Doctrine and Covenants Tuesday

Scripture of the Day:

Doctrine and Covenants 4

1 NOW behold, a ^amarvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men.

2 Therefore, O ye that embark in the ^aservice of God, see that ye ^bserve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand ^cblameless before God at the last day.

3 Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are ^acalled to the work;

4 For behold the ^afield is white already to ^bharvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in ^cstore that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;

5 And ^afaith, ^bhope, ^ccharity and ^dlove, with an ^eeye single to the ^fglory of God, ^gqualify him for the work.

6 Remember faith, ^avirtue, knowledge, ^btemperance, ^cpatience, ^dbrotherly ^ekindness, ^fgodliness, charity, ^ghumility, ^hdiligence.

7 ^aAsk, and ye shall receive; ^bknock, and it shall be opened unto you. Amen.

Historical Background:

This is a revelation given through Joseph Smith to his father. Here is a background from the Doctrine and Covenants Institute Manual:

The Prophet Joseph Smith wrote:

“After I had obtained the above revelation [D&C 3], both the plates and the Urim and Thummim were taken from me again; but in a few days they were returned to me, when I inquired of the Lord, and the Lord said thus unto me: [D&C 10].

“I did not, however, go immediately to translating, but went to laboring with my hands upon a small farm which I had purchased of my wife’s father, in order to provide for my family. In the month of February, 1829, my father came to visit us, at which time I received the following revelation for him: [D&C 4].” (History of the Church, 1:23, 28.)

Even though this revelation was given for the Prophet’s father, it is addressed to all people who would serve God. Elder Joseph Fielding Smith pointed out that while only seven verses long, “it contains sufficient counsel and instruction for a lifetime of study. No one has yet mastered it. It was not intended as a personal revelation to Joseph Smith, but to be of benefit to all who desire to embark in the service of God. It is a revelation to each member of the Church, especially to all who hold the Priesthood. Perhaps there is no other revelation in all our scriptures that embodies greater instruction pertaining to the manner of qualification of members of the Church for the service of God, and in such condensed form than this revelation. It is as broad, as high and as deep as eternity. No elder of the Church is qualified to teach in the Church, or carry the message of Salvation to the world, until he has absorbed, in part at least, this heaven-sent instruction.” (Church History and Modern Revelation, 1:35.)

Gospel Principles Outlined:

1) The blessings that come from missionary work and sharing the gospel are available to all.

2) In order to be able to properly share the gospel, we must take the time to develop Christ-like qualities.

3) The Lord is always willing to answer any questions and concerns that we may have.

4) Missionary work helps us obtain forgiveness.

5) When we do missionary work, we will be endowed with power from on high.

What I Learned Today:

In order for us to be able to receive a full measure of the guidance and spirit that we need in our lives, we must become more engaged in sharing the gospel with others. I was reminded of a devotional that I read in the past by Clayton Christensen regarding the decisions that we make in our lives and how they impact our direction and success in our lives. ("Decisions for Which I've Been Grateful") Because of the importance of sharing the gospel with others, the Lord promises to give us an increased measure of the Spirit in order to accomplish that task. If there ever were a time that we needed to receive an added measure of the Spirit, it would be now. Will all the sorrow, misunderstand and manipulation of truth that we see in the world it is critical that we seek his guidance. It is therefore critical that we seek to share the gospel.

Things I Will Implement:

I will follow Brother Christensen's counsel and "call myself on a mission." In order to better achieve this, I will put together a personal mission plan and pray and ponder about the opportunities that I have to share my testimony with others. I will create goals and checks in order to allow myself the chance to learn more about how I can improve as a missionary. By developing an inspired vision for what I can accomplish, I will be able to better serve in the Lords' kingdom and help others come to feel the joy that I feel.