D&C Section Fifty Three

Sidney Gilbert was an astute businessman. He came to the prophet after a great deal of prayer wanting to know what the Lord would have him do in the church. The Lord first reminds him that as an elder, he is always to be teaching the first four principles and ordinances of the gospel. The Lord doesn't call faith, repentance, baptism and the Gift of the Holy Ghost the first four principles and ordinances of the gospel. But they are reiterated so often by the Lord throughout the scriptures that the church has given them that moniker. Then the Lord told him he was to be an agent to the church and assist the bishop. By being an agent, he was to apply his business talents in helping the church to manage its affairs. When applied to spiritual purposes, business talents can be as important as spiritual talents. When they get to Missouri, the church will call upon Sidney a great deal. The Lord also assigns Sidney to make the trip with Joseph and Sidney Rigdon to Missouri with the other 28 who were assigned in Section 52. Imagine what you would learn about and learn from the Prophet Joseph Smith walking a thousand miles with him.

The other two things the Lord counsels Sidney to do are to forsake the world and endure to the end. I believe that when the Lord tells us to forsake the world, he means to stay away from those things that would alienate us from him. The apostle Paul tells us to not conform to the fashions of the world, meaning the evils of the world. This also relates to enduring to the end. With each action in our lives, we should ask ourselves, "Where will I end up by pursuing this?" "Where does it take me?" When it comes to enduring to the end, and as I get older, I'm more sensitive to the question of, "Where will I be at the end of my life?" Where we are at that point determines our eternal destiny. As someone said, "Our past, whatever mistakes it contained, becomes insignificant if we have come to the truth, repented of our sins, and are living in harmony with Jesus Christ." Rather than follow the admonition of "What would Jesus do?" I prefer to think, "Is this what I should do?" We always know the answer deep in our hearts. It takes courage, moral strength and self-honesty to answer it correctly and act accordingly.