What does the Lord want me to know about the Doctrine and Covenants?
10 Unto the day when the Lord shall come to recompense unto every man according to his work, and measure to every man according to the measure which he has measured to his fellow man.
An impression about judging those around me generously.
16 They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great, which shall fall.
This reminded me of the term “my truth” or “relative truth.” Something is either true or false, circumstantial nuance doesn’t change that.
34 And again, verily I say unto you, O inhabitants of the earth: I the Lord am willing to make these things known unto all flesh;
35 For I am no respecter of persons, and will that all men shall know that the day speedily cometh; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand, when peace shall be taken from the earth, and the devil shall have power over his own dominion.
With the current civil unrest, these verses seem a lot stronger. It doesn’t matter who you are, you’re a child of God. Nothing else matters.
The Lord invites me to “search these commandments.”
What did I learn from section 1 that will help me get the most benefit from my study of the Doctrine and Covenants?
6 Behold, this is mine authority, and the authority of my servants, and my preface unto the book of my commandments, which I have given them to publish unto you, O inhabitants of the earth.
14 And the arm of the Lord shall be revealed; and the day cometh that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people;
This reminds me of the story of the brass serpent from the Old Testament. I would have looked for no other reason than I could be healed. If not, then I lost literally nothing.
37 Search these commandments, for they are true and faithful, and the prophecies and promises which are in them shall all be fulfilled.
And there’s my brass serpent.
God speaks through His servants, and His words will be fulfilled.
Write down what I learn from this revelation about the Lord and His voice.
38 What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.
What did I learn about the Lord’s servants?
4 And the voice of warning shall be unto all people, by the mouths of my disciples, whom I have chosen in these last days.
5 And they shall go forth and none shall stay them, for I the Lord have commanded them.
When have I heard the Lord’s voice in the voice of His servants?
The revelations that have stuck with me the most include the announcement of a holy temple in my tiny hometown and the shift from routine “teaching” to the ministering program. Those two have had probably the largest impact on my testimony.
If I am humble, the Lord’s chastening can lead me to repent.
Notice that in verse 3 and verses 24–28, the Lord said that people’s sins and errors would be made known. In one case this is a painful, sorrowful experience, and in the other case, it is instructive. Why are these situations so different?
Consider how I react when I become aware of my sins and weaknesses. What qualities did I find in verses 24–28 that can help me respond correctly?
What do these verses, along with verses 31–33, teach me about how the Lord views my weaknesses and sins?
The Lord restored His gospel to help me face the challenges of the latter days.
What other calamities do I notice in today’s world—or in my life?
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