Doctrine and Covenants 18:10
"The monotony of the winter of 1829 was broken by a
visit from his father in February, who was naturally anxious about the progress
of his son's work. During his visit the Prophet inquired of the Lord to learn
the relationship his father was to occupy to the work then coming forth, and in
which he had such unlimited faith. In answer the Prophet received the following
revelation [D&C 4] through Urim and Thummim" (Comprehensive History of
the Church, 1:116).
Reading 1 - President Joseph Fielding Smith wrote concerning
Section 4 of The Doctrine and Covenants: "This revelation is very short,
only seven verses, but it contains sufficient counsel and instruction for a
life-time study. No one has yet mastered it. It was not intended as a personal
revelation to Joseph Smith, but to be of benefit to all who desire to embark in
the service of God. It is a revelation to each member of the Church, especially
to all who hold the Priesthood. Perhaps there is no other revelation in all our
scriptures that embodies greater instruction pertaining to the manner of
qualification of members of the Church for the service of God, and in such
condensed form than this revelation. It is as broad, as high and as deep as
eternity. No elder of the Church is qualified to teach in the Church, or carry
the message of Salvation to the world, until he has absorbed, in part at least,
this heaven-sent instruction." (Church History & Modern Revelation,
p33)
Reading 2 – Doctrine and Covenants 4:1-4
Reading 3 - Brother Richard O. Cowen has written: "The Lord has compared his work on earth
to harvesting crops in a field or a vineyard (see Matthew 9:37-38; John
4:35-36). The heads of grain in a field take on a white color when they are
ready to be harvested. The field is not 'all ready to harvest' but is 'already
to harvest'—that is, the harvest is not just about to begin but is now in
progress. Hence our need to get involved is urgent." (Answers To Your Questions About the Doctrine
& Covenants, p9)
Doctrine and Covenants 4:3
Reading 4: Doctrine and Covenants 11:8 - Verily, verily, I
say unto you, even as you desire of me so it shall be done unto you; and, if
you desire, you shall be the means of doing much good in this generation.
Reading 5 – Doctrine and Covenants 4:5-6
Reading 6 – Helaman 10:4-5
Reading 6A – Elder Joe J. Christensen wrote: “I have asked
mission presidents in many parts of the world this question: ‘How many
missionaries do you have in your mission who are really spiritual and also
lazy?’ There isn’t one in all the world. Laziness and spirituality don’t go
together. The most spiritual people I know are also some of the hardest working
people I have ever met.
So if you want to increase your level of spirituality, work
hard. Magnify your callings within the Church. Really work! (Joe J.
Christensen, “Ten Ideas to Increase Your Spirituality,” Ensign, Mar. 1999, 59)
Reading 7 – Doctrine and Covenants 6, 20
Reading 8 - In 1837, "Kirtland was in turmoil as
apostasy raged and, not immune from the national economic crisis, the Saints'
banking institution crashed. Even some of Joseph Smith's immediate friends and
closest advisors were turning against him, calling him a fallen prophet. It
seemed an unlikely time for Joseph to choose one of his most loyal lieutenants
to leave on a mission. Yet in June while Heber C. Kimball was sitting in the
Kirtland Temple, the Prophet came to him and said quietly, 'The Spirit of the
Lord has whispered to me, "Let my servant Heber go to England and proclaim
my Gospel, and open the door of salvation to that nation"
"Heber, who would have spared
no sacrifice for the restored gospel, was staggered by the weight of the call
and his own weakness. 'O Lord,' he prayed, 'I am a man of stammering tongue,
and altogether unfit for such a work; how can I go to preach in that land,
which is so famed throughout Christendom for learning, knowledge and piety; the
nursery of religion; and a people whose intelligence is proverbial!'
"He later wrote, ‘The idea of
such a mission was almost more than I could bear up under. I was almost ready to sink under the
burden which was placed upon me,' However, these considerations would not deter
him: 'For the moment, I understood the will of my Heavenly Father, I felt a
determination to go at all hazards, believing that He would support me by His
almighty power." (Proctor, Maurine Jensen and Scot Facer, The Gathering, Mormon Pioneers on the Trail
to Zion)
Doctrine and Covenants 60:13
Reading 9 - Elder Henry B. Eyring of the Quorum of the
Twelve related the following experience: “It’s easy to say, ‘The time isn’t
right.’ But there is danger in procrastination. Years ago I worked for a man in
California. He hired me; he was kind to me; he seemed to regard me highly. I
may have been the only Latter-day Saint he ever knew well. I don’t know all the
reasons I found to wait for a better moment to talk with him about the gospel.
I just remember my feeling of sorrow when I learned, after he had retired and I
lived far away, that he and his wife had been killed in a late-night drive to
their home in Carmel, California. He loved his wife. He loved his children. He
had loved his parents. He loved his grandchildren, and he will love their children
and will want to be with them forever.
“Now, I don’t know how the crowds
will be handled in the world to come. But I suppose that I will meet him, that
he will look into my eyes, and that I will see in them the question, ‘Hal, you
knew. Why didn’t you tell me?’” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1998, 42; or
Ensign, Nov. 1998, 33)
Reading 10 - Elder Neal A. Maxwell said, “Ultimate hope is a
different matter. It is tied to Jesus and the blessings of the great Atonement,
blessings resulting in the universal Resurrection and the precious opportunity
provided thereby for us to practice emancipating repentance, making possible
what the scriptures call “a perfect brightness of hope” (2 Ne. 31:20). [“Hope
through the Atonement of Jesus Christ:” C.R., Elder Neal A. Maxwell (October
1998)]
Doctrine and Covenants 33:10-11
