That All May Be Profited Thereby

Reflections on Doctrine and Covenants 46

Doctrine and Covenants 46 was originally revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith in Kirtland, Ohio, on March 8, 1831. As Bruce R. McConkie mentions in his section heading, there was not yet a unified pattern for conducting church services, and members of the Church weren’t exactly sure whom to admit into their sacrament meetings and other assemblies. This revelation contains the will of the Lord about governing and conducting meetings, and His direction on seeking and discerning the gifts of the Spirit.

Because Jesus Christ invites all to come unto Him, He also welcomes into His Church all who desire to worship in His Church. On the plaque of every LDS meeting house there is written: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: Visitors Welcome.

In general, modern members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are warm, friendly, and welcoming. We want friends and investigators to visit and to learn about the Church. Sadly however, in my experience during the so-called pandemic, the Church was a very hostile and unwelcoming place. Many leaders and members of the Church attempted to enforce the draconian COVID policies and procedures that were handed down to them from self-appointed “experts,” and those of us who refused masking, jabbing, isolation, distancing, and so forth were alienated and ostracized by those who claimed to be “following the prophet.” In a shameful display of gross hypocrisy, leaders and lay members alike tyrannically insisted that the second great commandment required us to vaccinate and to wear oxygen deprivation devices and to refrain from worshiping the Lord in His holy Temples.

In the early Church, the Lord commanded the Elders to conduct meetings as guided by the Holy Spirit, to welcome all sincere truth seekers to sacramental services, to ask of God and seek the gifts of the Spirit, and to obtain power by which to discern the various gifts of the Spirit. These principles, laws, and commandments of the Lord still ought to be observed, but it is not uncommon - as evidenced by the erroneous and egregious procedures during the so-called pandemic - for the precepts and practices of men to infiltrate the Lord’s true Church.

Therefore, let’s examine and appreciate the Lord’s true doctrine on meetings and the gifts of the Spirit in Doctrine and Covenants 46:

Hearken, O ye people of my church; for verily I say unto you that these things were spoken unto you for your profit and learning.

But notwithstanding those things which are written, it always has been given to the elders of my church from the beginning, and ever shall be, to conduct all meetings as they are directed and guided by the Holy Spirit.

Nevertheless ye are commanded never to cast any one out from your public meetings, which are held before the world.

Ye are also commanded not to cast any one who belongeth to the church out of your sacrament meetings; nevertheless, if any have trespassed, let him not partake until he makes reconciliation.

And again I say unto you, ye shall not cast any out of your sacrament meetings who are earnestly seeking the kingdom—I speak this concerning those who are not of the church.

And again I say unto you, concerning your confirmation meetings, that if there be any that are not of the church, that are earnestly seeking after the kingdom, ye shall not cast them out.

But ye are commanded in all things to ask of God, who giveth liberally; and that which the Spirit testifies unto you even so I would that ye should do in all holiness of heart, walking uprightly before me, considering the end of your salvation, doing all things with prayer and thanksgiving, that ye may not be seduced by evil spirits, or doctrines of devils, or the commandments of men; for some are of men, and others of devils. (D&C 46:1-7)

There is great clarity, order, and purpose for every meeting in the Lord’s Church. This is at least one thing that I have seen preserved and practiced for the most part in the modern Brighamite Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For the most part I have seen that the Elders of the Church conduct meetings, to the best of their ability, as directed and guided by the Holy Ghost. The direction and guidance of the Holy Ghost is the sine qua non of meetings in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. No wonder Moroni chose to include similar directions in his final record.

The Lord does not reject anyone who comes unto Him, and the principles that He teaches in these verses help members and leaders of the Church to understand how best to receive people into His Church. The public meetings of the Lord’s Church are open to all sincere investigators and truth seekers. Members of the Church are held to a higher standard, especially when it comes to participation in the sacrament of the Lord’s supper. But they too are mercifully received and not cast out. The Lord gathers all to Him who earnestly seek the kingdom.

What does it mean to earnestly seek the kingdom?

It seems to me that Joseph Smith and many of the early Saints were a great example to us of what it means to earnestly seek the kingdom. Joseph Smith and the early Saints sincerely desired and labored to do the will of God. The Lord gave many parables on this topic to help us understand what it means to earnestly seek the kingdom. For example, consider the following parables:

• The parable of the mustard seed

• The parable of the seed growing secretly

• The parable of the leaven

• The parable of the hidden treasure

• The parable of the pearl of great price

• The parable of the net cast into the sea

• The parable of the lost sheep

• The parable of the lost coin

• The parable of the prodigal son

• The parable of the good shepherd

• The parable of the laborers in the vineyard

• The parable of the two sons

• The parable of the wicked husbandman

• The parable of the marriage of the king’s son

• The parable of the ten virgins

• The parable of the talents

There are other parables that we might include in this list, but there are enough of the Lord’s parables on this topic to make it clear how important it is for us to earnestly seek the kingdom, or, as the Lord Himself put it:

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)

Now, as you have asked, behold, I say unto you, keep my commandments, and seek to bring forth and establish the cause of Zion;

Seek not for riches but for wisdom, and behold, the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto you, and then shall you be made rich. Behold, he that hath eternal life is rich. (D&C 6:6-7)

Joseph Smith and the early Saints did their best to seek first the kingdom of God, and we are all the beneficiaries of their efforts. Furthermore, in this section (46), the Lord teaches us how to seek the kingdom, namely, by asking of God, who giveth liberally, by receiving the Spirit that testifies of truth, and by acting upon those things that the Spirit teaches, in all holiness of heart. If we do these things, walking uprightly before God, considering the end of our salvation, and doing all things with prayer and thanksgiving, then the Lord will bless us and protect us.

As we recall, although these early Saints were earnest and sincere, they were sometimes susceptible to being misled. The instructions from the Lord in the aforementioned verses helped the early Saints, and they help us, to understand how to seek and be led by the correct Spirit, the Spirit of the Lord. Whereas before receiving this revelation, some of the early Saints and investigators were misled or seduced by evil spirits, doctrines of devils, and the commandments of men, after receiving this revelation the Lord’s standard and method for obtaining revelation and guidance was crystal clear. Thank God for the light and inspiration, for the truth and knowledge that Joseph Smith received on this occasion! How brightly in shines in contrast to the darkness, deception, and evil of the world! What prayers of thanksgiving should we not offer to our merciful Heavenly Father for these blessings and gifts?

What does Smith’s and Sjodahl’s commentary on these verses add to our understanding?

This Revelation was received the day after that recorded in the preceding Section. Elder B.H. Roberts (Hist. of the Church, Vol. I., p. 163) quotes John Whitmer to the effect that some of the Saints used to exclude unbelievers from their meetings, although this is forbidden in the Book of Mormon (III. Nephi 18:22, 23). The Lord, therefore, at this time (1) gave instructions regarding the meetings of the Saints (1-7); (2) explained why spiritual gifts are given (8-9); and (3) enumerated those gifts (10-33).

1. Concerning Meetings.

2. - -

3. Ye are commanded] From the preceding verses it is learned that the meetings of the Saints are conducted as the Elders “are directed by the Holy Spirit.” The selection of hymns, the prayers, the choice of speakers, all must be according as the Spirit shall prompt. There must be no set, stereotyped forms limiting and hindering the free operation of the Spirit of God. Those who preside, those who speak, pray, sing, and those who listen must all be under the sacred Influence. In this verse a commandment is added that none is to be refused admittance to the public meetings of the Saints. All must be given a chance to hear the Gospel.

4. -5. Sacrament meetings] The Sacrament meetings are also to be open to all; but Church members who have trespassed must make reconciliation before partaking of the sacred emblems.

   Trespasses are, chiefly, sins against our fellowmen. The Law of God is so broad, the occasions to sin so numerous, that we should always be on our guard, and we should search ourselves each time we come to partake of the Sacrament, and make sure that we are not unworthy guests. During the Mosaic Covenant atonement was made specially for the trespasses “in the holy things of the Lord” (Lev. 5:15, 16), by which God was defrauded in the payment of tithes and offerings. This should be a lesson to the people of God in all ages. It is inconsistent to come to the Lord’s table and not be honest in tithes and offerings.

5. -

6. -

7. Ask of God] This is a commandment to pray always and to walk uprightly before God, to escape being seduced, or led astray, by false doctrines.

   Note that some false doctrines come from men, while others are originated by the devil. The former may depend on human imperfection of preception or deductions. We do not always understand the Word of God correctly, and we are apt to draw hasty conclusions, and if we teach these for doctrine, we err. The latter are inspired by the adversary to deceive man. (pp. 271-272)

I enjoy and benefit greatly from Smith’s and Sjodahl’s excellent commentary, even though I don’t agree with them on every point. For example, on the topic of tithing, the Lord often rebuked not just members of the Church who failed to pay tithing, but leaders of the Church who stole or misused sacred funds. In other words, it would be supremely hypocritical for LDS leaders to incessantly demand tithing and offerings from even the poorest of the poor if those funds were not being used in the Lord’s way. As the Lord’s parable of the widow’s mite might remind us, more often than not those who have the least give the most, or their all, and for the right reasons, whereas those who have the most, at least materially, too often use their wealth for the wrong reasons. There are, of course, exceptions to this common problem, but I think that we should spend less time berating the poor about tithes and offerings and more time investigating the way in which those sacred funds are being used.

The Lord’s revelation on spiritual gifts continues:

Wherefore, beware lest ye are deceived; and that ye may not be deceived seek ye earnestly the best gifts, always remembering for what they are given;

For verily I say unto you, they are given for the benefit of those who love me and keep all my commandments, and him that seeketh so to do; that all may be benefited that seek or that ask of me, that ask and not for a sign that they may consume it upon their lusts. (D&C 46:8-9)

Why does the Lord encourage us to seek the gifts of the Spirit, and particularly the best gifts of the Spirit? These are the Lord’s gifts, and He dispenses them according to His own will and for His own purposes. In this passage of scripture, the Lord shares one of His purposes for encouraging His Saints to seek the best gifts, namely, to protect us from deception. How does earnestly seeking the best gifts protect us from deception? There are probably many ways that the earnest seeking of the best gifts protects us from deception, but the first that occur to me are that our earnest seeking of the best gifts leads us to to Jesus Christ, and that when we obtain and exercise these best gifts for the right reasons we are strengthened spiritually and develop deeper bonds of friendship with the Lord and His people.

The Lord does not bestow His best gifts for our personal gratification or merely for our own good. The Lord bestows His best gifts to benefit those who love Him and keep all His commandments. Thank Heavens for the qualifying phrase that the Lord includes: “and him that seeketh so to do.” If the God bestowed His best gifts only upon those who keep all His commandments perfectly, I’m afraid that Jesus would be able to obtain and exercise the best gifts. Mercifully, the Lord provides His best gifts even to those of us who do our best.

In fact, one of God’s greatest gifts, the gift of charity, the pure love of Christ, enables us to understand the purpose of all other gifts. God desires to bless those who love Him and keep all His commandments, and those who seek so to do, and one of the ways that God blesses us is by dispensing His best gifts among us. The more earnestly we seek, obtain, and exercise the best gifts of the Spirit, the greater our capacity to bless and benefit others as the Lord does. The Lord could do it all by Himself, but I imagine that He experiences greater joy by helping us weak mortals to experience the kind of joy that He experiences in blessing others. Through the best gifts of the Spirit, we can become a great benefit to our fellow men and women.

If I understand correctly, besides the gift of eternal life, which is the greatest gift of God, the gift of seership is one of God’s greatest gifts. In the Book of Mormon, King Limhi learned from Ammon about a man named Mosiah who had obtained and exercised this great gift from God:

Now Ammon said unto him: I can assuredly tell thee, O king, of a man that can translate the records; for he has wherewith that he can look, and translate all records that are of ancient date; and it is a gift from God. And the things are called interpreters, and no man can look in them except he be commanded, lest he should look for that he ought not and he should perish. And whosoever is commanded to look in them, the same is called seer.

And behold, the king of the people who are in the land of Zarahemla is the man that is commanded to do these things, and who has this high gift from God.

And the king said that a seer is greater than a prophet.

And Ammon said that a seer is a revelator and a prophet also; and a gift which is greater can no man have, except he should possess the power of God, which no man can; yet a man may have great power given him from God.

But a seer can know of things which are past, and also of things which are to come, and by them shall all things be revealed, or, rather, shall secret things be made manifest, and hidden things shall come to light, and things which are not known shall be made known by them, and also things shall be made known by them which otherwise could not be known.

Thus God has provided a means that man, through faith, might work mighty miracles; therefore he becometh a great benefit to his fellow beings. (Mosiah 8:13-18)

There have been many prophets and seers throughout the ages, and the Lord has dispensed the gift of seership from the time of Adam to the present. The great prophet and seer of the last dispensation of the Gospel is the Prophet Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith obtained and exercised this great gift of seership, and by so doing became a great benefit to us, his fellow beings.

As the great prophet and seer of the last dispensation, Joseph Smith not only translated records of ancient date, including the Book of Mormon, the Bible, and the Pearl of Great Price, but He also made manifest secret things, brought hidden things to light, and made known things that otherwise could not be known. Through the great gift of seership, the Lord provided a means that Joseph Smith, through faith, worked mighty miracles and became a great benefit to his fellow beings. Consider John Taylor’s tribute to the Prophet Joseph Smith in light of these things:

Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it. In the short space of twenty years, he has brought forth the Book of Mormon, which he translated by the gift and power of God, and has been the means of publishing it on two continents; has sent the fulness of the everlasting gospel, which it contained, to the four quarters of the earth; has brought forth the revelations and commandments which compose this book of Doctrine and Covenants, and many other wise documents and instructions for the benefit of the children of men; gathered many thousands of the Latter-day Saints, founded a great city, and left a fame and name that cannot be slain. He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like most of the Lord’s anointed in ancient times, has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood; and so has his brother Hyrum. In life they were not divided, and in death they were not separated! (D&C 135:3)

Because he was filled with charity, the pure love of Christ, the Prophet Joseph Smith obtained and exercised the greatest gifts of God, including the gift of seership. The Lord blessed and magnified His servant Joseph not merely to make him great in His eyes and the eyes of His people or to leave him fame and a name that cannot be slain, but to bless and to save His children. The Lord blessed the Prophet Joseph Smith with these great gifts, and He blessed others of His early Saints with other great gifts for their benefit and the benefit of others who loved God and sought to keep all His commandments. The work and legacy of Joseph Smith and the early Saints and the gifts of the Spirit that they obtained and exercised continue to bless us today and will continue to bless future generations.

What does Smith’s and Sjodahl’s commentary on these verses add to our understanding?

2. Why Spiritual Gifts Are Given

8. -9. There are many gifts of the Spirit. There is the “fruit of the Spirit,” which all Saints enjoy, such as “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” (Gal. 5:22, 23). But there are also special gifts (Paul calls them charismata, I. Cor. 7:7)

   They are given in answer to prayer, but there is one kind of prayer that God does not grant - prayer for gifts to gratify carnal desires. (p. 272)

The Lord’s revelation on the best gifts continues:

And again, verily I say unto you, I would that ye should always remember, and always retain in your minds what those gifts are, that are given unto the church.

For all have not every gift given unto them; for there are many gifts, and to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God.

To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby.

To some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that he was crucified for the sins of the world.

To others it is given to believe on their words, that they also might have eternal life if they continue faithful.

And again, to some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know the differences of administration, as it will be pleasing unto the same Lord, according as the Lord will, suiting his mercies according to the conditions of the children of men.

And again, it is given by the Holy Ghost to some to know the diversities of operations, whether they be of God, that the manifestations of the Spirit may be given to every man to profit withal.

And again, verily I say unto you, to some is given, by the Spirit of God, the word of wisdom.

To another is given the word of knowledge, that all may be taught to be wise and to have knowledge.

And again, to some it is given to have faith to be healed;

And to others it is given to have faith to heal.

And again, to some is given the working of miracles;

And to others it is given to prophesy;

And to others the discerning of spirits.

And again, it is given to some to speak with tongues;

And to another is given the interpretation of tongues.

And all these gifts come from God, for the benefit of the children of God.

And unto the bishop of the church, and unto such as God shall appoint and ordain to watch over the church and to be elders unto the church, are to have it given unto them to discern all those gifts lest there shall be any among you professing and yet be not of God.

And it shall come to pass that he that asketh in Spirit shall receive in Spirit;

That unto some it may be given to have all those gifts, that there may be a head, in order that every member may be profited thereby.

He that asketh in the Spirit asketh according to the will of God; wherefore it is done even as he asketh.

And again, I say unto you, all things must be done in the name of Christ, whatsoever you do in the Spirit;

And ye must give thanks unto God in the Spirit for whatsoever blessing ye are blessed with.

And ye must practice virtue and holiness before me continually. Even so. Amen. (D&C 46:10-33)

Why does the Lord want us to always remember and always retain in our minds what the best gifts are that are given unto the church? One reason, in my opinion, is contained in the phrase “always remember,” a phrase in the sacrament prayers that points us to Jesus Christ. If we always remember and retain in our minds what the best gifts are that are given unto the church, we will always remember and give thanks for the Source of those gifts, Jesus Christ. These best gifts of the Spirit lead us to Jesus Christ, in proximity and likeness.

Another reason why the Lord wants us to always remember and always retain in our minds what the best gifts are may be because they are the only means by which anyone does any good on this earth. As we always remember and seek for these best gifts, we will obtain and use them and also identify the good that others do by them. In His great mercy, the Lord distributes His best gifts perfectly and in such a way as to bless all of His children and lead us to Him. Even though not everyone have every gift given unto them, everyone receives a gift by the Spirit of God. There are many gifts of the Spirit, and the Lord knows exactly how to distribute them for His purposes.

In the New Testament and the Book of Mormon we also learn of these gifts, but here in the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord provides us with even greater understanding regarding His gifts, how they are obtained, and what purposes they serve. It is not a coincidence that the gifts work in tandem or in conjunction with one another. The gifts are given explicitly to bless the lives of those who love and serve God, or at least those who do their best to love and serve God. The Lord’s distribution of His best gifts thereby profits everyone.

It seems to me that the Lord often blesses us with particular gifts at particular times according to our needs and the needs of others. For example, as I embarked upon a full-time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I earnestly desired and desperately needed the gift to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that He was crucified for the sins of the world. I believe that I received this gift long before that time, but as I prepared to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with many others, I learned that the only way that could accomplish such a great work was through the gifts of the Spirit. I am grateful that the Lord blessed me with the gift to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that He was crucified for the sins of the world, and I did my best, and still do my best, to share that gift to bless others.

This first and more important gift works in tandem with the gift of the Spirit to believe on the words of those who share it. Perhaps it is the first and most important gift because life eternal is to know the Only True God and Jesus Christ whom He sent. Notice that the second gift, the gift of believe the true testimony of Jesus Christ, also leads to eternal life, if we continue faithful.

The Lord blesses some of His Saints to know, by the Holy Ghost, the differences of administration, or in other words, to understand things such as how the gifts of others may be helpful in various positions of service. Similarly, the gift of knowing the diversities of operations is manifest in a person’s ability to understand the differences between authentic gifts or workings of the Holy Ghost and false spirits, doctrines, or commandments. Each of these gifts the Lord bestows according to His own will, and suiting His mercies according to the conditions of the children of men. In other words, the Lord may distribute, redistribute, and arrange these gifts among His servants in different ways and at different times to accomplish His work, to bring to pass immortality and eternal life of man.

In order to bring about the immortality and eternal life of man, the Lord bestows other gifts as well. More gifts of the Spirit are needed to accomplish this great work. These gifts include wisdom, knowledge, faith to be healed, faith to heal, the working of miracles, the gift to prophesy, the discerning of spirits, the gift of speaking with tongues, the gift of the interpretation of tongues, and so forth. All these gifts come from God for the benefit of the children of God.

In contrast to the disorder and confusion that the early Saints experienced in Kirtland when certain people claimed to work by spiritual gifts, the Lord established order and peace through the Prophet Joseph Smith. This order and peace was replicated through the bishop of the church, and others whom God appointed to discern the true gifts of the Spirit and to and identify and reject deception.

How can we receive the gifts of the Spirit? The Spirit of God inspires us to know which gifts to request of the Lord, according to His will, and in His name. The Lord gives unto some to have all the gifts of the Spirit, that there may be a head, and that thereby every members may be profited. Joseph Smith is a great example of one to whom all the gifts of the Spirit were given. These gifts are not to be trifled with, and we must always remember to give thanks unto God in the Spirit for whichever gifts we receive and are blessed with. Even with these abundant gifts of the Spirit, we must practice virtue and holiness before the Lord continually. The gifts of the Spirit, in other words, do not relieve us of our responsibility to develop our own character, and the gifts of the Spirit can only be received by those who do their best to practice virtue and holiness before the Lord continually.

What do we learn from these passages about God who is the Giver of these gifts?

How do these gifts of the Spirit benefit the children of God?

Which gifts have you been given?

How can you use these gifts to bless God’s children?

Smith’s and Sjodahl’s commentary on these verses is excellent and praiseworthy, and I commend it to your attention. (pp. 274-278)