Whatsoever They Shall Speak When Moved upon by the Holy Ghost Shall Be Scripture
Reflections on Doctrine and Covenants Section 68
In the previous post we reviewed the historical background for Doctrine and Covenants 68. In this post let’s examine and appreciate the revelation itself.
My servant, Orson Hyde, was called by his ordination to proclaim the everlasting gospel, by the Spirit of the living God, from people to people, and from land to land, in the congregations of the wicked, in their synagogues, reasoning with and expounding all scriptures unto them.
And, behold, and lo, this is an ensample unto all those who were ordained unto this priesthood, whose mission is appointed unto them to go forth—
And this is the ensample unto them, that they shall speak as they are moved upon by the Holy Ghost.
And whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation.
Behold, this is the promise of the Lord unto you, O ye my servants.
Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you; and ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the Son of the living God, that I was, that I am, and that I am to come.
This is the word of the Lord unto you, my servant Orson Hyde, and also unto my servant Luke Johnson, and unto my servant Lyman Johnson, and unto my servant William E. McLellin, and unto all the faithful elders of my church—
Go ye into all the world, preach the gospel to every creature, acting in the authority which I have given you, baptizing in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
And he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned.
And he that believeth shall be blest with signs following, even as it is written.
And unto you it shall be given to know the signs of the times, and the signs of the coming of the Son of Man;
And of as many as the Father shall bear record, to you shall be given power to seal them up unto eternal life. Amen. (D&C 68:1-12)
The Lord’s message to Orson Hyde was also the Lord’s message to Luke Johnson, Lyman Johnson, and William E. McLellin. Furthermore, it was and is the Lord’s message to each one of His servants, in particular to each man who has been ordained unto the Priesthood and sent forth on a mission. Their commission, and our commission, was and is the same as that of the original disciples of Christ in the Old World whom He se sent into all the world to preach the Gospel to every creature. The Lord gave unto them the authority to preach the Gospel and to baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. He also promised to go with them and stand by them, and that the Holy Ghost would speak through them.
The original disciples and the early Saints bore record of Jesus Christ, that He is the Son of the Living God, that He was, is, and is to come. We too bear record of Jesus Christ, and when we speak as moved upon by the Holy Ghost, the words become scripture. Anything that the Holy Ghost moves upon us to speak is the will of the Lord, the mind of the Lord, the word of the Lord, the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation.
Orson Hyde was called by his ordination to proclaim the everlasting gospel, by the Spirit of the living God in many places, and by so doing became an example to all of the Lord’s missionaries. Orson Hyde’s mission was to preach to people to people and from land to land, in the congregations of the wicked and even in their synagogues. His mission was to reason with the people and to expound all scriptures unto them.
Orson Hyde’s first mission was to Ohio, in Orange, Cuyahoga County in November 1831. From there he went on to serve as a missionary with Samuel H. Smith in the Easter United States. In the summer of 1833 he was appointed to serve a mission to Jackson County, Missouri. Soon thereafter, in the winter and spring of 1834, he served missions to Pennsylvania and New York. In 1836 he served a mission to western New York and Upper Canada. In 1837-1838, he served a mission to England with Heber C. Kimball. From 1840 to 1842 he served a mission to Palestine to dedicate the land for the gathering of the Jews. From 1846 to 1847 he served another mission to Great Britain. Finally, in 1860, he served a colonizing mission to Sanpete County, Utah Territory, and presided as an ecclesiastical authority there. Orson Hyde’s life was a life of missions, and the Lord used him as an example for all missionaries.
However, it wasn’t just Orson Hydes missions that served as an example, but what he did and the way that preached, namely, speaking as moved upon by the Holy Ghost. When the Lord’s missionaries lift up their voices to speak, He fills their mouths with His words. Remember what the Lord taught His original disciples in the Holy Land:
Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;
And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.
For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. (Matthew 10:16-20)
The same principle applied to Orson Hyde and other early missionaries, and it applies to all missionaries and faithful Elders of the Lord’s Church today:
And thou shalt continue in calling upon God in my name, and writing the things which shall be given thee by the Comforter, and expounding all scriptures unto the church.
And it shall be given thee in the very moment what thou shalt speak and write, and they shall hear it, or I will send unto them a cursing instead of a blessing. (D&C 24:5-6)
and
Neither take ye thought beforehand what ye shall say; but treasure up in your minds continually the words of life, and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man. (D&C 84:85)
In addition to bestowing His authority to teach upon His missionaries and faithful Elders, the Lord bestows upon us the authority to baptize. The Lord declared that those who believe and are baptized shall be saved and blessed with signs to confirm their faith, whereas those who don’t believe shall be damned. Believers are also blessed to know the signs of the times, and the signs of the coming of the Son of Man, and to receive power to seal up unto eternal life of as many as the Father shall bear record.
Regarding these verses, Smith and Sjodahl write:
Directions Concerning the Ministry.
Orson Hyde] He was born on January 8th, 1805, at Oxford, Conn. At the age of fourteen he came to Ohio, and was, a few years later, engaged as clerk in the store of Gilbert and Whitney. In 1827 he joined the Methodists. Then he accepted the Campbellite creed. When Oliver Cowdery and his companions, on their mission to the Lamanites, came to Kirtland with the gospel message, he embraced it, was baptized, and, shortly afterwards, was ordained a High Priest. In company with Hyrum Smith he performed a mission among the Campbellites and organized several branches.
The prophecy in this verse was literally fulfilled. Orson Hyde proclaimed the gospel “from people to people, from land to land.” In 1832, he and Samuel H. Smith traveled in the States of New York, Massachusetts, Maine, and Rhode Island - two thousand miles - on foot. In 1835 he was ordained an Apostle, and in 1837 he went on a mission to England. In 1840 he was sent on a mission to Jerusalem. he crossed the Ocean, traveled through England and Germany, visited Constantinople, Cairo, and Alexandria, and finally, reached the Holy City. On October 24th, 1841, he went up on the Mount of Olives and offered a prayer, dedicating Palestine for the gathering of the Jews.
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They shall speak as they are moved upon] The ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ must be “in tune with” the Holy Spirit. They may gather information from all pure sources, but they must rely on the Spirit of God to bring forth, from that which has been stored up, the instructions needed on each particular occasion.
Shall be Scripture] Whatever is thus spoken, or written, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is authoritative.
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Ye shall bear record of me] This is the very essence of the message of the Elders of the Church. Thy are sent into the world, to testify of the Lord Jesus Christ, not to speak of themselves. Their mission is to tell the world that He is the Son of God; to bear witness of His work in the past, as the One to whom God, our Father, entrusted the plan of Salvation; of His present work in carrying out that plan; and of His future exaltation and glory, when He comes into His kingdom. This embraces the entire message of the Elders.
-12. This section contains the commission to all Elders in the ministry. It is their duty to go to every part of the world (v. 8) and preach the gospel to every “creature”; i.e., to every human being. No one stands so low down in the scale of civilization, or is so degraded, that he is not one of God’s creatures. The gospel message is for him, or her. Those who believe and repent are to be baptized, and signs will follow faith. Comp. Mark 16:15-18.
Two special promises are given to the faithful Elders; one is this that they shall know the “signs of the coming of the Son of Man” (v. 11). To many, wars, pestilence, famine, and commotion among the nations are but ordinary events of history, but to the Saints they are “signs” indicating the advent of our Savior. They read these signs, as the navigator reads the indications of the sky or the meaning of the lights that pass his view at night. Another promise is this that they shall have authority to “seal up to eternal life” as many as the Father shall indicate to them (v. 12).
Luke Johnson] He was born November 3rd, 1807, and was baptized May 10th, 1831, by the Prophet Joseph. On February 14th, 1835, he was ordained an Apostle. he was one of the prominent men who fell away in 1838, but he repented and was re-instated in the Church in 1846. In 1847 he came to Salt Lake Valley. In 1858 he was appointed Bishop of St. John’s ward, Tooele County. He died in Salt Lake City, at the home of Orson Hyde, December 9th, 1861.
Lyman Johnon] He was born October 24, 1811, and baptized in February, 1834, by Sidney Rigdon. He performed successful missions, went with Zion’s Camp to Missouri, and was ordained an Apostle, February 14th, 1835. He, too, was disfellowshipped in 1838, but remained friendly to his former associates in the Church. He lost his life by drowning, in the Mississippi River, December 20th, 1856.
Luke S. and Lyman E. Johnson were sons of John Johnson, at who home in Hiram the Prophet found the welcome hospitality that enabled him to attend to his study of the Bible and to other important work for the Church.
M’Lellin] See Sec. 66. M’Lellin, unlike the Johnson brothers, became a bitter enemy of the Prophet Joseph and the Church, when he fell by the wayside. In 1838 he confessed before a Bishop’s court at Far West that he had ceased praying and keeping the commandments of the Lord, but, when he was disfellowshiped, he, nevertheless, tried to establish a church of his own. Failing in this, he took an active part in the persecution by which the Saints were driven from Missouri (Hist. Record, p. 38). (pp. 409-411)
Orson Hyde’s mission to Palestine and Jerusalem is of particular interest to me because after my mission in southern Italy (and studies in France and in northern Italy) and graduation from BYU, I embarked upon a journey to the Holy Land. My friends and I visited the Orson Hyde memorial on the Mount of Olives and other related sites (such as his dedicatory prayer monument) on more than one occasion. Orson Hyde’s journey to Jerusalem was a dangerous adventure. He suffered much, ate snails, traveled through war torn countries, saw beheaded people, cared for a sick companion who later died, and hiked up the Mount of Olives that he had seen in vision to offer the dedicatory prayer for the gathering of the Jews in Palestine.*
The revelation in D&C 68 continues and concludes:
And now, concerning the items in addition to the covenants and commandments, they are these—
There remain hereafter, in the due time of the Lord, other bishops to be set apart unto the church, to minister even according to the first;
Wherefore they shall be high priests who are worthy, and they shall be appointed by the First Presidency of the Melchizedek Priesthood, except they be literal descendants of Aaron.
And if they be literal descendants of Aaron they have a legal right to the bishopric, if they are the firstborn among the sons of Aaron;
For the firstborn holds the right of the presidency over this priesthood, and the keys or authority of the same.
No man has a legal right to this office, to hold the keys of this priesthood, except he be a literal descendant and the firstborn of Aaron.
But, as a high priest of the Melchizedek Priesthood has authority to officiate in all the lesser offices he may officiate in the office of bishop when no literal descendant of Aaron can be found, provided he is called and set apart and ordained unto this power, under the hands of the First Presidency of the Melchizedek Priesthood.
And a literal descendant of Aaron, also, must be designated by this Presidency, and found worthy, and anointed, and ordained under the hands of this Presidency, otherwise they are not legally authorized to officiate in their priesthood.
But, by virtue of the decree concerning their right of the priesthood descending from father to son, they may claim their anointing if at any time they can prove their lineage, or do ascertain it by revelation from the Lord under the hands of the above named Presidency.
And again, no bishop or high priest who shall be set apart for this ministry shall be tried or condemned for any crime, save it be before the First Presidency of the church;
And inasmuch as he is found guilty before this Presidency, by testimony that cannot be impeached, he shall be condemned;
And if he repent he shall be forgiven, according to the covenants and commandments of the church.
And again, inasmuch as parents have children in Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized, that teach them not to understand the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the Son of the living God, and of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the hands, when eight years old, the sin be upon the heads of the parents.
For this shall be a law unto the inhabitants of Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized.
And their children shall be baptized for the remission of their sins when eight years old, and receive the laying on of the hands.
And they shall also teach their children to pray, and to walk uprightly before the Lord.
And the inhabitants of Zion shall also observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy.
And the inhabitants of Zion also shall remember their labors, inasmuch as they are appointed to labor, in all faithfulness; for the idler shall be had in remembrance before the Lord.
Now, I, the Lord, am not well pleased with the inhabitants of Zion, for there are idlers among them; and their children are also growing up in wickedness; they also seek not earnestly the riches of eternity, but their eyes are full of greediness.
These things ought not to be, and must be done away from among them; wherefore, let my servant Oliver Cowdery carry these sayings unto the land of Zion.
And a commandment I give unto them—that he that observeth not his prayers before the Lord in the season thereof, let him be had in remembrance before the judge of my people.
These sayings are true and faithful; wherefore, transgress them not, neither take therefrom.
Behold, I am Alpha and Omega, and I come quickly. Amen. (D&C 68:13-35)
Bruce R. McConkie summarizes these verses as follows:
13–24, The firstborn among the sons of Aaron may serve as the Presiding Bishop (that is, hold the keys of presidency as a bishop) under the direction of the First Presidency; 25–28, Parents are commanded to teach the gospel to their children; 29–35, The Saints are to observe the Sabbath, labor diligently, and pray.
These verses are fascinating in part because they contain prophecies that have yet to be completely fulfilled. Who are the other bishops to be set apart unto the Church? Edward Partridge was the first bishop of the Church, but these other bishops shall be worthy high priests appointed by the First Presidency of the Melchizedek Priesthood, unless they are literal descendants of Aaron, in which case they have a legal right to the bishopric if they are the firstborn among the sons of Aaron.
This is the same pattern of the Children Israel under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. The Lord established His kingdom as He did in ancient times. The firstborn of the sons or literal descendants of Aaron hold the right of the presidency over and the keys or authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood. In later revelations through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord explains more about Priesthood power, authority, and organization.
What are high priests?
See also Aaronic Priesthood; Melchizedek Priesthood
An office in the priesthood. The scriptures speak of “high priest” in two senses: (1) an office in the Melchizedek Priesthood; and (2) under the law of Moses, the presiding officer of the Aaronic Priesthood.
The first sense applies to Jesus Christ as the great High Priest. Adam and all the patriarchs were also high priests. Today, three presiding high priests form the Presidency of the Church and preside over all other priesthood holders and Church members. Additional worthy men are ordained high priests as appropriate throughout the Church today. High priests may be called, set apart, and ordained as bishops (D&C 68:19; 107:69–71).
In the second sense, under the law of Moses, the presiding officer of the Aaronic Priesthood was called the high priest. The office was hereditary and came through the firstborn among the family of Aaron, Aaron himself being the first high priest of the Aaronic order (Ex. 28–29; Lev. 8; D&C 84:18).
Melchizedek was a priest of the most high God, Gen. 14:18 (Alma 13:14).
High priests were called and prepared from the foundation of the world, Alma 13:1–10.
High priests administer in spiritual things, D&C 107:10, 12, 17.
In the Book of Mormon, Alma the Elder taught:
And again, my brethren, I would cite your minds forward to the time when the Lord God gave these commandments unto his children; and I would that ye should remember that the Lord God ordained priests, after his holy order, which was after the order of his Son, to teach these things unto the people.
And those priests were ordained after the order of his Son, in a manner that thereby the people might know in what manner to look forward to his Son for redemption.
And this is the manner after which they were ordained—being called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works; in the first place being left to choose good or evil; therefore they having chosen good, and exercising exceedingly great faith, are called with a holy calling, yea, with that holy calling which was prepared with, and according to, a preparatory redemption for such.
And thus they have been called to this holy calling on account of their faith, while others would reject the Spirit of God on account of the hardness of their hearts and blindness of their minds, while, if it had not been for this they might have had as great privilege as their brethren.
Or in fine, in the first place they were on the same standing with their brethren; thus this holy calling being prepared from the foundation of the world for such as would not harden their hearts, being in and through the atonement of the Only Begotten Son, who was prepared—
And thus being called by this holy calling, and ordained unto the high priesthood of the holy order of God, to teach his commandments unto the children of men, that they also might enter into his rest—
This high priesthood being after the order of his Son, which order was from the foundation of the world; or in other words, being without beginning of days or end of years, being prepared from eternity to all eternity, according to his foreknowledge of all things—
Now they were ordained after this manner—being called with a holy calling, and ordained with a holy ordinance, and taking upon them the high priesthood of the holy order, which calling, and ordinance, and high priesthood, is without beginning or end—
Thus they become high priests forever, after the order of the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father, who is without beginning of days or end of years, who is full of grace, equity, and truth. And thus it is. Amen.
Now, as I said concerning the holy order, or this high priesthood, there were many who were ordained and became high priests of God; and it was on account of their exceeding faith and repentance, and their righteousness before God, they choosing to repent and work righteousness rather than to perish; (Alma 13:1-10)
Many modern LDS educational materials (see also here) teach that only men with what they consider to be important callings (apostles, stake presidents, mission presidents, high councilors, bishops and their counselors, and other leaders of the Church) can be ordained as high priests. But this modern practice seems to have little or no scriptural basis. While it makes sense that men with what they consider to be important callings (apostles, stake presidents, mission presidents, high councilors, bishops and their counselors, and other leaders of the Church) should be ordained as high priests, the qualifications for becoming a high priest have less to do with callings and more to do with foreordination, faith, repentance, preparation, righteousness, and good works. The holy calling accompanies ordination as a high priest. As Alma taught, there were many who were ordained and became high priests, not because they were called to what they considered to be important callings, but because of their exceeding faith and repentance, their righteousness before God, and their choice to repent and work righteousness.
One of the best examples of such righteous desires and decisions is Abraham of old:
In the land of the Chaldeans, at the residence of my fathers, I, Abraham, saw that it was needful for me to obtain another place of residence;
And, finding there was greater happiness and peace and rest for me, I sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer the same; having been myself a follower of righteousness, desiring also to be one who possessed great knowledge, and to be a greater follower of righteousness, and to possess a greater knowledge, and to be a father of many nations, a prince of peace, and desiring to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of God, I became a rightful heir, a High Priest, holding the right belonging to the fathers.
It was conferred upon me from the fathers; it came down from the fathers, from the beginning of time, yea, even from the beginning, or before the foundation of the earth, down to the present time, even the right of the firstborn, or the first man, who is Adam, or first father, through the fathers unto me.
I sought for mine appointment unto the Priesthood according to the appointment of God unto the fathers concerning the seed. (Abraham 1:1-4)
Abraham was a follower of righteousness. He had righteous desires. He desired to possess great knowledge, to become a greater follower of righteousness, to possess a greater knowledge, to be a father of many nations, to be a prince of peace, to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of God. Abraham didn’t aspire to power or to offices. Because of his righteous desires, faith, repentance, and good works - and not because he sought what he considered to be important callings - he became a rightful heir and a High Priest. Abraham sought for greater happiness, peace, and rest, not greater power, prestige, and positions.
This right belonging to the fathers came down from the fathers and was conferred upon him from the fathers, from the beginning of time. It was the right of the firstborn, the first man, the first father, namely Adam, and it became Abraham’s right and appointment unto the Priesthood, not because he was an apostle, a stake president, a mission president, a high councilor, a bishop, a counselor, or any other kind of leader, but because he sought for it. This high priesthood was appointed by God unto the fathers concerning the seed, and Abraham received it too, from Melchizedek. (See D&C 84:14)
According to the author of the Hebrews, one of Jesus Christ’s titles is the High Priest. All other high priests prefigure Jesus Christ, the Great High Priest:
Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; (Hebrews 3:1)
and
Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. (Hebrews 6:20)
and
For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; (Hebrews 7:26)
and
Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; (Hebrews 8:1)
and
But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; (Hebrews 9:11)
and
And having an high priest over the house of God; (Hebrews 10:21)
In other words, it ought to be that men with what they consider to be important callings in the Church receive those callings through becoming high priests, and not the other way around. Joseph Smith had already begun to ordain high priests in 1831. We will learn more about high priests in later revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants. However, in this section, the term “high priest” refers specifically to the presiding officer of the Aaronic Priesthood, the hereditary office that came through the firstborn among the family of Aaron who was the first high priest of the Aaronic order.
It is no coincidence that the Lord’s instructions regarding parenthood follow the Lord’s instructions on the high priesthood, which is the right of the fathers, from the first father, Adam, to Abraham, to Jesus Christ, to Joseph Smith, and to the present. Parents in Zion have a sacred responsibility teach their children to understand the Gospel. Because children are innocent and pure, parents cannot teach their children to repent, only to understand the doctrine of repentance, until they reach the age of accountability (eight). Parents must teach the Gospel in a way that children can understand it, which if they fail to do, the sin is upon the heads of the parents.
In Zion and her stakes, the Lord has commanded parents to baptize their children for the remission of their sins and to bestow the Gift of the Holy Ghost upon them by the laying on of hands, when they are eight years old. When I was eight years old, my father baptized me in a lake in Michigan, after which he conferred the Gift of the Holy Ghost upon me, following the example set by John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. Furthermore, the Lord has commanded parents in Zion to teach their children to pray, and to walk uprightly before the Lord. I am grateful for my good parents who did their best to teach me these things.
The Lord reiterated other commandments at the end of this revelation, including the commandments to keep the Sabbath day holy, to work, and to refrain from idleness. The Lord, in His displeasure, rebuked these early Saints for harboring idlers, for permissiveness - or allowing their children to grow up in wickedness - for failing to earnestly seek the riches of eternity, and for greediness. Are there any modern Latter-day Saints who earnestly seek the riches of eternity instead of worldly wealth, position, power, and prestige? Are there any modern Latter-day Saints who don’t permit their children to grow up in wickedness? I know that there are. These are rhetorical questions, but I believe that these verses of scripture are even more relevant to us today than they were to the Saints in the early 1830s.
The Lord appointed Oliver Cowdery to deliver His true and faithful message to the Saints in Zion that such sins and vices might be done away, that they might remember to pray, and that they might remember that the Lord shall come quickly.
Regarding these verses Smith and Sjodahl observe:
Instructions on Various Topics.
(a) On the Bishopric
- 21. In these paragraphs the Lord gives instructions regarding the appointment of Bishops. Edward Partridge was the first Bishop appointed (Sec. 41:9). Other Bishops were to be called in due time (v. 14). It was, therefore, necessary to have instructions concerning their appointment. Isaac Morley and John Corrill, who had been Bishop Partridge’s counselors, were selected as second and third Bishops respectively. Morley was to select Christian Whitmer and Newel Knight for his counselors; and Corrill, Daniel Stanton, and Hezekiah Peck (Hist. of the Church, Vol. I., p. 363).
Bishops must be High Priests, and they must be worthy; they must be appointed by the First Presidency of the Melchizedek Priesthood, unless they are literal descendants of Aaron (v. 15); in which case, if they are the firstborn, they have a right to the Bishopric, as heirs; but even a lineal descendant of Aaron must be designated, found worthy, anointed, and ordained by the First Presidency (v. 20); any High Priest of the Melchizedek Priesthood may officiate in the Bishopric, if he is called, ordained, and set apart by the First Presidency.
The Bishop, with his counselors, is the head of the Ward, under the direction of the President of the Stake, of which the Ward is an ecclesiastical division. He presides over the Aaronic Priesthood.
“You may see him in charge of the Sunday Sacrament meetings, the fast meetings, and the Priesthood meetings. He is to be seen at the Quorum meetings, at the Sabbath school, and at the Young People’s Mutual Improvement meetings - and at all times observing what is going on, and often giving instruction and counsel. His official duties require him to visit the homes of the members, administering comfort and blessing to the sick and needy, and encouragement to all; besides this, he mingles freely with the people in a social way. On account of this constant paternal watch-care over all, he is affectionately called ‘the father of the Ward.’” Joseph B. Keeler, First Steps in Church Government, p. 13).
One of the prerogatives of the office of the Presiding Bishop is, that the incumbent can be tried only before the First Presidency of the Church (vv. 22-24)
(b) On the Duty of Parents Toward Children.
- 8. Many people in the world consider that they have done their full duty to their children, when they have given them shelter, food, clothing, and education, and accumulated property for them to inherit. But Latter-day Saints have a still more important duty, as parents. They must teach their children, when they are eight years old, the doctrines of the gospel - faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost (v. 25). It is not enough to send them to Primaries, Sunday-schools, and day-schools. The parents themselves have a personal duty to perform as teachers of their children. They must see to it that the little ones are baptized at the age of eight years (v. 27), and that they are taught to pray and walk uprightly before the Lord (v. 28). If parents will do this, they will be blessed. God says of Abraham, that “he shall surely become a great and mighty nation *** for I know him, that he will command his children and his household hafter him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment” (Gen. 18:17-19). God could make Abraham the head of a numerous posterity, because of his faithfulness in teaching his children to keep the commandments.
“Now, my brethren and sisters, will you try to take care of your children, and look after them on the Sabbath day, see where they are, bring them to meeting and teach them something they do not know? I recollect, when on my mission in England, I visited a number of my relatives there. They were what we might call sectarian; they did not believe the true gospel *** but when the Sabbath day came, their children were called in, and if they did not go to meeting, they were taught to take a book and read, and the parents sat down and taught them and they read by turns and explained passages of Scripture and history, and they talked to and instructed one another, and thus they spent the day, and when the evening came the children had learned something, their minds were improved, and they were better than when the day began” (Joseph F. Smith, Jour. of Dis., Vol. XIV., p. 286).
(c) On the Sabbath.
- 30. See Sec. 59:9, 12. The inhabitants of Zion are commanded to observe the Sabbath; but also to work on other days. They were members of one family, and if one of them shirked his duties, the others would be imposed upon to that extent. Idlers were to be “had in remembrance before the Lord”; their case was to be handled in the Church courts. “Joseph Smith never tolerated in the least indolence, idleness, slothfulness, drunkenness, or anything of the kind wherein exists sin” (Brigham Young, Jour. of Dis., Vol. X., p. 364)
(d) Rebuke and Commandments.
-5. The Lord found idlers in Zion; also children growing up in wickedness, and Church members who thought more of money than of the riches of eternity (v. 31). These things He condemned (v. 32). He also found those who did not pray regularly; they were to be dealt with by the Church (v. 33). (pp. 413-414)
Smith’s and Sjodahl’s General Notes on this section which include explanations on the duties of Bishops and the rearing of children, with great quotes from Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball, are also instructive.
* This is Orson Hyde’s “Prayer of Dedication on the Mount of Olives”:
O Thou! who art from everlasting to everlasting, eternally and unchangeably the same, even the God who rules in the heavens above, and controls the destinies of men on the earth, wilt Thou not condescend, through thine infinite goodness and royal favor, to listen to the prayer of Thy servant which he this day offers up unto Thee in the name of Thy holy child Jesus, upon this land, where the Son of Righteousness set in blood, and thine Anointed One expired.
Be pleased, O Lord, to forgive all the follies, weaknesses, vanities, and sins of Thy servant, and strengthen him to resist all future temptations. Give him prudence and discernment that he may avoid the evil, and a heart to choose the good; give him fortitude to bear up under trying and adverse circumstances, and grace to endure all things for Thy name's sake, until the end shall come, when all the Saints shall rest in peace.
Now, O Lord! Thy servant has been obedient to the heavenly vision which Thou gavest him in his native land; and under the shadow of Thine outstretched arm, he has safely arrived in this place to dedicate and consecrate this land unto Thee, for the gathering together of Judah's scattered remnants, according to the predictions of the holy Prophets -- for the building up of Jerusalem again after it has been trodden down by the Gentiles so long, and for rearing a Temple in honor of Thy name. Everlasting thanks be ascribed unto Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou hast preserved Thy servant from the dangers of the seas, and from the plague and pestilence which have caused the land to mourn. The violence of man has also been restrained, and Thy providential care by night and by day has been exercised over Thine unworthy servant. Accept, therefore, O Lord, the tribute of a grateful heart for all past favors, and be pleased to continue Thy kindness and mercy towards a needy worm of the dust.
O Thou, Who didst covenant with Abraham, Thy friend, and who didst renew that covenant with Isaac, and confirm the same with Jacob with an oath, that Thou wouldst not only give them this land for an everlasting inheritance, but that Thou wouldst also remember their seed forever. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob have long since closed their eyes in death, and made the grave their mansion. Their children are scattered and dispersed abroad among the nations of the Gentiles like sheep that have no shepherd, and are still looking forward for the fulfillment of those promises which Thou didst make concerning them; and even this land, which once poured forth nature's richest bounty, and flowed, as it were, with milk and honey, has, to a certain extent, been smitten with barrenness and sterility since it drank from murderous hands the blood of Him who never sinned.
Grant, therefore, O Lord, in the name of Thy well-beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to remove the barrenness and sterility of this land, and let springs of living water break forth to water its thirsty soil. Let the vine and olive produce in their strength, and the fig-tree bloom and flourish. Let the land become abundantly fruitful when possessed by its rightful heirs; let it again flow with plenty to feed the returning prodigals who come home with a spirit of grace and supplication; upon it let the clouds distil virtue and richness, and let the fields smile with plenty. Let the flocks and the herds greatly increase and multiply upon the mountains and the hills; and let Thy great kindness conquer and subdue the unbelief of Thy people. Do Thou take from them their stony heart, and give them a heart of flesh; and may the Sun of Thy favor dispel the cold mists of darkness which have beclouded their atmosphere. Incline them to gather in upon this land according to Thy word. Let them come like clouds and like doves to their windows. Let the large ships of the nations bring them from the distant isles; and let kings become their nursing fathers, and queens with motherly fondness wipe the tear of sorrow from their eye.
"Thou, O Lord, did once move upon the heart of Cyrus to show favor unto Jerusalem and her children. Do Thou now also be pleased to inspire the hearts of kings and the powers of the earth to look with a friendly eye towards this place, and with a desire to see Thy righteous purposes executed in relation thereto. Let them know that it is Thy good pleasure to restore the kingdom unto Israel -- raise up Jerusalem as its capital, and constitute her people a distinct nation and government, with David Thy servant, even a descendant from the loins of ancient David to be their king.
Let that nation or that people who shall take an active part in behalf of Abraham's children, and in the raising up of Jerusalem, find favor in Thy sight. Let not their enemies prevail against them, neither let pestilence or famine overcome them, but let the glory of Israel overshadow them, and the power of the Highest protect them; while that nation or kingdom that will not serve Thee in this glorious work must perish, according to Thy word --- Yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.
Though Thy servant is now far from his home, and from the land bedewed with his earliest tear, yet he remembers, O Lord, his friend: who are there, and family, whom for Thy sake he has left. Though poverty and privation be our earthly lot, yet ah! do Thou richly endow us with an inheritance where moth and rust do not corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal.
The hands that have fed, clothed, or shown favor unto the family of Thy servant in his absence, or that shall hereafter do so, let them not lose their reward, but let a special blessing rest upon them, and in Thy kingdom let them have an inheritance when Thou shalt come to be glorified in this society.
Do Thou also look with favor upon all those through whose liberality I have been enabled to come to this land; and in the day when Thou shalt reward all people according to their works, let these also not be passed by or forgotten, but in time let them be in readiness to enjoy the glory of those mansions which Jesus has gone to prepare. Particularly do Thou bless the stranger in Philadelphia, whom I never saw, but who sent me gold, with a request that I should pray for him in Jerusalem. Now, O Lord, let blessings come upon him from an unexpected quarter, and let his basket be filled, and his storehouse abound with plenty, and let not the good things of the earth be his only portion, but let him be found among those to whom it shall be said, `Thou hast been faithful over a few things, and I will make thee ruler over many.'
O my Father in heaven! I now ask Thee in the name of Jesus to remember Zion, with all her Stakes, and with all her assemblies. She has been grievously afflicted and smitten; she has mourned; she has wept; her enemies have triumphed, and have said, `Ah, where is thy God?' Her Priests and Prophets have groaned in chains and fetters within the gloomy walls of prisons, while many were slain, and now sleep in the arms of death. How long, O Lord, shall iniquity triumph, and sin go unpunished?
Do Thou arise in the majesty of Thy strength, and make bare Thine arm in behalf of Thy people. Redress their wrongs, and turn their sorrow into joy. Pour the spirit of light and knowledge, grace and wisdom, into the hearts of her Prophets, and clothe her Priests with salvation. Let light and knowledge march forth through the empire of darkness, and may the honest in heart flow to their standard, and join in the march to go forth to meet the Bridegroom.
Let a peculiar blessing rest upon the Presidency of Thy Church, for at them are the arrows of the enemy directed. Be Thou to them a sun and a shield, their strong tower and hiding place; and in the time of distress or danger be Thou near to deliver. Also the quorum of the Twelve, do Thou be pleased to stand by them for Thou knowest the obstacles which they have to encounter, the temptations to which they are exposed, and the privations which they must suffer. Give us, [the Twelve] therefore, strength according to our day, and help us to bear a faithful testimony of Jesus and His Gospel, to finish with fidelity and honor the work which Thou hast given us to do, and then give us a place in Thy glorious kingdom. And let this blessing rest upon every faithful officer and member in Thy Church. And all the glory and honor will we ascribe unto God and the Lamb forever and ever. Amen.