Doctrine & Covenants Lesson # 7
“The First Principles and Ordinances of the Gospel”
Introduction
What is more basic that the first principles and ordinances
of the Gospel? How can we read that phrase without singing the fourth verse of “Articles
of Faith?” After last week’s study of revelation (and thank you Sarah for a
wonderful blog post and helping at least one person, me, examine revelation in
my own life), we have the opportunity this week to see how we can strengthen
our abilities to receive and implement revelation personally by studying the
first principles of the Gospel and reaffirming our adherence to them. Have you
ever wondered why this was the fourth article of faith? I hadn’t until I
started this lesson, but it makes (obviously) perfect sense. First we must
acknowledge God as our Father, Christ as His Son, and the Holy Ghost; second we
must recognize that repentance is possible, and we are responsible for
ourselves and what we do; third, that Christ performed the Atonement. Then we
can develop the faith to repent, be baptized (or renew our baptismal
covenants), have our sins remitted, and live worthy to have the Holy Ghost with
us. And we go through this process each week as we take the Sacrament.
1. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the first principle
of the gospel.
Let’s follow Joseph through his journey to the First
Vision. A few weeks ago we talked about how he was prepared by a righteous
family, going back generations. So when he read James 1:5, he had the faith to
take the Lord at His word. Regarding JS—H 1:11, Elder Eyring said:
His faith to ask of God in prayer came
after pondering a scripture which assured him of God’s loving nature. He
prayed, as we must, with faith in a loving God.”[1]
D&C 19:23 tells us how we can make this process a
reality for us. It will be harder to maintain and increase our faith unless we
learn of Him and listen to (read, study) His words. How does D&C 88:118
help us? Elder Oaks said:
Some things can be learned only by
faith (see D&C
88:118). Our ultimate reliance must be on faith in the witness we have
received from the Holy Ghost.[2]
Elder Bednar advised:
As children of our Heavenly Father, we
have been blessed with the gift of moral agency, the capacity and power of
independent action. Endowed with agency, we are agents, and we primarily are to
act and not merely be acted upon—especially as we “seek learning … by study and
also by faith”[3]
How do we feel about D&C 8:10, specifically, “without
faith [we] can do nothing”? Elder John Carmack gave an interesting analogy
regarding adding faith to what we have gleaned ourselves, in respect to
fulfilling our callings:
We operate [in our callings] with
diligent, purposeful effort using management concepts and systems we have
learned. . . .Add faith, however, and . . . service becomes magnificent. Two
candles suddenly burst into four hundred watts of light. More to the point, we
tap into the Lord’s power source, and our actions move in rhythm with His. The
Lord compensates for our deficiencies. Vast, unseen reservoirs of dynamic power
supply our needs.
2. Through sincere repentance, we can partake of the
blessings of the Atonement.
OK—we all know what repentance is, don’t we? We do it
every day—what? Some of us don’t feel like we need to? I’ve been there—don’t
really want to know what I did wrong, or am continuing to do wrong. Don’t
remember that this particular behavior that I am falling into once again is
something I promised not to do. Hey—we’re human, right, uh-oh, what does 2
Nephi 28:8 say? “And there shall also be many which shall say: Eat, drink,
and be merry; nevertheless, fear God—he will justify in
committing a little sin; yea, lie a little, take the advantage
of one because of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbor; there is no harm
in this; and do all these things, for tomorrow we die; and if it so be that we
are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved
in the kingdom of kingdom of God.” Not to make us feel guilty, but repentant,
because, “Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I,
the Lord, remember them no more. By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his
sins—behold, he will confess them and forsake them.”
President Ezra Taft Benson explained: “Repentance means
more than simply a reformation of behavior. … True repentance is based on and
flows from faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no other way. True
repentance involves a change of heart and not just a change of behavior (see Alma
5:13)” (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson
[1988], 71).
Let’s look at D&C 1:33, 19:17–18, and D&C 29:17 to see what the consequences of sin are. I
shudder to think of experiencing the vengeance of the Lord. But the blessings
of true repentance are found here D&C 1:32, 58:42, and D&C 109:53.
Elder Cook tells us:
Brigham Young taught, “There is not
one thing that the Lord could do for the salvation of the human family that he
has neglected to do; … all that can be accomplished for their salvation,
independent of them, has been accomplished in and by the Savior.” . . . It is
clear that those with broken hearts and contrite spirits who have truly
repented of their sins are completely acceptable to the Lord in His holy house.[4]
Being worthy to attend the temple is surely a “best”
reason to repent. And finally a quote from Elder Maxwell, “Repentance is a
rescuing, not a dour doctrine. It is available to the gross sinner as well as
to the already good individual striving for incremental improvement” (Ensign, Nov. 1991, 30).
3. Baptism is an essential ordinance.
So the majority of us reading this blogpost can check
that one off, right? But do we understand our baptism and how it directs us
along the path? What do we know about authority? Covenants? Commitment? Renewal?
And, of course, repentance?
Elder Hales gave a stirring talk on baptism, informed
from suffering through a debilitating illness. You can find it here https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2000/10/the-covenant-of-baptism-to-be-in-the-kingdom-and-of-the-kingdom?lang=eng.
Here is an excerpt
When we understand our baptismal
covenant and the gift of the Holy Ghost, it will change our lives and will
establish our total allegiance to the kingdom of God. When temptations come our
way, if we will listen, the Holy Ghost will remind us that we have promised to
remember our Savior and obey the commandments of God.
President Brigham Young said: “All
Latter-day Saints enter the new and everlasting covenant when they enter this
Church. They covenant to cease sustaining, upholding and cherishing the kingdom
of the Devil and the kingdoms of this world. They enter the new and everlasting
covenant to sustain the Kingdom of God and no other kingdom. They take a vow of
the most solemn kind, before the heavens and earth, … that they will sustain
truth and righteousness instead of wickedness and falsehood, and build up the
Kingdom of God, instead of the kingdoms of this world” (Teachings of Presidents
of the Church: Brigham Young [1997], 62–63).
Entering into the kingdom of God is so
important that Jesus was baptized to show us “the straitness of the path, and
the narrowness of the gate, by which [we] should enter” (2 Ne. 31:9).
“Notwithstanding he being holy, he showeth unto the children of men that,
according to the flesh he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth
unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments”
(2 Ne. 31:7).
4. Through the ordinance of confirmation, we receive the
gift of the Holy Ghost.
This is the “baptism by fire.” The Prophet Joseph Smith
said, “Baptism by water is but half a baptism, and is good for nothing without
… the baptism of the Holy Ghost” (Teachings
of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 314).
Look at D&C 130:22. I don’t think we can truly understand
how the Holy Ghost operates in His spiritual body. Elder Craig Christensen has
some clarification:
Unlike Heavenly Father and Jesus
Christ, who have glorified bodies of flesh and bones, the Holy Ghost is a
personage of spirit who communicates to our spirits through feelings and
impressions. As a spirit being, He has the unique responsibility of being an
agent through which personal revelation is received. . . . The Holy Ghost works
in perfect unity with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, fulfilling many
important The primary purpose of the Holy Ghost is to bear witness of God the
Father and of His Son, Jesus Christ, and to teach us the truth of all things.[5]
Elder Bruce R. McConkie of the
Quorum of the Twelve compared the manifestations of the Holy Ghost that a
person can receive before baptism to flashes of lightning that “[blaze] forth
in a dark and stormy night.” He compared the gift of the Holy Ghost that a
person receives after baptism to “the continuing blaze of the sun at noonday,
shedding its rays on the path of life and on all that surrounds it” (A New Witness for the Articles of Faith
[1985], 262).
But there is also a word of warning from Joseph Fielding
Smith, “The Holy Ghost will not dwell with that person who is unwilling to obey
and keep the commandments of God or who violates those commandments willfully”
(Church News, 4 Nov. 1961, 14).
Here are the functions of the Holy Ghost which I hope we
will be able to go through in class.
·
D&C 18:18; 39:6; 42:14; 75:10; 79:2. (He is a teacher; see also John
14:26; 16:13; 1 Nephi 10:19; Moroni
10:5.)
·
D&C 39:6. (He is the Comforter; see also John
14:16.)
·
D&C 42:17; 100:8. (He is a testifier; see also John
15:26; Alma 5:46.)
·
D&C 11:12. (He leads us to do good, walk humbly, and
judge righteously.)
·
D&C 84:33. (Through Him we are sanctified; see also 3 Nephi 27:20.)
5. We must endure to the end in faith to receive eternal
life.
When I think of “enduring to the end” I think of “after
all that we can do.” That is from 2 Nephi 25:23. It is His grace that enables
us to endure to the end. D&C 14:7 gives us a great promise. And Elder
Uchtdorf explains:
The Savior’s grace can do much more
for us. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we
aspire to something unimaginably greater. It is exaltation in the celestial kingdom.
It is life eternal in the presence of our Father in Heaven. It is the greatest
gift of God. In the celestial kingdom, we receive “of his fulness, and of his
glory.” Indeed, all that the Father hath shall be given unto us. Exaltation is
our goal; discipleship is our journey.[6]
To end, D&C 24:8 gives us advice as to how we endure
through “deepening trials”: “Be patient in afflictions, for thou shalt have
many; but endure them, for, lo, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days.”
Additional Resources
- “James
Covel and the ‘Cares of the World’”: This articles discusses the
experience of an early investigator, James Covel, who had to choose
between faith and familiarity.
- “More Than Food”: This
short story describes the gift of faith one girl gained from her mother.
- “Repentance
as Medicine”: In this excerpt, a bishop from Brazil shares an insight
about helping people through the repentance process.
- “Rare
Footage of First Baptisms in West Africa”: The second video on this
page includes footage showing groups of believers making their way into a
river for baptism in Nigeria in 1978.
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