D&C Section Forty One

Section 41 is the first revelation received in Ohio. Most of the saints traveled in two large groups to Ohio while Joseph and Emma and few others came across the land in wagons. The two large groups traveled the Erie Canal to the Buffalo area and then by boat across Lake Erie. While on Lake Erie, one group was under the direction of Lucy Mack Smith, the prophet's mother. The Lake was frozen with ice and the captain of the boat refused to set out. Lucy prayed that the ice would break enough for them to be able to get through it and over night the ice did break up and they're able to move on. In this section. we learn that Edward Partridge is called as the first bishop and we see in verse nine the three steps of a calling that are always followed. A person is called by the Lord, sustained by the church (the word appointed is used here), and ordained or set apart by the bishop.

The law of consecration has been discussed a great deal and a group of the saints tried to start living it on their own. They called themselves "The Family" and the way they lived the law causing bad feelings among them. They misunderstood how the law should be lived which will be given in Section 42. They assumed there were no personal possessions, that everything was the Lord's and every possession of every person would be shared with the group. What happened is some took this as license to take whatever they wanted from others. They would walk into a home, see something, and take it for their own use. Here, the Lord tells the people that he will give them his law and instruct them on how to live it. The Lord warns the people that once the law is given, he expects them to live it. His words are pure so they should "beware how you hold them, for they are to be answered upon your souls in the day of judgment.

It is not unusual at all for zealous members to put their own interpretations on the commandments. These members will carry things to extreme. For instance, they may decide how the sabbath should be kept and try to impose that upon other members. The manner in which members keep the commandments is their own business. The only regulations that are imposed in the church are found in the questions asked at the temple recommend interview. But even then, the Lord asks us if we are living the commandment. He doesn't say how or how much. I really appreciate the fact that the Lord allows us the agency to determine the level of obedience we want to live. He will hold us responsible for what we know and do. But it is always between the Lord and that person. The only areas of exact obedience lie in those related to chastity. For example, one question asks, "Do you pay an honest tithe?" Is an honest tithe on the gross or the net? He doesn't say but leaves that up to the person. Some prefer to pay on the gross simply because of the blessings that come from the sacrifice. Another questions is, "Do you keep the Word of Wisdom?" Here, coffee, tea, drugs and alcohol are specifically indicated. But other things such as colas and other foods are left to the discretion of the member. It is the principle of living healthy and the degree to which it is lived must determined by the individual. In marriages, the couple have to determine, sometimes with compromise, what level they are going to live.