Come Follow Me LDS - Doctrine and Covenants 46-48
May 03, 2021
"Submission, Holy Ghost, and Gifts"
Our world is moving from a state of responsibility to a state of victimhood. Part of this is due to a lack of gratitude and submission to the Fluid Hierarchy.
As we look throughout the scriptures, there are certain "points of introduction" where the authors, as they lay out their spiritual reasoning, give us a clue as to what they are going to cover. In this case, Doctrine and Covenants 46 begins with the Holy Ghost, then goes into submission and the gifts of the Spirit. We see the same formula from Paul in 1 Corinthians 12 and from Moroni in Moroni 10.
Faith, Hope, and Charity allow us to be worthy of the gifts and to use them appropriately.
Raw Text
all right welcome to quick medias come
follow me series we are covering
doctrine and covenants sections 46 to
48.
we're going to spend almost all of our
time here on section 46.
um this is a great place to talk
about two of the quick interpreters we
see them work
side by side here one of those is the
fluid hierarchy
entering into the fluid hierarchy the
second one
is the is charity right relational
covenant one with another
and we see this introduced in a number
of places in the scriptures but we'll
see how these
these two interpreters work hand in hand
these two principles gospel principles
keep in mind here that section 46 let me
just go to the summary
and get an understanding of of what
brings this about right there's always
something that
triggers joseph smith in in getting a
revelation he's asking for questions
he's asking
for answers to questions that he has and
you can imagine
he's got these all the time every day
what do i do how do i take care of this
so in the church at that time it was
very common early on
to only invite members to the church
and the lord has a different view on
this right it's not
it's not just being an exclusive club
at all and i think sometimes we fall
into that trap a little bit here's what
the summary
says it says in this early time of the
church
a unified pattern for the conducting of
church services
had not yet developed however a custom
of admitting only members
and earnest investigators to the
sacrament meetings
and other assemblies of the church had
become somewhat
general so that's what brings about
section 46 and i think it's very
interesting
the two things that that i see that the
lord really goes into in answering this
now i think first we need to go to verse
two
that's where i want to start on this
because we see
sometimes in the scriptures these
patterns
and and it just strengthens your
testimony and your knowledge when you
see these principles working together
and there are certain words and phrases
that kind of
bring up hey maybe i should be looking
for this
right here and because the lord is going
to teach in
very similar ways each time he goes over
a principle
so here in verse 2 it says um it it
always has been given to the elders of
my church from the beginning
right we'll see that here in a minute
and ever shall be to conduct
all meetings as they are directed and
guided by the holy spirit now
that in and of itself is a principle
right and i think it's an important
principle
i've noticed that when i
focus on this in meetings either where
i'm i'm
participating as as a participant
right just to somebody that's an
observer of a meeting or of a lesson
of of a quorum meeting sacrament meeting
whatever it might be or
if i'm helping to lead or lead the
meeting
that if i am in a position where i have
invited the spirit to begin with
things turn out differently they really
do
they they turn out differently and i
think a big part of that
we you know think about what does that
really mean if i'm going to let's let's
say i'm leading a meeting
and i'm going to be having this meeting
here in just a little bit and so i'm
going to pray beforehand
and and what am i going to do in that
position well what i'm going to do what
it
does in a change of me the way it
changes me
is that if i am submitting right away
then i am again showing myself entering
into that fluid hierarchy
that submission that humility to pray to
a greater power
changes things i believe it changes
the the the ability for me to feel more
the spirit
number one because i've got a broken
heart and a contrite spirit
and number two i think it changes my
spirit
and and it it changes the way i'm going
to approach things and approach
people so i think that's a really
important thing here
that in itself is a principle when you
invite
the holy ghost into a meeting or
as a participant or i want to learn
about this
i want to see things in a clear manner
with eternal truths then it changes
those meetings or or listening to the to
general conference or whatever it might
be
so that in itself is a principle but
this is also a trigger point here
it is it is going to it shows us that
there
is to me that there's something else
possibly coming along here
why does he go over the holy ghost here
to begin with
what what is what is what how is this
being framed
in this section i think that's important
to see
all right one more point here before we
we we follow up with that
in verse three it says nevertheless ye
are commanded
commanded never to cast anyone out
from your public meetings which are held
before
the world they're open to everybody
right unless and the only time that if
if you've
tried trespassed it says uh and
and you need to make re reconciliation
with the lord through repentance in
verse four it says
well then they should not partake of the
sacrament right because that's part of
that
remember that communal meal that's being
won
at that council together sitting down in
the tent and
and gathered together and and being a
part of that one and right now if you've
you need to repent you can't enter into
that
right you can't do that until you go
through that process
so not casting anybody out i think
that's really important for us
i think it's really easy for us to focus
on
and maybe this is just myself filtering
through myself here but
i think it's really easy for us to focus
on
our actions in helping people already in
the church
right and i'm fulfilling my calling you
know unless i'm i'm
a missionary or on the uh
um the missionary council or a
missionary leader or whatever it might
be
right ward missionary leader stake
missionary leader then then
then maybe i'm not as focused on that
but
we want to be open we need to be more
open
and i think it's important for us to be
open to the point that we are inviting
everybody in
and they don't need to dress like us
they know don't need to act like us
they don't you know i think without
judgment
we need to be inviting more people i
need to do a better job of that i know
that
and and be an open church a place for
healing right it is it is a place where
people who need to heal can come in
and feel the spirit and receive some
eternal truths
the older i get the more i realize
that the world doesn't
usually give very good advice right it's
it's
the the worldly things even things with
like self-help and all this you know
it's
it's you know we've been talking a lot
about therapy and there's a lot of
problems there too
but it i think there are
when you hear truth when you are
are present with a spirit it can change
you completely
my kids are all all adults now and uh
you know i had a comment from my from my
son last month and
and and he's back east right now working
and he said
you know dad i just want to thank you
and mom
for the way you brought us up
he says you know because he's out and
he's knocking door to door right he does
door-to-door sales and and
it does very well out there with with
with his position but he's
he says you know i go to all these homes
and even
some of my friends homes and i see the
way they were taught i see the way the
home is
and you know you know sometimes when
you're in a
sheltered environment somewhat in a
decent neighborhood and
and decent schools and all that you you
don't see
not just the results that are the
difference but the actual principles
that change everything
and so i think it's important for us to
get that out to the world you know we've
got a message that can allow for
meaning and purpose in people's lives
that can change them completely
and we don't want to be exclusive we are
not a club
that that is just membership and and you
know
we we want this to get out to the world
we want to gather israel
all right moving down a little bit
further here
we talked about the holy ghost now why
is that brought up at the beginning
what what is happening here with this
what is what is going to happen in
in this uh in this this section here how
is this laid out well
let's come down a little bit further
here into verse seven
and and it says here of course ask
right here we get into that position of
being in the in
you're lower you're you're lowering
yourself below before god that
changes everything i think that's an
important principle to understand
right i'm not gonna beat a dead horse
here but
when you do that it changes you right
here's what verse 7 says 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 you should do
in all holiness of heart
so again it invites the spirit and helps
helps guide us into what we should be
doing walking uprightly before me
considering the end of your salvation
that's hope to me that's that would be
hope so we're talking about
faith and moving into hope here
doing all things with prayer and
thanksgiving
again what is thanksgiving what is
gratitude it is
it's submission in a sense it's it's
offering something
up upward right it's offering something
upward which changes your heart
that ye may not be seduced by evil
spirits or
doctrines of devils devils is
our accusers that's what that word means
or slanderers
accusers or the commandments of men
for some are of men and others of devils
i'm not sure what that means maybe
somebody in the comments can
can add to that where what what he's
saying some are of men and
other of devils i'm not sure maybe he's
talking about accusers there
i'm not sure but i think it's
interesting that
by praying and by having a a
a spirit of thanksgiving all the time
that
we are not we are we are protected more
against
the seduction of evil spirits and evil
doctrines
right that's these doctrines these
ideologies that we find in the world
that are so easy to grab onto if we
leave behind
the the ideology and the doctrine of
christ in the doctrine of the gospel
well we're more susceptible to those
things
if we don't aren't in a position in a
position of prayer
supplication again upward right lower
law
reaching up of thanksgiving lower law
reaching up
submitting into the fluid hierarchy
so i think that's an important thing to
understand i need to do a better job of
that
i think uh
i i i think you know there's so many
one of the things i've noticed and maybe
you've noticed this as well
in in the world that we live in today
is this massive change
right over from from
responsibility to victimhood
and and i think one of the major issues
there
is a lack of thanksgiving and that might
seem harsh
but i think it's much harder to fall
into victimhood in a state of victimhood
not that things bad things don't happen
to good people that happens all the time
but to fall into a state of victimhood
is a lot harder to do
and we want to avoid it at all if at all
possible
we want to avoid that it's harder to do
if we have
gratitude for all that we have so are we
looking
at the world with a as
a glass half empty all the time or are
we looking at it
as a glass half full that is that is
to me one of the major differences
in in how civilization is going to turn
out
remember what well some of you are going
to remember this
but you may have heard this or or seen
this reference but
jfk in the early 60s president
kennedy remember he said
his one of his famous phrases what was
it's not what your country can do for
you
but what you can do for your country
right that that what is that saying it's
calling on something specific and this
is
vital i think for us in in in our lives
it's calling on purpose because it is
it is um requiring
it is asking at least for
responsibility right for accountability
for contribution for duty
and that provides
purpose and so when you remove that
and instead of saying what am i
responsible for where can i be more
responsible
how can i be more dutiful right how can
i be a better citizen
and we turn around to the opposite end
of that and we say
what can others do for me or what can my
country do for me or what can this
organization do for me
what are my rights my rights my rights
as compared to what are my duties duties
duties
where can i help how can i take on more
responsibility
i i think that that changes everything
and i think we're seeing that in the
world today
we're losing purpose
and and we're losing mission
and we're losing therefore value self
value and we can see this in
in i i think in in in the rise of mental
illness
and anxiety and depression and all these
other things obviously that's not the
only thing but i think it is a
major barometer
right of of our state of being of our
happiness of our well-being
are we grateful and
are we looking to grow through
responsibility
or are we looking to receive through
rights
right so anyway just just a little bit
of an observation there
i love this quote it's a little bit long
so bear with me it's not too long but
this is from elder ukdorf and this is
from a talk he gave called
grateful in any circumstances listen to
this
we sometimes think that being grateful
is what we do
after our problems are solved
but how terribly short-sighted that is
how much of life do we miss by
waiting to see the rainbow before
thanking god that there is rain
being grateful in times of distress does
not mean
that we are pleased with our
circumstances it does mean
that through the eyes of faith we look
beyond our present day challenges
this is not a gratitude of the lips but
of the soul
it is a gratitude that heals the heart
and expands
the mind again that
heals the heart right
i think we all can be in a better
position a better state of mind a better
emotional state
if we are grateful i think that
that is part of being hopeful
i think that is part of of as we live
through faith
and we move ourselves from faith then
into the next
sequential um position or state which is
hope
i think that changes our well-being and
our outlook on life
now here's what i'm getting to i'm
building up to this here
we've been talking about the fluid
hierarchy we started off with the holy
spirit
up top here in this section which we've
been talking about what we can do
to have a prayer to submit to be
thankful
etc right and then
from there we move right into verse
eight 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 this is fascinating
right so there's there's something i
would look for when i see the
something talking about the subject of
the holy ghost and how i can submit to
receive the spirit
it's the gifts of the spirit right
that's what would be coming with it and
those gifts of the spirit as i've talked
about previously to me
are what we're talking about with that
spiritual capital
that is given to those three servants in
the parable of the talents
which is money right it's spiritual
money is what that
parable is about and
i i it's so unfortunate that
in english that word is talent because
we we mess that up right we think about
singing we think about
playing the piano you're tap dancing i
don't know as as our talents
that is not what that is right these are
spiritual gifts
primarily now we can expand that out
temporally and talk about
wealth and abundance we can talk about
knowledge we can talk about
education we can talk about
the circumstances we find ourselves in
in the country that we live in in the
neighborhood that we live in
in the family that we have these are all
gifts
that we receive but that's what the
talents are
and some have more and some have less
and some have more in one regard and you
have less than the other
and you have more in another regard and
that person has less
in another that's the way it works we
want
it that way so that we can work together
in relational covenant
through charity so we've already talked
about faith
we saw hope in here also now we're going
to move into charity and this makes all
the sense in the world
faith hope and charity are directly tied
to the opening of the heavens to the
veil being rent
and to us receiving blessings from the
lord
in the form of the gifts of the spirit
when we ask for them
but we only receive those when we are in
a
thankful and prayerful state
and that helps us stay away from these
bad ideas
out there it says here again
always remembering for what they are
given what are they given for
why do you want to search for them or
seek for them
here is verse 9 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 to do so so to do
that all may be benefited that all may
be benefit that's talking about becoming
one
through charity through sharing our
spiritual gifts
our spiritual capital our spiritual
talents in the parable
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
what because seeking for for
for gifts in place of signs
means that we're looking to grow and
serve
whereas looking for signs
right is the exact opposite we're
shunning growth
and we're shunning service in a sense
because it's the gifts of the spirit
that help us to serve and help us to
help others
and he follows this up by showing us
again that
that we are these gifts come from one
source
from the spirit he says this all the
time he says
and again verily i say to you i would
that you should always remember and
always retain in your mind
your minds what those gifts are that are
given unto the church
for all have not every gift right
we're all at different levels in
different places for there are many
gifts and
every man is given a gift by the spirit
of god
okay and then they're gonna run down all
the spirits all the gifts of the spirit
right
to some has given this to someone who's
given that to someone who's given
something else
that's how it works that's the plan of
salvation because that allows us
to participate in the plan to be like
god
to help others right that's
that's what it's all about now if we go
to a couple of other places
notice how this section reminds me so
much of paul's epistles
because not only if we go here to first
corinthians 12
where we read all about the the the
gifts of the spirit
but the epistles of paul are all about
behavior it's the same idea that joseph
smith is going through here
how do i form the policies and the norms
of the church
right in in what we're going to do here
socially
i need to learn how to do this this is a
must to keep a cohesive
uh uh experience for everybody
and that's what paul is going through
over and over again through these
epistles this is what you need to do
in in in in their behavioral issues
so joseph smith is getting the exact
same thing and that makes all the sense
in the world right because paul
is at the beginning of the church he's
at the beginning of a dispensation
and that's where joseph smith is it's
the same idea
but we see these same words and phrases
that are brought together here in in
first corinthians 12
where we get again verse one now
concerning spiritual gifts brethren
i would not have you ignorant right
verse three wherefore i give you to
understand that no man speaketh by the
spirit of god
calleth jesus accursed and that no man
can say that jesus is the lord
but by the holy ghost so he brings in
the gifts here and then he's going to
talk about the holy ghost
right these are these are the blessings
through that member of the godhead
through the holy ghost and then now
there are diversities of gifts
but the same spirit they come from the
same place and then he goes over all of
the different spirits
and then again learning where they're
all different and
and some people have this and some
people have that then he sums that up
again
in understanding this is like zion this
is the only way
we're going to get to zion he says for
as the body is one
and half many members and all the
members of that one body
being many are one body so also is
christ right he's talking about
being one how and sometimes we
we think about well here's a strength
here and here's a strength here so one
is the arm
one is a leg one is a foot one is a hand
and that's true
right that forms the body and we can
look at it that way but i think there's
something
stronger that underlies that in my
opinion
and that is an understanding that we all
have a certain number of talents
that is spiritual capital and temporal
capital
that we are given and gifted and we can
develop
and that by sharing those things with
each other and receiving
other strengths and gifts from other
people
then we become one right we become a
zion people
it requires charity
it requires charity we need to move from
faith and hope
into a stronger position of charity i
think to be able to
usher in the millennium to usher in the
second coming we need to prepare the way
for the king to come through in the
royal procession
through charity now
another place we get this is in moroni
10.
again here's a moroni at the very end he
thought he's been
done writing several times and finally
this is the last time
good thing what does he cover and i
again i think all these go back to a
similar source
they go to a similar source i'm guessing
that moroni has a similar source
that paul has on faith hope and charity
and the gifts of the spirit
but we come right back in here and and
work you know
not just being the last chapter in the
book of mormon but this is also famous
for verse four
which talks about you know and when you
shall receive these things i would
exhort you that you would ask god the
eternal father in the name of jesus
christ if these things are not true
being the book of mormon right this is
like the challenge here for missionaries
to give to an investigator about the
book of mormon and if you shall ask with
a sincere heart and real intent
having faith in jesus in christ he will
manifest the truth of it unto you by
the power of the holy ghost
now notice what he's been going through
here let me back up just a little bit
here he's talking about sealing the
records i'm going to back up actually to
verse 3
in moroni 10 and see if you see
something familiar with section 46
that we just went over something that
was laid down before they started going
into
the gifts where the lord started going
into the gifts here's verse three behold
i would exhort you that when you shall
read these things if it be wisdom in god
that ye should read them that you would
remember how
merciful the lord hath been unto the
children of men
it's gratitude remember what he's done
for you
it's gratitude from the creation of adam
even down until the time that you shall
receive these things
and ponder it in your hearts weigh it
out measure it
reason with it in your hearts
and then of course verse 4 again we just
covered it what are they talking about i
would exhort you
that ye would ask god
the eternal father in the name of christ
right
so again we get that position of
submission
of entering into the fluid hierarchy of
of
giving us strength and
a a state of being by submission
it changes us and it gives us strength
to
grow right the again like the recent
episode i did on the doctrine of christ
the least among you
is the greatest among you or the
greatest among you shall be the least
among you
it's the fluid hierarchy
right and then again the holy ghost by
the holy ghost you shall know the truth
of all things
and you may know that he is by the power
of the holy ghost
and again i exhort you my brethren that
ye deny not the gifts
of god for they are many and they come
from the same god
for behold to one is given by the spirit
of god to one is given this to one is
given that
to one is given to another these are
this is the parable the talents
and then of course wrapping it up again
same theme and twenty wherefore
there must be faith and if there must be
faith there must
also be hope and if there must be hope
there must also be charity
using the spiritual gifts and
except you have charity let me back up
before i go finish that off there
so what does that mean when we enter
into the fluid hierarchy
we are receiving strength why do we
receive strength from submission
submission i mean yes we're receiving
the spirit but what are we doing
by having a broken heart and a contrite
spirit we're putting ourselves into a
position of
of of hanging on to the rod of iron
we're putting ourselves into a position
of accepting and
anchoring ourselves to truth through the
spirit
so when we've got to hold up with the
lord right we've got we've got we're
hanging on to him
upward once i've submitted
and and reached up gratitude and prayer
right submitted now as i grow through
faith and hope
i can offer charity why because i can
hang on above
to the right principles and the right
truths
while i reach down below
to help others where i can offer those
gifts
that makes sense right now i can create
that chain we can become one together
and strengthen each other
as we go through that process so again
and except you have charity where you're
reaching down
you can in no wise be saved in the
kingdom of god
neither can ye be saved in the kingdom
of god if you have not faith
neither can ye if you have no hope okay
so i think we
we learned a great lesson in this in
understanding that
chain that is created through the fluid
hierarchy
right submission to reach up charity
to reach down and understand that we are
in a position
to effectuate both of those things we
can submit
through our agency we can ask
and have gratitude and open the heavens
and receive these spiritual gifts
so that we can grow by sharing those
gifts and helping
helping others to become one with them
and then speaking of that fluid
hierarchical structure a hierarchy
we get it again here one in in verse 27
after we've gone over all the gifts and
this isn't back in section
46 it says and under the bishop of the
church and into such as god shall
appoint
in ordained to watch over the church and
to be elders under the church or 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 so
we're creating a hierarchical structure
in the priesthood and we get this
outside of the priesthood too right it's
actually
it's actually in the priesthood also
with the auxiliaries and with the women
as well it's the same thing
same hierarchy right and it says here
that in 29 that unto some
it may be given to have all those gifts
all those spiritual gifts they've got
the five talents
right that the servant gets in the
parable
that there may be a head a hierarchical
structure
in order that every member may be
profited thereby think about that
principle
if we try to break down the hierarchical
structure
is it any wonder that critics of the
church try to do that they try to
break down the first presidency the
prophet
the the the quorum of this of 12
because look at the gifts that are
shared there
look at all the gifts that they have
that they have developed over
many many years and that they are given
with the mantle that they carry
and that we all benefit from we
want that structure in place you want
someone you can reach up to i do
right we don't want to flatten the
hierarchy
that hurts everybody
right we we want to be able to reach up
to those we trust
to those we have faith in to those that
we can emulate to those that have those
gifts
so that we can be enriched and
strengthened as well
and so that we can turn around and
strengthen others
now in terms of charity here i i think
it's very interesting that the previous
section in section 45 remember when it
was going through
last week through the the uh the signs
of the times
one of those signs was that something to
the effect that
that the love of men shall wax
cold right i think that's what it is the
love of men
shall wax cold
yep that's it verse 27 in section 45
and the love of man shall wax cold and
iniquity shall abound
because the world is moving in the
opposite direction
it is not submitting into the fluid
hierarchy
it is not thankful it is not
it does not have a a heart full of
gratitude and
and supplication in prayer to deity
and the more we move that way the more
we move into victimhood the more we
move into a state of unhappiness
and contention
[Music]
that's the opposite then right the love
of men shall wax cold
is the opposite of charity the exact
opposite of what we get
in section 46 as we talk about the
spirit
the the gifts of the spirit i hope
that we can see these things as we study
the scriptures these parallels
and bring them together when you see
talk about the holy ghost
where there's a focus on that and
especially at the beginning of a chapter
or a section
look for other things they're like the
gifts of the spirit we can do this with
anything
as you see these parallels and and these
especially following
honestly through the quick interpreters
a number of those principles you'll see
them
at other places you'll be able to see
through the scriptures and
and understand this structure that the
lord is giving joseph smith
in this section i'll talk to you next
time
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