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.
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