May 12-18: D&C 46-48
Seek Earnestly the Best Gifts
Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate, Vol. 1 (1834)
Public Domain, Courtesy L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University
Historical Perspectives
The Doctrine and Covenants readings from March through June 1831 continue the themes of the previous months. The revelations were primarily concerned with ordering the Church in Kirtland, including most notably the first appointment of high priests. The old problem of spiritual excesses also continued; the Saints, who were thrilled to be receiving revelations through a prophet, had trouble knowing where to draw the line with questionable spiritual manifestations. Then came a sharp break in July and August 1831, the second part of our readings. Joseph and a party of followers journeyed from Kirtland to Jackson County, Missouri, where land was dedicated for Zion, the New Jerusalem. It was thrilling and troublesome. The Saints were not entirely welcome there and within two years would be driven out.
- Richard Bushman
From its earliest days of existence, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has documented its own history. In part, this was by commandment. On March 8, 1831, Joseph Smith received a revelation for John Whitmer, one of the eight witnesses of the Book of Mormon, calling him to be the Church historian and recorder, “Behold it is expedient in me that my servant John should write and keep a regular history…to keep the church record and history continually (D&C 47:1, 3). A complete published history would take nearly a century to compile and write—the seven-volume History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints appeared in 1932—but newspapers produced by the Church documented its events, revelations, and news beginning much earlier. The Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate was one such publication. It began in October 1834, which followed The Evening and the Morning Star (1832-1834). Oliver Cowdery was the editor of the Messenger and Advocate until he was succeeded by John Whitmer.
Gospel Questions
Many of the verses in Section 46 speak of inclusion ("ye are commanded never to cast any one out" D&C 46:3-6). What do you personally do to contribute to a spirit of inclusion in your congregation? How has someone else made you feel included?
While we are universally commanded in all things to seek God's wisdom (D&C 46:7), the gifts of the spirit given to each of us in response to our pleas are uniquely different (D&C 46:9-12). How does this speak to God's relationship with you as His child? What gifts has He given you that have benefited someone else and how?
In what way has a record kept by someone else made a difference in your life? (D&C 47)
For Children
Hi. The Church was commanded to keep its history, but what about you? Are you collecting a record of your own life? President Spencer W. Kimball was a big believer in the power of keeping a journal, and in his sermons, he frequently urged everybody to do it. He said, “People often use the excuse that their lives are uneventful and nobody would be interested in what they have done. But I promise you that if you will keep your journals and records, they will indeed be a source of great inspiration to your families, to your children, your grandchildren, and others, on through the generations” (“President Kimball Speaks Out on Personal Journals,” New Era, December 1980). In 1980, keeping a journal usually meant writing things down in a book, but whatever way you choose to keep a record, you will find it a treasure in the making. Don’t forget to include photographs, drawings you make, music you write, and objects that become part of who you are.
