Week 11 - Growth of the Church :)

Justine Sanders

11-30-11

FDREL 324

Kelly Anderson

Student Choice #2

(Week 11)

QUESTION:
What are five principles that were taught in the Doctrine and Covenants this semester that you feel are most responsible for what is taking place in the world with the growth and influence of the Church?

- D&C 18: 10 "Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God." I think when we realize how important each soul is, we will do everything in our power to help that one person. If we bring just one soul unto Him, how great will be our joy.

- D&C 25: 9 "Thou needest not fear." If we do everything that is required of us, to the best of our abilities, we will have no need to fear.

- D&C 27: 15 "Lift up your hearts and rejoice... that ye may be able to withstand the evil day, that ye may be able to stand.” I know that Joseph Smith, and the others that helped restore the church again on the Earth, had to find reasons to lift up their hearts and rejoice. I cannot even imagine how difficult it would have been to live then.

- D&C 33:17 “Wherefore, be faithful, praying always, having your lamps trimmed and burning, and oil with you, that you may be ready at the coming of the Bridegroom— " Being faithful, believing, and praying always will help us be prepared for when Christ comes again.

- D&C 41:5 “He that receiveth my law and doeth it, the same is my disciple” This is pretty self explanatory: Those who keep His commandments and keep them, are His disciples.

- D&C 49:23 "Be not deceived, but continue in steadfastness." I know Satan is out there and he does have power to tempt us to do that which is not right. It is our challenge, to stay steadfast and not be deceived.

- D&C 63:9 "Signs follow those that believe." We should not be seeking signs, because that is unrighteous. However, if we are doing all that we should, and believe and put our faith in Him, he will show us signs.

I, too, love that video showing the growth of the Church! One of my favorite parts of General Conference each April is the Statistical Report where they announce the Church membership, number of missionaries, number of temples, etc.

Week 10 - Sign Seeking and Lusting

Justine Sanders

11-28-11

FDREL 324

Kelly Anderson

Student Choice #1

(Week 10)

Sign Seeking and Lusting

What do you learn about sign seeking?

• From reading Section 63 I’ve learned that those who seek for signs aren’t faithful and they don’t trust in the Lord as much as they should. But, those who are faithful and humble will receive the signs they seek in the Lord’s time, and will not have to seek for signs.

What do you learn about lusting?

• I’ve learned that lust comes when people are more concerned about their physical appetite then they are of other people’s needs and desires. Lusting is far from god-like and is very discouraged by the Lord.

How is the spirit of adultery (lusting) related to the spirit of sign seeking?

• The great relation between lusting and sign seeking is that they are both of the devil. There is a lack of trust in the Lord and also a lack of humility and faith.

• I also believe that there are those people out there who try to find signs and proof that the Lord exists, and when they can’t find that proof, then they turn and live their life fill of lust or find other religions to base their beliefs in, because they are too proud to give the Lord the time he needs.

The Savior taught that a “wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign” (Mathew 16:4).

How is the spirit of lusting and spirit of sign seeking similar?

• 1. When seeking for a sign, there is a lack of faith; just as it is with lust.

• 2. When you’re lusting, you’re searching for the best of everything. Seeking for a sign is searching for the best proof that the Lord exists.

• 3. Another similarity is that with these two things, you’re always searching. You’re never fully satisfied.

• 4. When seeking for these two things, someone will always be hurt.

• 5. These two things are of the devil and will never bring true happiness.

Three insights that Elder Holland gives into this topic.

• “Most people in trouble end up crying, “What was I thinking?” Well, whatever they were thinking, they weren’t thinking of Christ.”

• “Most days we all find ourselves assaulted by immoral messages of some kind flooding in on us from every angle.”

• We need to try with all our might to fight lust and sign seeking. We need to have faith in ourselves and in the Lord.

Week 9

Justine Sanders

11-15-11

FDREL 324

Kelly Anderson

Student Choice #3

(Week 9)

Choice #3 (section 52):

Who’s who in the Doctrine and Covenants? Look up ten names of people you are unfamiliar with that are mentioned in Section 52, and read a brief biography of them in Susan Easton Black’s Who’s Who in the Doctrine and Covenants (or a comparable resource available to you). What do you learn about their lives that helps you better appreciate the principles of the gospel as taught in the revelations? How are you like/unlike these people? What can you learn from their lives that will help you be a better disciple in your own?

1. Levi Ward Hancock

(April 7, 1803 – June 10, 1882) was an early convert to Mormonism and was a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for nearly fifty years. He was also one of the witnesses of the Book of Commandments.

Hancock was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. In 1830, while living in Ohio, Hancock heard Latter Day Saint missionaries Parley P. Pratt, Sidney Rigdon, and Oliver Cowdery preaching in Mayfield. Convinced by their words, Hancock was baptized in the Latter Day Saint church. He was ordained an elder shortly after his baptism and in 1831 he served a proselyting mission to Missouri with Zebedee Coltrin.

In 1834 Hancock participated in Zion's Camp, traveling from Ohio to Missouri in an effort to assist Church member who were experiencing trouble there. On March 1, 1835, Hancock was ordained a seventy in the Church and was selected as one of the first seven presidents of the Seventy. On April 6, 1837, Hancock was released from this position because it was mistakenly believed that he, like five of the other presidents of the Seventy, had already been ordained a high priest. When it was discovered that this was not the case, Hancock was restored to his position on September 3, 1837. Hancock would serve as one of the presidents of the Seventy until his death.

Hancock wrote the words to several songs. His "My Peaceful Home, 1837" captures the feelings of Latter-day Saints about their new homes in the communities they had set up.[1] Hancock wrote the words of the twelve verse-song sung at the placing of the Far West Temple cornerstones in 1838.[2]

Hancock followed the Latter Day Saints as they moved to Missouri, and then to Nauvoo, Illinois. He was a member of the Nauvoo Legion and the Nauvoo police force. In 1843 Hancock was made the chief musician in the Nauvoo Legion.[2]

Hancock was one of the Church members in Missouri that sustained the truth of the Book of Commandments. He signed the testimony with a pencil and he also added the text "never to be erased", when "he saw that the others had signed with a pen." Because of the circumstances when the book was printed, the document was not included in the printing.

2. John Murdock

“[John Murdock] was in the first group to be ordained high priests by Joseph Smith. He was called on two of his missions by revelations which are in the Doctrine and Covenants. (See D&C 52:8; D&C 99:1.) [Later on] his wife died, leaving him twins only six hours old. These were the twins that the Prophet Joseph Smith received into his home to raise.” (“Did Not Our Heart Burn Within Us?” Ensign, May 1977, 30)

3. Lyman Wight

(May 9, 1796 – March 31, 1858) was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement. He was the leader of the Latter Day Saints in Daviess County, Missouri in 1838. In 1841, he was ordained a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. After the death of Joseph Smith, Jr. resulted in a succession crisis, Wight led his own group of Latter Day Saints to Texas, where they created a settlement. While in Texas, Wight broke with other factions of Latter Day Saints, including the group led by Brigham Young. Wight was ordained president of his own church, but he later sided with the claims of William Smith and eventually of Joseph Smith III. After his death, most of the "Wightites" (as members of this church were called) joined with the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

4. Thomas Baldwin Marsh

(November 1, 1799[3]– January 1866) was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an original member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He served as the first President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints from 1835 to 1839. He was excommunicated from the Church in 1839, and remained disaffected for much of his life. Marsh rejoined the church in July 1857, but never again served in Church leadership positions.

“On 7 June 1831, the Prophet received a revelation calling Ezra to serve a mission with Thomas B. Marsh (see D&C 52:22). He failed to serve this mission… Apparently Ezra repented, for on 25 January 1832 he was again appointed to serve a mission with Thomas B. Marsh (see D&C 75:31). He was faithful to this charge. One year later he was appointed to negotiate the purchase of land in Kirtland for the Church, including 103 acres of the Peter French Farm. On this land the Kirtland Temple was built.

5. Ezra Thayre

Ezra Thayre had thought that the Williams farm might be divided up between the three families residing there. Having previously consecrated a large sum of money to the Church, he may have thought such an arrangement to be fair. Ezra was concerned about ownership; the Lord was operating upon the principles of stewardship. Therefore, the land was not to be divided. If Brother Thayre couldn’t live by that principle, then he was to be given his money back and cut off from the Church.

“…Ezra's Church membership was suspended in May 1835 for impropriety, based on a complaint signed by Oliver Granger. In September that year the Prophet Joseph Smith wrote of his love for Ezra: ‘This day my soul has desired the salvation of Brother Ezra Thayer.’

“Apparently the complaint was settled. Ezra moved to Missouri and resided in Adam-ondi-Ahman, where he served on the high council. After the Saints were expelled from Missouri, Ezra moved to Rochester, New York. On 9 July 1840 Heber C. Kimball wrote to the Prophet about staying one night with Ezra in Rochester, ‘He was glad to see me, and inquired much about you and the rest of the brethren: he seemed to be firm in the faith of the gospel and has much love for his brethren.’ Jonathan Crosby had a differing opinion of Ezra's faithfulness. He had found him in Rochester also, and said, ‘He treated us well, but was dead spiritually.’

After the Martyrdom Ezra refused to follow the leadership of the Quorum of the Twelve. He was living in Michigan in 1860 and was a high priest in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.” (Susan Easton Black, Who's Who in the Doctrine and Covenants [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1997], 319-321)

6. Isaac Morley

(March 11, 1786 – June 24, 1865) was an early member of the Latter Day Saint movement and a contemporary of both Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. He was one of the first converts to Smith's Church of Christ. Morley was present at many of the early events of the Latter Day Saint movement, and served as a church leader in Ohio, Missouri and Utah Territory.

Morley was born on March 11, 1786 in Montague, Massachusetts, one of nine children of Thomas E. Morley and Editha Marsh. He served in the War of 1812 from 1812-15, and later held the position of captain in the Ohio militia.

7. Ezra Booth

Booth had been a popular Methodist minister before going to Kirtland, Ohio with John and Alice (Elsa) Johnson in 1831. After witnessing Joseph Smith, Jr. healing Elsa's arm, Booth became a convert and was baptized and ordained an elder in May 1831, and later was ordained to be a high priest by Lyman Wight on June 3, 1831.[1]

On June 6, 1831, Booth was called to go to Missouri with Isaac Morley and "preach[] the word by the way."[2] Booth began his mission by preaching the Book of Mormon to a large audience in Bates Corners, Norton Township, Ohio in June 1831. On August 4, 1831, Booth was one of fourteen elders attending the a “Special Conference” in Kaw township, Jackson County, Missouri, “held by special commandment of the Lord” called by Joseph Smith Jr.[3]

Less than three days after being "silenced from preaching as an Elder", and after only being a member for five months, Booth renounced Mormonism in the first of nine letters to be published in the Ohio Star, beginning in November 1831.[5] In Norton Township (the area Booth was sent to on his mission), the effect of Booth's letters is such that "the public feeling was, that 'Mormonism' was overthrown"[6] until Reynolds Cahoon, David Whitmer, and Lyman E. Johnson arrived on a mission.

Information about Booth after 1831 is scarce. However, he did marry a couple in Mentor, Ohio on January 16, 1832 and later created the “Church of Christ”. His “Church of Christ" claimed that Joseph Smith, Jr. was a false prophet and that the Book of Mormon was not true. The church had several meetings and soon disbanded.

He is buried in a graveyard not far from the Johnson home in Hiram, Ohio.

8. Harvey G. Whitlock

(1809–1874) was an early member of the Latter Day Saint movement and one of the witnesses to the Book of Commandments. He was among those Latter Day Saints driven by mobs from Jackson County, Missouri in the summer of 1833. From 1835 he was in and out of multiple Latter Day Saint groups several times.

Whitlock was a native of Massachusetts. He joined Joseph Smith, Jr.'s Church of Christ by 1831 and was an early missionary in Amherst, Ohio. Whitlock was among those who were directed to go to Missouri by a revelation of Smith.[1] He later returned to Ohio and then moved his family to Missouri. He was viewed as such a leader in the church that he was specifically targeted for early expulsion from Missouri.

In 1835, Whitlock was excommunicated. In November 1835, he sent a letter expressing repentance to Smith and Smith directed Whitlock to come to Kirtland, Ohio. In January 1836 Whitlock was rebaptized at Kirtland and restored to his priesthood.

Whitlock again withdrew from the church in 1838. In 1846, he became a member of Sidney Rigdon's Latter Day Saint church. By 1850, Whitlock was in Salt Lake City, but there is no record of his having been joined the Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) until 1858. Whitlock was excommunicated by the LDS Church in 1859. In 1864, Whitlock moved to California where he became the head of the Pacific Slope Region of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS Church). In 1868, Whitlock was excommunicated by the RLDS Church.

9. Edson Fuller

“Edson Fuller, a carpenter by trade, was residing with his family in Chardon, Ohio, when he accepted baptism in 1831. He was called by revelation on 7 June 1831 to journey from Ohio to Jackson County, Missouri (see D&C 52:28). Apparently he didn't go to Missouri but remained in Ohio. According to historian Josiah Jones, he claimed that visions had called him to preach the gospel in Ohio.” (Susan Easton Black, Who's Who in the Doctrine and Covenants [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1997], 93.)

10. Jacob Scott

“Jacob Scott attended the fourth general conference of the Church in June 1831 in a schoolhouse on Isaac Morley's farm in Kirtland. At the conference he became one of the first men in this dispensation to be ordained a high priest by the Prophet.

“One day after the conference Jacob was called by revelation to serve a mission: ‘Let my servants Edson Fuller and Jacob Scott also take their journey’ (D&C 52:28). However, Jacob Scott apostatized after receiving the command and refused to go.

Week 8 ----> getting over the hump

Justine Sanders

11-05-11

FDREL 324

Kelly Anderson

Student Choice #2

(Week 8)

Choice #2 (section 45):

1. What are the ten most significant signs you feel the Lord is giving his Saints in this revelation? Please explain, describe, and reference these signs in section 45. ​Feel free to share any personal thoughts about these signs as you describe them.

2. What three main principles of the gospel does God emphasize and associate with these Second Coming signs that a disciple living during such turbulent times would be wise to give heed to?

----------------------------------------------------------------

1. What are the ten most significant signs you feel the Lord is giving his Saints in this revelation? Please explain, describe, and reference these signs in section 45. ​Feel free to share any personal thoughts about these signs as you describe them.

In D&C 45 it gives many signs of His coming:

39 And it shall come to pass that he that feareth me shall be looking forth for the great day of the Lord to come, even for the signs of the coming of the Son of Man.

40 And they shall see signs and wonders, for they shall be shown forth in the heavens above, and in the earth beneath.

41 And they shall behold blood, and fire, and vapors of smoke.

42 And before the day of the Lord shall come, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon be turned into blood, and the stars fall from heaven.

43 And the remnant shall be gathered unto this place;

44 And then they shall look for me, and, behold, I will come; and they shall see me in the clouds of heaven, clothed with power and great glory; with all the holy angels; and he that watches not for me shall be cut off.

45 But before the arm of the Lord shall fall, an angel shall sound his trump, and the saints that have slept shall come forth to meet me in the cloud.

46 Wherefore, if ye have slept in peace blessed are you; for as you now behold me and know that I am, even so shall ye come unto me and your souls shall live, and your redemption shall be perfected; and the saints shall come forth from the four quarters of the earth.

47 Then shall the arm of the Lord fall upon the nations.

Verse 11-12: City of Zion

“After the Lord’s people were translated—for it was people who were caught up into heaven, not brick and mortar and stone, for there are better homes already in heaven than men can build on earth—after these righteous saints went to dwell beyond the veil, others, being converted and desiring righteousness, looked for a city which hath foundation, whose builder and maker is God, and they too ‘were caught up by the powers of heaven into Zion’ (Moses 7:27).” (Bruce R. McConkie, Come Let Israel Zion, Ensign, May 1977.)

Verse 39: Destruction Preceding the Second Coming

“I will prophesy that the signs of the coming of the Son of Man are already commenced. One pestilence will desolate after another. We shall soon have war and bloodshed. The moon will be turned into blood. I testify of these things, and that the coming of the Son of Man is nigh, even at your doors. If our souls and our bodies are not looking forth for the coming of the Son of Man; and after we are dead, if we are not looking forth, we shall be among those who are calling for the rocks to fall upon them” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 160).

JS-M 1:36: Sign of the Son of Man

At the April 1843 conference of the Church the Prophet Joseph Smith testified: “There will be wars and rumors of wars, signs in the heavens above and on the earth beneath, the sun turned into darkness and the moon to blood, earthquakes in divers places, the seas heaving beyond their bounds; then will appear one grand sign of the Son of Man in heaven. But what will the world do? They will say it is a planet, a comet, etc. But the Son of Man will come as the sign of the coming of the Son of Man, which will be as the light of the morning cometh out of the east” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 286-87).

I got this from a friends blog, and I think he is absolutely brilliant, so I am going to share. He said, this in response to the last days:

JS-M 1:37: How to not be deceived in the last days

“There are among us many loose writings predicting the calamities which are about to overtake us,” counseled President Harold B. Lee. “Some of these have been publicized as though they were necessary to wake up the world to the horrors about to overtake us. Many of these are from sources upon which there cannot be unquestioned reliance.

“Are you priesthood bearers aware of the fact that we need no such publications to be forewarned, if we were only conversant with what the scriptures have already spoken to us in plainness?

“Let me give you the sure word of prophecy on which you should rely for your guide instead of these strange sources which may have great political implications.

“Read the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew—particularly that inspired version as contained in the Pearl of Great Price (Joseph Smith-Matthew).

“Then read the forty-fifth section of the Doctrine and Covenants where the Lord, not man, has documented the signs of the times.

“Now turn to section 101 and section 133 of the Doctrine and Covenants and hear the step-by-step recounting of events leading up to the coming of the Savior.

“Finally, turn to the promises the Lord makes to those who keep the commandments when these judgments descend upon the wicked, as set forth in the Doctrine and Covenants, section 38.

“Brethren, these are some of the writings with which you should concern yourselves, rather than commentaries that may come from those whose information may not be the most reliable and whose motives may be subject to question. And may I say, parenthetically, most of such writers are not handicapped by having any authentic information on their writings” (Teachings of Harold B. Lee, 399).

Elder M. Russell Ballard said: “You may not be aware of it, but there are “false prophets” rising within and without the Church. They believe they have had revelations, that they know something the First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles don’t know. You need to be very careful of such people. If you are ever approached by anyone who claims special authority or revelation from God outside the sustained priesthood authority, turn and run from them as fast as you can. The Savior said that in the last days even the very elect could be pulled away from the truth by such false prophets.

“So can we use this scientific data to extrapolate that the Second Coming is likely to occur during the next few years, or the next decade, or the next century? Not really. I am called as one of the apostles to be a special witness of Christ in these exciting, trying times, and I do not know when He is going to come again. As far as I know, none of my brethren in the Council of the Twelve or even in the First Presidency know. And I would humbly suggest to you, my young brothers and sisters, that if we do not know, then nobody knows, no matter how compelling their arguments or how reasonable their calculations.” (When Shall These Things Be?, 12 March 1996.)

The section from the student manual entitled, “D&C 45:24–30 . What Are the “Times of the Gentiles” and When Are They Fulfilled?” was also really helpful in explaining what I was talking about and when they are fulfilled.

2. What three main principles of the gospel does God emphasize and associate with these Second Coming signs that a disciple living during such turbulent times would be wise to give heed to?

Stand in holy places, Be not troubled, and see the signs and wonders – be prepared.

In the student manual, it explains: (D&C 45:64–75 . Zion: A Place of Defense and Refuge)

In the scriptures four words seem closely related to the concept of Zion: gathering, preparation, defense, and refuge . The tribulations and judgments that will be poured out upon the world prior to the Second Coming will be so extensive and devastating that if the Lord did not prepare a means of preservation, His people too would perish. But He has prepared a means for His people to escape those terrible times; that means is Zion. Enoch was told that the Lord would preserve His people in the tribulations of the last days by gathering His elect to Zion where they could gird up their loins ( prepare themselves) and look forward to His coming (see Moses 7:61–62 ). In an earlier revelation in the Doctrine and Covenants, the Savior called the elders of the Church to gather the elect so their hearts could be prepared for the day of tribulation (see D&C 29:7–8 ). In 1838 the Lord explained that the gathering to Zion and her stakes was to be for defense and refuge from the coming storm that will be poured out on the earth (see D&C 115:5–6 ). These commands and promises are found also in section 45. The Saints are to gather to Zion (see D&C 45:64–65 ), a place of safety, peace, and refuge (see v. 65 ). Even though the rest of the world is in a state of horrible warfare (see v. 68 ), in Zion ( D&C 115:5–6 implies that this includes her stakes) there will be peace and joy (see D&C 45:69–71 ).

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught: “Without Zion, and a place of deliverance, we must fall; because the time is near when the sun will be darkened, and the moon turn to blood, and the stars fall from heaven, and the earth reel to and fro. Then, if this is the case, and if we are not sanctified and gathered to the places God has appointed, with all our former professions and our great love for the Bible, we must fall; we cannot stand; we cannot be saved; for God will gather out his Saints from the Gentiles, and then comes desolation and destruction, and none can escape except the pure in heart who are gathered.” ( Teachings, p. 71; see also Enrichment B .)

Week 7 - Midterms are here :)

Justine Sanders

11-1-11

FDREL 324

Kelly Anderson

Student Choice #1

(Week 7)

This week we studied in D&C 41-42 and learned about God’s laws. Here was what I was asked to do:

1. What are the “laws” that God reveals in these sections?

2. Why did you choose those you did?

3. What do these laws reveal about God’s character?

4. What do these laws reveal about the nature and disposition of mankind?

5. What application do these laws have in your life?

1. What are the “laws” that God reveals in this section?

18 Thou shalt not kill.

20 Thou shalt not steal.

21 Thou shalt not lie.

22 Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and shalt cleave unto her and none else.

27 Thou shalt not speak evil of thy neighbor, nor do him any harm.

30-37 “…thou wilt remember the poor, and consecrate of thy properties for their support that which thou hast to impart unto them, with a covenant and a deed which cannot be broken.” (v 30)

2. Why did you choose those you did?

- The law of consecration, being able to give a portion of our properties to those in need with the promised blessing in verse 38 “For inasmuch as ye do it unto the least of these, ye do it unto me.” For me I feel that this law was given to bring me closer to the Lord because I am serving Him when I obey it, and it brings me more close to others, creating unity around me, which helps me participate in bringing about Zion- ‘no poor among us.’

3. What do these reveal about God’s character?

- I think they show that God is mindful of all of us and knows each of our downfalls. He knows what we struggle with and what tempts us and he is always there waiting to pick us up and carry us the rest of the way.

4. What do these laws reveal about the nature and disposition of mankind?

- I think this also has a lot to do with God’s character as well. I think it shows that we are all human and that we all make mistakes. We all struggle with different things in life and there are laws that affect us more than they affect other people. It is like when you know something is bad for you, but you do it anyways.

5. What application do these laws have in your life?

- I have come to understand that again God gave us a law to help us on our way to become more like Him, His character is one of serve. I feel that he is serving me and helping me progress by giving this Law, helps me put of the natural man.