The following transcript is intended to aid in your study. However, while we try to go through the transcript, our transcripts are primarily computer-generated and often contain errors. Please forgive the transcripts’ imperfections.

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Segment 1

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Who likes a meeting? Okay, well, how about four of 'em? And they're gonna span over the course of 12 days, mainly to discuss one thing. This week's study of Doctrine and Covenants, section 67 through 70 comes from those four meetings, and we're gonna find out what that one thing was, what God personally thinks about that one thing, what that one thing is worth, and why it is so important to us.

Welcome to the Sunday on Monday Study Group, a Deseret Bookshelf plus original, brought to you by LDS Living, where we take the come following lesson for the week, and we really dig into the scriptures together. I'm your host, Tammy Uzelac Hall. If you're new to our study group, please follow the link in our description and it's going to explain how you can best use this podcast to enhance your come Follow Me study, just like my longtime listening friend, Heidi Jensen from Green River, Wyoming.

Heidi, I loved meeting you. Now, another awesome thing about this podcast and it's totally my favorite thing because today I get to be with some of my favorite people. Oh, I'm so excited. I love these women so much. We have Jenny Reader and Stace Christensen. Hi ladies. Hello. Okay. Oh, my heart is so happy right now.

Okay. We've known each other for several years, but first Stace and Jenny, how do you guys know each other? It's a fun story. Can I tell the story? Yes, you tell the story. Um, so I was a full-time seminary teacher in Utah and was teaching at a time in my career, seminary career at Timpview high school. And Jenny, um, was it your junior year?

It was my junior year, um, was in my class and I think we kind of just maintained friendship in contact. Like you could have been in my class, I think senior year too, maybe. Oh yeah. 'cause I got kicked out of my one class. I gladly welcomed you back. Mm-hmm. And um, and then we've just sort of stayed in touch low these many years and should we dare do we dare say how many?

I don't even know how many years that is, but you probably know I don't do public math. I thought that was clear by now. That's why. Neither do I. Okay, [00:02:00] so we'll just say decade. Decades. Yes. And you're not that much older than us. That's the crazy thing. Sta like, you must have been new in your career. Only a couple years Outta college.

Outta college, yeah. You weren't even married. She was one of the first female full-time seminary teachers. Were you the first? No, I was not the first. There was one. I don't know how many I like. I don't know that history very well. I just know that when I was hired, there was 2000 full-time men and one other woman, and I was number two.

And then there was another woman that was hired after me. And then I think since then, it's exploded in the last few years. It's really changed. Which is lovely because they need women teaching the scriptures. They do. Mm-hmm. And they need them in seminary and they need women who are as brilliant and as good a teacher as Stacey Christensen.

Amen. Oh. It's funny you say that, but as soon as, um, Jenny was in class and she just always had the best comments and so insightful and so grounded in the gospel and so full of the spirit, that it was really, she was a very easily, like a standout student and very easy to connect with as a teacher. All of all of that.

It's great. It was fun. It's been a great, it's a great blessing. Jenny's been a great blessing in my life. Ugh. As has Stacy and connected us. Tammy, you, yeah. Oh, I mean, without Jenny, you and I wouldn't be friends, and I need a That's right. Everyone needs a Stace, right? Oh, yes. Because Sta has this calming influence about her.

She's a yoga instructor now. And you know when I had this dream, actually, oh my gosh, I'm just remembering this. I actually had a dream about you sta, that you were teaching yoga and at the same time teaching Come follow me lessons. I said that that would be the perfect dream. Oh, like you weren't leading us in this.

'cause when she, she has a yoga studio and sometimes we go there and she leads us in yoga and I had this vision of her leading us in yoga and then teaching us. And now in first Nephi Lehigh [00:04:00] and his family leave the wilderness. Then she goes, yes. And downward facing dogs stretch. Mm-hmm. Maybe. Maybe there's something to that Stace yoga can follow is I think I might like all four.

Combining the things I love most in this world, it works for me. Oh, I love you too. We're gonna have a fun discussion because as all of you also know, and maybe if you don't, Jenny is a church historian. She has a PhD. She knows her stuff. She's also my co-host for unnamed Women of the Doctrine in Covenants, which is the best because we're telling all the women's stories.

It's, and we're doing more episodes than we normally do for unnamed women. We got approval, so we're just, we're telling you the stories. They're such great ladies. Oh, such great ladies. So many of them. So many of 'em that we actually know and can connect with. That's, that's what's nice about doctrine and covenants.

Well, yeah. Yeah, because there's only, only two women are named in the doctrine and covenants, but as Jenny has taught us, without women, there wouldn't be. True church history or the restoration's. True. So, right? It is true. Yeah, you can, you can catch that, those episodes, they're free for everybody on Apple and Spotify.

So go just type in LDS living and it'll pop up all the podcasts under LDS living. And then there's unnamed women, so, okay, well if you guys wanna know what my guests look like and you wanna know more information about them, go check out their bios in our show notes, which you're gonna find at lds living.com/sunday on Monday.

So for right now, everyone grab your scriptures and something to mark them with and we are gonna dig in to doctrine and cabinets. Sections 67 through 70 KU two. First question, what did the Holy Ghost teach you as you were reading and preparing? I think my very favorite was, uh, verse two of section 67, where the Lord says, my eyes are upon you, and the heavens and the earth are in mine hands, and the riches of eternity are mine to give.

I love that. I think. We're living in a time of a lot of confusion and a lot of distress in a lot of different ways, and I'm just so grateful to know that we are known [00:06:00] and we are named, and that we have heavenly parents who love us so much and who care. In verse 13, it says, continue in patience until you are per perfected.

Mm-hmm. I love that. That was one of mine too. I, I love the, this, I combine verses one and two kind of on that same note. Um, there's such an intention on the Lord's behalf in these two verses to have a personal and intimate relationship with us where he is sharing with us how he knows us and how well he knows us.

Um, we, we really are before him. It's hard to imagine that I think as, um. As the creator of all the universe and everything in it that he can know us so personally. But what really came out to me is that he wants to have a personal relationship with us. And that, for me, led me to my priesthood covenants.

And one of the things of course, that I, I love, that we all know, um, about our priesthood covenants is that we, our names are really important. Um, and they're the key to unlock all kinds of power into the eternities. Um, and for me, that close association with, um, someone who's sort of gone before me or has gone before me, which is the savior in doing, um, and, and sort of engaging in those priesthood covenants and having this eternity open to him and the fact that he welcome.

I mean, it's hard. Like I said, it's just hard for me to wrap my brain around that, how he welcomes me into that space. Even if it's just tiny baby steps as immortal, it's still possible. He's still trusting me and he knows me so intimately and he still trusts me. He knows I'm imperfect and he knows I'm flawed, and he knows I make mistakes.

Um, and yet he's, he still invites me into that space because it's possible because of his atonement. Like that, that just blows my mind. Um, but the other thing I really [00:08:00] loved was the caution in three and four, in the same section. I, I was shocked how much I, how much time I spent in section 67, right? I think I to say about every single verse.

So there, there's the cautionary tale of my life right there. Um, but, um, how we can be our own, I. Worst obstacle when the Lord invites us into that space and into blessing us with the riches of eternity because we are fearful. And I think sometimes, um, that fear comes because we know our own imperfections and we, we have limited vision as mortals.

That was a theme for me in all of this, how he keeps inviting us into these eternities and with all the riches of eternity and all these things he wants to give to us. Um, it's sometimes I think very hard to believe in all of that. We can be blessed and aspire to, to believe, to really believe and lean into those beliefs.

Oh, thank you. Thank you, Jenny and STAs. That was perfect. I mean, that's just one segment. We haven't even gotten into the scriptures yet, so as you probably can tell, it's gonna be such a good discussion because when I was reading these, I will tell you this most often. For everyone listening, when I invite a guest, I send them an outline that's pretty detailed and it has the questions I'm gonna ask in the verses we're gonna study.

But with these two. I didn't, 'cause I just knew they were going to study. And so it's probably the most blank outline I've ever sent any guest ever, because I'm like, and then we'll talk about this and then just read this and here we go. And so I cannot wait to find out what you guys discovered as you read these sections, because I agree with you.

Like I can't believe how much time I spent in Section 67 when I thought it would just be this benign chapter that I'm like, you know, gonna read through. It's not really for me. And so these two women are gonna help us discover why these four chapters or sections really matter to us. Even though we weren't there for the meeting.

We don't, we didn't really have a say in the meeting. But everything that the Lord teaches these people truly is as if we were at the meeting. And so, in the next segment, Jenny's gonna tell us the setup for this [00:10:00] 12 day four meeting event and what's going on in church history. We'll do that next.

Segment 2

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Here we go. Four meetings, and they're all meeting about one main thing. So Jenny, will you tell us what is going on and what is the, what are these meetings about? I will tell you, um, these meetings are about the decision and the instruction to publish the revelations of the Lord. And I think we, it's hard to look at these sections without some other sections.

So we know, for example, section 66, uh, is a revelation for William McClellan who was in attendance at these meetings. And these meetings were like two days later. But also because it's about the publication of the Doctrine and covenants, we have to include also section one and Section 1 33. So section one is considered the, the.

Preface of the Doctrine and covenants, and Section 1 33 is the appendix of the Doctrine and covenants. And there's a lot of discussion. There's a lot of concern about who has the ability to do this, who has the, the gift of receiving revelation from the Lord. And who is leading the church? They're all in Hyrum, Ohio, and it is a 12 day conference.

They're at the John Johnson home, which is an incredible farm home. And if you haven't been there, you should put that on your bucket list. Why? I've never felt the spirit so strongly as I felt in that room where these were received. I don't even know where it is. Is it some, are we doing Hi room, I high, high room.

It's near, it's not far. It's about a 45 minute drive from Kirtland. Okay. So the reason, hold on. You can't, you can't just say that and then wait a minute. Tell me about that experience in the John Johnson home. Oh, [00:12:00] okay. Okay. I just remember, and this has happened, I've been there two or three times and it's happened every single time.

This is the room where Joseph received, Joseph and Sidney Rigdon received the Revel, the Revelation, which was what it was called, the Revelation Section 76. And it's in a, it's in a small bedroom, but there's no beds in it. There's just benches and chairs where you can sit and the walls are painted, kind of a surprisingly bright orangy color.

Maroon, orangy color because the Johnson family was wealthy and they could have nice paint instead of washed out paint. And you look out the window and you know that that's the color of all the trees outside the window in the fall. But this is where they received their revelation about the kingdoms of glory.

And it is a sacred space. It's so beautiful and you can feel that it's a very powerful different than any other. Historic site I've been to. It's just, and there's not a lot going on. There's no pictures on the walls, there's nothing. It's just this place where such incredible revelation happened. That's cool.

I love that. I do too. I did not know that story about you in that home. Neat. Okay, keep going then. Okay, so we, we'll back up just a little bit. They've left Kirtland because there's a lot of problems in Kirtland, and in fact, this is sort of indicative of what's happening in this meeting. A lot of people are questioning Joseph's leadership and his role as prophet and as a singular prophet with singular revelation to God.

So they're discussing the publication of what they called at that time, the Book of Commandments, which later became the Doctrine and Covenants. And they have a lot of decisions to make. Um, William McClellan is one who is trying, he and Oliver Cowdery are [00:14:00] trying to write a preface for the book, and it's not right.

It's not what the Lord intended. And they also later give instructions about how Oliver Cowdry is gonna take the, the revelations to. Independence, Missouri, where they've established a press under, um, William W. Phelps. Oh, let me say something about the revelations. Revelations to this point are, for the most part, written down.

There's a scribe. They're written down, but they're all in separate places. Oftentimes, several copies of revelations were made and sometimes they were printed, well, I guess later they were printed when they had that press in Independence, Missouri. And sometimes missionaries took them with them to share them with the people that they were trying to teach.

Oh, side note, really quick. So this is the fact that you said that Jenny is awesome because a couple of weeks ago I got invited to go to the church history library where you work and some church historians brought out books that people that are just not for everybody to look at. I don't know how I got invited to this, but I would, I didn't say a thing, I just walked in, kept my mouth shut.

'cause they probably made a mistake. Anyway. One of the coolest things that they showed us is what you just talked about. They had a book that had the revelations that Sidney Riggin felt like were the most important revelations to teach people on their mission. And I said, is this in print form? And he's like, no.

And I go, that's a book I would buy. Like I wanna know what sections they wrote down, or sorry, what revelations they wrote down. 'cause they hadn't been printed yet. What are all the revelations they wrote down that they then took out to teach people? That is so cool that you just said that, Jenny. 'cause I got to see that.

And now I, I do, I and I wished I had sat, they wouldn't let me touch the book, of course, but I said, can somebody write this down? I wanna know the sections and I wanna study those sections. So sorry to interrupt, but carry on. That was so cool. Very cool. Actually, I think they're in the Revelations and translations, um, book of, of the Joseph Smith papers project.

[00:16:00] Oh. So you can see that they would be the handwritten, um, revelations. And they're written into that book by John Whitmer. Mm-hmm. So it's all in his handwriting. And they have, some of them have different numbers than what we have in our sections of the doctrine covenants. Now the cool thing about that book is, which I know that you guys have Tammy, because your husband Jim has the whole collection.

You bet he does. Is that you can see they've, they've, uh, shown they have the picture of the page and then they have the transcription on the other side, but they also show who adds or changes what, like if they're, um, edits made. Oh, wow. And revelations. Okay. That's neat. I think so too. I to see the, to see how well, and to know too that the things can be revealed.

And I think sometimes it's such a, such a pace that it's hard to keep up with everything. So when they go back through and edit, they're probably making sure they get it more accurately. Mm-hmm. And fitting in more, maybe. Um, they could, they just didn't have time. I mean, they were just writing everything down probably as fast as they could.

Anyway, I like that we have that option. Yeah, it's really, it's really interesting and it's surprising to me that the doctrine and covenants was that those revelations were used as a missionary tool because so often we say it's the Book of Mormon. That is a missionary tool, and it is absolutely. But as a missionary, I don't think I ever considered to open to a revelation in doctrine and covenants and share that with an investigator.

So that's pretty cool. Well, and that's interesting too, because if you go back to section one, which we can't leave out of this discussion. Absolutely. Section one is a voice of warning, um, to the people of the world. The Lord is preparing the earth for his second coming, and he wants this message to go unto all people.

Mm-hmm. There is none to escape. It says in verse two, it's a voice of warning by the mouse of my disciples who might have chosen in these last days. And I'm so thankful that you brought that up because next to section 67, I wrote doctrine in covenants one [00:18:00] and 1 33. And if you go to section one, you look at the date, it's the same date as Section 67.

So that that is big. That was a big deal for me to recognize and no, when I found out it's not in chronological order necessarily that Yeah, you're right. Joseph said to the men, write a revelation. That can be the introduction. And they couldn't do it. It was really harder than they thought it would be.

And so then Joseph ended up receiving section one, the, the opening, what do we call it again? What'd you say? The preface. Thank you. The preface to the doctrine covenants. Mm-hmm. Oh, this is good. And I just wanna interject a couple of things here too. One is. You know, when you're studying your scriptures and you're studying the doctrine of the, of the Church of Christ, like literally over all the scriptures, so like all these years, right?

One of the things strangely that you look for is consistency. You look for similar messages throughout the Old Testament, new Testament Book of Mormon doctrine of Cummins, ate Christ, whatever, whatever. And um, as much as I don't like meetings, one of the things I felt like I learned from studying these sections was we still have conferences.

Mm-hmm. We still, and, but Moses had conferences with the children of Israel and Christ with the Beatitudes. He had, that was a conference. And in the Book of Mormon, we have King Benjamin and we have the gathering of the people, of the waters, of Mormon. We still have conferences to this day, we have this gathering.

And so, um. I, I feel like I had to repent a little bit of my disdain for meetings because I think sometimes they could be much shorter than they are. Right. And um, but I really like that. I like seeing that consistency over the Lord's history with all his people because he wants, there's messages he wants us to know.

He's trying to communicate and speak to us, not just in our scriptures, but in conferences where we can gather and feel the spirit. And I actually really like that, that sense of community where we can come unified in our love of the savior and we can learn from our [00:20:00] leaders. Oh. That's awesome. I love that.

Thank you for pointing that out. 'cause I'm going to repent now too, because as you were talking, I'm like, you know what, the Lord does love to gather his people and he loves to discuss things and get their opinions on things. That's the thing that's interesting about this meeting is that every man was free to share his opinion.

I don't feel like anyone was berated for saying they didn't think that Joseph could do a good enough job. And in fact, in the next segment we're gonna find out what the Lord had to say to these men who thought they could do better. I love how the Lord handles that, and it's just really powerful that the Lord gives a place where everybody can discuss and talk and debate and then the Lord gets the final word.

It's pretty cool. A lot like your podcast, Tammy. Hey. Yeah, probably. Can I just add something in there? Yeah. Oliver Cowdry is the first person to be appointed as historian of the church and that. Is given in section 21 of the doctrine cabinets, John Whitmer starts to gather these revelations and that are all disparate and separate and puts them together.

In this Revelation book one, all items in that manuscript book are from 1828 to 1834. So he's taking all the bits and pieces from around and he's writing 'em all down in that book, beginning in March of 1831, which is about seven, eight months before. Mm-hmm. These revelations that we're talking about happen.

Wow. Fantastic. Again, you know, it's just so fascinating. Like, look at, so, you know, you think of the body of Christ right? In Corinthians, and you think everyone has their place in the kingdom and everyone has a calling or a gift that they, that they'll, that God really does want them to offer to the community of Christ.

Right. To the body of Christ. Um, and, and I love, that's one of the things I love about reading about doctrine and covenants. You can see all, and I love that we know their names. Mm-hmm. And I love that we know their assignments and what they were doing. They were each contributing in their own way with their own gifts and talents to the kingdom of God.

What it, and, and that, I think that's so exciting [00:22:00] to sort of see that being fleshed out. But now you look at the church today, it's so big. It's so big. But I think that element exactly the same. Yep. We are meant to contribute our gifts and talents wherever we are in God's kingdom. And no matter where, wherever we are in the time of the history of the church.

Wow. I think it's interesting that our, our heavenly parents have given us those talents Yeah. Specifically, and they're to use for the building up of the kingdom, and we've gotta recognize them and develop them as well. Yeah. Which I think goes right back to we, you know, our, our, our covenants that we make, you know, the law consecration, we, we we're mm-hmm.

Asked and invited, um, to contribute our gifts and talents because there's a need. Yeah. Because God has a need for us. People have a need for us to fill in where maybe may, maybe they can't do something we can that I just love that it's so inclusive. That's what I love about it. Yeah. Oh my goodness.

Absolutely. Okay. Well ladies, thank you because now that we know the history and have had such a great discussion about the history in the next segment, let's just dive into section 67 and see what it has to do with us today. We'll do that next.

Segment 3

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Okay. Grab something to mark your scriptures with. We are in section 67 and ladies hit it. What can we learn from this? How can we apply this section to our lives? Okay. I'll just jump in here because one that really stood out to me is verse nine. In section 67. Yes. I love this. Hit it where you know that there is no unrighteousness in them and that which is righteous cometh down from above from the father of lights.

Yes. That phrase really stood out to me, the father of lights and I, I love the whole association and there's so many [00:24:00] scriptures that talk about light and truth in the doctrine and covenants, I think more than maybe any other scripture. Um, but it start, I started thinking, what does that mean? What does it mean to be a father of lights?

And then I felt like initially, like I maybe couldn't relate to that as well as if I maybe changed that into the mother of lights. Mm-hmm. Because I'm a woman and I wondered what has it meant for me to be a mother of light or lights when I mothered my children and other people's children and seminary students or you know, other students that I've had.

Um, and the scripture that came to my mind was Heman 1123. Can we go there? Yes. Do we have time? Of course. And, um, this is when Nephi and Lehigh, the brothers were, um, teaching the gospel. And I really love this verse and I've thought so much about it. The power that we have when we are seeking. To fulfill the measure of our creation, whatever it is, as a teacher, as a mother, as a sister, as a daughter.

Like what, whatever that relationship is. And in the 70 and ninth year, there began to be much strife. So, so much contention, I think of contention of strife. And I think that's very applicable to our day. But it came to pass that Nephi and Lehigh, um, and many of their brethren who knew concerning the true points of doctrine.

So anyone I think who studies the gospel having many revelations daily and the ima anyway, therefore, they did preach unto the people in so much that they did put an end to their strife in that same year. When we study truth, when we study the truth of Christ, there's a peaceful element that accompanies it.

And this became also a theme in my study when I was studying for these sections for this, this podcast today. Um, but that phrase, having many revelations daily. Because don't we need that? Mm-hmm. [00:26:00] We, as we go throughout our being confronted, you know, with things that we don't have the answers to immediately, we need that and we need to share it.

I think it's interesting, you've, you've tied this together, Stacy, in a way that I haven't thought of. Is that from the father of lights to the many revelations? Mm-hmm. Because I think Revelation is enlightenment. Yeah. It's light. It's helping us see him and his way and what, what we need to do, um, to see the truth past the, the smoke and the chaos that's in our world.

It's that light. Yeah. I'm gonna, can I piggyback on that too? Yeah. Just section 88 where it talks about verse 11 and the light, which shineth, which giveth you light is through him who enlighten with your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understanding. That's just, that's so powerful.

Mm-hmm. And the depth of that is just so beyond our mortal capability. There's so many times when we see revelation where you know it's not from yourself, it's so much better and bigger and more insightful than you could ever conjure up for your own self. That it feels to me like something's being put inside your mind that enlightenment comes from outside you.

Mm-hmm. That it gives you a sense of confidence and peace that I just don't think we're, we're always capable of. Mm-hmm. Well, and pick, I'm gonna piggyback on what you just said, sta because when you said that we're just, we just don't think we're capable of. It hit me when you said the mother of lights.

Because I often think of women who love when they get together and they all have children. One of the things they, that I often see is they love to brag about how great their kids are doing. Mm-hmm. Very rarely do you get together and say what a bunch of stinkers your kids are unless you know the women super, super well.

That's right. But basically it is kind of like, so how when you get together, how are your kids doing? And then you just start to brag on all the good things they're doing. [00:28:00] And I kind of wonder if that might be what it's like for a heavenly mother and heavenly father, because they think so highly of us to call us lights as opposed to the father of stinkers or the father of disobedient kids.

Like he's giving us the ultimate compliment by calling us one of the savior's monikers. Like Jesus Christ is the light. Right. And so now he calls us the father of lights. He thinks so highly of us that he gives us one of the best compliments to be called after the savior and that he thinks we are capable of receiving.

Incredible day revelations daily. Like that kind of blows my mind. I've never, I thought I understood father of lights 'cause I'm like, oh, it's in James chapter one verse, you know, 17. The only other place it said, and I studied it, but I never studied it that way before. So thank you. That was so cool. It's, it's interesting that in section 68, um, the revelation is about how important it's to teach our children.

Mm-hmm. And to enlighten them. But I wanted to add to that, um, what Stacey said about light in section 84, verse 45, it says, for the word of the Lord is truth and whatsoever is truth, is light, and whatsoever is light, is spirit, even the spirit of Jesus Christ. And it goes on the spirit. Give us light to everyone that comes into the world, and the spirit enlightenment every man, which I just think is really great.

Again, it goes back to this whole idea of learning and understanding. It's a key of knowledge, which is light. Yeah. And going to what, what both of you have taught us and and talked about is then you go to section 67, just verse one. I love how he starts out verse one. So here are these men saying they don't think Joseph's doing a good enough job.

They think they could do better. Um, I was struck by so much in that meeting. They actually, I read that they didn't think his language was sophisticated enough to receive revelation. That blew my mind. 'cause the Lord has something to say about that in verse five. But he starts out in verse one by saying, okay, first of all, behold, [00:30:00] and I love that word in Hebrew, anytime you see behold in the scriptures, it's a Hebrew way of the Lord saying, listen, or dude, you're not gonna believe this like it's supposed to grab your attention.

So notice the beholds 'cause he says, behold and harken ye elders of my church who have assembled yourselves together. And here it is, whose prayers I have heard, whose hearts I know and whose desires have come up before me. Like as your father. Don't you just love that Now the father of lights, I've heard your prayers.

I know your heart. And your desires are right here. Like he gets us and it kind of, that's how you both started us out is with different verses in saying that he loves us. And then it goes into verse two, which you shared, Jenny and I think is so awesome and everything you guys have shared. Oh, this is so cool.

Okay, keep going. Anything else in section 67? Yeah, I think it's interesting that they do play on this. We, we begin to understand even more about the weaknesses. And I put that in air quotes, the weaknesses of Joseph Smith because he isn't educated and he's not well trained. So in this group of people, we have Oliver Cowdry, who is a school teacher.

We have William McClellan, who is a school teacher. We have Sidney Rigdon, who has led many different congregations with the disciples of Christ before he and the Reformed Baptist, before he became a latter day saint. So they do know a lot more than Joseph does, but they don't have the, the gift, the revelation, the connection, the role of prophet that Joseph has.

And I think, I think this is also telling Joseph, it's okay. You don't have to worry about what these other people think. Um, and I love verse 10. Strip yourselves from jealousies and fears and humble yourselves before me. I love that too. I, that really stood out to me. Again, these obstacles with verse three talks about our fears in our hearts.

When we have fear, we don't receive maybe the things that God wants us to receive, but also verse 10, [00:32:00] jealousies and fears, because I think those are really common. When we're jealous, it's because we are insecure of, we have insecurities and we don't feel good about ourselves, and we don't know ourselves or see ourselves as God see us.

And I think jealousy, our, um, insecurities can lead to us comparing ourselves to other people. Mm-hmm. And in comparing ourselves to other people, sometimes we elevate ourselves or sometimes we, we shrink ourselves in comparison to them. But I think all this is a warning. Stop doing that. Yeah, stop doing that because it's an obstacle to receiving those, that light that God wants you to have.

He has a place for you. And it's not to compare yourself to other people. It's a, it's a place to connect with him so that he can reveal who you are and, and what he's divinely designed you to do, not just in mortality, but I think sometimes those, those assignments might come and start in mortality, but they can extend way into the eternities.

And so we wanna get started on those and, and take as much knowledge of those things as we can with this. Right. It certainly makes for a happier life. But, um, I, I wondered, and I don't know all of this, but was this a struggle for people surrounded that were surrounding Joseph Smith? Absolutely. I mean, even em Smith talks about how when he, she was scribing for him and he asks her the Book of Mormon, he asked her, were there walls around Jerusalem?

And she says, yeah. But she probably did it nicer than that. She probably said Yes, honey. But I also love in section one, which again is written at this time, and it's the preface of the doctrine and covenants, um, verses 19 through 24, talk about the weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones.

And that even with the weakness of their, uh, manner of language. And I think it's just the Lord saying, I know all of this about all of you. Mm-hmm. I [00:34:00] know some of you're smarter than other people, but Joseph is the one I have chosen and how much I love that you guys have talked about the body of Christ, that everyone is necessary, that every gift we have is going to help build the kingdom.

Because I feel like that's the message of the verse you shared in verse 10, which is, look humble yourselves. Don't compare yourselves to Joseph or anybody else. What I have in store for you is for you. And it's just as important. Like I think we need to recognize that. And then I, I love the promise at the end of verse 10.

'cause he's like, if you can strip yourselves of jealousy and fear and humble yourself before me, here's the reward. The veil shall be rent and you shall see me and know that I am. That is huge. 'cause that message is for every one of us. So those of you who feel like you've been pigeonholed into being the ward Coer, 'cause that's your gift.

That's okay because guess what, if you're the best word coer ever, the Lord's like you're going to see me and know that I am. So don't worry about anybody else who's relief Society president. Sometimes we think, oh, I'm getting the, the, what do they call it? The lesser callings And yet the Lord's like, I need you in nursery.

I've never felt more confident in my life than when I was in nursery just FYI, my favorite calling ever. I'd go back in a heartbeat and I just think the Lord's saying Just what you are, like, strip yourselves of all of this stuff and just lean into what you're really good at. 'cause I can use that to build the kingdom and you will see me.

So best promise ever. Wow, that's so cool. You guys brought that verse up. Okay, because he is f is after all the father of lights, he wants us to see him. Yes, totally cable. Okay, I'm gonna piggyback on that in sort of a different direction. So I have a calling right now, which is primary chorus or primary singing time leader or whatever.

I can't remember the best title. It's too long now. And um, I am the most non-musical. I love music. And I can find a beat, but I am not musical. I do not have a good voice. I totally can't even hit those notes of the primary kids. I, but I love my calling and when they called me to do this, I, I just, it was comical to me.

I just [00:36:00] laughed. Um, because it's so outside my comfort zone. Um, but I know at this point in my life that even if I can't do something, if I, I, and I felt the spirit when they called me to do this, but when I feel that feeling, then I know I can just go headlong into the darkness and, um, do all kinds of things that I may not even be very good at.

But there's, there's some gift or talent that I have. Maybe it's just 'cause I love the kids, which I totally do. Um, I. That they need and they, they, God has called me, then there must be a need for me to be here and he's going to give me whatever, magnify me however he can, um, so that I can fulfill this what needs to happen in this calling and in this place and in this time with these children.

And so sometimes he calls you 'cause you're good at things and sometimes he doesn't really care if you're good at things, but he needs something from you Yep. In this context and setting. And so I have, I'm just living that testimony again, that you don't have to be perfect at something or you don't have to even be very good at something.

Mm-hmm. It can be other reasons that may be unforeseen to you, why God has called you to do that. And if you, I think if you go in with a soft heart and you're seeking to glorify him, that, that he'll bring to your abilities whatever he needs you to be doing. Oh, I love that. Thank you. Thank you, thank you.

Okay, listen, that was just section 67. Oh gosh, I love you ladies. We, I mean, we can talk for another hour on more verses in Section 67. This is what I love about the Come Follow Me program. I encourage everyone listening, find your people and just do this, because again, we didn't have anything planned. This is what it's like when we get together.

FYI. Anytime we're together for dinner, we just sit and talk about scripture stuff. It makes me so happy. So in the next segment then we're gonna dive into section 68, which was just given for four men. So what in [00:38:00] the world could it have to do with us? We'll show you coming up next.

Segment 4

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Okay, let's go to section 68 and we're gonna start with the section heading, and I want you to highlight the names of the four men that this Revelation was given to. You can see it's Orson Hyde. Luke s Johnson, Liman e Johnson, and William e McClellan. And I even love how in this section heading, it says, although part of this revelation was directed toward these four men, much of the content pertains to the whole church.

So ladies, tell me what pertains to the whole church or to us. We decided we're gonna call this the mark what matters section. What did you guys mark that matters in section 68? And I've got my scripture marker. Here we go. Yeah, I'll dive in. Just 'cause I, 'cause I can't stop talking about the scriptures. Um, so in section 68, um, it just in verse 25 through, uh, let's see, 28.

Oh yeah. So good. And, um, even before I had kids and was married, verse 27, just that the command and it is a command and their children shall be baptized. It never set well with me. Here's the reason why. Um, I'm a person who loves my agency and I know that God commands us to do things, but that's my own free will, responding to that commander call, right?

But this, this command is different. It's commanding that I do something for somebody else, and that is just that. So I just, when my oldest child was turning eight, and she, we talked about baptism and I felt like she was prepared and she wanted to be baptized. I thought a lot about this first, because I, I, the question for me was, does she really [00:40:00] understand, um, what the covenant that she's making with God?

Now, I knew she knew the difference between right and wrong. I had enough child development courses in college that I knew that she had a sense of conscience. And could follow her conscience. Right? And she knew when she was, and she knew when she wasn't. And, and maybe that's enough. I don't, I don't really know.

But this, that she, I, you know, that I was, that I shall baptize her. Um, just I had to really pray about that and make sure that I felt clean in my conscience about what I was encouraging her to do. Um, and of course I'm a total believer in the gospel, you know, and while I was praying about things, um, this revelation came to mind as her mother, that she might not understand a fullness of a covenant that she's entering into.

Just like, I don't understand the fullness of a covenant, an endowment that I've entered into in the temple. And for sure when I get to my ceiling covenant, when it talks about dominions and principalities, a hundred percent, I don't understand all that. Mm-hmm. So there's that element of right. I think God was helping me recognize that she might not recognize the fullness of the covenant that she was entering into.

Mm-hmm. But what she could understand at eight years old was what the Holy Ghost felt like to her and how he could speak to her. And that I had no business interfering in her relationship to God and his desire to communicate to her and send messages to her, and that that could happen at eight years old.

And that was really reassuring for me that it was maybe her understanding of the baptismal covenant would come in time and, um, but her ability to be gifted and endowed with a member of the Godhead as her companion [00:42:00] was something that even at eight years old, she was fully capable of. And he, he could, he did trust her and was entrusting her with that.

And that, that for me as a mom, I've thought about that so much and I think about it every time I read this section. Um, but it's really comforting to me as a mother to understand that my children have that ability at eight years old. They need it. Well, and as, as an outside observer, I've seen Frankie since she was a baby.

Yeah. Um, and seeing her grow up and, and grow into that covenant. And she really has, and you've noticed this too, but as an outside observer, she's a remarkable woman. She's been on a mission. She's married, she has a baby, and she's probably gonna follow that same pattern that her mom did well, and now she has a baby.

And it's interesting to see how she's inviting him into a relationship to Christ. He's only one that's really great, but there's, you know, there's, he's only one years old. But that they're, but. But you can do it when they're one years old. And that's, that, that's just powerful. That is powerful. We, we, you know, the world can be so crazy and so contentious and so filled with hatred.

Um, and so filled with, I think oversexualized and all these other things, you know, it can be scary and big and feel dark and confusing. Um, but there are ways to pierce through all of that. Um, when we exercise and practice the gifts and endowments that God has given to us, that I, isn't that why he's given them to us, right?

Mm-hmm. Well, and I, the beauti the beauty of your story, and I can tell it's so tender for you, is with this verse, yes. At eight years old, they get the gift of the Holy Ghost. That's the blessing of making this covenant, right? And you really, you're like, okay, let's lean into that as a child and as a teenager.

But I think you don't really necessarily [00:44:00] consider it as a, as an adult, that you're really, as a parent, you're still praying. That the blessings of the comforter will continue to guide them as adult people. And because I, I never have, I've read these verses and, and those of you who heard her say, you know, verses 25 through 29, you can even go to verses 25 through 31.

These are the only parenting verses in all of scripture. This is, I put it the top parenting 1 0 1. It's the parenting manual of all parenting manuals. This is what God wants you to teach your children. And how fascinating the verse 27, not only baptize, it's the only time he ever says the age eight.

You're gonna do it when they're eight. Like he's giving Joseph Smith some very important information here that we are all gonna need. And it struck me because when you told that story, it reminded me of this woman I used to teach special needs seminary. And those kids don't get baptized. At least they didn't when I was teaching because they're like, oh, you know, there's that caveat.

They'll go to Celestial Kingdom anyway. But I had a mother that fought for her severely disabled son to be baptized, and she finally got permission. And I remember going to that baptism and it was so spiritual. But I talked to her and I said, why did you fight so hard? And she said, if we truly believe that everyone who makes this covenant is blessed and has the gift of the Holy Ghost, why would I deny any of my children those blessings, including the special needs son?

She's like, I want him to partake just as much as I want anyone else. And so I love that you taught us that Stace, that at eight years old, they might not fully understand it, and this boy doesn't fully understand the covenants, but he understands the spirit. Right. And he'll need that for the rest of his life.

So, beautiful story. Wow. Was wasn't the savior baptized out? Did he need it right? No. Did to be just, you're totally right. Let's baptize everybody. Okay. So the woman, the goal, right? Right. That is the goal. Was that Prisms for the dead. I love you, Jenny. Well, that's the goal. Um, [00:46:00] one of the things too that also crossed my mind here, and also starting so young, when we start these lessons so young to our kids, I've always thought about the process of perfection or I've never really thought about it as a process until I was studying all these things.

And again, I'm going back to 67 just for a second. It talks about where for continuing patience until you are perfected, that's clearly a process, right? Mm-hmm. But how much better? 13. Mm-hmm. The end of verse 13. And just the idea that, you know, when Marone I talks about, um, how we come to Christ and we can be perfected in him if we deny ourselves of all ungodliness.

That process, I used to think of that process, I think before, literally before studying these sections as more something that would happen. Instantly when I was resurrected. But maybe that process, the idea of perfection and being sanctified and perfected is the process that we start in mortality when we're seeking after the savior.

Little bit by little bit. And I don't know if we can ever be, well, we can't be perfect in this life. I, I believe that, but I think we have moments right, where God sanctifies us to such a degree and we can receive revelations so clearly. That it can feel like a moment, a perfection or a celestial moment, or a perfect moment.

And it doesn't have to be long. It can be quick and fast, and it can, I think, be a, um, with a stranger. So I'll just, just, can I share a story? Yeah. Okay. So I was, um, my mom has Alzheimer's. She's been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and it wasn't really a big surprise for any of us. That's why we had her to the neurologist.

And, um, my, I be, I, I'm the only one that lives in my, in next to my mom. All my siblings live in other places and, um, far in other places. But my older brother flew in and we've been trying to figure out. What, what at what at this point is going to be the best care for her. So with that in mind, this last week was very intensely trying to figure some things out that are immediate and urgent that we have [00:48:00] to figure out.

And, um, he was over at the house and I was ran down to go get some takeout Chinese food. And I was talking to the girl who said like, what are you doing the rest of the night? You know, you don't even have any fun plans. And I said, no. Well, my brother's here were, my mom was just diagnosed with Alzheimer's and kind of filled her in on the story.

And she said, oh, and you know, so sorry to hear that. She's like, let me go back and check on your food. She brings it out and she hands me the bag. And as I'm now this, I'm telling you it is all in like a matter of two or three minutes. And I'm walking out the restaurant door and she says to me, good luck with your mom.

I turn and she and I just for one second make eye contact and the spirit just floods that moment. I don't even know her name. And I said, thank you. And I think those moments, we have those moments frequently and all the time, um, but they feel celestial again. There's this sense that there's something bigger happening that's a sanctified moment with a stranger.

And I think we can, of course we happen with people that we love and people that we know. I just am amazed how fast and easy that that can happen when someone, someone invites that moment of honest authenticity from heart to heart. I love it. That's what it means to be a light right there. Right there. A child of light.

It's beautiful. Yeah. Wow. Mother's and fathers of light. Thank you. Children of light. Yes. Beautiful. Yeah, it was a great little moment and I felt really happy to walk out the door with my Chinese food to dive into this other stuff. That's hard. That's cool. Oh, Stace. Thank you. That is beautiful. Wow. Jenny, give us a verse.

What, what did you mark that matters in section 68? I wrote the first couple of verses up through, um, verse six, um, because I think the Lord is teaching us what scripture is in verse four. It says, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost, whatever we say will be scripture and shall be the will of the Lord, [00:50:00] the mind of the Lord, and the Word of the Lord.

And I love, that's what scripture is. It's the will of the Lord, the mind of the Lord, and the Word of the Lord. And I am so grateful for it. And I think, I mean, I think he's talking about larger than the canonized scriptures we read in our books and on our phones. I think he's talking about the words of missionaries as they go out and speak.

Mm-hmm. And not just missionaries, I mean. All three of us have been on missions, and we have had those moments when the Holy Ghost came upon us and spoke. But I've also had those moments as a relief Society president or as a ministering sister when the Holy Ghost came onto me and I opened my mouth and spoke it, and it was evident with everyone that was there, and it's a really beautiful, it's kind of like that moment of clarity, that moment of light and that moment of the Lord speaking through us and with us that reminds us that he's there and that he's aware of us.

Ooh. I like that. I do wanna add too, that I think Jenny's uniquely gifted when she speaks mm-hmm. Um, invokes the spirit. She has that authority when she's teaching, even as a, even as a seminary student. Like even when she in high school, she had that element to her mind. I do think it's a quick to observe kind of mind is sharing, but the promise in section 50 verse 21.

Therefore, why is it that you cannot understand and know that he, that receiveth the word by the spirit of truth, receiveth it as it is preached by the spirit of truth. Wherefore, he that preaches and he that receiveth understand one another, and both are edified and both rejoice together again. What a beautiful moment that God can create with us, um, by sanctifying it, by giving us the gift of the Holy Ghost when we open our mouths.

And I I just love that Jenny shared that experience. It's true. I, I believe it. Uh, I believe it too. I agree. I also love verse six because I think we get this message. Mm-hmm. [00:52:00] Over and over and over again in the doctrine and covenants, but every time it's like what my heart is drawn to be of good cheer and do not fear for I the Lord am with you and will stand by you and you shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ.

That I'm the son of the living God, that I was, that I am, and that I am to come. I'm so grateful for that reminder. I mean, how many times can we, how many references can we draw to that cross references of the, of the way that the Lord has said it, but it comes at such important times and I just clinging to that.

Oh my gosh. I just had a thought when you read that, Jenny, I would thought that's the verse I'm gonna share as a missionary tool. Like if I created my own book of Revelations to take, uh, as a missionary, I'm including that verse for sure. I love it. Like, dude, that is such a great converting tool verse be like, oh, be of good cheer.

Don't fear the Lord's with you. Like you're gonna get through all of this. Oh, Jenny, that's so cool. Maybe I'm gonna do that. Create my own little book of verses that I would use to help convert myself, actually. But others like I, I just, I keep going back to that book they showed us, and now I can't wait to go to Joseph with papers and find out what were the revelations that they thought were the most important for converting people.

That is so cool to sharing. I just love that whole idea because I think we can come to Christ and invite him into our lives every day. But it what? What a what? So there's that kind of coming to Christ and seeing him, but also just when he does come. What a relief it will be to see him and feel the wounds in his hands and in his side, and literally be in a space where we can welcome him.

I just love that. Oh, I do too. It'll be glorious. Yeah. I love the word that you just said right there. Say, say what a relief. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Because I think, I think there's little nuggets of relief throughout the whole doctrine and covenants love that. And there's little nuggets that, that we can separate out and put in [00:54:00] our books, as Tammy said, and be of good sheer.

I love it. Wow. So cool. Okay. That was fun. I mean, again, we could spend hours on section 68, so Mark, I know it's so hard to move on, but we have to, because in the next segment there are two men who are gonna get an assignment. Well, one particularly, and he has to take someone with him, and we're gonna tell you what that's all about. Coming up next.

Segment 5

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For section 69, we want to absolutely go to the section heading again. Boy, the section headings are great. I just love them. Oh yeah. So Stace, will you read the section heading for section 69, but just read until you get to the Word church in Missouri and stop there. Okay. Revelation given through Joseph Smith at Prophet at Hyrum, Ohio, November, 1831.

History of the church, 1, 2 34 through 2, 3, 5. Oh, you have an old one. Oh, you have an old one. Okay. I'm so glad you just said that, Jenny. And I was wondering, Stacy, if you had your older scriptures, so FYI, everybody, the section headings are new and there's a new version. You're gonna wanna make sure that you have the new version of the scriptures.

Here's the copyright that is gonna have in the opening in the beginning of your, uh, scriptures. It's going to be 2013. As of 2013, they went through and changed the section headings to doctrine covenants and added more history and it makes it richer. It's just really cool. So FYI, if you have an older version, go to the gospel library app and make sure you read the new section headings.

So go ahead Stacy. Here we go. We have the new one. Also, if, if you ever see the source history of the church, it's old. Yeah. That has been d been dismantled and is not used anymore. Should not be used anymore. She is correct. You wanna use, make sure that the source is Joseph with papers or somewhere from the church history Department.

Yep. Very good. You still want me to read the old one? No, read the new one. Okay. Do [00:56:00] you have new I just on my phone. I mean, I have it. Oh, good. Yeah. Use the phone. Revelation given through Joseph Smith, the prophet at Hiro, Ohio, November 11th, 1831. The compilation of Revelations intended for early publication had been passed upon at the special conference of November, first through second on November 3rd.

The revelation here on appearing at section 1 33, later called the appendix was added. Oliver Cowdry had previously been appointed to carry the manuscript of the compiled revelations and commandments to Independence, Missouri for printing. He was also to take with him money that had been contributed for the building up of the church in Missouri.

That's it. Perfect. We're gonna stop there 'cause we're not gonna give away what happens next because section 69 is a revelation given to Oliver Cowdery where the Lord directs him saying, you can't go alone. You're gonna have to take someone with you. And I know who it is, but I'm gonna give you the requirements.

So here's what he expects out of the person that goes with Oliver Cowdery to take the money and the manuscript so that it can be turned into the doctrine and covenants. Jenny, will you please read verse one for us? Yes, hearken unto me, sayeth the Lord your God. For my servant Oliver, cadre's sake, it is not wisdom in me that he should be entrusted with the commandments and the monies which he shall carry unto the land of Zion.

Except one. Go with him who will be true and faithful. Highlight the requirement there he is. The Lord says you can't go with someone unless he's true and faithful. And so here are all of these men at these meetings, and we've named some of their names. And I just wonder if in this revelation, at that brief moment, if Oliver Cowdery was like, who's it gonna be?

You know, I, in my mind, I'd be thinking of everybody in that room and everybody I knew, like who would be a good match? Who can go with me? And then the Lord tells him who is true and faithful. Jenny, read verse two. Wherefore I, the Lord will that my servant, John Whitmer should go with my servant Oliver Cowdry.

Fabulous. And then highlight that. So John Whitmer is chosen. So [00:58:00] Oliver Cowdery and John Whitmer are going together and this journey is gonna be hard. They're going from Hy Room Ohio to Independence, Missouri. It's 800 miles. Like, it's not just like a quick day journey. 800 miles, they'll travel together.

Now, what I love about the Come Follow Me manual or the come Follow Me lesson plan for this week that the church has put out is they wanted us just to focus on verse one and to talk about how this principle applies to us today. In fact, the lesson asked this to think about this question, how are true and faithful friends of value to you?

So that's my only question. I pretty much asked you guys in the whole outline. I just wanted you to come prepared to talk about why is true and faithful so important when it comes to a friendship or someone who's gonna travel with you with money and a manuscript. It reminds me of, of going on a mission and how you always have to have a companion with you.

And I think that's for a lot of different reasons. I think it's to keep you safe and to keep you accountable. Like you probably wouldn't do bad things if you were with a companion. And the keyword is probably, um, in fact, I just, I spent, I don't know, two hours on the phone last night or the night before last with one of my mission companions, Kim Effing Toa.

I know she'll be listening to this, but I had, uh, some troubles and I needed her help, and it was so we laughed, we talked. She has been true and faithful to me, and I am so grateful for that, that it has extended beyond my mission. Hmm. That's great. Yeah, that is Okay. I just, I, I wanna add to that, 'cause that also stood out to me.

Just, it's so nice to have a companion, especially I, I thought of my missionary experiences, um, and also my life experiences, that it's nice to have someone who shares your values, who, um, can be a witness. And so that was where my, my mind went to is, uh, one [01:00:00] Direction. Anyway, the Law of Witnesses. In section six, we have the Law of Witnesses.

Uh, I think it's verse 28. So this is my question I that I started with. Um, how far back does that law of witnesses go? But we have, you know, there's, I, so I looked it up, Deuteronomy 1915, the Lord talks about the law of witnesses and he, so again, there's this consistency over time, over all these generations, um, that the Lord, um, there's some laws that he has that do not change.

I. But I do think it's really lovely. So I think of all the, I know Jenny is a journaler. Tammy, I don't know if you're a journaler. Are you a journaler? Oh, big time. I'm, I pray my kids don't read mine. It's super embarrassing. Burn em, right? You burn 'em. Yeah. No, I'm Jenny. If you read mine, you'd give me permission.

I assure you of that. You'd be like, Tammy, you're gonna wanna burn this. You know what, I would give anything to have Emma Smith's journal. Oh yeah. That's, I'm gonna say that right now. And I keep a journal because I don't want other people to write about me and not get it. Right. Right. So this is to set things right.

I need represent yourself. That's what you're saying, Jenny, right. Represent. Yeah. That's really important. But I, I, I love the idea of, um. Just, I, you know, I think your, your journal can kind of be a second witness for you. Mm-hmm. Um, but also, uh, just I've been really, my patriarchal blessing talks about the friends I have.

Mm-hmm. And that I'll be able to take 'em into eternity with me. And, um, of course, I do believe two of you, both of you are a part of that group. Oh, good. Part of me was like, pick me please. I do. And, um, I feel grateful. Um, for the friends I've had. I have a friend that I've had since I was like eight years old.

Another one that I've had since I was four. We're still in contact. I see them frequently. And my sister-in-law was my best friend in high school who happened to marry my brother. So that's also been really super great. Um, but how nice it is to have faithful friends who you can go through life with and talk about everything [01:02:00] under the sun, like.

What grandkids is like and what it's like to get old and gray and have your body kind of falling apart slowly or whatever. And also the um, the shifting that we see in the church and, um, how revelation and how the church evolves over time. And now we know that things like the garments are changing and how do we all feel about that and what do we all think about that and what does that mean for chastity?

And if you've, we just got to a really good discussion on yoga last week about, um, one woman, um, said that she'd always evaluated modesty by where our garments hit on our bodies or where they come to. And now that that's changing, what does it mean for the law of chastity for her? It kind of disrupted her belief system about that.

And she's sort of evaluating what that means for her now and mm-hmm. Um, and what does, what does it mean to have grow? Honestly, grow up in the church in the seventies where it was like, stay at home and raise your kids and read that family proclamation. We had a certain interpretation of that and now we have a relief society president who was.

Similar at, at similar age that we are now, but who's a, who was an attorney. And so you, you try to work these things out in your mind, but what a value your friends are who are faithful and who also love the savior. There's all kinds of things that can change. And the church, the command, I think sometimes even God has changed commandments, right?

Or given us things like the word of wisdom that haven't always been applied to the, you know, our covenants or to um, our what we're supposed to be living standard of living. Um, but there's some things that are doctrine that are never changing and they're true in the prayer earth life and they're true now and they're true in the eternities and how that is the place to ground ourselves.

And, um. And stay faithful in Christ. And just to have, be able to have and converse these, converse and talk about these things with people who have very similar, not just values, but now history with me is that what a comfort that is. What a comfort I I, that I have those relationships [01:04:00] forever. Stacy, I love that you connected it to Christ because that phrase, true and faithful, has evolved for me throughout time.

Like when I was a teenager, true and faithful. A friend who was true and faithful, was true and faithful to me. You're gonna have my back. You know, the girl code. You know all of the things when you're a teenager and even in your twenties. True and faithful meant something so different than it does to me today, because now the women who are my dearest friends, I know they're true and faithful to me, but I'm not even worried about that because.

Now at my stage of life. True and faithful really is what you just said. Do they love the savior and are they faithful and true to him? Because I've, I've wrestled with this for a long time and in the world we live in right now, um, you know, my, and you're part of this, but my dearest, dearest friends are true and faithful to Christ.

Like you love him and you love his gospel. And, and I, that is where I find comfort is with people that I can talk about stuff, church stuff with. And I know that they are just. They're in it to win it. They're lifers, whatever you wanna call it. Um, you know, nothing was more devastating to me than when, when one of my dearest friends left the church.

And I remember having a conversation with her when this situation in her life happened. And I remember sitting in the car crying with her and all I said to her, it was just, please don't leave. Whatever you do, you can do more good in the church than out. We need your voice. Please stay. And she's like, I'm done.

And oh, I was devastated because now I can't talk about the things that matter to me anymore with her. I have to be careful. I have to measure my words. And I just, I'm like, that's a hard friendship to have to worry about. Am I gonna offend her if I talk about Jesus? And the, and the truth is, yes, so true and faithful to me.

Like if I had to pick somebody to go with me while I'm carrying money and this the revelations, it's not so much that I have to protect the money. Or the revelations as it is the cause and what we might have to traverse through while getting to independence. Like, I'm [01:06:00] just imagining how hard that must have been for John and Oliver to get there.

And can you imagine if at some point John would've been like, eh, I'm done. What's the point? I'm, this is such, I'm hungry, I'm cold. Whatever it looked like for them on that journey. But that's kind of how I apply it to my life, because I need people who are gonna be with me on that journey, who believe in the journey itself.

Just companionship. Just that with each other. Isn't it interesting though when we encounter someone who we thought was true and faithful but isn't? And what, how devastating that could be? Oh, it breaks my heart well, and suddenly how unsafe you can feel with someone you love. Mm-hmm. And you might be safe in other conversations or in other ways, but as far as your spiritual intention and growth and what you deeply believe in, you're not safe.

It's not safe anymore. Yeah, at least for now because during the break, during the break, we were talking about how many of the people would get excommunicated and come back and different things, and so I love that there's that space where the Lord's like, but they're my lights and so I've got them. In fact, if you go back to how we started, here's what I do believe about my friend that I love is the Lord hears her.

He knows her heart and her desires have come up before him, and so I'm just, I have to lean into that, that and, and just keep praying that this person, I. Yeah. That will will come back to Christ, come back to Jesus. I just dunno how it couldn't honestly right point when they see him, maybe it'll be when they're, when they die or, or in the next life, or in the future or in this life.

I think where there it's, it's, I how can you not love the most loving being that's ever existed in the universe? Who, who created, only created people and, and living things only to love them and care about them and to care about the happiness and glory that they feel in associating with each other. I just, upon meeting someone like [01:08:00] that, even people that you know that are like that here in an imperfect way, right?

We all wanna be with people like that. We wanna be around people who accept us and, and, um, and give us a space of safety and belonging. Mm-hmm. And of course we are like, having said all these things, we wanna create that for the friends that we have that have left the church. You know, there's other ways to connect with people.

Yeah. Yeah. I just, what, what a, what a blessing it is to be able to worship Christ the most loving of all people. And know one day that they're gonna have that relationship with him eventually. Should they choose, I guess. Well, and because every time we've been together with our friend Cheri, who's not here, but if she were, it would be so awesome.

And many of you know who she is 'cause she's been on before. But every time we get together, every time I always come away with an answer to something I'm struggling with that is rooted in truth. That's what I love about our friendship. And I feel that way about all of my dearest, closest friends. I know that no matter what I'm going through, the answer will come from a place of Christ.

It just does. That's true. And faithful. Yeah. Wow. So good. Well, that's section 69. That's pretty much all it wants us to focus on. There's more we could talk about. May I add something? Oh, Jenny, back to when we're talking about journaling. Yes. I think it's really significant, and this is the historian in me that cannot ignore some of these verses in section 69 that John Whitmer is told that he should continue in writing and making a history of all the important things which he shall observe and know concerning my church.

And also he is to go and gather from the. The Saints abroad, um, to give, send forth their stewardship and their accountability and that he should travel many times from place to place and from church to church that he can more easily obtain knowledge. It's been really a privilege for me to see that [01:10:00] happening in the church history department, not only with our church historian right now, who is Kyle McKay and whom I love, um, to see him traveling around the world.

He just got back from Africa and from Nigeria as a matter of fact, but also to see how, um, our department has taken this new objective to gather the histories from the different countries. We have, uh, an incredible section of the Gospel library app under church history called Global Histories. It's under Saints.

If you click in the Saints and, and look at the global histories, and there's a report from every, almost every country where the church has been organized. There's 111 of them today, and there will be nine more this year. But they, and then you can click on each one and get a brief report and a story of faith, several stories of faith, and a lot of these histories have been translated into the language of the country where that history takes place.

Oh, wow. So the people there, the saints there, can learn their own histories and many of them know their histories or know the people that these stories are written about. It's, it's such a privilege to see this work and to see how it influences the world. Oh, I, I, can I just add Awesome, Jenny, when we were talking, when I was studying for this, um, this podcast, that 6 69 and that, those two verses where it talks about the writing, and I totally thought of Jenny because I think she has literally made a life of these things.

I, I think it is the measure of her creation or her dark, whatever you wanna call it. True. One of her purposes here on Earth is absolutely make it's writing, it's making a history of important things in her own life as her own witness of Christ and compiling other people's witnesses of Christ, specifically women in church history.

Um, yes. What a blessing Jenny is too. Mm-hmm. Literally all the world, look at her go. It's so exciting to see 100% agree. You've gotta include a link to [01:12:00] the global histories in the show notes because we'll for sure do that. They are priceless and they're beautiful stories and it makes you, when you read them so proud to share membership in a church with some of these people.

I'm so glad you brought that up. Yeah, we'll include that in our show notes for sure. So, oh, thank you. Thank you ladies. Okay, that's section 69. So then in the next segment we're gonna talk about section 70 and we're only gonna talk about the section heading. That's it. But here are we kidding? It's you two.

I'm sure you have other stuff marked. We're gonna focus on the section heading. I'll show you what that is in the next segment.

Segment 6

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Think about this question. This is kind of fun. I wanna know, is there something you two own that is a lot of, that is worth a lot to you? My house. That's a great answer. Yeah. My external hard drive, I. Ooh. Ooh, that's a good one. Okay. Very excellent answers. Yeah, I thought about this question like, what do I own?

That's of really a lot of worth to me. Um, there's a painting that I love. I think that could be it. I mean, of course you can say your family, whatever, but I don't own them, so there you go. Yeah. Something I own. Okay. I want you to be thinking about that, like what is something you own that is of great value to you, or that you think is worth a lot because the Lord in this section, it's interesting, he puts a value on this one thing we've been talking about, which is the doctrine and covenants.

Jenny, will you please read the section heading of section 70? Yes. Revelation given through Joseph Smith, the Prophet at Higher Ohio, November 12th, 1831. The prophet's history states that four special conferences were held from the first to the 12th of November, inclusive in the last of these assemblies.

The great importance of the revelations that would later be published as the Book of Commandments, and then the Doctrine and covenants was considered. This revelation was given after the conference voted that the [01:14:00] revelations were worth to the church, the riches of the whole Earth. Joseph Smith's history refers to the revelations as the foundation of the church in these last days and the benefit to the world showing that the keys of the mysteries of the kingdom of our Savior are again entrusted to man.

Thank you to the outside of the section heading. I want you to put this scripture reference because here's what the Lord had to say about these revelations. Not only are they worth to the church the riches of the whole earth, but in Section 67 verse four, here's what the Lord has to say about these revelations.

Stace, can you read verse four for us please? And now I, the Lord give unto you a testimony of the truth of these commandments, which are lying before you. Thank you right there. That is the Lord's testimony of the doctrine and covenants. Of the truth of these commandments. And so he's stating it's true and it's worth the riches of the whole Earth.

So I wanna know, ladies, tell me how is the doctrine and covenants worth the riches of the whole Earth to you? Or is it, that's a really good question, but I think, I think part of it is the whole idea that God continues to speak to prophets today. And this is what this he has said to prophets today. Um, and those messages include instruction and testimony of Jesus Christ and covenants and ordinances of the priesthood and all of these things that, that indicate a restoration of the Church of Christ on the Earth today.

And I love like the little nuggets that we talked about of be, of good cheer and know and do not fear for I the Lord got him with you. To me. That's the crux of it. He really is with us. And we see that in the doctrine cabinets. He's with us today. Wow. I love that. We love that. Yeah. So one of my thoughts about this was I really, the keys of the mysteries of the kingdom of our Savior [01:16:00] are again entrusted to man.

Again, he's trusting us with eternal things, even though he knows we're mortal. And I, I just really love that. I think it speaks of his mercy, but also his ability to sanctify and bless us and magnify us if we come before him with a broken heart and a contract spirit. Um, but that key of the mysteries is a really interesting phrase and it led me to section 84.

Mm. Verse 19 through 22. And and I, we, we hear this, um, scripture a lot at conference now. And this greater priesthood administer the gospel and hold it. The keys of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God. Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest.

And without the ordinances thereof the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh. For, without this no man can see the face of God, even the father and live. So for me, there's lots of places in the scriptures where we see not lots, but like maybe three or four, where we see the keys of the mysteries of, and I think of godliness.

Um, the doctrine and covenants is a rich resource for us of what it means to live in the last days. With an eternal perspective. And it's a rich source of what our eternities can look like. And it's a rich source of who we are as children of God and what we are capable of, what our potential is. And I think we, that, that's really mind blowing, I think.

Mm-hmm. And, um, but it's there. [01:18:00] It's filled with words of encouragement to believe in Christ, to believe in our heavenly parents, to believe in the afterlife, um, in a way that helps us understand that the journey starts now. And that we have deity as companions. So we have the Holy Ghost, we have the Savior as our companions while we navigate, um, our mortality.

That includes the difficulty of a veil. But the veil is a tremendous blessing as we learn to trust God and trust ourselves that all of these things that seem too good to be true can really be ours. And, uh, um, and living, and living those blessings starting right now. The minute we choose to follow Christ, we engage in those eternal blessings and that process of perfection, um, where God perfects us and sanctifies us.

I, I just, I, I just am amazed by that. I love Cece that you said the keys of the mysteries of the kingdom, and I it that any discussion about keys takes me directly to the relief society in Navu, where Joseph says to the women, I turn the key to you. He is giving them keys. And we also know that the church wasn't fully organized until the release society was organized.

Um, and interestingly enough, and this is why the, the history of the church is, um, history of the church, the book is tricky because they cite Joseph as saying, I now turn the key to you. It, I now turn the key in your behalf, which is totally different than that, than saying, I turned the key to you. Mm-hmm.

So he really has given keys to women to lead and to authorize and to, to be a part of this, uh, an integral [01:20:00] part of this incredible work. Wow. I, I have such a testimony of that I do. And, um, that the authority of the priesthood lies within our power as women, um, to teach and preach the gospel to all the world, not just our families, but in our, um, in our circles and in our communities.

And. Wherever this podcast can reach literally, and we shouldn't shy away from that, but we should prepare ourselves to do that and, and in a way that God is guiding us to do. Also, the i I the other thing, the phrase that came to mind and the keys of the mysteries is coming to know ourselves and coming to receive the customized lessons that God has for us, um, in this life to learn the things he wants us to learn so that we can become the divine women or divine creatures that he is divinely designed us to be.

I mean, for me, it just keeps coming back to this relationship between God and us and Him sanctifying us. That was for me, the theme of this particular Come Follow Me lesson. Wow. Okay, so here's what I wanna do. I'm gonna take both of your testimonies, your beautiful witnesses of the doctrine and covenants.

And if you go into section 70, one of the things that struck me was how many times it says the word stewards or stewardship in connection with the doctrine and covenants. Verse one says, behold and harken, there's a behold. Don't pay attention. Like, dude, you're not gonna believe this. The Lord's saying, harken Oe inhabitants of Zion.

And ye people of my church who are a far off and hear the word of the Lord, which I give unto. And then here's the people that this revelation is given to. And then he uses the word steward and stewardship in connection with. The Doctrine and Covenants, the Book of Commandments saying, you are a steward over these revelations.

It's your stewardship to share these revelations. And it just struck me because you too just beautifully showed what your stewardship is when it comes to the doctrine and covenants by bearing a beautiful witness and testimony of it. And that's kind of the challenge for all of [01:22:00] us going forward with the doctrine and covenants.

I think the Lord's calling us out now, like what are you going to do with this stewardship? You know the truth, you felt the spirit, and now what will you do with the doctrine and covenants? What will be your, if you had a book that you like, I love how we've talked about that. If you had a book of Revelations, which ones are you going to choose?

What ones are you going to use now to help testify of Christ? Find those. And that might be even my question, like which section of the doctrine of covenants would you use as a missionary tool if you could teach? That's what I'd love to know, because these are just as witnessing of the Savior as all scripture is.

But I love how you both said it applies to us today, and it's a reminder. And I love Jenny. I wrote down that he is with us today. I think that is such a great witness of what the doctrine and covenants is, and Jenny, for you to consistently teach this idea. The keys of the mysteries is to know ourselves and our connection with the father of lights.

Like I've loved this whole discussion. So thank you ladies. That's the end of it. We're done. Yay. Yay. Okay. Oh my gosh. So do this. Gather your thoughts and tell me what, and we say this, what eternal truth did you learn? What did you learn in our discussion today? That is absolutely true. What did the spirit teach you or reteach you?

From our discussion, I think Jenny's reminder that we should embrace our writings and journals, that they're being recorded. I, I do believe they're recorded in heaven. I don't know if everything we write in our journals is recorded in heaven, but certainly the true eternal truths that we learn are recorded and we, that way we, that we record will be recorded in heaven too.

Um, I just think of the celebration that we'll have there with so many people, some ancestors and friends that came before us, or even maybe prophets. You know, we can add our testimony with all these fellow saints. Really awesome. I love that, and I hadn't thought about it that way, Stacy, because I, I really believe that we have a [01:24:00] responsibility to write also our testimonies.

And sometimes in my journal I just write the weird or dumb or funny things that happen to me that day. But if I really take that seriously, um, I need to include what I believe and how I've this, the ways I've felt the spirit, and the ways that I've come to know Jesus Christ better, or come to know myself better in this, this grand and great mission.

Awesome. You guys are so great. Okay. I'll tell you what I learned was taught to me today is sta from our discussion about section 67 verse nine, the father of lights and the mother of lights, and how you connected it to heal and to have revelations daily. And it just made me wonder like, how am I paying attention to my daily revelations?

That was so cool. And then Jenny, I'm going to section 68 verse six. When Sta talked about the relief that we have, knowing that we can be of good cheer and not fear, but I love how you said what a relief and that the doctrine and cabinets is filled with nuggets of relief. That was so great. I'm gonna remember that.

So thank you. Thank you. This was such a fun discussion. I love you both. Oh my gosh. So good. That was fun. Okay, so I wanna know what is your eternal truth? What did you learn today from our discussion? Go join our group on Facebook or follow us on Instagram and share what you have learned. And then at the end of the week on a Saturday, we're gonna post a question from our discussion.

So comment on the post that relates to this lesson and share your thoughts. You can get to both our Facebook and Instagram by going to the show notes for this episode at ldsliving.com slash Sunday on Monday. And it's not a bad idea to go there anyway, because it's where we're gonna have links to all the references and a transcript of this whole discussion.

So go check it out. The Sunday on Monday Study Group is a Deseret Bookshelf plus original, brought to you by LDS Living. It's written and hosted by me, Tammy Uzelac Hall, and today, our absolutely fabulous study group participants. We're Sta Christensen and Jenny Reer. And you can find more information about my friends at ldsliving.com slash Sunday on Monday.

[01:26:00] Our podcast is produced by Cole Wissinger and me. It is edited and mixed by Cole Wissinger, and our executive producer is Erin Hallstrom. Thanks for being here. We'll see you next week. And please remember that you are the father and mother of light's. Favorite.