Doctrine and Covenants 111-120

1
Doctrine and Covenants 111-120
2

• Doctrine and Covenants 1111
• Notwithstanding your follies
• The Prophets folly lay less in the fanciful
  hope of finding a treasure than it did in his
  failure to counsel with the Lord. A little over
  two years earlier he had received direction from
  the Lord about the Churchs indebtedness. At that
  time the Saints were told that if they would
  humble themselves and be prayerful and diligent
  that he would send means for their deliverance
  (DC 10478-80).
• The trip to Salem was a venture of their own
  design, not one of divine direction.
• Have you ever done anything in your life similar
  to this?

3

• Doctrine and Covenants 112
• This revelation was given during some of the
  darkest days in the history of the Church. As
  night follows day, so the light and glory that
  surrounded the dedication of the Kirtland Temple
  was supplanted by darkness and evil. In the
  summer of 1837, members of the Quorum of the
  Twelve, witnesses to the Book of Mormon, and
  other key priesthood leaders meet in the upper
  room of the temple to dispose of Joseph Smith as
  the prophet of the Lord. Their plan was to
  organize a new Church with David Whitmer as its
  head. They had determined to reject the Prophet,
  the Book of Mormon, and the Priesthood, while
  seeking to unite the Christian world around
  repentance, baptism, and the Bible (George A.
  Smith, JD, 1111).

4

• In the midst of this darkness, Joseph Smith
  said,
• God revealed to me that something new must be
  done for the salvation of His Church, He
  approached Heber C. Kimball in the Kirtland
  Temple and called him to go to England. Heber C.
  Kimball asked him why England?
• Josephs reply was to save the Church
  (Whitney, Life of Heber C. Kimball, 104).

5

• DC 11210 Be thou Humble
• Several years after Joseph Smith was martyred,
  he appeared to President Brigham Young. Hear his
  message Tell the people to be humble and
  faithful, and be sure to keep the spirit of the
  Lord and it will lead them right. Be careful and
  not turn away the still small voice it will
  teach you what to do and where to go it will
  yield the fruits of the kingdom. Tell the
  brethren to keep their hearts open to conviction,
  so that when the Holy Ghost comes to them, their
  hearts will be ready to receive it (Elden J.
  Watson, Manuscript History of Brigham Young,
  1846-1847, Salt Lake City Elden Jay Watson,
  1971, 529).

6

• In a dream Elder Wilford Woodruff was instructed
  by President Brigham Young I want you to teach
  the people --- and I want you to follow this
  counsel yourself --- that they must labor and so
  live as to obtain the Holy Spirit, for without
  this you cannot build up the kingdom without the
  spirit of God you are in danger of failing to
  accomplish your calling (Journal of Discourses,
  21 318).

7

• Doctrine and Covenants 11214
• Rebel not against my servant Joseph
• The spirit of darkness in Kirtland in 1837 was
  so pervasive that no quorum of the priesthood
  could escape it. Nor was this mist of darkness
  quick to lift.
• At the quarterly conference assembled in Far
  West, April 7, 1838, David W. Patton declared
  that, as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, he
  could confidently recommend Thomas B. Marsh,
  Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Hyde,
  Parley P. Pratt, and Orson Pratt as being men of
  God. However, in a spirit of discernment rather
  than of disparagement, he stated that he somewhat
  doubted William Smith, and that he could not
  recommend William E. McLellin, Luke S. Johnson,
  Lyman E. Johnson, or John F. Boynton. As time was
  to prove, Elder Pattens discernments were valid
  (Talbot, Acts of the Modern Apostles, 40).

8

• John Taylor, who was called to fill the place of
  one of the fallen apostles in December the
  following year, had occasion to counsel Parley P.
  Pratt, also an apostle and the missionary who had
  converted him, After their temptations, and much
  tribulation. Elder Taylor recounted part of that
  dialogue thus
• I am surprised to hear you speak so, Brother
  Parley. Before you left Canada you bore a strong
  testimony to Joseph Smith being a Prophet of God,
  and to the truth of the work he has inaugurated
  and you said you knew these things by revelation,
  and the gift of the Holy Ghost. You gave me a
  strict charge to the effect that though you or an
  angel from heaven was to declare anything else I
  was not to believe it. Now Brother Parley, it is
  not man that I am following but the Lord. The
  principles you taught me led me to Him, and I now
  have the same testimony that you then rejoiced
  in. If the work was true six months ago, it is
  true today if Joseph was then a prophet, he is
  now a prophet (Roberts, Life of John Taylor,
  40).

9

• Doctrine and Covenants 11230-32
• Keys Restored
• It was not until the end of Joseph Smiths
  ministry in Nauvoo that all the keys had been
  restored in fullness to the Twelve.

10

• Doctrine and Covenants 10722
• Counselors to the First Presidency
• Additional counselors became counselors to that
  Quorum, not counselors in that quorum.
• Those who had served as counselors to that
  quorum include the following John C. Bennett
  (1841-42), Amasa M. Lyman (1843-44), Joseph F.
  Smith (1866-77), Lorenzo Snow (1873-77), Brigham
  Young Jr. (1873-77), Albert Carrington (1873-77),
  John W. Young (1973-77), George Q. Cannon
  (1873-77), Hugh B. Brown (1961), Joseph Fielding
  Smith (1968-70), H. Thorpe B. Isaacson (1965-70),
  Alvin R. Dyer (1968-70), and Gordon B. Hinckley
  (1981-82, 1999-2000) Church Almanac, 16, 47-55).

11

• 3 Nephi 262-3,6-21
• Jesus expounded all things from the beginning to
  the end.
• 3 Nephi 2611
• It takes revelation to share revelation!
• 3 Nephi 273,8
• What did they call themselves?
• (3 Nephi 2621)

12

• DC 1154
• We received our official name eight years after
  the Church was organized.
• Church of Christ
• Church of God
• Church of Latter-day Saints
• In 1834, the Mormonites
• Don't let the Lord down by calling this the
  Mormon Church. He didnt call it the Mormon
  Church (George Albert Smith, C.R. April 1948,
  160).

13

• The name of the Church was not obtained through
  study or research, but by revelation directed
  from the Lord Of all the churches in the world,
  there was not one that bore His name when the
  Lord restored His Church in this dispensation
  (LeGrand Richards, Marvelous Work and a Wonder,
  131-32).
• I suppose that regardless of our efforts, we
  may never convert the world to general use of the
  full and correct name of the Church, conceded
  President Gordon B. Hinckley.
• He continued Because of the shortness of the
  word Mormon, and the ease with which it is spoken
  and written, they will continue to call us the
  Mormons, the Mormon Church and so forth.
  President Hinckley recalled the Prophet Joseph
  Smiths comment that the name Mormon means more
  good, and therefore suggested we should not be
  ashamed of this nickname (Teachings, 299-300).

14

• Doctrine and Covenants 116
• Adam-ondi-Ahman
• An extract from the journal of the Prophet
  Joseph Smith.
• It was first included in the 1876 edition of the
  Doctrine and Covenants.
• The site where the Saints intended to build the
  temple at Adam-ondi-Ahman is not known.
• Lyman Wights home was at the foot of Tower
  Hill (a name Joseph gave to the place in
  consequence of the remains of an old Nephite
  alter or tower that stood there), where they
  camped for the Sabbath.

15

• Doctrine and Covenants 117
• The plains of Olaha Shinehah
• Joseph Fielding Smith said, The plains of Olaha
  Shinehah, or the place where Adam dwelt, must be
  a part of, or in the vicinity of Adam-ondi-Ahman.
  This name Olaha Shinehah, may be, and in all
  probability is, from the language of Adam. We may
  without great controversy believe that this is
  the name which Adam gave to this place, at least
  we may venture this as a probable guess.
  Shinehah, according to the Book of Abraham, is
  the name give to the sun. (Abraham 313) Elder
  Janne M. Sjodahl commenting on the name, Olaha
  Shinehah, has said, Shinehah means sun, and
  Olaha is possible a variant of the word Olea,
  which is the moon (Abraham 313).

16

• If so the plains of Olaha Shinehah would be the
  Plains of the Moon and the Sun, so called,
  perhaps because of the astronomical observations
  there made, We learn from the writings of Moses
  that the Lord revealed to the ancients great
  knowledge concerning the stars, and Abraham by
  revelations and through the Urim and Thummin
  received wonderful information concerning the
  heavens and the governing planets, or stars. It
  was also revealed by the Prophet Joseph Smith
  that Methuselah was acquainted with the stars as
  were others of the antediluvian prophets
  including Adam. So it may be reasonable that her
  in this valley important information was made
  known anciently in relation to the stars of our
  universe (Church History and Modern Revelation,
  297-98).

17

• DC 11711 Nicolaitane band
• Anciently, Nicolas turned from a similar calling
  to a life of worldiness.
• Elder McConkie taught that those in the church
  today who want their records, but dont want to
  devote themselves to the gospel (DNTC, vol. 3
  446).
• Revelation 26, 15 Which Thing I Hate
• Members of the church who are trying to maintain
  their church standards while living the ways of
  the world.

18

• Doctrine and Covenants 1184-5
• The Apostles Depart on Their Mission
• Prior to leaving on their missions, Brigham
  Young asked the Twelve who were with him What
  shall we do with regard to the fulfillment of
  this revelation? He wanted to know their
  feelings. Father Smith, the Patriarch, said the
  Lord would take the will for the deed others
  said the Lord could not expect the Twelve
  Apostles to go up and sacrifice their lives to
  fulfill that revelation but the Spirit of the
  Lord rested upon the twelve, and they said The
  Lord God has spoken, and we will fulfill that
  revelation and commandment and that was the
  feeling of President Young and of those who were
  with him. We went through the State, and we laid
  that cornerstone. George A. Smith and myself were
  ordained to the Apostleship on that corner-stone
  upon that day. We returned in safety, and not a
  dog to move his tongue, and no man shed our
  blood (JD, 18123).

19
More on DC 1185

• It was a simple revelation which quickly got
  very complicated. On April 26th, 1838 the Twelve
  were to dedicate the temple spot in Far West,
  Missouri before they left on their mission to
  England. Joseph Smith Sr. thought the Lord would
  not require it of them because of the
  persecutions from their enemies. Brigham Young,
  however knew the doctrine too well and he would
  not be deterred.
• The mobs also knew about the revelation because
  of apostates. One was Isaac B. Russell who said
  that Joseph was not a prophet because that
  revelation was one that would not be fulfilled.

20

• The mob and apostates bragged constantly how
  that was one revelation that would not come to
  pass.
• Theodore Turley was told that he would give up
  Mormonism after the mob prevented the prophecy
  from coming to pass.
• Turley jumped to his feet and said, In the name
  of God, that revelation will be fulfilled.
• The above event happened 21 days prior to April
  26th, 1838.

21

• The night before the revelation was to be
  fulfilled John E. Page was unsure whether he
  wanted to go. Brigham Young insisted that he
  should. They stayed just outside of Far West.
• After midnight they gathered at the temple lot
  in Far West. Seven members of the Twelve were
  present (two had not yet been ordained).
• Both Wilford Woodruff and George A. Smith were
  ordained Apostles at the Far West Temple spot.
• George A. Smith was only 22 years old. Willard
  Richards would have been ordained also but he was
  serving in the British Mission Presidency.
  Willard will be ordained later in England.

22

• They excommunicated several people from the
  Church, including Isaac Russell, John Goodson and
  their wives.
• They rolled a stone on one of the corners and
  Brigham Young dedicated the site of the temple.
• Darwin Chase and Norman Sheer were ordained
  70s.
• They sang Di Ahman as they departed to take
  up their journey and start their missions.

23

• A Classic Story
• As they had completed their meeting in Far West
  and began traveling out of town, Theodore Turley
  asked a couple of the Twelve if they would wait
  for a few moments because he wanted to say
  goodbye to his old friend Isaac Russell. The sun
  was just barely up enough to give some light when
  he knocked at the Russell home.
• Mrs. Russell was dumbfounded to see Theodore
  Turley. Theodore Turley said, I have come to
  say goodbye. I have taken up my mission with the
  Twelve. Isaac Russell said, What day is it?
  Theodore Turley said, Its April 26th!
• It turned out that the mob had simply forgotten
  about the date. It was considered by the Saints
  to be a great miracle from God.
• Isaac Russell could not speak. Theodore Turley
  bore his testimony to Isaac Russell and his wife.
  Theodore then left, never to see Isaac in
  mortality again.
• Isaac Russell never came back into the Church
  even after witnessing such a great prophecys
  fulfillment.

24

• Doctrine and Covenants 1191-5
• The Law of Tithing
• Though it is little known, the command that the
  Saints pay one-tenth of their increase annually
  required a greater sacrifice of property than
  that required by the law of consecration and
  stewardship, as practiced in the early days of
  this dispensation. In the law of consecration,
  after the Saints put their substance and
  properties before the bishop, they received a
  stewardship to provide for their needs. Later, if
  from their stewardship they had more than was
  necessary for their support (DC 4233), or in
  other words, a residue or a surplus, then they
  would contribute surplus to the Church. The great
  difference in the law of tithing is that it
  requires the Saints to pay a tenth of their
  income before any expenses are met, not from
  their surplus after their needs have been
  satisfied.

25

• Because the law of tithing requires an act of
  faith before the day of the harvest, it provides
  a greater promise of blessing than that found in
  the law of consecration as it was applied to
  temporal stewardships in the early 1830s.
• Consecration is a higher law only when it
  extends beyond that which is temporal and
  involved dedicating all of ones time, talent,
  and energies that may be needed to building up
  the Lords kingdom (DC 1053-5).
• Before I started, I asked brother Joseph, Who
  shall be the judge of what is surplus property?
  Said he, Let them be the judges themselves, for
  I care not if they do not give a single dime. So
  far as I am concerned, I do not want anything
  they have.

26

• Then I replied, I will go and ask them for
  their surplus property and I did so I found
  the people said they were willing to do about as
  they were counseled, but, upon asking them about
  their surplus property, most of the men who owned
  land and cattle would say, I have got so many
  hundred acres of land, and I have got so many
  boys, and I want each one of them to have eighty
  acres, therefore this is not surplus property.
  Again, I have got so many girls, and I do not
  believe I shall be able to give them more than
  forty acres each. Well, you have got two or
  three hundred acres left. Yes, but I have a
  brother-in-law coming on, and he will depend on
  me for a living my wifes nephew is also coming
  on, he is poor, and I shall have to finish him a
  farm after he arrives here. I would go on to the
  next one, and he would have more land and cattle
  that he could make use of to advantage. It is a
  laughable idea but is nevertheless true, men
  would tell me they were young and beginning the
  world, and would say, We have no children, but
  our prospects are good, and we think we shall
  have a family of children, and if we do, we want
  to give them eighty acres of land each we have
  no surplus property. How many cattle have you?
  So many. How many horses, etc.? So many,
  but I have made provisions for all these, and I
  have use for everything I have got.

27

• Some were disposed to do right with their
  surplus property, and once in a while you would
  find a man who had a cow which he considered
  surplus, but generally she was of the class that
  would kick a persons hat off, or eyes out, or
  the wolves had eaten off her teats. You would
  once in a while find a man who had a horse that
  he considered surplus, but at the same time he
  had the ringbone, was broken-winded, spavined in
  both legs, had the pole evil at one end of the
  neck and a fistula at the other and both knees
  sprung (JD, 2306-7)

28

• Doctrine and Covenants 118-120
• The Law of Tithing
• (DC 6423 Malachi 38-12)
• This revelation established a new and exacting
  law to replace the law of consecration.
• Those who live the law of tithing will be
  preserved to live the law of consecration. It
  does away with selfishness, greed, pride, envy,
  etc.
• No man may hope to expect to have an inheritance
  on this Celestial Globe who has failed to pay his
  tithing (Marvin J. Ballard, Oct., C.R., 1929).

29

• I hope you are paying your tithing my fellow
  Latter-day Saints. The Church actually can get
  along without your money, but you cant get along
  without the blessings of the Lord, I mean that
  (Gordon B. Hinckley).
• If we neglect to pay our tithes and offerings we
  will neglect other things and this will grow upon
  us until the spirit of the Gospel is entirely
  gone from us, and we are left in the dark, and
  know not whither to go (Brigham Young).

30

• Definition of Tithing
• The First Presidency has written The simplest
  statement we know of is the statement of the Lord
  himself, namely, that the members of the Church
  should pay one-tenth of all their interest
  annually, which is understood to mean income. No
  one is justified in making any other statement
  than this (First Presidency letter, 19 Mar.
  1970).
• When and How to Pay Tithing
• Local leaders should encourage members to pay
  tithing as they receive their income. However,
  members who wish to pay annually may do so.

31

• Why should I pay my tithing
• Payment of an honest tithing is essential to the
  attainment of salvation in the celestial kingdom.
  President McKay has said, To members of the
  Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
  tithing is as much a law of God as is baptism
  (David O. McKay, Treasures of Life, 183).
• I bear witness and I know that the witness I
  bear is true that the men an the women who have
  been absolutely honest with God, who have paid
  their one-tenth, God has given them wisdom
  whereby they have been able to utilize the
  remaining nine-tenths, and it has been of greater
  value to them, and they have accomplished more
  with it than they would if they had not been
  honest with the Lord (Heber J. Grant, C.R., April
  1912, 30).

32

• A religion that does not require the sacrifice
  of all things never has the power sufficient to
  produce the faith necessary unto life and
  salvation (Joseph Smith, Lectures on Faith,
  658).
• Tithing is a donation. It is not optional for
  members. It is a commandment from God (Ezra Taft
  Benson).
• The time to pay your tithes is every week, or
  every month, or every time an income is in your
  hands (Spencer W. Kimball).

33

• I have wept as I have seen the poverty and the
  sufferings of the people in this part of the
  earth. My heart reaches out to them. I do not
  know what the solution is, except the gospel of
  Jesus Christ. I think it is the only thing that
  will help them and bless their lives. If they,
  even living in poverty and misery, can look to
  God with hope and faith, it will sustain them in
  their hours of sorrow. Furthermore, I believe
  with all my heart that if they will accept the
  gospel and live it, pay their tithes and
  offerings, even though it is meager, the Lord
  will keep His ancient promises in their behalf,
  and they will have rice in their bowls, and
  clothing on their backs, and shelter over their
  heads. I do not see any other solution (Gordon B.
  Hinckley).
• No one is ever too poor to pay tithing, and the
  Lord has promised that he will open the windows
  of heaven when we are obedient to his law
  (Spencer W. Kimball).

34

• Types of Tithing
• Property tithing
• the 10 assessment on all property owned by
  church members.
• Labor tithing
• one day in ten on various projects.
• Produce and Stock tithing
• the increase from the farm ranch or mine.

35

• Institutional tithing
• business gave one tenth to the church.
• Cash tithing
• this was what was needed in early Church History
  and remains the case today.

36

• Doctrine and Covenants 120
• Since this is sacred funds/property it must be
  dealt with properly and that was to be taken care
  of by the named groups. Today the Presiding
  Bishopric continues to hold that function and
  reports at General Conferences in April about how
  the money was used.

37

• Doctrine and Covenants 1201
• Disposed of by a council
• The Council is composed of the First Presidency,
  the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and the
  Presiding Bishopric (C.R., April 1999, 26).