Commentary for Doctrine and Covenants: Section 63

 Section 63

Background Information: 

This section was given to JS shortly after his arrival to Kirtland.  JS, along with Sidney Rigdon and Oliver Cowdery, arrived in Kirtland on August 27, 1831.  The remaining elders of eleven arrived intermittently throughout the next days and weeks. This revelation was given on August 30, 1831, serving, essentially, as a rebuke against the Kirtland saints for the wickedness that had crept into the church while the elders were away. This wickedness ranged from unbelief to hardness of hearts to adultery among the saints.  

Indeed, the wickedness was so extensive and pronounced that following JS' return the high council held an increasing number of disciplinary councils, with Simeon Carter reportedly mourning over what he referred to as the "falling away" that had taken place in Kirtland while the elders were absent. 

Cowdery served as scribe for this revelation. 

Section: 

1 Hearken, O ye people [addressing the church as a whole], and open your hearts and give ear from afar; and listen, you that call yourselves the people of the Lord [the Lord specifies that the church member he is speaking to are those who call themselves the Lord’s people], and hear the word of the Lord and his will concerning you. 2 Yea, verily, I say, hear the word of him whose anger is kindled against the wicked and rebellious; 3 Who willeth to take even them whom he will take, and preserveth in life them whom he will preserve; [Lord wills who will live and who will die] 4 Who buildeth up at his own will and pleasure; and destroyeth when he pleases, and is able to cast the soul down to hell. 5 Behold, I, the Lord, utter my voice, and it shall be obeyed.

6 Wherefore, verily I say, let the wicked take heed, and let the rebellious fear and tremble; and let the unbelieving hold their lips, for the day of wrath shall come upon them [all three] as a whirlwind, and all flesh shall know that I am God. 7 And he that seeketh signs shall see signs, but not unto salvation. 8 Verily, I say unto you, there are those among you who seek signs, and there have been such even from the beginning; 9 But, behold, faith cometh not by signs, but signs follow those that believe.  10 Yea, signs come by faith, not by the will of men, nor as they please, but by the will of God. 11 Yea, signs come by faith, unto mighty works, for without faith no man pleaseth God; and with whom God is angry he is not well pleased; wherefore, unto such he showeth no signs, only in wrath unto their condemnation.

• Verse 6 -- Let the Unbelieving Hold Their Lips
• In verse 6, the Lord specifies three unrighteous groups: the wicked, the rebellious, and the unbelieving.  For each of these groups He provides a command. For the wicked, they are to take heed (to be obedient).  For the rebellious, they are to fear and tremble. And for the unbelieving they re to "hold their lips." 
• Although unbelief is not mentioned a lot in the Bible, it is a common term used in the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants.  The meaning of unbelief is quite simple: those who are unbelieving are those who doubt the Lord can do what He purports to do.  In the Book of Mormon, a sign that the church was in apostasy when the members began to "dwindle in unbelief." To dwindle in unbelief that one begins to regress in their beliefs about what God's workings. 
• When a people suffer from unbelief, they are unable to understand truth (see 3 Nephi 15:18).  The Lord is unable to perform miracles among the people (see Mark 6: 5-6; Mormon 9:20).  Unbelief prevents the gifts and powers of God from becoming operative in their lives and the world (see Moroni 10:24). And the people who stumble in unbelief do no good (see Moroni 10:25).  Remaining in unbelief keeps a person's heart hard and his mind blind (see Either 4:15).  It prevents the Lord form revealing more truth. (see Either 4:15).  In short, a people who begin to dwindle in unbelief grow in wickedness and abominations. 
• Because the effects of unbelief are deleterious, the Lord calls out the unbelieving in the church and tells them to hold their lips.  Unbelief is like a weed.  Left alone and without constant vigilance, the unbelief spreads throughout the church causing others to adopt the false beliefs.  All it took for Laman and Lemuel to lead an entire people astray was to propagate the lie that they were wronged by their brother Nephi.  Once this lie took hold, it infected an entire people, preventing them from knowing the truth for centuries. 
• So too, the Lord, understanding what unbelief can do a people (His people, in fact) wisely commands the unbelieving of the church to stop talking -- to stop spreading their unbelief throughout the church.  My hunch, given what we know about unbelief, was that it was the unbelieving, those who doubted JS and the works God was doing, which led to further strifes and division among the church, prompting the Lord to give section 63. It was those, who the Lord addresses in verses 12-13, were the sign seekers. Because before they were willing to believe, they needed to first be convinced. 

12 Wherefore, I, the Lord, am not pleased with those among you who have sought after signs and wonders for faith, and not for the good of men unto my glory [Seems that it is permissible to seek after signs if it’s for the good of men and God’s glory.  It is not permissible to seek after signs to strengthen one's faith]. 13 Nevertheless, I give commandments, and many have turned away from my commandments and have not kept them.

• Verse 12: Sought After Signs
• In reading this verse, we ought to be careful in how we construe the Lord's instruction.  Some believe that this admonition against sign seeking means that it is enough for us to receive the impression of the Holy Ghost, and that receiving heavenly manifestation is not required.  But this is not what the Lord is saying, as I even point out in the brackets.  Instead, the admonition refers to those who need a sign to believe.  We hear this often from people who don't people in God.  They will respond that if God would just show Himself, they would believe.  The Lord counsels against this because sign seeking is rooted in lust.  It is a practice in spiritual voyeurism.  Like a voyeur who receives pleasure from observing sordid and sensational tings, the spiritual voyeur gain pleasure from witnessing the supernatural.  For him, it is fantastic.  It's a trip and a story to tell.  This kind of person moves from sign to sign to fulfill his lusts and desires.  No wonder the sign seeker is called an adulterer.  Like an adulterer whose eyes lust after others, unsatisfied with his/her spouse, so, too, is the sign seeker -- seeking signs to satisfy his lusts for the fantastic and surreal.  
• Further observe that the Lord provides a caveat for sign seeking.  Apparently it is permissible to seek for signs for God's glory and the good of men.  Although it is not clear what it means to seeks signs for God's glory, to seek signs for the good of men likely refers to seeking out "signs" to help others to trust in God.  Alma's prayer for his son, Alma the Younger, falls along this practice. 
• And to address an earlier point, we should not be content with the quiet and distinct impression of the Spirit.  Although those initial impressions are good and necessary to establish faith, it is not the end.  Instead, we should expect, as we grow in light and truth, to receive greater manifestations from heaven -- as a reward for our faith.  Indeed, a cursory glance at the scriptures will show that those who were the closet with God, received more manifestation.  Manifestation form heaven serve to secure the person in God.  When one experiences the manifestation of God, heaven, and the divine, they have greater knowledge upon which they can place their trust.  And with the trust, greater power
• 6 Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we truly can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea. (Jacob 4) 

14 There were among you adulterers and adulteresses; some of whom have turned away from you, and others remain with you that hereafter shall be revealed. 15 Let such beware and repent speedily, lest judgment shall come upon them as a snare, and their folly shall be made manifest, and their works shall follow them in the eyes of the people. 16 And verily I say unto you, as I have said before, he that looketh on a woman to lust after her, or if any shall commit adultery in their hearts, they shall not have the Spirit, but shall deny the faith and shall fear. 17 Wherefore, I, the Lord, have said that the fearful, and the unbelieving, and all liars, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie, and the whoremonger, and the sorcerer, shall have their part in that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. 18 Verily I say, that they shall not have part in the first resurrection [second death ≠ part in first resurrection]

9 And now behold, I, the Lord, say unto you that ye are not justified [Some of the church members, through their sins, are living contrary to God's will. As a result they are not longer justified and must repent], because these things [unbelief, sign seeking, adultery, etc] are among you. 20 Nevertheless, he that endureth in faith and doeth my will, the same shall overcome, and shall receive an inheritance upon the earth when the day of transfiguration shall come [That is, when the earth will be transformed into a celestial state]; 21 When the earth shall be transfigured, even according to the pattern which was shown unto mine apostles upon the mount; of which account the fulness ye have not yet received [The Lord explained to the 12 during his ministry how the earth would be transformed.  We don't have this account]. 22 And now, verily I say unto you, that as I said that I would make known my will unto you, behold I will make it known unto you, not by the way of commandment, for there are many who observe not to keep my commandments. 23 But unto him that keepeth my commandments I will give the mysteries of my kingdom, and the same [the mysteries] shall be in him a well of living water [Hebrew, mayim chaim], springing up [rise up] unto everlasting life.

• Verse 23: Well of Living Water
• Mysteries of the kingdom (unrevealed light and truth) is the spring that leads to everlasting life.  We receive this light and truth through obedience to the Lord's commands.  This truth, then, can not come from man.  It does not come from worldly learning or from those who have PhD's in theology, or who are well read on the relevant literature.  It is revealed through God due to obedience.  That light and truth is like a well of living water, springing up unto everlasting life. 
• Note that the Lord specifically refers "living water", not just "water." This is significant.  As explained in a pervious post, living water represents the presence of God.  Thus one reading of the Lord's statement is the light and truth (mysteries of God) shall serve to bring the presence of God within the person.  Another (equally compatible reading) is focuses on the fact that the "living water" is in a well. A well of water permits the person to draw water from it when needed. Similarly a well of light and truth means that the person draws from the light and truth when needed.

24 And now, behold, this is the will of the Lord your God concerning his saints, that they should assemble themselves together unto the land of Zion, not in haste, lest there should be confusion, which bringeth pestilence. 25 Behold, the land of Zion—I, the Lord, hold it in mine own hands; 26 Nevertheless, I, the Lord, render unto Cæsar the things which are Cæsar’s. 27 Wherefore, I the Lord will that you should purchase the lands, that you may have advantage of the world, that you may have claim on the world, that they may not be stirred up unto anger. 28 For Satan putteth it into their hearts [the world] to anger against you, and to the shedding of blood. 29 Wherefore, the land of Zion shall not be obtained but by purchase or by blood, otherwise there is none inheritance for you. 30 And if by purchase, behold you are blessed; 31 And if by blood, as you are forbidden to shed blood, lo, your enemies are upon you, and ye shall be scourged from city to city, and from synagogue to synagogue, and but few shall stand to receive an inheritance ["If by blood" means by persecution, since we are commanded to not "shed blood"].

32 I, the Lord, am angry with the wicked; I am holding my Spirit from the inhabitants of the earth [When the Lord’s angry, he withods his Spirit from the earth. Withdrawal of spirit means curse. Curse brings punishment.]. 33 I have sworn in my wrath, and decreed wars upon the face of the earth, and the wicked shall slay the wicked, and fear shall come upon every man; 34 And the saints also shall hardly escape [Many of the righteous will perish during the end times]; nevertheless, I, the Lord, am with them [the saints], and will come down in heaven from the presence of my Father and consume the wicked with unquenchable fire [saints will be delivered when He appears]. 35 And behold, this is not yet, but by and by. 36 Wherefore, seeing that I, the Lord, have decreed all these things [wars, wicked slaying the wicked, and fear come upon every man, etc] upon the face of the earth, I will that my saints should be assembled upon the land of Zion [The purpose of Zion is establish a place of righteousness that won't be burned up during the end times and when the Lord comes.  It won't be burned up because it can abide the fulness of the Lord's glory]; 37 And that every man should take righteousness in his hands and faithfulness upon his loins, and lift a warning voice unto the inhabitants of the earth; and declare both by word and by flight that desolation shall come upon the wicked.

38 Wherefore, let my disciples in Kirtland arrange their temporal concerns, who dwell upon this farm [probably referring is Issac Morely’s farm]. 39 Let my servant Titus Billings, who has the care thereof, dispose of the land, that he may be prepared in the coming spring to take his journey up unto the land of Zion, with those that dwell upon the face thereof, excepting those whom I shall reserve unto myself, that shall not go until I shall command them. 40 And let all the moneys which can be spared, it mattereth not unto me whether it be little or much, be sent up unto the land of Zion, unto them whom I have appointed to receive [Edward Partridge]. 41 Behold, I, the Lord, will give unto my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., power that he shall be enabled to discern by the Spirit those who shall go up unto the land of Zion, and those of my disciples who shall tarry.

• Verse 38: Dwell Upon This Farm
• Before 1832, most of the saints gathering to Kirtland settled on the Morley farm, including, at the time of this revelation, Joseph and Emma Smith. Brother Morley had consecrated his farm to the Lord and was then called to Missouri (see D&C 52:23). While he was gone, the farm was managed by Titus Billings, and at the time of this revelation Brother Morley was still in Missouri serving as a counselor to Bishop Partridge

42 Let my servant Newel K. Whitney retain his store, or in other words, the store, yet for a little season. 43 Nevertheless, let him [NKW] impart all the money which he can impart, to be sent up unto the land of Zion. 44 Behold, these things [store and money] are in his own hands, let him do according to wisdom [NKW has discretion in how to operate and discharge the money]. 45 Verily I say, let him [NKW] be ordained as an agent unto the disciples that shall tarry, and let him be ordained unto this power; 46 And now speedily visit the churches, expounding these things unto them, with my servant Oliver Cowdery. Behold, this is my will, obtaining moneys even as I have directed.

• Verse 42: Retain His Store
• One commentator explained: "Newell K. Whitney owned a mercantile store in Kirtland, and it was one of the largest stores in northeastern Ohio. Because the store produced revenue for the Church, Brother Whitney was instructed to continue operating it upon the principles of consecration for the good of the saints."
• Verse 45: Ordained Unto this Power
• One commentator explained: "Newell K. Whitney is called to be Bishop Edward Partridge’s agent to handle the affairs of those living the law of consecration and stewardship in the Kirtland area (see D&C 58:49). He is not to be ordained bishop as yet (see D&C 72:8), but rather to act as an agent under the direction of Bishop Partridge."

47 He that is faithful and endureth shall overcome the world. 48 He that sendeth up treasures unto the land of Zion shall receive an inheritance in this world, and his works shall follow him, and also a reward in the world to come. 49 Yea, and blessed are the dead that die in the Lord, from henceforth, when the Lord shall come, and old things shall pass away, and all things become new, they shall rise from the dead and shall not die after, and shall receive an inheritance before the Lord, in the holy city [Zion]. 50 And he that liveth when the Lord shall come, and hath kept the faith, blessed is he; nevertheless, it is appointed to him to die at the age of man. 51 Wherefore, children shall grow up until they become old; old men shall die; but they shall not sleep in the dust, but they shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye. 52 Wherefore, for this cause preached the apostles unto the world the resurrection of the dead.

53 These things are the things that ye must look for [dead receiving an inheritance, the alive dying as an old man, children growing old, old man changing into perfected bodies]; and, speaking after the manner of the Lord [the time frame is according to the Lord’s perspective of time], they are now nigh at hand, and in a time to come, even in the day of the coming of the Son of Man [According to the Lord's time frame and perspective, the end times are near. It didn't mean that they were near according to earth's time frame]. 54 And until that hour [coming of the Lord] there will be foolish virgins among the wise [reference to parable of the foolish virgins in Matt 25: 1-13]; and at that hour [when the Lord appears] cometh an entire separation of the righteous and the wicked [Lord’s coming marks the absolute separation of the righteous from the wicked]; and in that day will I send mine angels to pluck out the wicked and cast them into unquenchable fire [refers to the parable of the wheat and the tares (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43; D&C 86)]. 

55 And now behold, verily I say unto you, I, the Lord, am not pleased with my servant Sidney Rigdon; he exalted himself in his heart, and received not counsel, but grieved the Spirit; 56 Wherefore his writing is not acceptable unto the Lord, and he shall make another; and if the Lord receive it not, behold he standeth no longer in the office to which I have appointed him. 57 And again, verily I say unto you, those who desire in their hearts, in meekness, to warn sinners to repentance, let them be ordained unto this power. 58 For this is a day of warning, and not a day of many words. For I, the Lord, am not to be mocked in the last days. 59 Behold, I am from above, and my power lieth beneath. I am over all, and in all, and through all, and search all things, and the day cometh that all things shall be subject unto me.

• Verses 55-56: Not Pleased
• One commentator explained:
• In section 58 (verses 50-51) the Lord commanded Sidney Rigdon to create a description of Zion in a brochure for distribution to the saints to encourage financial contributions to the cause of building up Zion. These verses likely have reference at least in part to that assignment and reflect the Lord’s dissatisfaction as to the manner in which Sidney fulfilled this assignment.
• Sidney had been too proud to receive counsel. He would not be advised by Joseph Smith, but insisted on writing the brochure his own way. We may surmise from the text that Sidney was trying to write theology or scripture rather than an inducement for the saints to purchase land. In his first attempt, he clearly did not address the intended purpose of the letter in describing the land of Zion in the most attractive terms possible. Here the Lord gives him a second chance, and his second effort proved a success and was accepted. The glowing description of Jackson County found in the History of the Church (HC, 1:197-98) is a revised version of Sidney’s second, more acceptable attempt to write a description of Zion (Smith and Sjodahl, Commentary, 384).

60 Behold, I am Alpha and Omega, even Jesus Christ. 61 Wherefore, let all men beware how they take my name in their lips— 62 For behold, verily I say, that many there be who are under this condemnation, who use the name of the Lord, and use it in vain, having not authority. 63 Wherefore, let the church repent of their sins, and I, the Lord, will own them; otherwise they shall be cut off. 64 Remember that that which cometh from above is sacred, and must be spoken with care, and by constraint of the Spirit; and in this there is no condemnation, and ye receive the Spirit through prayer; wherefore, without this there remaineth condemnation. 65 Let my servants, Joseph Smith, Jun., and Sidney Rigdon, seek them a home, as they are taught through prayer by the Spirit. 66 These things remain to overcome through patience, that such may receive a more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, otherwise, a greater condemnation. Amen.

• Verses 61-62: Let All Men Beware How They Take My Name
• These verses teach us the real meaning of what it means to take the Lord's name in vain.  It means to invoke his name without having authority to do so.  It does not refer to swearing or cussing.  We invoke the Lord's name without having authority when we attribute His name to our actions and conduct. When we justify our behavior or exercise dominion over others use the Lord's name to do so.  For example, a father who rules his house unrighteously can take the Lord's name in vain when he says that the family should do x, because the Lord has commanded it.  Or a person can take the Lord's name in vain when he says that the Lord has told him something, when the Lord hasn't. 
• This principle of misattributing God's name to our action is something that Christ counseled against in the Sermon on the Mount, when he instructs the people to "Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King."  Here, the Lord is addressing a common practice of among the people of invoking God's name in their transactions and dealings with others.  The people would confirm their business deals by swearing on God's name -- e.g., 
  In God's name I swear that I'm good on payment." The purpose was to invoke God's name to make the person's words seem more significant and weighty, and to add increased credibility to one's words. 
• On its face, this may not seem like a major deal, but the problem with that practice was it associated God's name and reputation with the transaction.  God's name and reputations was being used to secure for interests for one's self.  It brought God' reputations down to earth in crude and vulgar ways. 
• And this matters because God strictly guards his reputation.  Moses appealed to God's reputation in order to save the Israelites after they worshipped the golden calf and God sought to wipe them out.  The Lord permitted the Assyrians and Babylonians to conquer Israel and Judah for the sake of His reputation -- as the Israelites and Judahite wickedness set a bad example for the other nations, disrupting God's reputation in the process.  Thus to associate God's name with worldly transaction was to degrade God.  
• When people take the Lord's name in vain today, they, like the ancients Jews, use God's name to lend greater credibility to their words and sayings.  Falsehood and false teachings are "sealed" with God's approval.  And people use his reputation to advance their own interests.  More concerning is when people, purporting to speak on behalf of God, utter pronouncements in His name that don't occur.  This can cause many who relied on those words to stumble and not trust God.  One example of this was the purported "prophets" who prophesied that Trump would win the election.  Many of these prophets invoked God's name in making this pronouncements -- only to find they did not come to pass.  While some may have used this a learning moment and a way to discern true prophets from false, others who have relied on it may have lost faith in God. 
• But besides throwing God's name into disrepute, vainly using His name leads to confusion.  As I discussed in my book, not everything uttered from a person in authority is revelation.  Binding revelation is revelation that is the mind and will of God.  Those who are giving binding revelation will attribute it to God (e.g., "thus saith the Lord").  But if people carelessly use the Lord's name to sanction their actions, it becomes harder to differentiate what is from God and what is not.  As a result, confusion abounds and souls stumble in the darkness, unable to find the light. 
• Given that the Lord's work and glory is the saving of souls, it makes since that actions that thwart that objective would be prohibited. God does not want to make salvation any more challenging that it is.  Unfortunately those who think they speak for God end us causing confusion.