Come, Follow Me - June 15, 2025 "I Am With The Faithful Always" D&C 60-63
D&C 60-63
Quotations
items in
italics were not included in my lesson outline
Section 60
60:2 “for they will not
open their mouths. . . they hide the talent . . given them”
The Prophet Joseph Smith (1805–1844) taught that our
“greatest and most important duty is to preach the Gospel” (Teachings of
Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 330).
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf explained ways we can fulfill
this responsibility:
“My dear young friends, perhaps
the Lord’s encouragement to ‘open [your] mouths’ [D&C 60:2] might today
include ‘use your hands’ to blog and text message the gospel to all the world!
But please remember, all at the right time and at the right place.
“… With the blessings of modern technology,
we can express gratitude and joy about God’s great plan for His children in a
way that can be heard not only around our workplace but around the world.
Sometimes a single phrase of testimony can set events in motion that affect
someone’s life for eternity.
“The most effective way to preach the gospel is through
example. If we live according to our beliefs, people will notice. If the
countenance of Jesus Christ shines in our lives, if we are joyful and at peace
with the world, people will want to know why. One of the greatest sermons ever
pronounced on missionary work is this simple thought attributed to Saint
Francis of Assisi: ‘Preach the gospel at all times and if necessary, use words’
[in William Fay and Linda Evans Shepherd, Share Jesus without Fear (1999), 22]”
(“Waiting on the Road to Damascus,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2011, 76–77).
60:5; 61:22; 62:5 “It
mattereth not unto me”
Concerning this response, Elder David A. Bednar of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:
“The Lord’s statement that such
things ‘mattereth not unto me’ initially may seem surprising. Clearly, the
Savior was not saying to these missionaries that He did not care about what
they were doing. Rather, He was emphasizing the importance of putting first
things first and focusing upon the right things. … They were to exercise faith,
use good judgment, act in accordance with the direction of the Spirit, and
determine the best way to travel to their assignments. The essential thing was
the work they had been called to perform; how they got there was important but
was not essential. …
“The most demanding judgments we
ever make are seldom between good or bad or between attractive and unattractive
alternatives. Usually, our toughest choices are between good and good. In this
scriptural episode [referring to D&C 62:7–9], horses, mules, and chariots
may have been equally effective options for missionary travel. In a similar
way, you and I also might identify at various times in our lives more than one
acceptable opportunity or option that we could choose to pursue. We should
remember this pattern from the scriptures as we approach such important
decisions. If we put essential things first in our lives—things such as
dedicated discipleship, honoring covenants, and keeping the commandments—then
we will be blessed with inspiration and strong judgment as we pursue the path
that leads us back to our heavenly home” (“A Reservoir of Living Water,”
[Brigham Young University fireside, Feb. 4, 2007], 5–6, speeches.byu.edu).
Elder Dallin H. Oaks explained
why our Heavenly Father leaves many decisions to our own judgment:
“A desire to
be led by the Lord is a strength, but it needs to be accompanied by an
understanding that our Heavenly Father leaves many decisions for our personal
choices. Personal decision making is one of the sources of the growth we are
meant to experience in mortality. …
“We should study things out in our
minds, using the reasoning powers our Creator has placed within us. Then we
should pray for guidance and act upon it if we receive it. If we do not receive
guidance, we should act upon our best judgment” (“Our Strengths Can Become Our
Downfall,” Ensign, Oct. 1994, 13–14).
60:8,
13–14. “Preach My Gospel among the Congregations of the Wicked”
President Joseph Fielding Smith
wrote that the Lord often:
“refers to the people scattered abroad as
‘congregations of the wicked.’ We have good reason to believe that wickedness
prevailed among the congregations. The elders were to seek out from among the
people the honest in heart and leave their warning testimony with all others,
thus they would become clean from their blood.” (Church History and Modern
Revelation, 1:223.)
60:13–14.
“Thou shalt not idle away thy time”
The Lord commanded the elders to
preach the gospel as they traveled back to Ohio and warned them to not “idle
away [their] time” (D&C 60:13).
Elder M. Russell Ballard of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles illustrated some of the ways we idle away our
time and the dangers of doing so:
“One of the
ways Satan lessens your effectiveness and weakens your spiritual strength is by
encouraging you to spend large blocks of your time doing things that matter
very little. I speak of such things as sitting for hours on end watching
television or videos, playing video games night in and night out, surfing the
Internet, or devoting huge blocks of time to sports, games, or other
recreational activities.
“Don’t
misunderstand me. … Games, sports, recreational activities, and even television
can be relaxing and rejuvenating, especially in times when you are under stress
or heavily scheduled. You need activities that help you to unwind and rest your
minds. …
“But I speak of
letting things get out of balance. …
“One
devastating effect of idling away our time is that it deflects us from focusing
on the things that matter most. Too many people are willing to sit back and let
life just happen to them. It takes time to develop the attributes that will
help you to be a well-balanced person. …
“… So focus the best that you can on
those things in life that will lead you back to the presence of God—keeping all
things in their proper balance” (“Be Strong in the Lord,” Ensign, July 2004,
13–14).
60:15–17.
“Shake Off the Dust of Thy Feet”
The ordinance of washing the dust
from one’s feet was practiced in New Testament times and was reinstituted in
this dispensation (see D&C 88:139–40; John 11:2; 12:3; 13:5–14). The action
of shaking or cleansing the dust from one’s feet is a testimony against those
who refuse to accept the gospel (see D&C 24:15; 84:92; 99:4). Because of
the serious nature of this act, Church leaders have directed that it be done
only at the command of the Spirit.
President Joseph Fielding Smith
explained:
“The cleansing of their feet, either by
washing or wiping off the dust, would be recorded in heaven as a testimony
against the wicked. This act, however, was not to be performed in the presence
of the offenders, ‘lest thou provoke them, but in secret, and wash thy feet, as
a testimony against them in the day of judgment.’ The missionaries of the
Church who faithfully perform their duty are under the obligation of leaving
their testimony with all with whom they come in contact in their work. This
testimony will stand as a witness against those who reject the message, at the judgment.”
(Church History and Modern Revelation, 1:223; see also Notes and Commentary for
D&C 24:15.)
Section 61
61:4–19.
“In the last days … I cursed the waters”
The Lord’s words in Doctrine and Covenants 61:4–19 do not
prohibit Latter-day Saints from traveling on or swimming in water. In
describing the curse on the waters in the last days, the Lord may have been
referring to passages in the book of Revelation in which the Apostle John
described destruction that will occur in the waters before the Second Coming of
Jesus Christ (see Revelation 8:8–11; 16:2–6). In Doctrine and Covenants 61, the
Lord refers specifically to the danger of “these waters,” meaning the Missouri
River (see D&C 61:5, 18). At the time of this revelation, the dangers of
the Missouri River included accidents due to difficulties in navigating the
waters and contracting cholera, a disease most commonly spread by contaminated
water (see “The Way of Journeying for the Saints of Christ,” Evening and
Morning Star, Dec. 1832, 105). [2018 Institute D&C Student Manual, p 328]
President Joseph Fielding Smith pointed out how:
“in the beginning the Lord
blessed the waters and cursed the land, but in these last days this was
reversed, the land was to be blessed and the waters to be cursed. A little reflection
will bear witness to the truth of this declaration. In the early millenniums of
this earth’s history, men did not understand the composition of the soils, and
how they needed building up when crops were taken from them. The facilities at
the command of the people were primitive and limited, acreage under cultivation
was limited, famines were prevalent and the luxuries which we have today were
not obtainable. Someone may rise up and say that the soil in those days was
just as productive as now, and this may be the case. It is not a matter of
dispute, but the manner of cultivation did not lend itself to the abundant
production which we are receiving today. It matters not what the causes were,
in those early days of world history there could not be the production, nor the
varieties of fruits coming from the earth, and the Lord can very properly speak
of this as a curse, or the lack of blessing, upon the land. In those early
periods we have every reason to believe that the torrents, floods, and the dangers
upon the waters were not as great as they are today, and by no means as great
as what the Lord has promised us. The early mariners among the ancients
traversed the seas as they knew them in that day in comparative safety. . . .
Today this manner of travel in such boats would be of the most dangerous and
risky nature. Moreover, we have seen the dangers upon the waters increase until
the hearts of men failed them and only the brave, and those who were compelled
to travel the seas, ventured out upon them.
“In regard to the Missouri-Mississippi
waters, we have seen year by year great destruction upon them, and coming from
them. Millions upon millions of dollars, almost annually are lost by this great
stream overflowing its banks. Many have lost their lives in these floods as
they sweep over the land, and even upon this apparently tranquil or sluggish
stream there can arise storms that bring destruction. Verily the word of the
Lord has been, and is being, fulfilled in relation to those waters. While the
Lord has spoken of the sea heaving itself beyond its bounds, and the waves
roaring, yet we must include the great destruction upon the waters by means of
war, and especially by submarine warfare as we have learned of it in recent
years.” (Church History and Modern Revelation, 1:224; see also Genesis 3:17–19;
Ether 7:23–25; 9:16, 28; Revelation 16:1–6; Alma 45:16; D&C 59:3; 16–19.)
61:34
“shall rid their garments”
The phrase “thou
shalt rid thy garments” is seen in other forms elsewhere in the scriptures. For
example, in 2 Nephi 9:44, Jacob says “I take off my garments and I shake them
before you,” symbolizing that he is “shaking their sins off his clothing” that
they have now heard the gospel, and that their souls are in their own hands. He
has fulfilled his duty by preaching it to them. Therefore their sins are no
longer his responsibility. In Jacob 2:2, he teaches his people in order “that I
might rid my garments of your sins.” Likewise, King Benjamin assembled his
people in order to teach them in order “that I might read my garments of your
blood.” (Ridges, D&C, B2, P100)
61:37–39.
“He Cometh in an Hour You Think Not”
The Prophet Joseph Smith said:
“Jesus Christ
never did reveal to any man the precise time that He would come. Go and read
the Scriptures, and you cannot find anything that specifies the exact hour He
would come; and all that say so are false teachers.” (History of the Church,
6:254.)
Elder M. Russell Ballard when
speaking of the Second Coming of our Savior, noted that the scriptures contain what
we call “signs of the times”. Events that will happen prior to the Lord’s
return. He then listed some of the “natural” events and scientific data
associated with those events. He then said”
“So can we use this scientific
data to extrapolate that the Second Coming is likely to occur during the next
few years, or the next decade, or the next century? Not really. I am
called as one of the apostles to be a special witness of Christ in these
exciting, trying times, and I do not know when He is going to come again. As
far as I know, none of my brethren in the Council of the Twelve or even in the
First Presidency know. And I would humbly suggest to you, my young brothers and
sisters, that if we do not know, then nobody knows, no matter how compelling
their arguments or how reasonable their calculations. The Savior said that ‘of
that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father
only.’ (Matthew 24:36).
“I believe when the Lord says “no
man” knows, it really means that no man knows. You should be extremely wary of
anyone who claims to be an exception to divine decree. But while the exact
timing of the Second Coming remains in doubt, there is no question that
scriptural prophecy relative to that momentous and sacred event is being
fulfilled, sometimes in remarkable ways.” (M Russell Ballard, When Shall
These Things Be?, BYU Devotional, March 12, 1996)
Section 62
62:3. Testimony Is
Recorded in Heaven
“In this Revelation we are told
that angels are scrutinizing the records kept of the testimonies of the Elders,
and that they rejoice over the witnesses. It appears from this that the
ministry on earth has its effects beyond the veil as well as on this side. An
Elder who bears his faithful testimony to the truth does not know how
far-reaching the result may be, though his visible audience may consist of but
few.” (Smith and Sjodahl, Doctrine and Covenants Commentary, p. 371.)
62:2–3.
“Your Sins Are Forgiven You”
Missionary work has a redemptive
effect for the missionary as well as the convert. The Apostle James wrote, “He
which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from
death, and shall hide a multitude of sins” (James 5:20). Of that teaching,
Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote:
“By reclaiming
an erring brother, we save both him and ourselves. Our sins are hidden
(remitted) because we ministered for the salvation and blessing of another member
of the kingdom. In principle this special reward for Christ’s ministers applies
also to those who preach the gospel and bring souls into the kingdom. The
minister is rewarded with salvation and, of necessity, in the process, is freed
from his own sins. (D. & C. 4:1–4.)” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary,
3:279.)
President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) taught:
“The Lord has told us that our
sins will be forgiven more readily as we bring souls unto Christ and remain
steadfast in bearing testimony to the world, and surely every one of us is
looking for additional help in being forgiven of our sins” (“It Becometh Every
Man,” Ensign, Oct. 1977, 5).
Section 63
63:7–13. “Signs follow those that believe”
President Joseph F. Smith
(1838–1918) further explained the dangers of depending on miracles for our
faith:
“Show me Latter-day Saints who
have to feed upon miracles, signs and visions in order to keep them steadfast
in the Church, and I will show you members of the Church who are not in good
standing before God, and who are walking in slippery paths” (Gospel Doctrine,
5th ed. [1939], 7).
“In
bearing testimonies and in our public addresses we rarely mention our most
miraculous experiences, and we rarely rely on signs that the gospel is true. We
usually just affirm our testimony of the truthfulness of the restored gospel
and give few details on how we obtained it. Why is this? Signs follow those
that believe. Seeking a miracle to convert someone is improper sign seeking. …
“There
are good reasons why we do not seek conversions by exhibiting signs. ‘The
viewing of signs or miracles is not a secure foundation for conversion.
Scriptural history attests that people converted by signs and wonders soon
forget them and again become susceptible to the lies and distortions of Satan
and his servants (Hel. 16:23; 3 Ne. 1:22; 2:1; 8:4.). …
“‘In
contrast to the witness of the Spirit, which can be renewed from time to time
as needed by a worthy recipient, the viewing of a sign or the experiencing of a
miracle is a one-time event that will fade in the memory of its witness and can
dim in its impact upon him or her’ [Dallin H. Oaks, The Lord’s Way (1991), 87]”
(“Miracles,” Ensign, June 2001, 10).
President Boyd K. Packer (1924–2015) of the Quorum of the
Twelve Apostles explained how faith prepares a person to believe:
“In a world filled with
skepticism and doubt, the expression ‘seeing is believing’ promotes the
attitude, ‘You show me, and I will believe.’ We want all of the proof and all
of the evidence first. It seems hard to take things on faith.
“When will we learn that in spiritual things it works the
other way about—that believing is seeing? Spiritual belief precedes spiritual
knowledge. When we believe in things that are not seen but are nevertheless
true, then we have faith” (“What Is Faith?” in Faith [1983], 43).
63:17. What Does It
Mean to Burn with Fire and Brimstone?
Elder Bruce R. McConkie
explained:
“. . . brimstone is “sulfur, an easily melted, very
inflammable mineral which burns with a blue flame and emits a suffocating odor.
. . . The nature of burning brimstone is such that it perfectly symbolized to
the prophetic mind the eternal torment of the damned. Accordingly we read that
the wicked are ‘tormented with fire and brimstone’ (Rev. 14:9–11; 19:20;
20:10), or in other words that ‘their torment is as a lake of fire and
brimstone, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever and has no end.’ (2 Ne.
9:16; Alma 12:17.) This burning scene, a horrifying ‘lake of fire and
brimstone,’ symbolizes ‘endless torment’ (2 Ne. 9:19, 26; 28:23; Jac. 6:10;
Alma 14:14; D. & C. 76:36); those who find place therein are subject to the
second death.” (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 280–81.)
63:20–21, 49–51. The
Transfiguration of the Earth
“The earth will pass through two changes which might be
called transfigurations:
“1. At the beginning of the Millennium, it will be raised
from its present telestial to a terrestrial state, and only the righteous will
have a place on earth at that time.
“2. After the thousand years
are ended, the earth will be celestialized and the faithful who are worthy of
that glory will receive their permanent inheritance thereon.” (Cowan, Doctrine
and Covenants, p. 101; see also D&C 77; 88:17–20, 25–26; 101: 24–25;
130:4–11.)
63:20–21. The
transfiguration of the earth
President Joseph Fielding Smith (1876–1972) identified the
four stages of the earth’s existence:
“This earth is passing through four grand degrees or stages:
1. The creation and the condition antedating [existing before] the fall. 2. The
telestial condition which has prevailed since the fall of Adam. 3. The
terrestrial condition [or transfiguration of the earth] that will prevail when
the Savior comes and ushers in the millennial era. 4. The celestial or final
state of the earth when it has obtained its exaltation” (Doctrines of
Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie [1954], 1:82).
63:33–35. “The saints
also shall hardly escape”
In response to the increasing wickedness upon the earth, the
Lord has decreed judgments and consequences. As recorded in Doctrine and
Covenants 63:33–35, the rebellious will be chastened and eventually destroyed,
and though the Saints will also suffer, the Lord’s promise is that He will be
with them.
The Prophet Joseph Smith (1805–1844) recorded what took
place during a meeting at his home in September 1839:
“[I] explained concerning the coming of the Son of Man; also
that it is a false idea that the Saints will escape all the judgments, whilst
the wicked suffer; for all flesh is subject to suffer, and ‘the righteous shall
hardly escape’ [see D&C 63:34]; still many of the Saints will escape, for
the just shall live by faith [see Habakkuk 2:4]; yet many of the righteous
shall fall a prey to disease, to pestilence, etc., by reason of the weakness of
the flesh, and yet be saved in the Kingdom of God. So that it is an unhallowed
principle to say that such and such have transgressed because they have been
preyed upon by disease or death, for all flesh is subject to death; and the
Savior has said, ‘Judge not, lest ye be judged’ [see Matthew 7:1]” (Teachings
of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 253).
63:50 “he that liveth
when the Lord shall come”
Elder Joseph Fielding Smith wrote:
“When Christ comes, the Saints who are on the earth will be
quickened and caught up to meet Him. This does not mean that those who are
living in mortality at that time will be changed and passed through the
resurrection, for mortals must remain on the earth until after the 1000 years
has ended. A change, nevertheless, will come over all who remain on the earth;
they will be quickened so that they will not be subject unto death until they
are old. Men shall die when they are 100 years of age, and the change shall be
made suddenly to the immortal state. Graves will not be made during that 1000
years. . . death shall come as a peaceful transition from the mortal to the
immortal state.” (Way to Perfection, 298-99, 311)
63:53–54. “These things
… are now nigh at hand”
Elder Dallin H. Oaks explained the need for Church members
to prepare:
“While we are powerless to alter
the fact of the Second Coming and unable to know its exact time, we can
accelerate our own preparation and try to influence the preparation of those
around us.
“A parable that contains an
important and challenging teaching on this subject is the parable of the ten
virgins. Of this parable, the Lord said, ‘And at that day, when I shall come in
my glory, shall the parable be fulfilled which I spake concerning the ten
virgins’ (D&C 45:56).
“Given in the 25th chapter of
Matthew, this parable contrasts the circumstances of the five foolish and the
five wise virgins. All ten were invited to the wedding feast, but only half of
them were prepared with oil in their lamps when the bridegroom came. The five
who were prepared went into the marriage feast, and the door was shut. The five
who had delayed their preparations came late. The door had been closed, and the
Lord denied them entrance, saying, ‘I know you not’ (v. 12). ‘Watch therefore,’
the Savior concluded, ‘for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son
of man cometh’ (v. 13).
“The arithmetic of this parable is chilling. The ten virgins
obviously represent members of Christ’s Church, for all were invited to the
wedding feast and all knew what was required to be admitted when the bridegroom
came. But only half were ready when he came” (“Preparation for the Second
Coming,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2004, 8).
63:61–64. “Let All Men
Beware How They Take My Name in Their Lips”
To take the name of the Lord in vain is often thought of
only as profanity.
Elder James E. Talmage offered a
broader definition:
“1. We may take the name of God in vain by profane speech.
“2. We take it in vain when we swear falsely, not being true
to our oaths and promises.
“3. We take it in vain in a blasphemous sense when we
presume to speak in that name without authority.
“4. And we take his name in vain whenever we willfully do
aught that is in defiance of his commandments, since we have taken his name
upon ourselves.” (In Conference Report, Oct. 1931, pp. 53.)
Comments
Post a Comment