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Come, Follow Me Week 31 – Doctrine and Covenants 84

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Priesthood Power

by Wendy Ulrich

Doctrine and Covenants Section 84 is designated by Joseph Smith as a revelation on priesthood. Although several sections of the Doctrine and Covenants discuss priesthood administration, offices, organization, and ordinances, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believes priesthood, in its fullest sense, is the very power of God, “without beginning of days or end of years” (v. 17).

God authorizes men and women throughout the Church to lead, teach, minister, and perform ordinances in a variety of ways, using priesthood authority that is delegated and extended through callings, assignments, recommends, or ordinances. Men holding priesthood keys oversee the use of priesthood authority in a given area and for a specific purpose that includes administering priesthood ordinances. [1]

As described in Section 84, however, priesthood authority and ordinances have a purpose beyond administration or even salvation. They are intended to make the power of godliness manifest in our lives, to hold the key to the mysteries and knowledge of God, and to make that knowledge available to all God’s covenant people (Doctrine and Covenants 84:19-21). [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 31 – Doctrine and Covenants 84

Come, Follow Me Week 29 – Doctrine and Covenants 77-80

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“A Place in the Celestial World”

By David W. Smith

In the early 1830s, Joseph Smith strove diligently to help the Saints build Zion. In one of the revelations given on how to build Zion, the Lord taught Joseph Smith and all the Saints: “For if you will that I give unto you a place in the celestial world, you must prepare yourselves by doing the things which I have commanded you and required of you.”[1]

There are three points I would like to address from this scripture: [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 29 – Doctrine and Covenants 77-80

Come, Follow Me Week 28 – Doctrine and Covenants 76

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by Cassandra Hedelius

By Joseph Smith’s time, much of Christendom was floundering with a badly truncated understanding of God’s judgment and humanity’s destination in the next life. Many believed, as many still do today, that all people will eternally fall on one side or the other of a single line: those who did good and receive the resurrection of the just, and those who did evil and receive the resurrection of damnation. There are obvious practical issues with that scheme, starting with the fact that cheating on homework and committing genocide are both sinful, but it feels unjust and illogical to consign their perpetrators to being undifferentiated roommates in hell.

The Bible does contain hints of a more complex judgment. It teaches that Christ shall reward every man according to his works (Matthew 16:27); converts are like seeds that bring forth a hundredfold or sixtyfold or thirtyfold (Matthew 13:8); Paul compared resurrected bodies to the differing glory of the sun, moon, and stars (1 Corinthians 15:41). But this isn’t enough to build a case countering the most obvious interpretation of the Bible’s teachings–at the final judgment people will be designated good or evil, and receive their final assignment to heaven or hell. [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 28 – Doctrine and Covenants 76

Come, Follow Me Week 27 – Doctrine and Covenants 71-75

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Repenting is Ascending

By Jeff Markham

3 Verily this is a mission for a season, which I give unto you.

4 Wherefore, labor ye in my vineyard. Call upon the inhabitants of the earth, and bear record, and prepare the way for the commandments and revelations which are to come.

5 Now, behold this is wisdom; whoso readeth, let him understand and receive also;

6 For unto him that receiveth it shall be given more abundantly, even power. (Doctrine & Covenants 71)

These verses from Section 71 stand as a powerful reminder of the true purpose of missionary work. We are not called to provide overwhelming proof of the truthfulness of the Gospel, nor are we called to impress others with our deep knowledge of the scriptures. Rather, we are to:  [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 27 – Doctrine and Covenants 71-75

“A Life Lived in Crescendo”: Selected Punctuation Marks of Joseph Smith’s Final Years – A “Come, Follow Me” Virtual Fireside Series

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Sponsored by
The Interpreter Foundation
Book of Mormon Central
FAIR

Beginning Sunday, June 27, at 6:00 PM

(Anniversary of Joseph Smith’s martyrdom)

True to the End: The Martyrdom
Presented by
R. Jean Addams

For more information, including schedule, presenters and live-stream links, go to https://interpreterfoundation.org/conferences/a-life-lived-in-crescendo-firesides/

Come, Follow Me Week 26 – Doctrine and Covenants 67-70

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D&C 67: Four Steps to Rend the Veil and See God

By Jasmin Gimenez Rappleye

Doctrine and Covenants 67 addresses the printing of Joseph Smith’s revelations, but it more fundamentally narrows in on the source of the revelations: the presence of God. In November 1831, while discussing the printing of the Book of Commandments, some of the elders questioned the unpolished and sometimes abrasive language of the revelations. Joseph Smith promised the elders that they could receive a testimony of the revelations for themselves. When the elders tried to receive this revelation and failed, the Lord taught them how to rend the veil and approach God. Joseph had predicted that if the Saints could all “come together with one heart and one mind in perfect faith the vail might as well be rent to day as next week or any other time.” [1] [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 26 – Doctrine and Covenants 67-70

What is FAIR?

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by Scott Gordon

I find that some people are very confused about what FAIR is and what we do. First of all, we know that there are several organizations that use the term “FAIR.” For us, it stands for Faithful Answers, Informed Response. We are a group of volunteers. Yes, that’s right – volunteers. We don’t have a staff of customer service people to make things happen. We have two people that work for us. They help organize our volunteers, organize our conference, do our accounting, and mail out books. Because the rest of us are volunteers, we often move more slowly than I like. But we do our best.

What do we do?

People send us questions via emails and we try to answer them. We keep all names confidential. We have even received emails from some in the former Latter-day Saint community, but again, we keep the names confidential. The volunteers answer the emails. Some of those answers, stripped of all identifying material, are posted on our website. Find Answers [Read more…] about What is FAIR?

Come, Follow Me Week 25 – Doctrine and Covenants 64-66

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Forgiving 

by Wendy Ulrich

Think of someone you might need to forgive. It could be something recent or long past, serious or trivial, that happened over and over again or only once. 

Got it? 

Sometimes, forgiving is straightforward and relatively easy. 

Sometimes, forgiving eludes us despite good intentions and persistent effort. 

Sometimes, we don’t even want to forgive and can’t imagine why or how we would. 

Given just how much some offenses cost us, the Lord’s teaching about forgiveness in Doctrine and Covenants 64:8-10 can feel pretty harsh: [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 25 – Doctrine and Covenants 64-66

Come, Follow Me Week 24 – Doctrine and Covenants 63

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Adultery, Agency, and Innocence

by Jennifer Roach

“The two carried on an affair that spanned 3 years.”  I was as shocked as anyone to see it in print, and to hear it put that way. An affair? I felt like I was reading about someone else – some couple who knew the boundaries, and willingly broke them. These were people to be punished and kicked out of the church. And then I realized it was talking about me. 

But it couldn’t be – I was 14 years old. 

The document I was reading had been unearthed as part of a court case. I was suing my childhood church (I was raised outside of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) for the sexual abuse I experienced there. If you care to know the details a quick Google search of my name will lead you to a series of articles printed on the front page of my hometown newspaper.  Taking my church to court had never been part of my plan. And I was well aware that the statute of limitations had long ran out on this crime. But over the years I had tried to get the church to take some kind of responsibility for what happened. They never would. I found a way to take them to court despite the statute of limitations being over. Everything in my experience told me that was abuse, it was not my fault. I was a victim – many people who have been through sexual abuse avoid that term, but I’m okay with it. It’s accurate. A terrible thing happened to me. I’ve done the work to heal from it. But it will always be a terrible thing that I did not ask for.  [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 24 – Doctrine and Covenants 63

FAIR Voice #34: Witnesses Pt. 1 with Daniel C. Peterson

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Podcast: Download (47.8MB)

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Dr. Peterson joins Hanna to talk about the upcoming feature film Witnesses as well as discuss some of the important historical issues surrounding the witnesses themselves. You won’t want to miss this interview or this film! As mentioned in the intro, FAIR’s conference is soon! Please look here for more details.

A native of southern California, Daniel C. Peterson received a bachelor’s degree in Greek and philosophy from Brigham Young University (BYU) and, after several years of study in Jerusalem and Cairo, earned his Ph.D. in Near Eastern Languages and Cultures from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). Dr. Peterson is a professor of Islamic Studies and Arabic at BYU, where he has taught Arabic language and literature at all levels, Islamic philosophy, Islamic culture and civilization, Islamic religion, the Qur’an, the introductory and senior “capstone” courses for Middle Eastern Studies majors, and various other occasional specialized classes. He is the author of several books and numerous articles on Islamic and Latter-day Saint topics–including a biography entitled Muhammad: Prophet of God (Eerdmans, 2007)—and has lectured across the United States, in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, and at various Islamic universities in the Near East and Asia. He served in the Switzerland Zürich Mission (1972-1974), and, for approximately eight years, on the Gospel Doctrine writing committee for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He also presided for a time as the bishop of a singles ward adjacent to Utah Valley University. Dr. Peterson is married to the former Deborah Stephens, of Lakewood, Colorado, and they are the parents of three sons.

Hanna Seariac is a MA student in Greek and Latin at Brigham Young University. She works as a research assistant on a biblical commentary and as a research assistant on early Latter-day Saint history. Her interests thematically center around sacrifice, magic, and priesthood as it pertains to ancient Judaism, early Christianity, ancient Egyptian religion, and early Restoration history.