Greater Love
Beginning Our Study of Doctrine and Covenants 19
In my previous post on Doctrine and Covenants 19 I tried to show that the Lord’s severe rebuke of Martin Harris was warranted. However, I agree with the authors of the LDS Come Follow Me manual that Martin Harris’ situation was not easy and that it required courage and sacrifice for him to obey the Lord’s commandment to contribute his resources for the publishing of the Book of Mormon:
It took Martin and Lucy Harris years to acquire one of the finest farms in Palmyra, New York. But in 1829 it became clear that the Book of Mormon could be published only if Martin mortgaged his farm to pay the printer. Martin had a testimony of the Book of Mormon, but Lucy did not. If Martin went forward with the mortgage and the Book of Mormon did not sell well, he would lose his farm, put his marriage at risk, and damage his reputation in the community. Although our circumstances are different from Martin’s, at some time or another we all face difficult questions like those he faced: What is the gospel of Jesus Christ worth to me? What am I willing to sacrifice to help build God’s kingdom? Martin Harris ultimately decided that he would mortgage his farm so the first 5,000 copies of the Book of Mormon could be printed. But even this sacrifice—and any sacrifice we might make—is small compared to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, “the greatest of all” (Doctrine and Covenants 19:18), who bled from every pore to save the repentant.
I recall that in Lucy Mack Smith’ history of her son, Lucy Harris was, to put it lightly, a piece of work. Lucy Harris seems to have been a quarrelsome and difficult woman, perhaps something like Socrates’ wife Xanthippe. My point is not to judge Lucy Harris or her husband, but to consider Martin Harris’ decisions more charitably. Martin Harris made the right decision, and his sacrifice for the publishing of the Book of Mormon blessed millions, even billions of lives.
In the difficult choice between trying to appease his wife and maintain his property on the one hand or further the work of the Lord on the other hand, Martin Harris made the correct choice. Thank God that Martin Harris did his part to facilitate the printing of the first 5,000 copies of the Book of Mormon. (I wonder how many of those original copies have been preserved?) I think that it is important to note, however, that the Lord commanded Martin Harris to impart of his substance.
There is, of course, a lot more to the story of the publishing of the Book of Mormon. Martin Harris helped Joseph Smith to find a publisher. The additional information in the first volume of Saints helps us to better understand D&C 19:
They went first to Egbert Grandin, a printer in Palmyra who was the same age as Joseph. Grandin declined the proposal at once, believing the book was a fraud. Undeterred, Joseph and Martin kept searching and found a willing printer in a nearby city. But before accepting his offer, they returned to Palmyra and asked Grandin once more if he wanted to publish the book.2
This time, Grandin seemed more willing to take the project, but he wanted to be paid $3,000 to print and bind five thousand copies before he even started work. Martin had already promised to help pay for the printing, but to come up with that kind of money, he realized he might need to mortgage his farm. It was an enormous burden for Martin, but he knew none of Joseph’s other friends could help him with the money.
Troubled, Martin began to question the wisdom of financing the Book of Mormon. He had one of the best farms in the area. If he mortgaged his land, he risked losing it. Wealth he had spent a lifetime accruing could be gone in an instant if the Book of Mormon did not sell well.
Martin told Joseph his concerns and asked him to seek a revelation for him. In response, the Savior spoke of His sacrifice to do His Father’s will, regardless of the cost. He described His ultimate suffering while paying the price for sin so that all might repent and be forgiven. He then commanded Martin to sacrifice his own interests to bring about God’s plan.
“Thou shalt not covet thine own property,” the Lord said, “but impart it freely to the printing of the Book of Mormon.” The book contained the true word of God, the Lord assured Martin, and it would help others believe the gospel.3
Although his neighbors would not understand his decision, Martin obeyed the Lord and mortgaged his farm to guarantee payment.4
Grandin signed a contract and began to organize the massive project.5 Joseph had translated the text of the Book of Mormon in three months, assisted by one scribe at a time. It would take Grandin and a dozen men seven months to print and bind the first copies of the 590-page work.6
Thus it appears that initially, even after seeing an angel and witnessing the Gold Plates and other sacred items, Martin Harris’ heart was still somewhat attached to the things of this world and the honors of men. Joseph and Emma Smith, Oliver Cowdery, the Whitmers, and other friends of the Prophet had already begun to prioritize the things of God, treasures in heaven, over the things of this world. Perhaps because of many years of hard work and the wealth and reputation that he had acquired, Martin Harris coveted his own property. The Lord helped Martin Harris to put things in perspective by teaching him of His own infinite and eternal sacrifice to accomplish His Father’s will.
Whenever we are tempted to think that the sacrifices required of us or our own suffering are great, we can remember our Savior Jesus Christ. He was perfect and pure. He was meek and submissive. He who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth (1 Peter 2:22) suffered for us, leaving us an example. Our Savior Jesus Christ gave His all for us, and in D&C 19 He explains what that means:
For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;
But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I;
Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—
Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men. (D&C 19:16-19)
No wonder, therefore, that the Prophet Joseph Smith taught this truth:
Let us here observe, that a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things, never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation; for from the first existence of man, the faith necessary unto the enjoyment of life and salvation never could be obtained without the sacrifice of all earthly things: it was through this sacrifice, and this only, that God has ordained that men should enjoy eternal life; and it is through the medium of the sacrifice of all earthly things, that men do actually know that they are doing the things that are well pleasing in the sight of God. When a man has offered in sacrifice all that he has, for the truth’s sake, not even withholding his life, and believing before God that he has been called to make this sacrifice, because he seeks to do his will, he does know most assuredly, that God does and will accept his sacrifice and offering, and that he has not nor will not seek his face in vain.— Under these circumstances, then, he can obtain the faith necessary for him to lay hold on eternal life.
Yesterday I discovered an old Mormon video called “Greater Love” that I remember from my childhood. It is a beautiful parable of sorts to help us to better understand what our Savior suffered for us, and what we, in turn, might offer Him.
