D&C Section One Hundred Four

One United Order had been established in Missouri and then another one had been established in Kirtland.  With all that was happening in both places, the church was getting into difficult financial conditions making it hard for it to accomplish its spiritual purposes.  In this section, the Lord dissolves the United Orders and re-establishes one in Kirtland and give instructions as to how the church is to handle its debt.  Much of the church's welfare system today is based on the principles that are taught in this revelation.  Here, the Lord promises that the church and its members will eventually have abundance, but it must be done in his way, not the world's.  It's interesting to me because the Lord's way promises that everyone will have abundance.  The poor will not just be provided for, but there is enough in the Lord's creations for everyone and more.  President Kimball said, "The Lord's way builds individual self-esteem and develops and heals the dignity of the individual, whereas the world's way depresses the individual's view of himself and causes deep resentment...  The Lord's way causes the individual to hasten his efforts to become economically independent again.  The world's way deepens the individual's dependency on welfare programs and tends to make him demand more rather than encouraging him to return to economic independence."

This is why I hate the government welfare program.  Vast numbers now depend on and live off the government.  They not only expect the government to provide for them, but feel it is their right to demand that the government take care of them.  Of course it is everyone's responsibility to come in and help each other in times of distress and disaster, but it is also the responsibility of those who suffer to do something too.  The government's program has not only brought dependence, but has brought laziness, broken homes, drugs, prostitution and crime.  Politicians pander to these people by making promises to get themselves elected, but do not keep them and do nothing to raise the individual out of the situation they are in.  It is a terrible game they play.  They keep the people's perception that they are being helped when in actuality, they are being depressed, so the politicians can further their careers, wealth and power while professing to help them.

In this section, the Lord wants everyone to contribute to society, to stand on their own feet and be prosperous.  He says he will provide for the saints, "but it must needs be done in my way."  That and what he says in verse 17 are the key to the whole program, "For the earth is full, and there is enough and to spare; yea, I prepared all things, and have given unto the children of men to be agents unto themselves."  He wants all of us to be independent, to be able to determine our own futures, not dependent on someone to determine it for us

D&C Section One Hundred Three

Parley P. Pratt and Lyman Wight were sent from Missouri to report to Joseph Smith what had happened to the saints after being forced out of Jackson County.  The saints in Missouri were being fed and housed in Clay county in return for work and they were in basically good condition.  However, they were heartbroken over losing their homes and wanted to know what they could to return and reclaim their property.  After Parley and Lyman reported to Joseph and the High Council, Joseph received this revelation.  In it, the Lord explains once again that this has happened because the saints in Missouri did not keep the covenants and commandments they had been given. This tells me that in establishing Zion, the Lord will not expect anything less than a Zion people.  The Lord conditionally promises that they can reclaim Zion, but only if they do those things that are expected of them.  The Lord commands the prophet to gather together and lead a group to go to Missouri and reclaim the land, through force if necessary.  This group became known as Zion's Camp.  The Lord says to gather 500, but not go unless there is at least 100.  In the end, 207 men, 11 women and 11 children make the trip.  I do no know why the women and children went, but it seems reasonable to assume that they planned to stay in Missouri with their husbands and fathers.  The Lord promised them success if they would be obedient.  We will see in Section 105 that this wasn't the case.  The question that is raised in my mind as I read this is; what blessings have I lost out on because of the times I haven't been obedient.  That is obviously a question that all of us can ask ourselves as we never are perfectly obedient.  But the more obedient we are, the more blessings we will experience.  All of us have that nagging feeling that there is more we should be doing, or we what we are doing should be done better.  This is a good thing because it means our hearts our in the right places.  We don't need to make giant changes for the most part.  We just need to be on the path of growing and improving.  It's a lifelong process.

D&C Section One Hundred Two

In this first meeting of the high council, Joseph Smith said that it was the purpose of the high council to decide difficult issues.  But in giving instructions to them, he said something I think is just as apropos as a warning today as it was then.  He said, "No man is capable of judging a matter, in council, unless his own heart is pure; and that we are so frequently filled with prejudice, or have a beam in our own eye, that we are not capable of passing right decisions."  High Councils consist of 15 members, 12 who form a council under the direction of a president of the high council and his counselors.  These are stake level councils, but in reality, the Quorum of the 12 Apostles and the First Presidency are a high council over the whole church.  With any matter brought before a high council, it is even divided to represent both sides of the issue so that each side is given an equal and fair presentation.  Half of the council will represent the church to be sure that is not impugned in any way, and the other half represents the person or group to be sure their side is protected against prejudice and fairly presented.  When both sides are done presenting, the president, after consulting with his counselors, renders a decision.  His decision is final unless an error is found or an appeal has been made.  If an appeal is not upheld at the stake level, either party can appeal to First Presidency.

In church disciplinary councils, the stake, because it is the presiding authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood, generally conducts councils involving Melchizedek Priesthood holders and the ward handles all others.  The only exceptions to this is in the case of a bishop who has been charged with transgression.  Then First Presidency conducts the council.  Or, if a ward case is felt to be difficult, then it can be referred to the stake.  The advantage of this is having 12 more voices to help clarify and be sure that everything is covered thoroughly and fairly.  In a stake disciplinary council, lots are drawn from one to twelve.  The high counselors who draw even numbers sit on one side of the room and those with odd numbers sit on the other.  Each group has a spokesman appointed who speaks for their group, however, any councilman can speak during the course of the proceedings.  I have found that these are never brief meetings, but last several hours.  Sometimes, they are recessed and continued again later. Anyone who has taken part in these as a councilman or presidency member knows how spiritual these proceedings are and how the love for all involved, especially the accused, is very evident.  Everyone on a council comes fasting.  The purposes of a disciplinary council are to help bring about repentance, protect the innocence, and protect the integrity of the church.  In the cases of proven transgression, appropriate consequences are determined which have the sole purpose of helping the individual to repent.  As President Kimball once said, the band-aid has to be large enough to fit the sore or the sore might become infected.  My own experience with these has been one that has always increased my testimony of the atonement and of the inspiration behind the whole process.  They really are remarkable meetings

D&C Section One Hundred One

This section is all about Zion, what it is and what a Zion people are.  The saints in Jackson County, starting on Oct. 31st and through the next four or five weeks, are attacked by mobs who destroy their homes and furnishing, beat the men, and drive the women and children out of the settlements.  Of the three surrounding counties, only the people in Clay County are somewhat sympathetic in receiving them but this will not last.  By November 7th, the shores of the river are lined with hundreds of displaced families who are forced to live out in the open under a cold driving rain.  Joseph eventually hears of this and writes them a letter on December 1st.  In the letter, he confesses that he has received no inspiration regarding what has happened.  I personally think a false prophet would have been quick to relay some type of revelation.  But it wasn't until the 16th of December that he received Section 101.  

In this section, the Lord explains why this has happened to the saints, what they should do, and teaches more of what Zion is and when it will be redeemed.  The reason this has happened is disobedience.  The people were covetous, contentious, and had set aside the Lord's counsel.  In one of the three parables the Lord gives in the section, the longest (verses 43 to 64) specifically states that the saints expulsion was also a result of their failing to move forward in building the temple.  Had they done this and lived according to the Lord's commandments, they would have been protected.  When you read the parable, the Nobleman is Christ, the vineyard is the earth, the choice piece of land is Jackson County, the servants are the church members, the olive trees are the settlements of the saints, the watchmen are the officers of the church, the tower is the temple, and the servant is Joseph Smith.

The Lord promises that he will redeem Zion but it will be "when I will."  In the meantime, the Lord counsels the saints to build up the church and continue gathering.  He instructs them to seek redress from the authorities from the lowest to the highest levels.  Joseph will eventually go to Washington but assistance and justice will never come at any level.  It is in verse 80 that the Lord states that he established the Constitution by the hands of wise men who he raised up.  He says that he established the constitution for the purpose that all men would be able to be free, have rights and protection, have the ability to act according to their own moral agency, and that there would be no bondage of one man to another.  While the Lord promises he will not abandon the saints, they are left with no doubt that there will still be consequences for their disobedience.

D&C Section Ninety Nine

This is a section about one of the typical, faith-filled members of the church at that time. John Murdock, whose wife had recently died, has been left with five young children, two of whom are newborn twins. On the same date those twins were born, the prophet's wife also gave birth to a set of twins. Emma's twins only lived three hours and when Sister Murdock passed away not long after the birth of her twins, Joseph and Emma took in the Murdock twins. Brother Murdock would have had no choice as to giving the twins up to someone who could nurse them. During the mobbing of Joseph when he is tarred and feathered, one of the adopted twins passed away due to exposure.

Now, four months later, Brother Murdock is called on a mission. But he is told he is not to go until his remaining children are provided for. They will stay with Bishop Partridge. I admire Brother Murdock's obedience to the priesthood in serving his mission, but I also believe that the mission was something that probably helped deal with his grief and move on. Brother Murdock fulfilled his mission and held many important church callings after this. One thing I can't imagine is the grief Emma felt in losing her twins, and then losing another baby who they had named Joseph Smith jr. shortly thereafter. The toughness of these people always inspires me.

D&C Section One Hundred

It is amazing to me that in spite of the great problems in Missouri and some in Kirtland, the Lord still sends Sydney Rigdon and Joseph Smith on a mission to the eastern states and Canada. No matter what problems the world brings upon the church, the work of the Lord has always gone forward. No matter what persecution there is, no matter what the opposition is, the Lord's work has always progressed. Even after the pioneers arrived in Salt Lake, which wasn't even a part of the United States at that time, almost from the moment they arrived, they prospered and grew. In the midst of the great migration west, missionary work still continued and converts continued to come.

I like one word that the Lord uses in this section. He promises that as they bear testimony that is solemn and in the spirit of meekness, the Holy Ghost will be shed forth in bearing record unto all things whatsoever they will say. The word shed in this usages means to effusively be present. To pervade everything or envelope everything. Missionaries find his to be true. No matter what the reaction of the people may be, the Holy Ghost accompanies each testimony they bear. Those who hear usually feel something, but don't always act on what they feel because their mind fights it. Their traditions keep them from being open to something new. Earlier, in Section 93, the Lord said that two things keep people from accepting truth, Satan and the traditions of men.

Another promise in this section is Sidney would be strong in expounding the scriptures while Joseph would be strong in bearing testimony. There is an account of when the two of them were preaching to a large crowd in New York. Sidney spoke first and using the Bible taught all around the restoration of the gospel without mentioning it, teaching gospel principles that he thought the crowd would accept, but it was all to no effect. Joseph then stood and said that if Sidney was not going to bear witness of the restoration he would. He then bore witness of the the first vision, of the Moroni and the Book of Mormon and the restoration of priesthood keys. After he was finished, large numbers of people came forward wanting to be baptized..

D&C Section Ninety Eight

At this time, Joseph knew there were problems in Missouri, but he would have had no idea of the seriousness of the situation the Saints were in. So it is interesting that he receives this revelation dealing with how to respond when you are attacked by your enemies. I personally think he sensed by the Spirit, or by revelation, that things were much more dire than people in Kirtland realized. There are three important principles in this revelation. First, freedom comes from the Lord, but governmental laws affect that freedom. The Lord teaches that we have a divinely inspired constitution and as long as we elect good and wise men to represent us, we will be fine. But when our elected officials fall short, evil will come of it. We can certainly see that in today's world.

The second principle deals with how we (the church) are to respond when attacked, and how we as a nation are supposed to respond in situations of war. First we are not to fear our enemies. If they come upon the church a first time, we are to bear it patiently and not seek revenge. The Lord promises that if we do this, we will be rewarded. If they come upon us a second time and we bear it patiently and don't seek revenge, we will be rewarded a hundred fold. If they come a third time and we again bear it patiently and not seek revenge, the hundred fold blessings are doubled four times and these three times will stand as a testimony against those who seek to do harm. However, after the third time, if the Lord has not taken vengeance, we can warn our enemies that we will not stand idly by, and the Lord will bless us in our efforts to protect ourselves. The Lord will deliver them into our hands and not hold us accountable. If we still do not seek revenges, we have the promise that the blessings will be extended to our children to the third and fourth generations. As a nation, any time another nation or people proclaim war against us, we should raise the standard of peace three times. If they don't respond, our nation is justified in going to war and the Lord promises that he will fight our battles.

The third principle in this revelation deals with forgiveness. In this, the Lord says that if we are wronged by someone, we should forgive them up to three times, even if they don't repent of the wrong they have done. However, the fourth time, we do not have to forgive them, but should take the matter to the Lord and allow him to deal with it. If they seeks forgiveness, then we should still forgive them. But whether it be through forgiving or turning the matter over to the Lord, it is done so that we remove any bitterness or hate in our hearts. Otherwise, the wounds will fester and harm us more than the damage that was done to us.