Spare Not
Concluding Reflections on Doctrine and Covenants 34
In a previous post I presented the background information on the great Orson Pratt and D&C 34. In this post I would like to briefly review, examine, and expound upon these verses with the help of the Smith and Sjodahl commentary:
My son Orson, hearken and hear and behold what I, the Lord God, shall say unto you, even Jesus Christ your Redeemer;
The light and the life of the world, a light which shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not;
Who so loved the world that he gave his own life, that as many as would believe might become the sons of God. Wherefore you are my son;
And blessed are you because you have believed;
And more blessed are you because you are called of me to preach my gospel—
To lift up your voice as with the sound of a trump, both long and loud, and cry repentance unto a crooked and perverse generation, preparing the way of the Lord for his second coming.
For behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, the time is soon at hand that I shall come in a cloud with power and great glory.
And it shall be a great day at the time of my coming, for all nations shall tremble. (D&C 34:1-8)
This is the Lord speaking. Remember that Joseph Smith received this revelation through his seer stone in a hat. Some people are troubled by seer stones and hats, but the Lord has many ways of communicating His will to His prophets. The Lord introduced Himself and blesses Orson Pratt, calling Him “my son Orson.” Orson was about the same age of many young missionaries in modern times who now embark in the service of the Lord, and therefore this revelation to Orson may be even more meaningful to young missionaries today. The Lord blessed Orson for his belief, and revealed that belief enables us to become the sons and daughters of God.
Orson was blessed for his belief in Jesus Christ, but he was even more blessed because of the Lord’s calling to him to preach the Restored Gospel. If anyone lifted up their voice as with the sound of a trump, both long and loud, it was Orson Pratt, because he served many missions and spoke and wrote prolifically in the Lord’s cause. He cried repentance unto a crooked and perverse generation, and he prepared the way of the Lord for His rapidly approaching Second Coming.
I know that the time is soon at hand that Jesus Christ shall come in a cloud with power and great glory, and that it shall be a great day and all nations shall tremble.
Smith and Sjodahl share the following commentary on the same verses:
About this tie Orson Pratt came to Fayette. He was then only 19 years of age, having been born on the 19th of September, 1811. His brother Parley had told him of the Book of Mormon and he had accepted the message and been baptized, on the 19th of September, 1830, his birthday. Orson was a studious boy, but, like Abraham Lincoln, he was under the necessity of relying mainly upon his own resources. He paid special attention to mathematics, grammar, geography, surveying, etc. In later years he delved into the mysteries of astronomy, theology, and languages, and became one of the most profound thinkers and logical speakers and writers of the early days of the Church.
As stated, Orson Pratt had just become a member of the Church, and he now came to Fayette to inquire of the Lord, through the Prophet, about the will of the Lord concerning him. This Revelation was then received, in which (1) he was called to preach the gospel (1-8); (2) was given some signs by which to know that the coming of the Lord was near (9); and (3) was assured of divine assistance, on condition of faithfulness.
1-3. The Lord first introduces Himself as Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, the Light and the Life of the world; the Light which shineth in darkness, though the darkness does not comprehend it; and He who so loved the world that He gave His own life. These are reasons why we should hearken to Him, when He speaks. See also Sec. 6:21; 11:30.
Redeemer] Christ is our Redeemer. Redemption means deliverance by means of ransom. There is a deliverance from guilt (Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14); from the power and dominance of sin, through the sanctifying influence of the Holy Spirit (I. Peter 1:18); and from death through the resurrection (Rom. 8:23). There is, finally, a deliverance from all evil (Eph. 1:14; 4:30; I Cor. 1:30; Titus 2:14). All this is the work of Christ, through obedience to the gospel.
4-5. Blessed are you] Doubly blessed is he who accepts the Redeemer, through faith, and who is called to proclaim Him to the world. Living faith must precede the call to the ministry. God does not call unbelievers to preach the gospel. Blessed is he who believes and is called to preach. The reverse of this is, Wo to him who preaches without being authorized to do so.
“The ordinances of the gospel, being of divine origin, require divine authority in the administration. *** No company, firm, society, court, or government would acknowledge or become responsible for the acts of any but its duly appointed and properly accredited agents. Why, then, should the great King endorse the doings of men who take upon themselves duties not required of them, or bestow, through their unauthorized performance, blessings that only belong to the administrations of His chosen ambassadors?” (Charles W. Penrose).
The following trenchant comments on Heb. 5:4, dealing with authority, are recommended to the thoughtful and intelligent reader:
“We have here the second qualification for Priesthood. A man’s own caprice must not be the bishop which ordains him. He must be conscious of a divine call. Great stress is laid on this point in Scripture (Ex. 28:1). ‘Any stranger that cometh nigh’- i.e., that intruded unbidden into the Priesthood - was to be put to death (Num. 3:10). The fate of Korah and his company (Num. 16:40), and of Uzziah, king though he was (II. Chron. 26:18-21), served as a terrible warning, and it was recorded as a special aggravation of Jeroboam’s impiety that ‘he made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not the sons of Levi’ (I. Kings 12:31). In one of the Jewish Midrashim, Moses says to Korah, ‘If Aaron, my brother, had taken upon himself the priesthood, ye would be excusable for murmuring against him; but God gave it to him’” (Dean Farrar, Hebrews, Cambridge Bible, p. 97).
“Whenever men can find out the fill of God and find an administrator legally authorized from God, there is the kingdom of God; but where these are not, the kingdom of God is not. All the ordinances, systems, and administrations on the earth are of no use to the children of men, unless they are ordained and authorized of God; for nothing will save a man but a legal administrator; for none others will be acknowledged either by God or angels” (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, Vol. V., p. 259)
6. Both long and loud] Orson Pratt’s mission was not to be obscure or of a short duration. He was to be heard throughout the world, as the silver trumpets of the sons of Aaron were heard throughout the camp of Israel (Num. 10:2), and his ministry was to be “long.” This was literally fulfilled. Orson Pratt was ordained an Elder on Dec. 1st, 1830, not quite three months after his baptism, and went immediately on a mission to Coleseville. From that day until his death, Oct. 3rd, 1881, in Salt Lake City, his life was that of a missionary. From April 26th, 1835, he was a member of the Council of the Twelve, holding that exalted position for 46 years- longer than any of the other Apostles appointed in 1835. And during this ministry he became generally known as the champion of the Church. This prediction, therefore, came true to the letter.
Preparing the way of the Lord for His coming] This was Orson Pratt’s mission. In his sermons and writings, the dominant note is always the coming of the Lord. “Divine Authority,” “Kingdom of God,” “Authenticity of the Book of Mormon,” “New Jerusalem,” “The First Principles of the Gospel” - such are the themes to which he recurs again and again in writing and speech, as a bee to a beautiful field of flowers, returning each time with sweet honey.
My coming] The day of the Lord is a day in which the nations shall “tremble.” The explanation of their fear is found in the next paragraph, which gives some of the signs that, to the watcher, indicate the coming of the day of the Lord. (pp. 177-79)
This is the next paragraph of the Lord’s revelation to Orson Pratt:
But before that great day shall come, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon be turned into blood; and the stars shall refuse their shining, and some shall fall, and great destructions await the wicked. (D&C 34:9)
I’ve mentioned this book before in my own commentary, but I highly recommend Craig James Ostler’s Living in the Last Days: Refuge from the Storm to any one who would like to better understand the signs of the times and the events that precede the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The sun darkened, the moon turned into blood, stars refusing their shining and some stars falling, and great destructions upon the wicked: these terrible events are imminent. Smith and Sjodahl add:
The sun shall be darkened, etc.] See Sec. 29:14, When thrones begin to fall and the kingdoms are torn to pieces, the coming of the Lord is near. (p. 179)
The Lord’s revelation to Orson Pratt in D&C 34 concludes:
Wherefore, lift up your voice and spare not, for the Lord God hath spoken; therefore prophesy, and it shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost.
And if you are faithful, behold, I am with you until I come—
And verily, verily, I say unto you, I come quickly. I am your Lord and your Redeemer. Even so. Amen. (D&C 34:10-12)
In essence, the Lord encourages Orson Pratt not to hold back. A similar commandment is found in the Book of Isaiah:
Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. (Isaiah 58:1)
The Lord promised to be with Orson Pratt if he remained faithful, and the Lord was with Orson Pratt because he remained faithful. How many times in scripture has the Lord declared that He will come quickly? Several times. Smith and Sjodahl add the following commentary on the final verses in this revelation:
Wherefore lift up your voice] Because the day of the Lord is near, preach, and “spare not;” that is, do not be “sparing,” or niggard, in preaching the gospel. Preach it in season, out of season (II Tim. 4:2).
Prophesy] To prophesy is to speak in the name of the Lord, whether the message relates to the future, the present, or the past. It is the testimony of Jesus that is the spirit of prophecy (Rev. 19:10). He who has that testimony is a prophet, and a “fellow servant” of the messengers, or angels, who come from the presence of God.
If you are faithful] Orson Pratt was faithful. In the obituary the Editor of the Deseret News said:
“Orson Pratt was a true Apostle of the Lord. Full of integrity, firm as a rock to his convictions, true to his brethren and to his God, earnest and zealous in defense and proclamation of the truth, ever ready to bear testimony to the Latter-day work, he had a mind stored with Scripture, ancient and modern, was an eloquent speaker, a powerful minister, a logical and convincing writer, an honest man and a great soul who reached out after eternal things, grasped them with the gift of inspiration, and brought them down to the level and comprehension of the common mind. Thousands have been brought into the Church through his preaching in many lands, thousands more by his writings. He set but little store on the wealth of this world, but he has laid up treasures in heaven which will make him eternally rich.”
I come quickly]. See Sec. 33:18.
General Notes
One truly amazing incident in the remarkable career of Orson Pratt may be recalled, viz. his debate with Dr. J.P. Newman. There has always been an impression in the world that the “Mormons” are ignorant. Dr. Newman thought so, too, and decided to display his learning in their midst. He came from Washington to Salt Lake City for the express purpose of engaging in a public debate with President Brigham Young, and he fairly seemed to gloat over the prospect of overwhelming him in an argument. Newman was the chaplain of the United States Senate. Brigham Young accepted the challenge and selected Orson Pratt to represent him. The Tabernacle was filled during three sessions, on the 12th, 13th, and 14th of August, 1870. Dr. Newman in his first address, fairly bristled with Greek, probably in order to impress the audience. In his second address he resorted to Hebrew, confident that he would have the field all to himself. To his astonishment Orson Pratt followed him, went into the argument and tore Dr. Newman’s Hebrew and exegesis all to pieces. The learned gentleman from Washington had made himself ridiculous. He did not know that Orson Pratt had studied Hebrew in the school of the Elders at Kirtland under a competent instructor. (pp. 179-80)