Chapter 18: Faith in Jesus Christ

What is Faith?

Tremendous resources for this lesson can be found in the Teachings of the Presidents of the Church:... (the old Priesthood/Relief Society manuals). Especially helpful will be the manuals for Brigham Young, chapter 8, Wilford Woodruff, Chapter 15, Joseph F. Smith, Chapter 6, David O. McKay, pages 196-198 (Chapter 21), and Spencer W. Kimball, Chapter 13, and Harold B. Lee, pages 28-29 (Chapter 4). Remember, these can all be found on “lds.org” by clicking on “Gospel Library” then “Lessons” then “Melchizedek Priesthood and Relief Society.” All of the manuals are listed at the bottom of this page. You also may enjoy Chapter 13 in Doctrines of the Gospel Institute Manual, which can be found on “institute.lds.org” then “Institute Courses & Manuals.”

The first sentence of this section is “Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the first principle of the gospel. From the Doctrines of the Gospel Institute Manual comes this great quote to supplement this idea:

Faith is the first principle of the gospel and the foundation of all other principles. (p. 35)

From the former Priesthood/Relief Society manuals come the following which also supplement this concept:

Our faith in Jesus Christ lies at the foundation of our religion, the foundation of our hope for remission of sins, and for exaltation after death, and for the resurrection from death to everlasting life (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, p. 50).

Faith applied to religion is its foundation principle and indeed the source of all righteousness that directs man in his efforts to gain eternal life in the world to come (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, p. 28).

An unwavering faith in Christ is the most important need of the world today. What does it mean to keep the faith? It means first, that we accept Jesus Christ, not merely as a great teacher, a powerful leader, but as the Savior, the Redeemer of the world. … He who keeps the faith will accept Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world. I would have all men keep that faith. I think it is fundamental to man’s happiness, fundamental to his peace of mind. I think it is the cardinal principle of the Church of Jesus Christ (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay, pp. 196-7).

The next two sentences in this section represent a powerful doctrine perhaps too little understood, that the Savior’s atonement regarding spiritual life has no power except to those who have faith (and repent, etc. - - but those are future lessons). This doctrine needs to be taught well to be better understood.

The first sentence under “faith” in the Bible Dictionary states:

Faith…must be centered in Jesus Christ in order to produce salvation.

And later in this reference we find:

Even more important, by faith one obtains a remission of sins and eventually can stand in the presence of God.

From the Encyclopedia of Mormonism:

Though God delights to bless his children, he “first, [tries] their faith,…then shall the greater things be made manifest” (3 Ne. 26:9). But there will be “no witness until after the trial of your faith” (Ether 12:6), and “without faith you can do nothing” (D&C 8:10)… (pp. 484-5).

By the way, Ether 12:6 is a great additional cross-reference with the two scriptures in the second paragraph of this section.

Nephi also helps us with this doctrine:

For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles; and I will show unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith (2 Nephi 27:23).

In these latter days, Jesus Christ taught a great principle concerning this doctrine:

…for behold, my blood shall not cleanse them if they hear me not (D&C 29:17).

Again, from the Encyclopedia of Mormonism:

The gospel of Jesus Christ comprises fundamental principles and ordinances that must be followed to obtain a fulness of salvation. (p. 1257)

The atonement of Jesus Christ saved all men from physical death. But the atonement also made salvation from spiritual death possible. In short, the atonement made it possible for us to be saved from spiritual death, but we must use our sacred gift of agency to do what He asks for this salvation to happen. This will also tie in with “saying” versus “doing,” which is discussed later in this lesson.

God is well represented as the loving father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son. We are each Prodigal Sons. The point of doctrine here is that “when he came to himself” (Luke 15:17) the Father can bestow the most treasured blessings upon each of us.

The salvation from spiritual death, not physical death is what Christ was referring to in John 11:25 when He declared:

I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

Note the phrase “he that believeth in me.” Thus “belief’ (or, as we will learn in this lesson, ”true faith”) is a necessary requirement for this salvation.

The second paragraph of this section discusses faith as “a principle of action”. President Woodruff had this to say:

It is truly good to … hear the word of the Lord, and it is truly a good thing to believe in it, but it is still better to practice it. (Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, p. 154).

Concerning this idea, President Kimball also explained:

The exercising of faith is a willingness to accept without total regular proof and to move forward and perform works.
A real faith pushes one forward to constructive and beneficial acts as though he knew in absoluteness.
One may enjoy the benefits of the miracles in the physical world without a complete knowledge of the underlying principles involved. He may turn darkness into light by pushing a button and read in the darkest night. He need not be able to develop the electricity, nor to have the knowledge to wire the home. But he must have the faith sufficient to secure lamps and faith to turn the switch. He then may receive the light. … He may turn a dial and enjoy sweet music from afar without being able to fashion a radio or understand fully its workings, but the blessing will never be his unless he connects his set with the power, and turns the dial correctly. In like manner, one may receive spiritual blessings and manifestations, by establishing contact turning the dial. Faith manifested by prayer and works is that key.
We pray for enlightenment, then go to with all our might and our books and our thoughts and righteousness to get the inspiration. We ask for judgment, then use all our powers to act wisely and develop wisdom. We pray for success in our work and then study hard and strive with all our might to help answer our prayers. When we pray for health we must live the laws of health and do all in our power to keep our bodies well and vigorous. We pray for protection and then take reasonable precaution to avoid danger. There must be works with faith (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, pp. 137-8).

Regarding this same idea, President McKay declared:

What we need today is faith in the living Christ, which is more than a mere feeling, but a power that moves us to action—a faith that will put purpose into life and courage into the heart. We need the gospel of application (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay, pp. 197).

This section states very clearly that faith must have action. For those in other religions, or for those of us who do not quite grasp that action separates belief and faith, the apostle James declared:

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? (James 2:17-20)

So devils believe, but disciples are separated by works (actions).

The last paragraph of this section discusses various scriptural examples of faith. There is wonderful additional discussion from President Woodruff (Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, pp. 155-156) and President Kimball (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, pp. 140-2).

In the teachings of President Woodruff, he also discusses temple work and missions as examples of faith which may add to the question, if discussed, posed at the end of this section.

In the teachings of President Kimball, he concludes with:

Remember there were no towns and cities, no farms and gardens, no homes and storehouses, no blossoming desert in Utah when the persecuted pioneers crossed the plains. And remember that there were no heavenly beings in Palmyra, on the Susquehanna or on Cumorah when the soul-hungry Joseph slipped quietly into the Grove, knelt in prayer on the river bank, and climbed the slopes of the sacred hill. (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, p. 142).

The third paragraph discusses belief. Brigham Young had this to say:

If we speak of faith in the abstract, it is the power of God by which the worlds are and were made, and is a gift of God to those who believe and obey his commandments. On the other hand, no living, intelligent being, whether serving God or not, acts without belief. He might as well undertake to live without breathing as to live without the principle of belief. But he must believe the truth, obey the truth, and practice the truth, to obtain the power of God called faith (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 56).

It may help students to understand that with true faith, there is no need to fear. As the Lord told Emma Smith:

And thou needest not fear, for thy husband shall support thee in the church; for unto them is his calling, that all things might be revealed unto them, whatsoever I will, according to their faith, (D&C 25:9).

President Gordon B. Hinckley explained it this way:

Who among us can say that he or she has not felt fear? I know of no one who has been entirely spared. Some, of course, experience fear to a greater degree than do others. Some are able to rise above it quickly, but others are trapped and pulled down by it and even driven to defeat. We suffer from the fear of ridicule, the fear of failure, the fear of loneliness, the fear of ignorance. Some fear the present, some the future. Some carry the burden of sin and would give almost anything to unshackle themselves from those burdens but fear to change their lives. Let us recognize that fear comes not of God, but rather that this gnawing, destructive element comes from the adversary of truth and righteousness. Fear is the antithesis of faith. It is corrosive in its effects, even deadly.
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7).
We need not fear as long as we have in our lives the power that comes from righteously living by the truth which is from God our Eternal Father.
Nor need we fear as long as we have the power of faith (from Ensign, Oct. 1984, 2–3).

In his first conference talk as an apostle, Elder Quentin L. Cook shared the following:

The overwhelming feeling that I have in receiving this call is that we must live by faith and not by fear (Ensign, Nov 2007, 70).

Concerning faith, the following statement by President Joseph F. Smith may be meaningful in Relief Society (okay, maybe the Priesthood needs it even more):

There are people fond of saying that women are the weaker vessels. I don’t believe it. Physically, they may be; but spiritually, morally, religiously and in faith, what man can match a woman who is really convinced? Daniel had faith to sustain him in the lion’s den, but women have seen their sons torn limb from limb, and endured every torture satanic cruelty could invent because they believed. They are always more willing to make sacrifices, and are the peers of men in stability, Godliness, morality, and faith (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, p. 56).

Why Should We Have Faith in Jesus Christ?

The first sentence in this section states that we must “center our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.” It should not be overlooked that without knowledge of the correct nature of God as learned in the very first act of the restoration (First Vision), there could be no “true faith.” This is stated well under “faith” in the Bible Dictionary:

All true faith must be based upon correct knowledge or it cannot produce the desired results.

The second paragraph in this section discusses the idea that “faith in Jesus Christ” means “trust” in Him. In the Bible Dictionary, is also found the following:

To have faith is to have confidence in something or someone. The Lord has revealed himself and his perfect character, possessing in their fulness all the attributes of love, knowledge, justice, mercy, unchangeableness, power, and every other needful thing, so as to enable the mind of man to place confidence in him without reservation.

Explaining why we can trust God, President Joseph F. Smith stated:

Faith in God is to believe that he is, and “that he is the only supreme Governor and independent Being, in whom all fulness and perfection and every good gift and principle dwell independently…that he is the great Creator of all things, that he is omnipotent, omniscient, and by his works and the power of his Spirit omnipresent (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, p. 53).

Some have confused the principle of trust and faith, especially as it applies to obedience, with the false concept of “blind obedience.” If this is important to members of your class, you will want to refer to President Kimball’s wonderful explanation of this heresy (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, pp. 139-140).

The second paragraph of this section discusses the powerful concept that “Through faith we cam receive strength to overcome temptations.” The opposite of this is discussed in the Encyclopedia of Mormonism where it is stated:

Elder Dallin H. Oaks also explained this well:

Faith must include trust…When we have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we must have trust in him. We must trust him enough that we are content to accept his will, knowing that he knows what is best for us.
When we try to develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ rather than merely cultivating faith as an abstract principle of power, we understand the meaning of the Savior’s words: “If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me” (Moro. 7:33).
(Ensign, May 1994, 99).

The last paragraph in this section discusses faith in the Godhead. It may need to be pointed out that there is no difference in faith in the Father, or the Son, or the Holy Ghost. The Bible, Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants all proclaim that they are one - - in unity. This means that “faith in God” can apply to any of the Godhead. This is what President Joseph F. Smith said concerning this:

Not only is it necessary to have faith in God, but also in Jesus Christ, his Son, the Savior of mankind and the Mediator of the New Covenant; and in the Holy Ghost, who bears record of the Father and the Son, “the same in all ages and forever” (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, p. 50).

Note how this quote ties in with 2 Nephi 27:23.

Perhaps the best answer to the question heading this section is that given by President Monson about a year ago. After checking off a laundry list of the terrible conditions of the world, he then concluded:

Though the storm clouds may gather, though the rains may pour down upon us, our knowledge of the gospel and our love of our Heavenly Father and of our Savior will comfort and sustain us and bring joy to our hearts as we walk uprightly and keep the commandments. There will be nothing in this world that can defeat us.
My beloved brothers and sisters, fear not. Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith. (Ensign, May 2009, 89–92).


On the other hand, as President Monson has earlier declared;

Stated simply, if we do not have a deep foundation of faith and a solid testimony of truth, we may have difficulty withstanding the harsh storms and icy winds of adversity which inevitably come to each of us. (Ensign, Nov 2006, 62).

How Can We Increase Our Faith in Jesus Christ?

This section has a wonderful discussion of the question it poses. Some (okay all mortals) may sometimes be discouraged about the challenge to “increase our faith in Jesus Christ” This quote from President Joseph F. Smith gives me hope:

We are all babes in this principle of the gospel. We are only beginning, the best of us, to know something of this principle of life and salvation, this principle of power. By faith, we are told, the worlds were made. Who of us have faith to do much of anything? Our faith is so limited that we can scarcely live the little principles of the gospel that God has revealed to us that are necessary for social peace and enjoyment. We have scarcely faith to carry out these little principles that are revealed to us for the government of our every day lives. The Lord has to bear with us and to be patient with us and to teach us here a little and there a little, line upon line and precept upon precept that we may eventually gain that faith that was once delivered to the Saints by which the mouths of lions were stopped, and the heat of the fiery furnace was assuaged. …Our great teacher, Jesus Christ…is trying to teach us the principles of life and salvation which are principles of power, teaching men to rise from the depths of sorrow, from the depths of humanity to the heights of glory and knowledge of God.
An enriched faith means an enlarged power, and though man may not have in this life an occasion to exercise all the powers that come to him through the enrichment of his faith, those powers may be exercised in their fulness in eternity, if not in time (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, pp. 52-3).

The “mustard seed” is discussed in the first paragraph of this section. Here is a delightful discussion of this parable from Elder David B. Haight:

If ye had but the faith of a tiny—I’m trying to think of the name of that little tree. [President Hinckley says, “Mustard.”] Mustard! Thank you, President. (I keep the President around to help me.) If you had but the faith of a mustard seed. Perhaps not many of you have seen a mustard seed. A few years ago in Jerusalem we were in a car with a driver, and he said, “Oh, there’s a mustard tree.” And I said, “Let’s see it.” We got out to look at that mustard tree, and it had a little pod on it, and I was able to open the pod, which was like those on a locust tree, and see those tiny little seeds, not much larger than a grain of pepper.
Just imagine the analogy that the Savior was teaching the people. If you only had as much faith as that little tiny mustard seed—and I held it in my hand, and I could hardly see it—if you had that much faith you would say to the mountain, “Move hence,” and it would move, if you had that much faith (see Matt. 17:20) (Ensign, Nov. 2001, 22).

On page 104 of this section is discussed Alma’s tremendous comparison “of the word of God to a seed.” President Lee added some interesting insights to this:

The preaching of the truth concerning God and his purposes has been compared to the sowing of a seed, which if a good seed will begin to sprout and grow in your hearts on these conditions: First, that it is planted in the rich, fertile soil of sincerity and real desire; second, that it is cultivated with diligent study and searching; and third, that it is watered by genial spiritual “dews” and warmed by rays of inspiration that come from humble prayer. The harvest from such planting comes only to that individual who acts upon the truths he has learned and reforms his life of sin and fills his days with purposeful conduct in keeping the commandments of God in whom he has faith, and in service toward his fellowmen (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, p. 28).

Something that may be valuable for this lesson might be to have each of us set up a measuring standard as to exactly how we can “increase our faith in Jesus Christ.” There are some great helps for doing this. First, from Encyclopedia of Mormonism is found:

Righteousness leads to greater faith, while sin and wickedness diminish faith (p. 484).

Along this same line of thought, under “faith” in the Bible Dictionary we find:

A lack of faith leads one to despair, which comes because of iniquity.

President Brigham Young also stated:

Every person who lives in this Church must be faithful. They cannot run by sight, but must actually exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, in order to enjoy the light of the Holy Ghost. When they neglect this, the spirit of the world takes possession of them, and they become cold and fruitless, and pine away into darkness, and spiritual death (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, p. 55).

So we might ask ourselves, “Am I sinning and despairing or becoming cold?” This is an important measure of our faith.

Another idea from Encyclopedia of Mormonism:

One who has this faith [in Jesus Christ] believes him to be the living Son of God, trusts in his goodness and power, repents of one’s sins, and follows his guidance (p. 483).

So the questions, “Am I repenting daily?” and “Am I being obedient?” are good measures of our faith. Of course, we will learn much more about repentance in next week’s lesson.

Some other measures are found under “faith” in the Bible Dictionary:

The effects of true faith in Jesus Christ include

(1) an actual knowledge that the course of life one is pursuing is acceptable to the Lord (see Heb. 11:4);

(2) a reception of the blessings of the Lord that are available to man in this life; and

(3) an assurance of personal salvation in the world to come.

Concerning the first point, President Joseph F. Smith also declared:

…unless the Saints have an actual knowledge that the course which they are pursuing is in harmony with the will of God, they will grow weary in trial, and will faint under persecution. … But, on the contrary, with this trust in God burned into their souls, no matter what comes, they are happy in doing his will, knowing full well that at last the promise shall be theirs (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, p. 55).

Concerning the second point, President Woodruff taught:

In any and every age of the world when God has called or commanded a man or a people to perform a certain work, they through determination and perseverance, and faith in him, have been enabled to accomplish it.
It is our duty to be continually increasing in faith, that we may be enabled to call upon the Lord with acceptance (Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, p. 156, 157).

Richard G. Scott also commented on this idea in the second point:

Since with even our best efforts to obey His teachings we will still fall short, because of His grace we will be “saved, after all we can do” (2 Nephi 25:23) (Ensign, Nov 2006, 40).

Concerning the third point, under “faith” in the Bible Dictionary we find:

Faith in Jesus Christ is the first principle of the gospel and is more than belief, since true faith always moves its possessor to some kind of physical and mental action; it carries an assurance of the fulfillment of the things hoped for.

Hopefully these measures will help us with the important question heading this section of the lesson.

What Are Some Blessings That Follow Faith?

This section begins “Through the gift of faith…” President Joseph F. Smith stated:

Faith is always a gift of God to man, which is obtained by obedience, as all other blessings are. The man or woman in this Church who desires to enrich his or her faith to the highest possible degree will desire to observe every rite and ordinance in the Church in conformity to the law of obedience to the will of God (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, pp. 52-3).

The next word in the first sentence quoted above is “…miracles…” In the Bible Dictionary we find a great explanation of this:

Miracles do not produce faith but strong faith is developed by obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ; in other words, faith comes by righteousness, although miracles often confirm one’s faith.

This powerful first paragraph in this section ends with the blessing of faith makes it possible that “men [and women] become sons [and daughters] of God.” This concept is related to the following ideas from Presidents Harold B. Lee and Brigham Young:

By faith in God then, you too … can become attuned to the Infinite and by power and wisdom obtained from your Heavenly Father harness the powers of the universe and have them serve you in your hour of need in the solution of problems too great for your human strength or intelligence (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, p. 28).

My faith is, when we have done all we can, then the Lord is under obligation, and will not disappoint the faithful; he will perform the rest (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 57).

Again, it is important that we understand that faith and doing all we can do is absolutely necessary for us to be in position for Christ to do all that He can.

President Lee also had this to say about the process of becoming as God:

By faith we would understand that whatever contributes in life to the standard of Jesus “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” [Matthew 5:48] is for our good and our eternal benefit…
Every child must learn that faith sufficient to perfection can only be developed by sacrifice and except he learns to sacrifice of his appetites and [physical] desires in obedience to the laws of the Gospel he cannot be sanctified and made holy before the Lord (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, pp. 28-9).

It is important that we conclude that “sons and daughters of God” can become like Him.

President Gordon B. Hinckley made a terrific statement about the blessings of faith in building the kingdom:

This precious and marvelous gift of faith, this gift from God our Eternal Father, is still the strength of this work and the quiet vibrancy of its message. Faith underlies it all. Faith is the substance of it all. Whether it be going into the mission field, living the Word of Wisdom, paying one’s tithing, it is all the same. It is the faith within us that is evidenced in all we do.
Our critics cannot understand it. Because they do not understand, they attack. A quiet inquiry, an anxious desire to grasp the principle behind the result, could bring greater understanding and appreciation.
I was asked at a news conference on one occasion how we get men to leave their vocations, to leave home, and serve the Church.
I responded that we simply ask them, and we know what their answer will be.
What a marvelous and wonderful thing it is, this powerful conviction that says the Church is true. It is God’s holy work. He overrules in the things of His kingdom and in the lives of His sons and daughters. This is the reason for the growth of the Church. The strength of this cause and kingdom is not found in its temporal assets, impressive as they may be. It is found in the hearts of its people. That is why it is successful. That is why it is strong and growing. That is why it is able to accomplish the wonderful things that it does. It all comes of the gift of faith, bestowed by the Almighty upon His children who doubt not and fear not, but go forward (Ensign, May 2001, 67).

Similarly, President Brigham Young had this to say:

When faith springs up in the heart, good works will follow, and good works will increase that pure faith within them (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 57).

I really like the following statement from the Bible Dictionary:

Faith is kindled by hearing the testimony of those who have faith (Rom. 10:14-17).

A wonderful illustration this idea is found in the story related by Elder Russell M. Nelson at the funeral for President Spencer W. Kimball:

In March 1972, when President Kimball’s heart was failing and he sensed that death was nigh, he obtained a conference with his file leaders in the Church, the First Presidency. To provide medical information as requested, he invited his devoted cardiologist, Dr. Ernest L. Wilkinson, and me.
President Kimball breathlessly began, “I am a dying man. I can feel my life slipping. At the present rate of deterioration I believe that I can live only about two more months. Now I would like my doctor to present his views.”
Dr. Wilkinson then reaffirmed President Kimball’s feelings, concluding that recovery would be unlikely and death would ensue in the not-too-distant future.
Then President Kimball called on me as a cardiac surgeon and asked, “What can surgery offer?”
I indicated that an operation, if it were to be done, would consist of two components. First, an aortic valve replacement would be required. Second, an important coronary artery with a blockage should be treated with a bypass graft.
President Harold B. Lee of the First Presidency then asked the crucial question, “What would be the risks with such a procedure?”
“I don’t know,” I replied. “In a man aged seventy-seven, the risk of either of these operations is significant. But to do both on one whose heart is failing would entail risk so high that the operation cannot be recommended as a safe one.”
As a weary President Kimball responded, “I am an old man and ready to die,” President Lee interrupted. He rose to his feet, pounded his fist to the desk, and said, with his prophetic power,“Spencer, you have been called! You are not to die! You are to do everything you need to do to care for yourself and continue to live.” [Of course, we now know that President Kimball succeeded President Lee as President of the Church.]
President Kimball replied, “Then I will have the operation.”
He underwent that complex operation not because it was deemed to be reasonably safe in the opinion of his medical advisers, but because he was obedient to the counsel of the Lord, expressed through the leaders of the Church—regardless of personal risk.
The outcome is well known. He was blessed to survive the operation which reversed the tide of his deterioration.
I shall never forget the feeling I had as his heart resumed beating, leaping with power and vigor. At that very moment, the Spirit made known to me that this special patient would live to become the prophet of God on earth (Ensign, Dec 1985, 39).

For Priesthood and Relief Society, perhaps no more important idea could be taught than that which was pled for by President J. Reuben Clark, Jr., of the First Presidency, in an old Priesthood Manual:

…if a family is to become a celestial family, the [faith of the] husband and wife should “cover the home as a kindly light” (Immortality and Eternal Life, 2: 14).

Chapter 17: The Church of Jesus Christ Today

THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST TODAY

The Church of Jesus Christ Was Taken from the Earth

This lesson may well be a celebration of all of the previous lessons this year, as well as a celebration for what is to come in the remaining lessons. The Restoration is worth multiple celebrations.

The first question posed in this lesson is:

“Why was the Church of Jesus Christ removed from the earth shortly after the Savior’s death and Resurrection?” (p. 95)

It may be important for students to pull the answers to that question out of the second paragraph in this section. Those with manuals could share with those who don’t have one the day of the lesson. The answers would be as follow:

1. “…men changed the ordinances and doctrines…”
2. “…there was no direct revelation from God.”
3. “Men organized different churches that claimed to be true but taught conflicting doctrines.”
4. “There was much confusion and contention over religion.”

The first and third points are significant, since, as the Savior taught with emphasis:

For if a church be called in Moses' name then it be Moses' church; or if it be called in the name of a man then it be the church of a man… (3 Nephi 27:8)

The second statement is significant, since God always runs His Church by revelation:

Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. (Amos 3:7)

The last statement is significant, since it was the prelude for Joseph Smith’s first vocal prayer:

“At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs…” (JS-History 1:13)

This last statement is also significant because of what Jesus Christ emphasized repeatedly concerning contention very early in His appearance in the Americas in 3 Nephi 11:22-30.

The wording in each of these is also memorable of what President Spencer W. Kimball explained about perhaps the most devilish event of the apostasy - - the destruction of the nature of God. Following is the statement, excerpted from this blog, Chapter 3, (January):

Men with keen intelligence got together...[at] Nicea and created a God. They made it just about like a political party would do, and out of their own mortal minds created a God which is still worshiped by the great majority of Christians. They did not pray for wisdom or revelation. They claimed no revelation from the Lord. They took away all his physical properties; they took the Father and the Son and made them into one undefinable spirit... (Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, 426)

In this section, Amos 8:11-12 is discussed. Elder Spencer W. Kimball read this scripture in conference and then declared:

After centuries of spiritual darkness, described by Amos and Jeremiah, we solemnly announce to all the world that the spiritual famine is ended, the spiritual drought is spent, the word of the Lord in its purity and totalness is available to all men. One needs not wander from sea to sea nor from the north to the east, seeking the true gospel as Amos predicted, for the everlasting truth is available. (Conference Report, April 1964, pp. 93)

For those of you who do not have a copy of Conference Report, April 1964 handy, there is a new way to obtain it. I actually found the above quote in “LDS Scripture Citation Index.” This is a terrific website produced by some BYU professors where you can click on any scripture and pull up every talk where any speaker used it in conference. Just Google “scriptures.byu.edu” and it is the first one up. I then put the site on my “Favorites” list so I can easily access it at any time.

The Lord Promised to Restore His True Church

I really like the promise of the Restoration as found in Acts 3:19-21 (see “Additional Scriptures,” p. 100) where Paul teaches:

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

In conference, Elder M. Russell Ballard explained how we can help others who do not know about this wonderful Restoration understand it and prepare for the Second Coming:

Once these important principles are understood, we can then explain and expand the understanding of our Father’s children by sharing with them how Jesus Himself established and organized His Church in the meridian of time by giving “some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
“For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” (Eph. 4:11-12)
From there we can help our friends and neighbors understand the Apostasy, or falling away from the original Church organized by the Lord, which was prophesied by those who helped to establish the Church in the first place. Paul wrote to the Thessalonian Christians who were eagerly anticipating the Second Coming of the Savior that “that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first” (2 Thes. 2:3). He also warned Timothy that “the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but … they shall turn away their ears from the truth” (2 Tim. 4:3-4). And Peter presupposed a falling away when he spoke of “the times of refreshing” that would come before God would again “send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
“Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:19-21).
Do you see how naturally and easily one principle of the Restoration leads to the next? Peter’s prophecy almost begs for a discussion of the restoration of the gospel in these latter days through the Prophet Joseph Smith. This in turn demands a dialogue about the coming forth of the Book of Mormon and the restoration of the holy priesthood through the gift and power of God. From there it is so natural to share the principle of continuing revelation and the organization of the Church and its doctrines and programs. (Ensign, May 2000, 31)

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland gave a wonderful conference talk about how many anticipated the need for a Restoration. In this talk he declared:

…the incomparable Ralph Waldo Emerson rocked the very foundations of New England ecclesiastical orthodoxy when he said to the Divinity School at Harvard: “It is my duty to say to you that the need was never greater [for] new revelation than now.” “The doctrine of inspiration is lost. … Miracles, prophecy, … the holy life, exist as ancient history [only]. … Men have come to speak of … revelation as somewhat long ago given and done, as if God were dead. … It is the office of a true teacher,” he warned, “to show us that God is, not was; that He speaketh, not spake.” In essence, Mr. Emerson was saying, “If you persist in handing out stones when people ask for bread, they will eventually stop coming to the bakery.” (Ensign, Nov 2004, 6)

New Revelation from God

It should be understood that Satan understood the prophesy in Acts 3:19-21 and did not want the Restoration to lessen his hold on darkness. Here is repeated an excerpt from this blog, Chapter 9 (March):

Reverend Billy Graham, perhaps one of the most listened-to ministers of the past 50 years, expressed what most Christians believe about the idea that heavens are closed when he answered a question in the Charlotte Observer:

Question: Do you believe God has prophets that can deliver new truth to us today?

Answer: God’s revelation is complete, because "in these last days he has spoken to us by his son...." (Hebrews 1:2). Don’t be misled by those who claim God speaks to them and gives them new truth. He has given us all we need to know in the pages of the Bible. This is why the final verses of the Bible include a warning against adding or subtracting from God’s word (see Revelation 22:18).

You can go back to this part of the blog for discussion of the scriptures Reverend Graham used. The point here is that most Christians now share this view of “New Revelation from God,” as was also the view in 1820. When Joseph Smith received what we now refer to as the First Vision, a wonderful event marking the beginning of “refreshing” and “restitution” of revelation in the latter days, he tells of the reaction he received:

Some few days after I had this vision, I happened to be in company with one of the Methodist preachers, who was very active in the before mentioned religious excitement; and, conversing with him on the subject of religion, I took occasion to give him an account of the vision which I had had. I was greatly surprised at his behavior; he treated my communication not only lightly, but with great contempt, saying it was all of the devil, that there were no such things as visions or revelations in these days; that all such things had ceased with the apostles, and that there would never be any more of them.
I soon found, however, that my telling the story had excited a great deal of prejudice against me among professors of religion, and was the cause of great persecution, which continued to increase… (JS-History 1:21 - 22)

President Ezra Taft Benson comments on this reaction to Joseph’s vision:Joseph was surprised to hear the minister say that there were no such things as visions or revelations in these days, that all such things had ceased (see JS-H 1:21).

This remark symbolizes practically all of the objections that have ever been made against the Church by nonmembers and dissident members alike. Namely, they do not believe that God reveals his will today to the Church through prophets of God. (Ensign, May 1975, 63)

From the same conference talk referred to earlier, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland discussed how some in Joseph Smith’s time did not believe the false idea that God no longer spoke with us and gave us revelation:

Anxiety and expectation regarding the need for divine direction was not uncommon among those religious reformers who set the stage for the Restoration of the gospel. One of the most famous of the New England preachers, Jonathan Edwards, said, “It seems to me a[n] … unreasonable thing, to suppose that there should be a God … that has so much concern [for us], … and yet that he should never speak, … that there should be no word [from him].”
In the very year Mr. Emerson gave his Divinity School address implicitly pleading for such, Elder John Taylor, a young English immigrant to this country, was called to be an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, a prophet, a seer, a revelator. In that calling Elder Taylor once said in sympathy with honest seekers of truth: “Whoever heard of true religion without communication with God? To me the thing is the most absurd that the human mind could conceive of. I do not wonder,” said Brother Taylor, “[that] when the people generally reject the principle of present revelation, skepticism and infidelity prevail to such an alarming extent. I do not wonder,” he continued, “that so many men treat religion with contempt, and regard it as something not worth the attention of intelligent beings, for without revelation religion is a mockery and a farce. … The principle of present revelation … is the very foundation of our religion.” (Ensign, Nov 2004, 6)

The following questions and answers from Joseph Smith appeared in an earlier blog (Chapter 16, May) but probably fits better here in this lesson:

The Prophet's Answers to Sundry Questions.

Eighteenth—"Is there anything in the Bible which licenses you to believe in revelation now-a-days?“Is there anything that does not authorize us to believe so? If there is, we have, as yet, not been able to find it.

Nineteenth—"Is not the canon of the Scriptures full?“ If it is, there is a great defect in the book, or else it would have said so. (History of the Church, 3:29-30)

Additional information on “creeds…were an abomination” which is discussed in this section can be found earlier in this blog, (Chapter 3, January) under the section “A Savior and Leader was Needed.”

Authority form God Was Restored

From the “LDS Scripture Citation Index” referred to above, comes the following terrific quote from President Boyd K. Packer. He is discussing the Apostles of the New Testament:

We know little of their travels and only where and how a few of them died. James was killed in Jerusalem by Herod. Peter and Paul died in Rome. Tradition holds that Philip went to the East. Much more than this we do not know.
They scattered; they taught, testified, and established the Church. And they died for their beliefs, and with their deaths came the dark centuries of apostasy.
The most precious thing lost in the Apostasy was the authority held by the Twelve—the priesthood keys. For the Church to be His Church, there must be a Quorum of the Twelve who hold the keys and confer them on others.
In time came the First Vision and the restoration of the Melchizedek Priesthood by Peter, James, and John. (Ensign, May 2008, 83)

President Packer then references D&C 27:12, which is referred to in this section (p. 97).

A discussion of why President Packer stated that the authority of the Twelve was “The most precious thing lost in the Apostasy” may be helpful to class members.

Christ’s Church Was Organized Again

The first paragraph in this section refers to D&C 1:30 and the idea that this Church is “the only true and living church…” (p. 97). President Boyd K. Packer gave a wonderful conference talk entitled “The Only True Church.” It would be helpful to read the entire talk. In this talk he discussed the feeling some have that “only true and living church” sounds presumptuous. Following are some excerpts which may help with this lesson:

One doctrine presents a particular challenge. It is our firm conviction that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is, as the revelations state, “the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth.” (D&C 1:30)
This doctrine often generates resistance and repels the casual investigator.
Some have said, “We want nothing to do with anyone who makes so presumptuous a claim as that.”
The early Latter-day Saints were bitterly persecuted for holding to this doctrine. They were the butt of many clever stories. We, of course, are not free from that today.

Inevitably (and properly) the “true church” doctrine emerges very early in any serious discussion of the gospel, for there is no better place to start such a discussion than with the First Vision. And there, in that very first conversation with man in this dispensation, the Lord presented it in unmistakable clarity.
Joseph Smith sought answer to the question “which of all the sects was right … and which … should [he] join?” (JS—H 1:18) Surely he supposed that somewhere the “right” church was to be found. A simple direction to it would end his search. He could then join that church, live the tenets it proclaimed, and that would be that.
But that was not to be. In response to his humble prayer, the Father and the Son appeared to him. When he gained possession of himself so as to be able to speak, he asked “which of all the sects was right, that [he] might know which to join.” (JS—H 1:18)
He recorded this:
“I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: ‘they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.’
“He again forbade me to join with any of them.” (JS—H 1:19-20)
That is very blunt language. Little wonder that when he repeated it, the troubles began.
If ever he was tempted to disregard those words, they were repeated and sustained in subsequent revelations. A little more than a year after the Church was organized, the first section of the Doctrine and Covenants was revealed. In it the Lord said that the Book of Mormon was given in order that his servants “might have power to lay the foundation of this church, and to bring it forth out of obscurity and out of darkness, the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord, am well pleased, speaking unto the church collectively and not individually.” (D&C 1:30; italics added.)
We know there are decent, respectable, humble people in many churches, Christian and otherwise. In turn, sadly enough, there are so-called Latter-day Saints who by comparison are not as worthy, for they do not keep their covenants.
But it is not a matter of comparing individuals. We are not baptized collectively, nor will we be judged collectively.
Good conduct without the ordinances of the gospel will neither redeem nor exalt mankind; covenants and the ordinances are essential. We are required to teach the doctrines, even the unpopular ones.
Yield on this doctrine, and you cannot justify the Restoration. The doctrine is true; it is logical. The opposite is not. (Ensign, Nov 1985, 80)

The sixth paragraph of this section discusses “stakes” (p. 98) and how they are organized. In a great First Presidency Message entitled “Strengthen Thy Stakes,” President Ezra Taft Benson explained:

The term stake is a symbolic expression. Picture in your mind a great tent held up by cords extended to many stakes that are firmly secured in the ground.
The prophets likened latter-day Zion to a great tent encompassing the earth. That tent was supported by cords fastened to stakes. Those stakes, of course, are various geographical organizations spread out over the earth. Presently, Israel is being gathered to the various stakes of Zion.
Yet another revelation from the Lord gives this explanation of the purpose of stakes:
“Verily I say unto you all: Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations;
“And that the gathering together upon the land of Zion, and upon her stakes, may be for a defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth.” (D&C 115:5-6)
In this revelation is a command to let our light shine so it becomes a standard for the nations. A standard is a rule of measure by which one determines exactness or perfection. The Saints are to be a standard of holiness for the world to see! That is the beauty of Zion.
The Lord then reveals that the stakes of Zion are to be “for a defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth.” Stakes are a defense for the Saints from enemies both seen and unseen. The defense is direction provided through priesthood channels that strengthens testimony and promotes family solidarity and individual righteousness. (Ensign, Jan 1991, 2)

To conclude this section the following quote from President Gordon B. Hinckley is appropriate. It also ties in with the last section of this lesson:

Other churches also do much good, but this is the “true and living church” of the Lord Jesus Christ, whose name it bears (see D&C 1:30). Be true to it. Cling to it. If you will do so it will become as an anchor in the midst of a stormy sea. It will be a light to your lives and a foundation upon which to build them. I give you my solemn testimony that this Church will never be led astray. It is in the hands of God, and should any of its leaders ever attempt to lead it astray, His is the power to remove them. He has said that He has restored His work for the last time, “never again to be destroyed nor given to other people” (D&C 138:44; see also Dan. 2:44-45). (Ensign, May 1996, 91)

Important Truths Were Restored

This section of the lesson, like the entire lesson, could well be an entire year’s worth of lessons. In fact, there actually is two year’s worth - - which is this course. It may be useful to have students turn to the two pages of “Contents” at the beginning of the manual and discuss one at a time how numbers 1 to 8 in this section either were or will be chapters in this two-year course. This is not only a nice walk down memory lane, but a good preview of what is to come:

1 - - Chapter 1
2 - - Chapter 2
3 - - Chapter 13
4 - - Chapter 6 (implied - - see Chapter 6, February of the blog for clarification)
5 - - Chapter 20
6 - - Chapter 46
7 - - Chapters 36 & 38
8 - - Chapters 20, 38, & 41

Be sure to include Chapter 18 & 19 concerning “principles” as mentioned in the first paragraph and Chapter 10 concerning new scriptures as mentioned in the second paragraph in this section.

While looking at the “Contents” pages, it may be useful to also pause on selected chapters and have students share their gratitude of the Restoration. This could add to a wonderful celebration of the Restoration as well as provide significant answers to the last question in this section, “How have these truths influenced you and others?” (p. 99)

The Church of Jesus Christ Will Never Be Destroyed

This concept may be one of the most important for class members to understand. Our time is totally and completely unique in 6,000 years of the earth’s history! As stated in “Preach My Gospel”:

Biblical history has recorded many instances of God speaking to prophets, and it also tells of many instances of apostasy. (p.33)

In this section it is mentioned that the Church “has grown rapidly” (p. 100). The following is from an interesting study presented by Douglas F. Tobler in an Ensign article:

In a recent article, a non-LDS scholar gave a fresh and interesting perspective to the development of the Church and its spectacular growth throughout much of the world during its 157-year existence.
In his essay entitled “The Rise of a New World Faith” (1984), Rodney Stark, a sociologist specializing in religion at the University of Washington, describes Church growth as a “miracle,” a “rare event” which his fellow sociologists have not fully recognized. Establishment and growth of the Church has constituted, Stark says, “the rise of a new world religion” which “will soon achieve a worldwide following comparable to that of Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and the other dominant faiths. … Indeed, today they [Latter-day Saints] stand on the threshold of becoming the first major faith to appear on earth since the Prophet Mohammed rode out of the desert.”
Stark has been particularly fascinated with the consistency of Church growth against the backdrop of countless other “new” religions of the nineteenth century that sprouted, then quickly wilted and died. It is not just the steady increase of Latter-day Saints from six to six million that has caught his attention, but the rate of growth, which has never been less than 28 percent per decade, and in the past thirty years has exceeded 50 percent. And this has been achieved in an ever-more secularized world. Using his growth calculations, Professor Stark projects the possibility of 63 million Latter-day Saints in the world by the year 2080, if a 30 percent growth rate is maintained, and a dizzying 265 million if the higher 50 percent rate is used. (Ensign, Jul 1987, 33)

So far, in the last three decades, the Church has grown by over 25 percent each decade (about a million every three years). Of course, the above charting is man’s ideas, not necessarily God’s plan.

However, it is God’s plan is that “The Church of Jesus Christ Today” “Will Never Be Destroyed”!!!

Summer Vacation

Our Adult Institute Class has ended. We now have Chapter 15 up on the blog, which should take everyone up to August with Priesthood/Relief Society lessons. Thanks to those who contributed so much.

So we say goodbye until September when we will start up the class and the blog to finish the year. See you then.

Chapter 16: The Church of Jesus Christ in Former Times

Some Features That Identify the Church of Jesus Christ

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been led by sixteen Presidents, eleven of whom were “born into the Church.” Of the five Presidents who were “converts,” the first four were only separated by seven years in age, Brigham Young being the oldest. Only six years younger than John Taylor, Lorenzo Snow was the last President to join the Church as a convert. With the exception of Joseph Smith, baptized in 1829, the other four were all baptized within four years of each other, between 1832 (Brigham Young being the first) and 1836 (John Taylor and Lorenzo Snow, baptized a month apart).

An idea came to me that it might be fun to view this lesson through their eyes as investigators of Christ’s true Church. And it was - - for me. Hopefully it will be for you too. Because it was so fun, be forewarned that there is way too much material herein to use in one lesson.

A terrific resource for this lesson was Presidents of the Church Institute Student Manual. It is available online at “institute.lds.org” then click (upper-left corner) on “Institute Courses & Manuals.” If you prefer, it can also be purchased at Distribution Center for $8.25. It is well worth every penny, especially online. As usual, the old Priesthood/Relief Society manuals, Teachings of the Presidents of the Church… were also helpful.

In this first section, Articles of Faith # 6 is quoted. It may be important to have class members pay attention to the footnotes, especially for pastors (c - - Bishop) and evangelists (e - - Patriarchs). These offices will also be discussed in the section, “The Church Organization” (p. 89).

Revelation

A quote from this section reads:

Jesus taught His followers that revelation was the “rock” upon which He would build His Church (see Matthew 16:16-18). (p. 87).

It may be important to note that the Catholic Church reads these verses differently than we, with restoration knowledge, understand them. In the Bible Dictionary when we look under “Peter” we find first a one-word sentence, “Rock.” This is because the Greek word for Peter is “Petros” (meaning “rock”) and the word for rock in Greek is “petra.” Both words are similar in meaning. From the Bible Dictionary we read:

His Aramaic name, Cephas, of which Peter is the Greek equivalent, was given him by the Lord (John 1:40-42).

In John 1:42 Jesus states:

Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.

So Jesus gave His disciple Peter a name which signifies “stone” or “rock.”

Again from the Bible Dictionary we read:

The words then addressed to him [Peter], “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church,” have been made the foundation of the papal claims. But it is the Godhead of Christ, which Peter had just confessed, that is the true keystone of the Church.

So the Catholic stance is that Jesus saw Peter as the “rock.” Peter was the Lord’s Prophet and “chief apostle” (see Bible Dictionary, “Peter”) in the Church Jesus Christ established in New Testament times, and certainly was an important part of the foundation referred to by Paul (Ephesians 2:20 - - see p. 89, “The Church Organization”). However, modern scriptures clearly explain that this “rock” was not Peter.

Concerning the gold plates, Nephi stated:

And in them shall be written my gospel, saith the Lamb, and my rock and my salvation. (1 Nephi 13:36)

To the early Church, Jesus Christ counseled:

Wait a little longer, until you shall have my word, my rock, my church, and my gospel… (D&C 11:16)

To Hyrum Smith, the Lord said:

Build upon my rock, which is my gospel; (D&C 11:24)

To Oliver Cowdery, the Lord stated something very similar to what He told Peter:

Wherefore, if you shall build up my church, upon the foundation of my gospel and my rock, the gates of hell shall not prevail against you. (D&C 18:5)

In another place, Jesus Christ declared:

Wherefore, I am in your midst, and I am the good shepherd, and the stone of Israel. He that buildeth upon this rock shall never fall. (D&C 50:44)

From the above scriptures it is clear, as the manual states, that revelation (or the gospel of Jesus Christ as He reveals it to His Church thru revelation) is the rock which will never fail.

As Jehovah, or Jesus Christ, Himself proclaimed to Enoch:

…I am Messiah, the King of Zion, the Rock of Heaven… (Moses 7:53)

In 1838 Joseph Smith answered a series of questions which had been asked of him for a newspaper article, three of which concerned revelation and the Bible:

Second -- "Wherein do you differ from other sects?"
In that we believe the Bible, and all other sects profess to believe their interpretations of the Bible, and their creeds.

Eighteenth -- "Is there anything in the Bible which licenses you to believe in revelation now-a-days?"
Is there anything that does not authorize us to believe so? If there is, we have, as yet, not been able to find it. (History of the Church, 3:28)

Nineteenth -- "Is not the canon of the Scriptures full?"
If it is, there is a great defect in the book, or else it would have said so.

The following from the life of Brigham Young illustrates the role of revelation in his conversion:

Because of the missionary efforts of Joseph Smith’s brother Samuel, Brigham Young’s family obtained two copies of the Book of Mormon in April 1830, just one month after the book was published. Some of Brigham’s brothers and sisters read it and declared its truth, but Brigham himself did not immediately accept it. “‘Hold on,’ says I. … ‘Wait a little while; what is the doctrine of the book, and of the revelations the Lord has given? Let me apply my heart to them.’ … I examined the matter studiously, for two years, before I made up my mind to receive that book. I knew it was true, as well as I knew that I could see with my eyes, or feel by the touch of my fingers, or be sensible of the demonstration of any sense. Had not this been the case, I never would have embraced it to this day.”
Brigham Young had to know for himself. He later taught the Saints that God did not intend them “to be led entirely by another person, suspending their own understanding, and pinning their faith upon another’s sleeve. It is my duty to know the mind of the Lord concerning myself,” he told them. “It is your privilege and duty to live so that you know when the word of the Lord is spoken to you and when the mind of the Lord is revealed to you.” (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 2-3)

An inspired missionary was also instrumental in Brigham Young’s conversion:

In 1852, President Brigham Young shared the following about his conversion: “If all the talent, tact, wisdom, and refinement of the world had been sent to me with the Book of Mormon, and had declared, in the most exalted of earthly eloquence, the truth of it, undertaking to prove it by learning and worldly wisdom, they would have been to me like the smoke which arises only to vanish away. But when I saw a man without eloquence, or talents for public speaking who could only say, ‘I know, by the power of the Holy Ghost, that the Book of Mormon is true, that Joseph Smith is a Prophet of the Lord,’ the Holy Ghost proceeding from that individual illuminated my understanding, and light, glory, and immortality were before me. I was encircled by them, filled with them, and I knew for myself that the testimony of the man was true.” (Presidents of the Church Institute Student Manual, 25)

This story should give those of us who feel inadequate in our understanding of doctrines hope that the Holy Ghost is the most important help in our missionary work. This experience of Brigham Young is also wonderfully dramatized in an old VCR tape available in some ward libraries entitled Teachings from the Doctrine and Covenants and Church History (# 3 “A Man without Eloquence”).

John Taylor experienced revelation on his journey to conversion:

In 1830 John Taylor’s parents and other family members emigrated to Toronto, Canada, leaving him behind in England to sell the family farm and settle other family business. When finished, he left England on a ship bound for New York City. During the voyage, the ship encountered a severe storm that had already damaged several ships in the area. The captain and officers of the ship expected that they would sink, but the voice of the Spirit testified to John Taylor, “You must yet go to America and preach the gospel.” President Taylor recalled: “So confident was I of my destiny, that I went on deck at midnight, and amidst the raging elements felt as calm as though I was sitting in a parlor at home. I believed I should reach America and perform my work.” He arrived safely in New York, and after a few months rejoined his parents in Toronto, where he continued in the Methodist faith and began preaching. (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, xiii)

Wilford Woodruff received revelation in his search for truth:

Wilford Woodruff hungered after righteousness in his youth. He was an avid student of the Bible and desired to know and do the will of the Lord. He wrote: “In my zeal to promote good, I got up prayer meetings in our village and prayed for light and knowledge. It was my desire to receive the ordinances of the gospel, as I could plainly see by reading the Bible that baptism by immersion was a sacred ordinance. In my eagerness, yet being ignorant of the holy priesthood and of the true authority to officiate in the ordinances of eternal life, I requested the Baptist minister to baptize me. At first he refused because I told him I would not join his church as it did not harmonize with the apostolic church which our Savior established. Finally after several conversations, he baptized me on the 5th of May, 1831. He also baptized my brother Asahel. This was the first and only gospel ordinance I sought for until I joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”
“On one occasion, after praying most earnestly to know about the people of the Lord, if any such there were on earth, he [Wilford Woodruff] says: ‘The Spirit of the Lord said unto me: “Go to my Word and I will there show thee my will and answer thy prayer.” I opened the Bible promiscuously, praying the Lord to direct me to that portion of his Word which would answer my prayer. I opened to the 56th Chapter of Isaiah. I was satisfied it was in response to my prayer. I felt that the salvation of God was about to be revealed and His righteousness come forth. I was also satisfied that I should live to see the people of God gathered. From this time on until the gospel found me I was contented and felt that I should trouble myself no more about the churches and the ministers.’” (Presidents of the Church Institute Student Manual, 60)

Authority from God

In the conversion of Wilford Woodruff the concept of authority from God played an important role:

“My soul was drawn out upon these things,” he said. “In my early manhood I prayed day and night that I might live to see a prophet. I would have gone a thousand miles to have seen a prophet, or a man that could teach me the things that I read of in the Bible. I could not join any church, because I could not find any church at that time that advocated these principles. I spent many a midnight hour, by the river side, in the mountains, and in my mill … calling upon God that I might live to see a prophet or some man that would teach me of the things of the kingdom of God as I read them.” (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, xix-xx)

The Church Organization

A quote from this section states:

The Bible does not tell us everything about the priesthood or the organization and government of the Church. (p. 90)

Most Latter-day Saints respond to the above with, “Well, that means the Bible was translated incorrectly.” While that may be a factor here, there is at least one other possible explanation. The New Testament Church may have needed to be different than what we need today. Encyclopedia of Mormonism seems to imply this:

However, Latter-day Saints do not claim an exact, one-to-one correspondence between the primitive Church and the restored Church. Continuing revelation provides for continual adaptations of the basic ecclesiastical pattern. For instance, in the early New Testament Church the three leading apostles were part of the council of the twelve, while in the latter-day Church they generally are a separate quorum. In the early Church, elders appear to have been older members of a congregation, while in the LDS Church they are often, or usually, younger men. Deacons and teachers were adults in the primitive Church (1 Tim. 3:12) and in the early LDS Church. (p. 1051)

The following is a quote from this section:

The New Testament shows that this Church organization was intended to continue. (p. 90)

The call of Matthias to the apostleship is then discussed. If needed, more names can be added to the list of apostles who were called. From the Bible Dictionary:

The title [Apostle] was also applied to others who, though not of the number of the original twelve, yet were called to serve as special witnesses of the Lord. Paul repeatedly spoke of himself as an apostle (Rom. 1:1; 1 Cor. 1:1; Gal. 1:1). He applied the titles to James, the Lord’s brother (Gal. 1:19), and also to Barnabas (1 Cor. 9:5-6; cf. Acts 14:4, 14). The New Testament does not inform us whether these three brethren also served in the council of the Twelve as vacancies occurred therein, or whether they were apostles strictly in the sense of being special witnesses for the Lord Jesus Christ. (p. 612)

The organization of the New Testament Church was important to Brigham Young:

Brigham and Miriam joined the Methodist Church the year they were married, but Brigham continued to wrestle with religious questions. He sought a church organized according to the pattern Jesus had established, after the pattern of the New Testament with a “system of ordinances” and all the gifts of the gospel. (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 3)

New Testament church organization played a role in the conversion of Wilford Woodruff:

When Wilford Woodruff was a child, he and his family befriended Robert Mason, a man who was known for his distinctive religious beliefs. President Woodruff recalled:
“He believed that it was necessary to have prophets, apostles, dreams, visions and revelations in the church of Christ, the same as they had who lived in ancient days; and he believed the Lord would raise up a people and a church, in the last days, with prophets, apostles and all the gifts, powers, and blessings, which it ever contained in any age of the world. … He frequently came to my father’s house when I was a boy, and taught me and my brothers those principles; and I believed him. (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, 1)

Later in the journey of Wilford Woodruff in his studies:

“I could not find any denomination whose doctrines, faith or practice, agreed with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, or the ordinances and gifts which the Apostles taught. Although the ministers of the day taught that the faith, gifts, graces, miracles and ordinances, which the ancient Saints enjoyed, were done away and no longer needed, I did not believe it to be true, only as they were done away through the unbelief of the children of men. I believed the same gifts, graces, miracles and power would be manifest in one age of the world as in another, when God had a Church upon the earth, and that the Church of God would be re-established upon the earth, and that I should live to see it. These principles were riveted upon my mind from the perusal of the Old and New Testament, with fervent prayer that the Lord would show me what was right and wrong, and lead me in the path of salvation, without any regard to the opinions of man; and the whisperings of the Spirit of the Lord for the space of three years taught me that he was about to set up his Church and kingdom upon the earth in the last days.” (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, xix)

First Principles and Ordinances

During the conversion of Lorenzo Snow, principles and ordinances played an important role:

“Previous to accepting the ordinance of baptism, in my investigations of the principles taught by the Latter-day Saints, which I proved, by comparison, to be the same as those mentioned in the New Testament taught by Christ and His Apostles, I was thoroughly convinced that obedience to those principles would impart miraculous powers, manifestations and revelations. With sanguine expectation of this result, I received baptism and the ordinance of laying on of hands by one who professed to have divine authority…(Presidents of the Church Institute Student Manual, 78-79)

Ordinances Performed for the Dead

In this section of “Ordinances Performed for the Dead” the references for 1 Peter and D&C 138 are given. It may be helpful to read D&C 138:1-10 to show how President Joseph F. Smith pondered the concepts in 1 Peter as a prerequisite to receiving the wonderful revelation about work for the dead.

The following account about Wilford Woodruff fits here as well as under “Spiritual Gifts” (p. 91)

One who had significant influence on Wilford Woodruff even before Wilford heard about the Restoration was Robert Mason, a godly man who yearned for the full gospel of Jesus Christ. The Lord had mercy upon him, and through a vision he was enlightened concerning that which would soon be accomplished on the earth. Wilford Woodruff wrote the following about the vision:
“Father Mason did not claim that he had any authority to officiate in the ordinances of the gospel, nor did he believe that such authority existed on the earth. He did believe, however, that it was the privilege of any man who had faith in God to fast and pray for the healing of the sick by the laying on of hands. He believed it his right and the right of every honest-hearted man or woman to receive light and knowledge, visions, and revelations by the prayer of faith. He told me that the day was near when the Lord would establish His Church and Kingdom upon the earth with all its ancient gifts and blessings. He said that such a work would commence upon the earth before he died, but that he would not live to partake of its blessings. He said that I should live to do so, and that I should become a conspicuous actor in that kingdom.
“The last time I ever saw him he related to me the following vision which he had in his field in open day: ‘I was carried away in a vision and found myself in the midst of a vast orchard of fruit trees. I became hungry and wandered through this vast orchard searching for fruit to eat, but I found none. While I stood in amazement finding no fruit in the midst of so many trees, they began to fall to the ground as if torn up by a whirlwind. They continued to fall until there was not a tree standing in the whole orchard. I immediately saw thereafter shoots springing up from the roots and forming themselves into young and beautiful trees. These budded, blossomed, and brought forth fruit which ripened and was the most beautiful to look upon of anything my eyes had ever beheld. I stretched forth my hand and plucked some of the fruit. I gazed upon it with delight; but when I was about to eat of it, the vision closed and I did not taste the fruit.’
“‘At the close of the vision I bowed down in humble prayer and asked the Lord to show me the meaning of the vision. Then the voice of the Lord came to me saying: “Son of man, thou hast sought me diligently to know the truth concerning my Church and Kingdom among men. This is to show you that my Church is not organized among men in the generation to which you belong; but in the days of your children the Church and Kingdom of God shall be made manifest with all the gifts and the blessings enjoyed by the Saints in past ages. You shall live to be made acquainted with it, but shall not partake of its blessings before you depart this life. You will be blest of the Lord after death because you have followed the dictation of my Spirit in this life.”’
“When Father Mason had finished relating the vision and its interpretation, he said, calling me by my Christian name: ‘Wilford, I shall never partake of this fruit in the flesh, but you will and you will become a conspicuous actor in the new kingdom.’ He then turned and left me. These were the last words he ever spoke to me upon the earth. To me this was a very striking circumstance. I had passed many days during a period of twenty years with this old Father Mason. He had never mentioned this vision to me before. On this occasion he said he felt impelled by the Spirit of the Lord to relate it to me.
“The vision was given to him about the year 1800. He related it to me in 1830, the spring in which the Church was organized. Three years later when I was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, almost the first person I thought of was this prophet, Robert Mason. Upon my arrival in Missouri with Zion’s Camp, I wrote him a long letter in which I informed him that I had found the true gospel with all its blessings; that the authority of the Church of Christ had been restored to the earth as he had told me it would be; that I had received the ordinances of baptism and the laying on of hands; that I knew for myself that God had established through Joseph Smith, the Prophet, the Church of Christ upon the earth.
“He received my letter with great joy and had it read over to him many times. He handled it as he had handled the fruit in the vision. He was very aged and soon died without having the privilege of receiving the ordinances of the gospel at the hands of an elder of the Church.
“The first opportunity I had after the truth of baptism for the dead was revealed; I went forth and was baptized for him in the temple font at Nauvoo” (Presidents of the Church Institute Student Manual, 61)

Spiritual Gifts

It may be important to note that Chapter 22 will later be devoted to the subject of “The Gifts of the Spirit.”

Spiritual gifts were important in Brigham Young’s conversion:

As a young man, Brigham Young earnestly sought a religion in which all the gifts of the gospel were manifest as recorded in the New Testament. Before his baptism he received a powerful testimony of the Church when the Holy Ghost illuminated his understanding. During his first meeting with Joseph Smith in Kirtland, Brigham Young was blessed with the gift of tongues. (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 251)

The Church of Jesus Christ in the Americas

It may be productive to note that in 1987 President Ezra Taft Benson, as President of the Church, opened April Conference with a talk entitled “The Savior’s Visit to America” and proclaimed:

The record of the Nephite history just prior to the Savior’s visit reveals many parallels to our own day as we anticipate the Savior’s second coming. (Ensign, May 1987, 4)

A brief discussion on some of the patterns between the appearance of Jesus Christ to the Americas and His return in the Second Coming may be interesting.

Apostasy from the True Church

The following quote from Brigham Young is very instructive concerning the Apostasy discussed in this section:

In the early days of the Christian Church we understand that there was a good deal of speculation among its members with regard to their belief and practice, and the propagation of these speculative ideas created divisions and schisms. Even in the days of the Apostles there was evidently considerable division, for we read that some were for Paul, some for Apollos, and others for Cephas [see 1 Corinthians 1:10-13]. The people in those days had their favorites, who taught them peculiar doctrines not generally received and promulgated.
Why have they wandered so far from the path of truth and rectitude? Because they left the Priesthood and have had no guide, no leader, no means of finding out what is true and what is not true. It is said the Priesthood was taken from the Church, but it is not so, the Church went from the Priesthood and continued to travel in the wilderness, turned from the commandments of the Lord, and instituted other ordinances [see Galatians 1:6-8; 2 Timothy 1:15; 3 John 1:9-10].
But that was the time they commenced little by little to transgress the laws, change the ordinances, and break the everlasting covenant, and the Gospel of the kingdom that Jesus undertook to establish in his day and the Priesthood were taken from the earth. (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 95-6)

Brigham Young recognized apostasy as a young man:

I recollect when I was young going to hear Lorenzo Dow preach. He was esteemed a very great man by the religious folks. I, although young in years and lacking experience, had thought a great many times that I would like to hear some man who could tell me something, when he opened the Bible, about the Son of God, the will of God, what the ancients did and received, saw and heard and knew pertaining to God and heaven. So I went to hear Lorenzo Dow. He stood up some of the time, and he sat down some of the time; he was in this position and in that position, and talked two or three hours, and when he got through I asked myself, ‘What have you learned from Lorenzo Dow?’ and my answer was, ‘Nothing, nothing but morals.’ He could tell the people they should not work on the Sabbath day; they should not lie, swear, steal, commit adultery, &c., but when he came to teaching the things of God he was as dark as midnight. . . . I would as lief go into a swamp at midnight to learn how to paint a picture and then define its colors when there is neither moon nor stars visible and profound darkness prevails, as to go to the religious world to learn about God, heaven, hell or the faith of a Christian. But they can explain our duty as rational, moral beings, and that is good, excellent as far as it goes. (Presidents of the Church Institute Student Manual, 25)

Brigham Young took apostasy into account in his search for truth:

“Before I embraced the Gospel, I understood pretty well what the different sects preached, but I was called an infidel because I could not embrace their dogmas. . . . There were some things they preached I could believe, and some I could not. . . . As far as their teachings were in accordance with the Bible, I could believe them, and no further.” (Presidents of the Church Institute Student Manual, 24)

John Taylor understood apostasy early in his search for truth:

John Taylor and a few close friends discovered from their studies that their faith differed significantly from the New Testament church and teachings of Jesus Christ. Of this experience he later said: “Not being then acquainted with this Church [The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints], a number of us met together for the purpose of searching the Scriptures; and we found that certain doctrines were taught by Jesus and the Apostles, which neither the Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, nor any of the religious sects taught; and we concluded that if the Bible was true, the doctrines of modern Christendom were not true; or if they were true, the Bible was false. Our investigations were impartially made, and our search for truth was extended. We examined every religious principle that came under our notice, and probed the various systems as taught by the sects, to ascertain if there were any that were in accordance with the word of God. But we failed to find any. In addition to our researches and investigations, we prayed and fasted before God; and the substance of our prayers was, that if he had a people upon the earth anywhere, and ministers who were authorized to preach the Gospel, that he would send us one. This was the condition we were in. (Presidents of the Church Institute Student Manual, 42)

John Taylor also utilized his knowledge of apostasy from Bible teachings as he approached baptism:

John Taylor said: “About this time [May 1836] Parley P. Pratt called on me with a letter of introduction from a merchant of my acquaintance. I had peculiar feelings on seeing him. I had heard a great many stories of a similar kind to those that you have heard, and I must say that I thought my friend had imposed upon me a little in sending a man of this persuasion to me. I, however, received him courteously as I was bound to. I told him, however, plainly, my feelings, and that in our researches I wanted no fables; I wished him to confine himself to the scriptures. We talked for three hours or upwards, and he bound me as close to the scriptures as I desired, proving everything he said therefrom. I afterwards wrote down eight sermons that he preached, in order that I might compare them with the word of God. I found nothing contrary. I then examined the Book of Mormon, and the prophecies concerning that; that was also correct. I then read the book of ‘Doctrine and Covenants;’ found nothing unscriptural there. He called upon us to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins, and, we should receive the Holy Ghost. But what is that? we inquired; the same, he answered, as it was in the Apostles’ days, or nothing. A number of others and myself were baptized [on 9 May 1836]” (Presidents of the Church Institute Student Manual, 42)

John Taylor had an interesting time dealing with apostasy in the life of the missionary who taught him the gospel:

He visited in Kirtland during the dark days of apostasy there and defended the Prophet Joseph Smith with his testimony before gatherings of apostates who threatened death to anyone who spoke for the Prophet. He also met with members of the Church whose faith was failing and who had begun to be critical of the Prophet. Among their number was Elder Parley P. Pratt, who made it a point to express his complaints and criticisms. To this Apostle and missionary whose teachings and testimony had, only a short time before, brought him into the Church, John Taylor replied: “I am surprised to hear you speak so, Brother Parley. Before you left Canada you bore a strong testimony to Joseph Smith being a Prophet of God, and to the truth of the work he has inaugurated; and you said you knew these things by revelation, and the gift of the Holy Ghost. You gave to me a strict charge to the effect that though you or an angel from heaven was to declare anything else I was not to believe it. Now Brother Parley, it is not man that I am following, but the Lord. The principles you taught me led me to Him, and I now have the same testimony that you then rejoiced in. If the work was true six months ago, it is true today; if Joseph Smith was then a prophet, he is now a prophet.”
Elder Pratt “sought no further to lead Elder Taylor astray; nor did he use much argument in the first place. ‘He with many others,’ says Elder Taylor, ‘were passing under a dark cloud; he soon made all right with the Prophet Joseph, and was restored to full fellowship.” (Presidents of the Church Institute Student Manual, 43)

Wilford Woodruff received revelation about apostasy in his quest for the truth about religion:

Wilford Woodruff was in his youth when he first desired to serve the Lord and learn of Him. He said, “At an early age my mind was exercised upon religious subjects.” However, he chose not to join any church. Instead he was determined to find the one true Church of Jesus Christ. Inspired by the teachings of his parents and other friends and by the whisperings of the Spirit, he became convinced “that the Church of Christ was in the wilderness—that there had been a falling away from pure and undefiled religion before God and that a great change was at hand.” (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, xix)

Lorenzo Snow also recognized apostasy in the religions of his day:

Lorenzo Snow studied a year at Oberlin College. Although by nature he had a tender regard for people, he had never been particularly attracted to institutionalized religion. He wrote to his sister Eliza near the end of his term, “If there is nothing better than is to be found here in Oberlin College, good bye to all religions.”
His mother and a sister were the first members of Lorenzo Snow’s family to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Later, his sister Eliza joined. Lorenzo had deep respect for Eliza’s opinions and judgment, and he wrote to her at Kirtland, Ohio, and asked many questions about the newly revealed religion. She responded to his questions and requested that he come to Kirtland and study with Professor Seixas, who had been engaged to teach Hebrew by the leaders of the Church. In the spring of 1836, Lorenzo left Oberlin and moved to Kirtland. (Presidents of the Church Institute Student Manual, 77-78)

A Restoration Foretold

Elder David A. Bednar gave a wonderful illustration of how, as Joseph Smith utilized faith to anticipate the Restoration, we can apply this same principle in our lives:

The classic example of asking in faith is Joseph Smith and the First Vision. As young Joseph was seeking to know the truth about religion, he read the following verses in the first chapter of James:
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
“But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering” (James 1:5-6).
Please notice the requirement to ask in faith, which I understand to mean the necessity to not only express but to do, the dual obligation to both plead and to perform, the requirement to communicate and to act.
Pondering this biblical text led Joseph to retire to a grove of trees near his home to pray and to seek spiritual knowledge. Note the questions that guided Joseph’s thinking and supplicating.
“In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it? …
“My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join” (Joseph Smith—History 1:10).
Joseph’s questions focused not just on what he needed to know but also on what was to be done! His prayer was not simply, “Which church is right?” His question was, “Which church should I join?” Joseph went to the grove to ask in faith, and he was determined to act.
True faith is focused in and on the Lord Jesus Christ and always leads to righteous action. (Ensign, May 2008, 94)

Chapter 15: The Lord's Covenant People

The Nature of Covenants

The first question of this section is “What is a covenant?” (p. 81) I like the following from Joseph Fielding Smith:

The Gospel covenant is the promise of God to grant to man, through man’s obedience and acceptance of the ordinances and principles of the Gospel, the glory and exaltation of eternal life. (Church News)

The next question is “Why are Latter-day Saints called a covenant people?” (p. 81). I also like what President Marion G. Romney had to say in a conference talk entitled “Gospel Covenants”:

In saying to William E. McLellin, “Blessed are you for receiving mine everlasting covenant, even the fulness of my gospel” (D&C 66:2), the Lord identified the gospel as the great and all-embracing covenant. (Ensign, May 1981, 43)

It is important that we realize that, as taught in this section, “God…sets the terms” (p. 81) of true covenants. In a strict sense, we can set the terms of any promise, a goal, a resolution, etc. with God, but these are not true covenants. As taught in the Bible Dictionary:

God in his good pleasure fixes the terms, which man accepts. (p. 651)

In a wonderful resource for a discussion of covenants, a conference talk entitled “The Power of Covenants,” Elder D. Todd Christofferson explained:

A covenant is an agreement between God and man, an accord whose terms are set by God (see Bible Dictionary, “Covenant,” 651). In these divine agreements, God binds Himself to sustain, sanctify, and exalt us in return for our commitment to serve Him and keep His commandments. (Ensign, May 2009, 19)

If you have not yet discovered Encyclopedia of Mormonism, do not delay. This wonderful work was published by the Church through Macmillan so that the world could have accurate information about the Church, written by many of the best in the Church, edited by the Church and even reviewed by general authorities. To find it, you can either Google “Encyclopedia of Mormonism” or go online at “lib.byu.edu/Macmillan.” This reference is a great one to add to your “Favorites” on your computer.

From this terrific resource, two great quotes:

The Lord’s covenants essentially cover the whole Plan of Salvation. (p. 332)

A covenant is fulfilled when people keep their promises and endure to the end in faith, with the Lord giving blessings during life, and salvation and exaltation upon completion. (p. 333)

Concerning covenant keeping, I really like this phrase from Jacob:

“…cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto you.” (Jacob 6:5)

God’s Covenant with Abraham and His Descendants

In the February 2006 Ensign was a wonderful article, along with some terrific artwork (not usually included online) entitled “Abraham: Father of the Faithful.” Here is a quote from that article:

In the Old Testament, Abraham is regarded as the head of the covenant line, which is personified in the house of Israel. He is often called the “father of the faithful.” Abraham received the gospel through baptism, or the covenant of salvation. The higher priesthood was conferred upon him, and he entered into celestial marriage, the covenant of exaltation, gaining assurance that he would have eternal increase. He received a promise that these same blessings would be offered to his mortal posterity. The divine promises to Abraham assured that Christ would come through his lineage and that Abraham’s posterity would receive certain lands as an eternal inheritance. These promises are called the Abrahamic covenant.
Heavenly Father’s children who are of non-Israelite lineage can be adopted into the house of Israel, becoming heirs of the covenant and the seed of Abraham through the ordinances of the gospel. (See Bible Dictionary, “Abraham,” 601; and “Abraham, Covenant of,” 602.) (p. 38)

As before stated in this blog, a terrific resource is the LDS Scripture Citation Index, where you can click on any scripture and pull up all times that scripture was used in a conference talk. Just Google that title and it is the first item that comes up. You can also put “scriptures.byu.edu” in your address bar to pull it up. The following great quote from a conference talk by Elder Dallin H. Oaks was found this way looking under “Galatians 3:29”:

The Bible tells us how God made a covenant with Abraham and promised him that through him all “families” or “nations” of the earth would be blessed (see Gen. 12:3 Gen. 22:18). What we call the Abrahamic covenant opens the door for God’s choicest blessings to all of His children everywhere. (Ensign, May 2006, 77)

If you want a good outline of the “blessings” promised to Abraham (discussed in the second paragraph of this section—after the beginning question), Paul K. Browning, did a good job in an Ensign article:

In brief, the covenant promises Abraham the following blessings if he is faithful:

1. Both his literal posterity and all those who accept the gospel will be counted as Abraham’s seed (see Abr. 2:10-11).

2. His seed will be as numerous as the stars of heaven (see Gen. 15:5).

3. His seed will be inheritors of a land that will be theirs as an everlasting possession (see Abr. 2:6; Gen. 17:7-8).

4. His seed will be the means of spreading the gospel and the priesthood to all the world (see Abr. 2:9). (Ensign, Jul 1998, 54)

The title “Father Abraham” is most appropriate, since Jesus Christ so declared him to be an important “Father” at least three times:

And I will bless them through thy name; for as many as receive this Gospel shall be called after thy name, and shall be accounted thy seed, and shall rise up and bless thee, as their father; (Abraham 2:10)

For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:26 – 29)

And again, verily I say unto you, my servant Joseph, that whatsoever you give on earth, and to whomsoever you give any one on earth, by my word and according to my law, it shall be visited with blessings and not cursings, and with my power, saith the Lord, and shall be without condemnation on earth and in heaven.
For I am the Lord thy God, and will be with thee even unto the end of the world, and through all eternity; for verily I seal upon you your exaltation, and prepare a throne for you in the kingdom of my Father, with Abraham your father. (D&C 132:48-49)

As to why Abraham was chosen for such a wonderful covenant and his title, perhaps only God knows. But there are two interesting and very unique events in Abraham’s life. You may want to ask, “What were the two most traumatic events in Abraham’s life?” The answers may very well be:

ONE: Abraham’s near sacrifice on the altar (see Facsimile No. 1 and Abraham 1:7-16)

TWO: Abraham’s near sacrifice of his birthright son, Isaac (see Genesis 22:1-8)

Perhaps more than any man who has ever lived, Abraham came closest to understanding, if even only just slightly, in ONE, the feelings of Jesus Christ and his unjust sacrifice and TWO, the feelings of God the Father in allowing His Only Begotten Son’s sacrifice.

It may be important to understand that the Abrahamic Covenant was not unique with Abraham. Robert J. Matthews, in a wonderful article entitled, “Our Covenants with the Lord,” explains:

The covenant to Abraham and his seed is the most extensive of the covenants mentioned in the Bible, but thanks to the additional revelations given to the Prophet Joseph Smith we know that the Lord covenanted first with Adam and that the same covenant was then extended to Seth, Enoch, Methuselah, and Noah (see D&C 107:42-52).
Later, Melchizedek and Abraham received the same gospel with the same covenants that the Lord had made with Enoch. (See JST, Gen. 8:22–23; JST, Gen. 9:15–25; JST, Gen. 13:13; JST, Gen. 14:26–34.) Isaac and Jacob also received the gospel covenant and other special covenants; and “great were the covenants of the Lord … unto Joseph” (2 Ne. 3:4). Abraham, then, was not the first of the covenant people, though he is an indispensable link in a long succession of patriarchs before and after him who covenanted with the Lord not only for their individual salvation but also on behalf of their posterity. The promises made to the fathers extend all the way back to father Adam and all the way forward to his posterity, or all mankind. (Ensign, Dec 1980, 33)

That this lesson is so timely for us today and for our future was explained by Elder Russell M. Nelson:

Anciently, the Lord blessed Father Abraham with a promise to make his posterity a chosen people. References to this covenant occur throughout the scriptures. Included were promises that the Son of God would come through Abraham’s lineage, that certain lands would be inherited, that nations and kindreds of the earth would be blessed through his seed, and more. While some aspects of that covenant have already been fulfilled, the Book of Mormon teaches that this Abrahamic covenant will be fulfilled only in these latter days! It also emphasizes that we are among the covenant people of the Lord. Ours is the privilege to participate personally in the fulfillment of these promises. What an exciting time to live! (Ensign, Nov 2006, 79)

Members of the Church Are a Covenant People

I love this quote by President Gordon B. Hinckley about LDS being a covenant people. It also beautifully parallels the three covenants discussed in the first section of this lesson (pp. 81-82):

We are a covenant people. I have had the feeling that if we could just encourage our people to live by three or four covenants everything else would take care of itself. …
The first of these is the covenant of the sacrament, in which we take upon ourselves the name of the Savior and agree to keep His commandments with the promise in His covenant that He will bless us with His spirit. …
Second, the covenant of tithing. … The promise … is that He will stay the destroyer and open the windows of heaven and pour down blessings that there will not be room enough to receive them. …
Three, the covenants of the temple: Sacrifice, the willingness to sacrifice for this the Lord’s work—and inherent in that law of sacrifice is the very essence of the Atonement. … Consecration, which is associated with it, a willingness to give everything, if need be, to help in the on-rolling of this great work. And a covenant of love and loyalty one to another in the bonds of marriage, fidelity, chastity, morality.
If our people could only learn to live by these covenants, everything else would take care of itself, I am satisfied. (quoted by Bishop Keith B. McMullin, Ensign, May 2001, 61)

It may be important to understand that covenants did not begin in mortality, as discussed in the Encyclopedia of Mormonism:

Latter-day Saints hold that the first personal covenants were made in premortal life, later to be taken again on earth. (p. 333)

Concerning covenants made in premortality, Elder Dallin Oaks explained in conference: All of the myriads of mortals who have been born on this earth chose the Father’s plan and fought for it. Many of us also made covenants with the Father concerning what we would do in mortality. In ways that have not been revealed, our actions in the spirit world influence us in mortality. (Ensign, Nov 1993, 72)

In Conference, President Harold B. Lee also stated:

Now then, to make a summary of what I have just read, may I ask each of you again the question, “Who are you?” You are all the sons and daughters of God. Your spirits were created and lived as organized intelligences before the world was. You have been blessed to have a physical body because of your obedience to certain commandments in that premortal state. You are now born into a family to which you have come, into the nations through which you have come, as a reward for the kind of lives you lived before you came here and at a time in the world’s history, as the apostle Paul taught the men of Athens and as the Lord revealed to Moses, determined by the faithfulness of each of those who lived before this world was created.
All these rewards were seemingly promised, or foreordained, before the world was. Surely these matters must have been determined by the kind of lives we had lived in that premortal spirit world. Some may question these assumptions, but at the same time they will accept without any question the belief that each one of us will be judged when we leave this earth according to his or her deeds during our lives here in mortality. Isn’t it just as reasonable to believe that what we have received here in this earth life was given to each of us according to the merits of our conduct before we came here? (Ensign, Jan 1974, 2)

In this same conference talk, President Harold B. Lee also declared that although we have now in mortality renewed covenants we made in premortality, this life becomes crucial in the keeping of these covenants:

…even though we have our free agency here, there are many who were foreordained before the world was, to a greater state than they have prepared themselves for here. Even though they might have been among the noble and great, from among whom the Father declared he would make his chosen leaders, they may fail of that calling here in mortality. (Ensign, Jan 1974, 2)

The following is a quote from this section of the lesson:

Along with the blessings we receive as the Lord’s covenant people, we have great responsibilities. The Lord promised Abraham that through his descendants the gospel would be taken to all the earth. We are fulfilling this responsibility through the full-time missionary program of the Church and the missionary work done by the members. This opportunity to preach the gospel to all the world belongs only to the Lord’s Church and His covenant people. (p. 84)

Regarding missionary work as our responsibility as a covenant people, there is a concept introduced by the Lord about “salt.” In an Ensign article entitled, “I Have a Question,” What does it mean to be the “salt of the earth “? LeGrand L. Baker answered:

It is clear that under the new covenant the followers of Christ, as “salt,” are responsible for extending gospel blessings to the whole earth. “When men are called unto mine everlasting gospel, and covenant with an everlasting covenant,” the Lord explains, “they are accounted as the salt of the earth and the savor of men” (D&C 101:39). It is our privilege and blessing to lovingly lead our brothers and sisters to Christ, helping them receive their covenant blessings. As we do so, we become the figurative salt that makes it possible for them to offer the acceptable sacrifice of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. In addition, our own covenant sacrifice of time, talents, and means is pleasing to the Lord. (Ensign, Apr. 1999, 53)

In a conference talk entitled, “Salt of the Earth: Savor of Men and Saviors of Men,” Elder Carlos E. Asay elaborated:

A world-renowned chemist told me that salt will not lose its savor with age. Savor is lost through mixture and contamination. Similarly, priesthood power does not dissipate with age; it, too, is lost through mixture and contamination. (Ensign, May 1980, 42)

The first paragraph (after the question) of this section discusses a less-well-known principle of “adoption.” From the Bible Dictionary, under “Adoption” comes the following explanation:

There are two types of adoption spoken of in the scriptures. A person who is of non-Israelite lineage becomes a member of the house of Israel through faith in Jesus Christ when it is accompanied by baptism in water and the reception of the Holy Ghost.

Again, from that great resource, the Encyclopedia of Mormonism comes the following on adoption:

Today, members of the Church—latter-day Israel, largely Joseph’s descendants, either by blood or adoption—are to seek out the other descendants of Israel and those who would become Israelites through adoption by baptism. The Prophet Joseph Smith observed that “as the Holy Ghost falls upon one of the literal seed of Abraham, it is calm and serene;…while the effect of the Holy Ghost upon a Gentile, is to purge out the old blood, and make him actually of the seed of Abraham. That man that has none of the blood of Abraham (naturally) must have a new creation by the Holy Ghost. (p. 706)

The New and Everlasting Covenant

Also from the Encyclopedia of Mormonism comes the following:

The new and everlasting covenant is the gospel of Jesus Christ. The sum of all gospel covenants that God makes with mankind is called “the new and everlasting covenant” and consists of several individual covenants, each of which is called “a new and everlasting covenant.” It is “new” when given to a person or a people for the first time, and “everlasting” because the gospel of Jesus Christ and plan of salvation existed before the world was formed and will exist forever.
All covenants between God and mankind are part of the new and everlasting covenant (D&C 22; 132:6-7). (p. 1008)

As members of the Church, we have great need for this covenant. From his wonderful talk, “The Mediator,” Elder Boyd K. Packer declares:

The extension of mercy will not be automatic. It will be through covenant with Him. It will be on His terms, His generous terms… (Ensign, May 1977, 54)