
to moses and in verse 5 it says and
behold it is because that you did not
continue as you commenced
when you began to translate so he makes
these attempts
and he starts off now what does that
mean that you didn't
you didn't continue as you commenced
have you ever started with something
where you've really had a strong faith
and a belief
that if i do this i think i can break
through i think i can i can get past
this i i think i can get this spiritual
gift
that i need to change in myself and you
start with it you know you've got
you know i want to say in spanish
ghana's you know you want to
you feel motivated to do it and you have
a belief system that
that drives that motivation but then
maybe it drops off
right maybe it drops off as you actually
go through the process
and things might here and there might
not work very well and you start getting
doubts
and fears that you're not going to be
able to accomplish it
right so here is kind of the same thing
as i see with oliver that started to
happen
you started you commenced that with this
you started off so well oliver
you started off so well and and you just
couldn't quite hang on
and and instead of taking the the five
talents that i have given you
as my servant and and and developing
that into ten
right you you you've taken the talents
and you've buried them
is what you ended up doing through fear
and doubt
he continues on here that when you began
that you had this gift when you began to
translate and that i have taken away
this privilege from you
right and that's what happens in the
gift of in the uh
parable of the talents right that
servant who hid the one
and didn't move forward with faith to
develop that
right they they the talent is removed
and given to the one who had
five to begin with okay
that is a real rule that is a real
a real thing we'll go over that another
time
okay then we get to building up into
what verse 8 teaches us
that we're the bumper sticker portion
right this is what is building up to
this
his loss of of his ability to translate
and and not
receiving that gift the the the holy
ghost
not giving him that power
seven behold you have not understood
you have supposed that i would give it
unto you
okay so it's a gift and it's offered
but you don't get everything from it
unless you apply
unto it you have supposed that i would
give it unto you when you took
no thought save it was to ask me
right so i'm going to ask for this and
and i'll have it and i'm ready to go
right that's not how the lord works
that's not how the world works
we can't just ask and ask and ask we
have to apply
into it on our end we have to come
together you
give me the opportunity lord and and i
will strive with everything i have
to to move forward with this then verse
8 be behold i say unto you that you must
study it out in your mind
then you must ask me if it'd be right
okay so again this is just another idea
on on
how to receive revelation even though
this is specifically applied to the
the gift of translation it's just
another way of looking at how revelation
is going to work oliver
right this you you have to work at it
and if it be right i will cause that
your bosom shall burn within you
therefore you shall
feel that it is right
and then i love this idea this
protection about what is actually
going to be written as scripture in
verse 9 but if it
but if it be not right you shall have no
such feelings but you shall have a
stupor of thought that shall cause you
to forget the thing which is wrong
therefore you cannot write that which is
sacred
save it be given you from me
i i i if we look at the scriptures again
sometimes we move into and i have this
problem sometimes i i think of
you know which i think is good to a
certain degree i think of the the
prophet actually sitting there and
writing this down
and okay well he's fallible and and and
just a guy and
and he wrote this right but
as far as anything that's sacred that is
written
which the book of mormon definitely is
we learned that about how it's protected
and
veiled completely right um
it's like an object of the of the ark of
the covenant
that's why people can't see it and you
can't go into the holy of holies you
can't
open up the ark of the covenant and see
you know it's like what happens with uh
in indiana jones right it's it's in
raiders of the lost ark you know the the
ark is opened up and
everybody's face melts and you know it's
a little bit
extreme but it's kind of the same idea
right it's not we're not ready for those
things they're too sacred for us
that's why they know hardly anyone could
see them that's why hardly anyone
you know why it's always veiled it's
always covered up because it's kind of
like in
the holy of holies it's veiled
so you can't write that which is sacred
unless it comes from me
you can't just think you have the gift
and go forward
verse 11 behold it was expedient when
you commenced
you had the opportunity but you feared
and the time has passed right so you
started a doubt you started to fear
about how you would actually do this
instead of hanging on with your faith
and working
at it right and he talks about carrying
on and supporting joseph and
writing and being ascribed for him and
then in the end he says
if you do these things you shall be
lifted up love that phrase lift it up
at the last day okay so in summary
again we're looking at the unveiling
of heaven we're looking at revelation
and in oliver especially but joseph here
too
they're learning how to do this they
have to go through the process the lord
overall doesn't just give everything out
it's a it's a process that is is pretty
intense to start off with especially
with joseph smith
the head of the dispensation but
continues today as we learn from
president nelson
that unveiling continues at a little bit
of a slower pace
because so much has to be brought to
start off with
but it's unveiled as we're ready for it
and there's a way for us personally to
receive these spiritual gifts
and to see things
and to receive blessings as the heavens
open for us
right and if we study these these
sections
we can see that there is a process
and that the lord will give us the
opportunity typically if we are looking
for it
but that we have to apply unto it and
give everything on
our end and work through things with
faith
in order to be able to exercise the
gifts
that the lord might give us i'll talk to
you next time
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