Section 46
Background Information
This section was given the day after JS received section 45. It was given in response to two concerns that had arisen. John Whitmer, who later recorded the revelation in a separate book, noted that the revelation was directed "“to the Church concerning conformation & sacrament meetings &c.” Later John Whitmer recorded in his history explained the purpose in more detail. There, we learn that the revelation answered the question of how ought to be admitted to sacrament meetings:
In the beginning of the church, while yet in her infancy, the disciples used to exclude unbelievers, which caused some to marvel, and converse about this matter because of the things that were written in the Book of Mormon. Therefore the Lord deigned to speak on this subject, that his people might come to understanding.
But besides clarifying procedural matters, this revelation also addressed spiritual gifts, which the Book of Mormon and New Testament discussed. As discussed before, when JS arrived the Kirtland he encountered spiritual manifestations which mislead many of the Saints and created confusion. Section 46 lists some acceptable spiritual gifts and warns that others are of the devil.
Section
I. First Concern: Who Is Permitted to Attend Sacrament Meeting?
1 Hearken, O ye people of my church [Lord addresses the church as a whole]; for verily I say unto you that these things were spoken unto you for your profit and learning [the revelation is given so that saints can come to an understanding]. 2 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 [the Spirit is to guide the meetings, with the elders of the church directing and guiding the meeting. This has been the established procedure ever since there was a church]. 3 Nevertheless ye are commanded never to cast any one out from your public meetings [private meetings are different], which are held before the world. 4 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. 5 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. 6 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.
II. Second Concern: Spiritual Manifestations and Workings of the Spirit
7 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 [not all commandments come from God]. 8 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; 9 For verily I say unto you, they [gifts of the Spirit] are given for the benefit of those who love me and keep all my commandments [the gifts are not given to us that we may boast, but for our benefit], and him that seeketh so to do [those who seek out and desire obedience, not just acquiesce to obedience]; 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 [God is instructing us to seek for these gifts].
- Verse 7: That Which the Spirit Testifies
- First and foremost we are to follow the promptings of the Spirit -- even in such promptings go counter to what we think. The Spirit is our guide.
- But of course we have to ensure that we are being guided by the Spirit and not a false spirit.
- Verse 7: Avoiding Seduction by Evil Spirits
- The Lord lists the things we are to do to avoid deception:
- Ask God;
- Walk with holiness of heart and uprightness;
- Do all things with prayer and thanksgiving; and
- Seek the best gifts
- Verse 8: Beware of Deception
- Through verses 7-9, the Lord has warned us about deception. He emphasize this warning by repeating it twice. Thus we should give great attention to this warning. This is especially true for our lives -- as we enter into (or have already entered into) the end times. As the Lord warned, there were arise many false prophets who will deceive people -- even the elect.
- 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved...For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. (Matthew 24: 11-13; 24)
- The past election we witnessed many prophets prophesying that Trump would win. These "prophets" turned out to be false. This was a blessing because we were able to distinguish who were true and false. There will be many more to come.
- Notice what the Lord tells the saints to help them avoid deception. He doesn't tell them to trust in JS. Instead, he instructs them to ask God and to pray. Thus, the path to avoiding deception takes place within our lives. As Pres. Nelson warned -- in the coming days "it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost." He did not say that all it takes to avoid deception (especially in the coming days) is to trust in the leaders -- to trust in me. Instead, it is to have the Spirit as one's guide.
- Even Paul instructed the saints that just because an angel comes to teach something, if the angel teaches something contrary to the gospel, to reject the angel.
- In our efforts to avoid deception, we should refrain from discerning good from evil based on how it makes us feel. We should also refrain from discerning good from evil based on who speaks the message. Instead we should weigh the truth of what we hear based on whether it leads us to do good.
- For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know good from evil; and the way to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a perfect knowledge, as the daylight is from the dark night. For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God. But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil..." (Moroni 7:15-16)
- Again, notice what instruction Moroni provides for us to discern between good and evil. He doesn't say to trust in our leaders. Instead, he puts the onus of discernment on us with providing the the standard: "does it lead us closer to Christ and to do good" for that which is of God "inviteth and enticeth to do good continually."
- Note: For me, I understand the phrase "to do good" to refer whether the putative truth leads me to be a better person. Do be more loving, patient, kind, selfless, humble, etc.
- Christ similarly instructed his disciples and us to test the fruits. Paul exhorted the saints to try the Spirits. In sum, to avoid deception we must walk uprightly and test what we receive and determine whether it leads us to do good -- using the Spirit as our guide.
10 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. 11 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. 12 To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby. 13 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. 14 To others it is given to believe on their words, that they also might have eternal life if they continue faithful. 15 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. 16 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.
- Verse 15: Differences of Administration
- One possible explanation of this gift is to "recognize how God has endowed different individuals with different gifts and with different “styles” or ways of doing things. One prophet, bishop, or Relief Society president might have completely different gifts or a completely different style from that of his or her predecessor, yet they are equally called of God to their ministry."
- Verse 16: Diversity of Operations
- This phrase comes from 1 Corinthians 12:6, which read: "“And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all." In Greek the two terms refer to divisibility and operations/working, respectively. The likely meaning by Paul is that God bring about his work through a variety of ways -- many that are not readily discernible to human observation.
- After all, who would've thought that God would have used a 14 year-old uneducated and poor farm boy to restore His gospel. Or who would've thought that the Lord would've used a Hebrew-Egyptian (Moses) to lead His people out of slavery. Or that God would've used a persecutor and enemy (Paul) to the apostolic church and turned him into a mighty instrument in proclaiming the gospel to the Gentiles? Or that he would reclaim the Lamanites not through diplomacy or military stratagem, but through the missionary work of Mosiah's four sons?
- To have this gift is to be able to discern whether the "working" one observes is from God or not. As shown from the examples above, those living during that time would've likely missed the bigger working of God. Those who possess the gift of diversity of operations would recognize that God's work, not matter how slight, was at hand.
17 And again, verily I say unto you, to some is given, by the Spirit of God, the word of wisdom. 18 To another is given the word of knowledge, that all may be taught to be wise and to have knowledge. 19 And again, to some it is given to have faith to be healed; 20 And to others it is given to have faith to heal. 21 And again, to some is given the working of miracles; 22 And to others it is given to prophesy; 23 And to others the discerning of spirits. 24 And again, it is given to some to speak with tongues; 25 And to another is given the interpretation of tongues. 26 And all these gifts come from God, for the benefit of the children of God. 27 And unto the bishop of the church [Edward Partridge], 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.
- Verse 24: Gift of Tongues
- The New Testament speaks of two different kind of tongues: 1) glossolalia, an unintelligible ecstatic speech and 2) xenoglossia, the gift of speaking foreign languages. Perhaps this may come as a surprise to a few, but the early church appears to have practiced in both forms.
- During a church conference in Fayette, New York on June 9, 1830, David Whitmer recorded that that Holy Ghost was "poured out upon the whole community... many spoke with new tongues".
- Notable is that Brigham Young appeared to possess gift of glossolalia. Journal entries from his missionary work report that Young would often speak in unknown tongues. One particular event was when he visited JS in November 1832. JS called upon Young to pray. As he prayed, Young spoke in tongues. Those present asked JS' opinion about Young's speaking in tongues. JS remarked that the tongues Young spoke in was the "pure Adamic language."
- Soon after this experience the gift of tongues become more popular. As one scholar observed: "An examination of various contemporary accounts reveals that the practice of glossolalia was not an isolated or infrequent occurrence but rather widespread, persistent, and integral feature of early Mormon religious experience."
- On November 14, 1832 Zebedee Coltrin recorded that he went to Kirtland and visited "Joseph Smith and hear him speak with tongues and sing in tongues also."
- Speaking of tongues was also recorded during the Kirtland Temple dedication.
- Verses 10-26: Gifts of the Spirit
- The following is the gifts of Spirit in a list form
- The Gift of knowledge
- The Gift of Belief
- To know the differences of administration
- To know the diversities of operations
- The Word of Wisdom
- The Word of Knowledge
- The faith to be healed[3]
- The faith to heal[4]
- The working of miracles
- The gift of the ability to prophesy
- The discerning of spirits[5]
- To speak in tongues[6]
- To interpret tongues
- A couple notable observations:
- First, gifts are not the same things as talents, as talents are those skills and abilities that we've developed through pre-mortal experience. Gifts of the Spirit occur when one has received the gift of the Holy Ghost.
- Second, notice that these gifts are available to the "church" not only to men -- and not only to priesthood holding men. Gifts of the Spirit are given according to our faith and diligence in seeking after it. There is a difference between healing by faith and healing by the priesthood. What's the implication? Women can heal by faith, if they have the gift. Not convinced? Consider JS's instruction to the Relief Society.
- In a meeting with the Nauvoo Relief Society on April 28, 1842, the meeting's minutes record the prophet Joseph Smith's instruction to women regarding the priesthood and giving healing blessings: "Respecting the female laying on hands, he further remark'd, there could be no devil in it if God gave his sanction by healing—that there could be no more sin in any female laying hands on the sick than in wetting the face with water—that it is no sin for any body to do it that has faith, or if the sick has faith to be heal'd by the administration" (The First Fifty Years of the Relief Society, 55).
- In fact, an article on LDS.org notes the following:
- During the 19th century, women frequently blessed the sick by the prayer of faith, and many women received priesthood blessings promising that they would have the gift of healing. “I have seen many demonstrations of the power and blessing of God through the administration of the sisters,” testified Elizabeth Ann Smith Whitney, who was, by her own account, blessed by Joseph Smith to exercise this gift. In reference to these healing blessings, Relief Society general president Eliza R. Snow explained in 1883, “Women can administer in the name of JESUS, but not by virtue of the Priesthood.”
28 And it shall come to pass that he that asketh in Spirit [to ask in the Spirit means that one is asking according to God's will, see v. 30] shall receive in Spirit [the person will receive because what they are asking from God is within God's will -- in this case the asking is in context of receiving gifts of the Spirit]; 29 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. 30 He that asketh in the Spirit asketh according to the will of God; wherefore it is done even as he asketh. 31 And again, I say unto you, all things must be done in the name of Christ, whatsoever you do in the Spirit; 32 And ye must give thanks unto God in the Spirit for whatsoever blessing ye are blessed with. 33 And ye must practice virtue and holiness before me continually [very similar to the instruction in v. 7]. Even so. Amen.
Section 47
Background Information
Throughout this series, I've mentioned John Whitmer's contributions to the revelations, making mention of how he labeled certain revelations and the notes he added explaining their background. This section formalizes Whitmer's appointment as historian for the church, replacing Oliver Cowdery who, at the time of this revelation was on a mission.
The impetus for this revelation came from a conversation that JS and Whitmer had. Whitmer as a willing scribe, but he was reluctant to record the history of the church. At the April 1831 conference, Whitmer affirmatively recorded the minutes of the meeting. But according to Whitmer's history, he initially declined when JS further instructed him that him "must keep the Church history." Whitmer responded by saying, "I would rather not do it but observed that the will of the Lord be done, and if he desires it, I desire that he would manifest it through Joseph the Seer.” Section 47 is a response to Whitmer's request.
Section
1 Behold, it is expedient in me that my servant John (Whitmer) should write and keep a regular history, and assist you, my servant Joseph, in transcribing all things which shall be given you, until he [John Whitmer] is called to further duties. 2 Again, verily I say unto you that he [John Whitmer] can also lift up his voice in meetings, whenever it shall be expedient. 3 And again, I say unto you that it shall be appointed unto him [John Whitmer] to keep the church record and history continually; for Oliver Cowdery I have appointed to another office. 4 Wherefore, it shall be given him, inasmuch as he is faithful, by the Comforter, to write these things. Even so. Amen.
- Verses 1-4: John Whitmer's Duties
- Write and keep a regular history
- Assist JS in "transcribing" the revelations given the JS
- Keep a record of the church
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