Satan manifested himself by overcoming some of the elders at a conference that was held on June 3, 1831. Two of the elders, for example, could not speak. Joseph Smith cast Satan out by the power of the priesthood. This was a strong lesson for the elders who from this time forward, were given the power to exercise their priesthood in various ways. 28 elders in this section are designated to take a mission to Missouri where another conference of the priesthood is going to be held. They are told to preach along the way. This is no small journey as it's over a thousand miles they will be walking just to get there. The Lord gives them counsel in how not to be deceived as they travel. The pattern the Lord gives in this counsel is a description of a person whose actions and attributes are acceptable to the Lord and will identify those who are truly influenced by the Lord. A person who fits this pattern is:
1. Someone who prays
2. Someone who is contrite and humble
3. Someone who receives the Lord's ordinances and obeys them
4. Someone whose language is soft, meek, and uplifting
5. Someone who recognizes the Lord's power and receives it
6. Someone whose works and teachings reflect the truth found in the revelations of God
This is not only a good way to recognize whether someone is a true representative of God, it is a good way to pattern our life if we are going to be followers of the Savior and the gospel.
It's interesting that in this revelation, they are told that land in Missouri will be for their (the saint's) inheritance and they will be told where Zion, the city of the new Jerusalem, and the temple will be eventually be built. But in telling them that land in Missouri is for their inheritance, the Lord also says that is currently the land of their enemies. They had no idea at this point, what the Lord meant by that or the persecution that awaited them.
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