TFOT: DC 121

Dave Sundahl taught Sunday's lesson on section 121 of the Doctrine & Covenants. He began by presenting the idea that the revelation is divided up into three sections:
verses 1-6: Joseph's petition to the Lord
verses 7-25: The Lord's direct response to his petition
verses 26-46: The Lord's indirect response to his petition

Much of our conversation focused on the way that the Lord responded to Joseph in this very difficult situation for the prophet. The Lord responded much as we as a parent might respond to the pleas of our children when they are unhappy with the situation they find themselves in. Joseph was told to be patient, to not worry about revenge on the enemies of the saints, and to remember that others (e.g., Job) have been through worse. The Lord beautifully gave Joseph the perspective that he desperately needed.
The indirect response is a treatise by the Lord on the eternal blessings given to those who are "chosen" of the Lord because of their faithfulness. Dave commented that he had never read this part of the section to be pertaining to Joseph himself until he was preparing for this lesson. He offered the suggestion that these passages were for all saints, including Joseph.
We were all given time to read the section at the beginning of class. The reading, in addition to the discussion, helped us see the revelation in its entirety (not just the "many are called, few are chosen" verses). What began as a desperate cry for help from the prophet truly develops into a sermon on eternal truths by the end of the section.

JS #37 - Charity

I started our discussion on charity by sharing how reading stories of everyday charitable acts of Joseph Smith has strengthened my testimony of him as a prophet just as much (if not more so) than the dramatic prophet-like events in his life. "By their fruits ye shall know them" is a powerful litmus test for judging the prophet Joseph.

We first discussed what charity is. We saw it as embodying ACTION (much like "faith"), not simply a passive concept. Several people shared experiences that demonstrated how the love we feel for others can be hard to understand, or not make sense to our mortal minds. Jesus clearly is the perfect example of charity. He taught, he served, he sacrificed - all because of this pure love He has for us.

We also discussed why having charity is important. First, if Jesus exemplified it we should make it part of our lives. Second, feeling love & compassion for others feels good. It is ennobling and brings us joy.

Throughout the discussion we talked about how to be more charitable, and the recurring theme seemed to be that we must get to know one another better - all of God's children. We must NOT, as Joseph Smith said, "be limited in [our] views with regard to [our] neighbor's virtue". As we learn to be slow to judge & quick to forgive and serve, the gift of charity is given to us in greater abundance.

JS #36 - Temple

Last week Todd led a great discussion about the temple. He began by inviting us to talk about why we have temples. We decided that (among other things), temples provide places for sacred ordinances for the living & the dead; they are places where God appears to His people; they places of refuge, preparation, and revelation; and they provide us a unique, eternal perspective.
This led us into an interesting discussion about ordinances and why we have them at all. It was pointed out that they have power through their symbolism, and that they create/solidify commitment in conjunction with the covenants that are made.
It was also mentioned that if we don't give space for something, it will get crowded out of our lives. Therefore, setting aside "protected space" for temples and temple work is critical for our spiritual well-being.