Doctrine & Covenants Lesson # 10
“This Is My
Voice unto All”
Introduction
We have set the foundation for the revelations in the Doctrine
Covenants using—the revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants! Now is the time
to get into specific sections and doctrine. And it is instructive that the Brethren
have chosen Section 25, the revelation to Emma, to start our study. When I
joined the Church I was surprised by the negative attitude some of the sisters
had toward Emma. It is well documented that Emma and Brigham did not get on,
especially after Joseph’s death. And maybe when we look at Emma, we just see
the last days when she refused to go West, and even remarried. But Emma endured
so very much as a result of marrying Joseph: the alienation of her parents,
countless moves, the loss of her children, seeing her husband tarred and
feathered, torn from her arms. Left to manage alone countless times when Joseph
was alive, then losing her husband at a very early age.[1] Such
a trial of her faith. And we remember that the Lord looks at our whole life,
not just the end. Which makes deathbed confessions pretty meaningless when you
think about it. Grace is a blessing we receive “after all we can do” (2 Nephi
25:23). And once we are on the path, we spend our life doing our best to hang
on to the guiding, iron rod.
Section 25
The lesson manual advises us to do as Elder Jay Jensen
counseled, “When I read a verse, I often insert my name in it.” Try doing that
with verses 2, 10,14, and 15, and changing husband
to spouse as applicable. See what
effect those verses now have on you.
Regarding verse 2, Pres. Hinckley said:
The Lord [said] Emma, “If thou … walk
in the paths of virtue.”
I think every woman . . . understands
the meaning of that. I feel those words were given to Emma Smith, and
consequently to all of us, as a condition to be observed if we are to receive
an inheritance in the kingdom of God. Lack of virtue is totally inconsistent
with obedience to the commandments of God. There is nothing more beautiful than
virtue. There is no strength that is greater than the strength of virtue. There
is no other nobility equal to the nobility of virtue. There is no quality so
becoming, no attire so attractive.[2]
1. Husbands and wives should support and comfort each
other.
Section 25:5 sets out a pattern for marital interactions.
Pres. Hinckley again:
That is interesting language. She was
his wife, his companion, his strength in his afflictions. She was to comfort
with consoling words, given in a spirit of meekness. I see in that the
challenge to every woman who is a wife to set the tone of that which is spoken
in the home. It was said of old that “a soft answer turneth away wrath.” (Prov.
15:1.) It is interesting to me that in this revelation the Lord spoke of
consoling words in the spirit of meekness. There is so much of argument in the
homes of the people. It is so destructive. It is so corrosive. It leads only to
bitterness, heartbreak, and tears. How well advised we would be, each of us,
when there is tension, when there is friction, when there is affliction, to
speak with consoling words in the spirit of meekness.
Notice in both these quotes, Pres. Hinckley infers the
scriptures to apply to all members of God’s family. Verse 14 continues the
admonition that I think expounds on the theme of “cleave to your spouse.” The
lesson manual gives us a beautiful quote from Joseph himself that sheds light
on just how much he valued Emma:
With what unspeakable delight, and
what transports of joy swelled my bosom, when I took by the hand, on that
night, my beloved Emma—she that was my wife, even the wife of my youth, and the
choice of my heart. Many were the reverberations of my mind when I contemplated
for a moment the many scenes we had been called to pass through, the fatigues
and the toils, the sorrows and sufferings, and the joys and consolations, from
time to time, which had strewed our paths. … Oh what a commingling of thought
filled my mind for the moment, again she is here, … undaunted, firm, and
unwavering—unchangeable, affectionate Emma! (History of the Church, 5:107)
If you are interested, I will append a link to the HC
when Joseph wrote this. He had just avoided a writ of habeas corpus against
himself and Porter Rockwell, had almost been in exile with the Nauvoo Legion,
but had finally been able to come home to be with his family.[3]
2. We should be meek and avoid pride.
Just from this verse (14) we can learn that meekness is
the antidote for pride. Some of you might remember that Daniel Radcliffe
started off his acting life as David Copperfield. In that immortal book by
Charles Dickens, one of the more odious characters is Uriah “Umble” Heep. His
kind of humility was not the one we are aiming for, but it is one that is characterized
by meekness. In our lesson time we will look at a few scriptures from the
Doctrine and Covenants on pride, but what has always stood out to me, since
first hearing it, is Pres. Benson’s landmark talk in 1989, four years after he
was called to lead the Church, and three years after he rebuked us for not
taking the Book of Mormon seriously enough. He led out the April General
Conference with this talk.
Pride is a very misunderstood sin, and
many are sinning in ignorance. . . . In the scriptures there is no such thing
as righteous pride—it is always considered a sin. Therefore, no matter how the
world uses the term, we must understand how God uses the term so we can
understand the language of holy writ and profit thereby.
Most of us think of pride as
self-centeredness, conceit, boastfulness, arrogance, or haughtiness. All of
these are elements of the sin, but the heart, or core, is still missing. The
central feature of pride is enmity—enmity toward God and enmity toward our
fellowmen. Enmity means “hatred toward, hostility to, or a state of
opposition.” It is the power by which Satan wishes to reign over us.
Pride is essentially competitive in
nature. We pit our will against God’s. When we direct our pride toward God, it
is in the spirit of “my will and not thine be done.” As Paul said, they “seek
their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.” (Philip. 2:21.) . . . Our
enmity toward God takes on many labels, such as rebellion, hard-heartedness,
stiff-neckedness, unrepentant, puffed up, easily offended, and sign seekers.
The proud wish God would agree with them. They aren’t interested in changing
their opinions to agree with God’s. . . .
Another major portion of this very
prevalent sin of pride is enmity toward our fellowmen. We are tempted daily to
elevate ourselves above others and diminish them. (See Hel. 6:17; D&C 58:41.)
The proud make every man their
adversary by pitting their intellects, opinions, works, wealth, talents, or any
other worldly measuring device against others. In the words of C. S. Lewis:
“Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it
than the next man. … It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of
being above the rest. Once the element of competition has gone, pride has
gone.” (Mere Christianity, New York: Macmillan, 1952, pp. 109–10). . . .
When pride has a hold on our hearts, we lose our independence of the world and
deliver our freedoms to the bondage of men’s judgment. The world shouts louder
than the whisperings of the Holy Ghost. The reasoning of men overrides the
revelations of God, and the proud let go of the iron rod.[4]
Finally, Pres. Benson gave us the antidote:
The antidote for pride is humility—meekness,
submissiveness (see Alma
7:23). It is the broken heart and contrite spirit. … We can choose to
humble ourselves by loving God, submitting our will to His, and putting Him
first in our lives.
3. We should rejoice and be of good cheer.
So if we are sufficiently humble now after feeling
perhaps chastised about the way we treat each other, and how we have let pride
into our lives, then, because of repentance and the Atonement, we, via Emma,
are admonished to lift up our hearts and rejoice (D&C 25:13). What reasons
do we have to rejoice and be of good cheer? It is because we have “a perfect
brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men (2 Nephi 31:19). We know
what the Lord has done for us, and how much He loves us and wants our
happiness. Our future is glorious, because He is with us.
Additional resources for this lesson
- “Thou
Art an Elect Lady”: This article gives context for the revelation
now known as Doctrine and Covenants 25.
- Relief
Society minutes for March 17, 1842: In these original minutes of the
first Relief Society meeting, Joseph Smith explains that Emma’s calling to
lead the Relief Society fulfilled the 1830 revelation to her and that “not
she alone, but others, may attain to the same blessings” mentioned in the
revelation.
- “Emma’s
Susquehanna: Growing Up in the Isaac and Elizabeth Hale Home”: This
article gives background information on Emma Smith’s early life.
- “Sally
Phelps’s Hymnal”: This article discusses the 1835 hymnal that was
compiled according to instructions in Doctrine and Covenants 25.
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