Section 7

John the Beloved was allowed to stay on the earth and not taste of death.  This means that Jesus changed John's body so that he would not die but instead be a "translated being" meaning he doesn't age, cannot die, doesn't feel any pain, and has been on earth serving as a missionary from the time Jesus was on the earth until now.  John came with Peter and James to confer the Melchizedec Priesthood or "higher" priesthood upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery.  With this priesthood now restored, the Church of Jesus Christ could be organized, which took place April 7, 1830. (Previous to their visit with the prophet, John the Baptist had appeared to them and conferred the Aaronic Priesthood upon them.  This gave them the authority to perform baptisms. The Melchizedec Priesthood gave them the authority and keys to perform the ordinances of Confirmation of the Holy Ghost and temple ordinances.)

Section 6

Sometimes we are guided and counseled by our fears.   Jesus does not want us to be full of fear.  He wants us to have faith in him.  The Lord said to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery: "Look to me in every thought; doubt not, fear not."

Section 5

Joseph was a prophet, seer, and revelator.  God gave him the ability to translate the Gold Plates (which were written in reformed Egyptian).  He was told by the Lord that he and Three Witnesses would testify that the Plates existed, that he (Joseph) translated them, and that what he wrote was the word of God.  The testimonies of the Three Witnesses (Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris) are found in the introducton section to the Book of Mormon.  Eight others would also give their sworn testimonies that the plates existed, were written by ancient prophets, were delivered to the prophet Joseph by an angel named Moroni, and that the book was a second witness to the reality of our living Savior, Jesus Christ.  The testimony of the Eight Witnesses is also published in the introduction section of the Book of Mormon.

I add my witness and testimony that the Book of Mormon is true!  I have read it many times through and have studied it carefully for over 40 years.  I have prayed and received my personal testimony that the Savior did come to America after his resurrection at Jerusalem.  He descended from Heaven and his visit is documented in the Book of Third Nephi found in the Book of Mormon.  This record of his visit and the things he said and did while he was here, are the foundation of my belief.  No one can ever convince me otherwise.  I know.  I know by the power of the Holy Ghost.  I invite my beloved family and friends to join with me in reading this book and learning for yourselves that it is true.  I love you.  I wish you well in your journey.

Section 4

We live in the time that ancient prophets called the "latter-days."  They saw our day and rejoiced.  Isaiah, for example, saw the coming forth of the Book of Mormon as another witness (along with the Bible) of Jesus Christ.  He saw Joseph Smith and the other latter-day prophets and he saw temples being built throughout the world so that the sealing ordinances could be performed.  We too can rejoice and join in the work of salvation as we prepare for the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ upon the earth. How can we qualify for this exciting duty?   "And faith, hope, charity and love...qualify him for the work....Ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."

Section 3

God had given Joseph the gold plates.  He had begun the translation.  By the gift and power of God, he translated one hundred and sixteen precious pages from the Book of Lehi, the first book of the Large Plates of Nephi.  But now they were lost!  He had loaned them to Martin Harris and he had lost them.  Joseph felt his soul was lost forever along with the pages.  Yet the Lord, after a period of severe chastisement of Joseph, forgave the prophet and allowed him to continue the work.  The number 116 could stand as a metaphor for those times when we disobey God's will and his commandments.  We do it every day!  Yet, in his love and grace, he gives us opportunities to be made clean from the stains of sin through repentance.

Section 2

Three years after Joseph was visited by the Father and Son, he received another heavenly messenger.  Moroni, the ancient Book of Mormon prophet (and now a resurrected being or angel), came to his bedroom and delivered wonderful news and instructions to Joseph.  Among his words to Joseph, Moroni quoted the prophet, Malachi, who spoke of Elijah coming again to the earth to restore the sealing keys of the priesthood.  Elijah said that unless these keys of sealing were restored, the earth, and its inhabitants, would pass away without having been sealed together, thus the phrase: "the whole earth would be wasted at his coming," speaking of the Second Coming of Christ.
Being "sealed together" means that a person holding the priesthood keys of sealing has performed the proper ordinances necessary for eternal life for an individual, couple, and family.  These ordinances include baptism, confirmation of the Holy Ghost, temple endowment, temple marriage.
If you want to read all of what Elijah said, look in the Old Testament, Malachi 4:5-6.

Section 1

This section is the "Lord's Preface" to the book of Doctrine and Covenants.  It is in His voice and His words, given by revelation to the prophet, Joseph Smith.  "Hearken, O ye people of my church...Hearken ye people from afar; and ye that are upon the islands of the sea, listen together.  For verily the voice of the Lord is unto all men...And the voice of warning shall be unto all people, by the mouths of my disciples, whom I have chosen in these last days....What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same."
I am so grateful that we have a prophet on the earth today.  His name is Thomas S. Monson.  He has the keys and authority of the priesthood restored to the earth.  These keys were received by Joseph Smith from John the Baptist and Peter, James, and John.  These resurrected beings visited the prophet and bestowed the priesthoods of Aaron and Melchizedek, the lower and higher priesthoods. Together they are the same priesthood as Jesus holds.  It is the authority to administer the church with its ordinances of baptism, confirmation of the Holy Ghost, and Temple endowments and sealings, including marriage for eternity. It is also the power to perform miracles such as healing the sick and giving sight to the blind.

Doctrine and Covenants Introduction

To properly begin the Doctrine and Covenants, one must first look at the beginnings of Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth through the prophet, Joseph Smith.  The Great Apostacy began with the loss of priesthood authority from the earth.  The early apostles did not pass the keys of authority on to their predecessors.  The early Christian Church was doomed.  Yet the Bible survived and with it the precious knowledge of Jesus the Christ and his gospel.  Nevertheless, without priesthood keys and authority the Church of Christ was not able to survive intact from about 100 A.D. to 1830.  There were many valiant reformers who were able to bring the gospel doctrines to light.  And the United States of America was formed providing the fertile soil upon which the Restoration seeds could be planted.
In 1820 a young boy named Joseph Smith was living on a small farm near Palmyra, New York.  At the time there was a great excitement regarding religion in his part of the country.  He and his family studied, prayed and attended several religious meetings and congregations seeking for truth.  Their seeking led Joseph to a desire to know for himself which church to join.  One day he was reading from the Gospel of James, chapter 5, verse one.  "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and abraideth not; and it shall be given him."   This was Joseph's tipping point.  He knew what he needed to do for the scripture had entered deep into his heart and compelled him to action.
He walked from his cabin to the nearbye woods seeking solitude.  He went to a private place and kneeled down to pray.  As he attempted to speak aloud, a powerful adversary from hell seized him and would not allow him to begin his prayer.  Satan did not want this prayer to happen and he tried to overpower and destroy Joseph.  But just at the moment when he was about to give up, Joseph found himself delivered from the evil spirit.  A light appeared above his head in the trees directly over his head.    In the light he saw two heavenly personages!  Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ had come from heaven to answer his simple prayer of faith.
Heavenly Father spoke first introducing his son to Joseph:  "Joseph, this is my Beloved Son.  Hear him."  Jesus then spoke to Joseph and told him that he was not to join any of the churches.  He told Joseph that the Church of Jesus Christ, with all of the keys and authority, was not found on the earth.  Joseph was to become a prophet for the restoration of the gospel.
It would take three more years before Joseph would be visited again by a heavenly messanger.  This time it was the angel, Moroni.  An ancient prophet who had lived in the Americas in 400 A.D.  The resurrected Moroni told Joseph that he (Moroni) and many other prophets had kept a record on gold plates of their dealings here in America.  The highlight of the record was the visit of Jesus Christ to America after his death and resurrection in the old world.
After four more years of preparation, Joseph was allowed to receive the plates from Moroni.  He translated them by the gift and power of God.  The record is known as the Book of Mormon, named for Mormon who was Moroni's father.  Mormon had done an abridgement of records from six hundred B.C. down to 400 A.D..  The record also contained Moroni's abridgement of another record he had obtained from the "Jaredites."  The Jaredites had sailed to America much earlier--about 2200 B.C., at the time of the Tower of Babel.
The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ.  It contains sacred scriptures testifying of Jesus Christ.  Together with the Bible it contains the fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Other scripture was given to the Prophet Joseph Smith as well.  Sacred instructions given to him were compiled into the book now called the Doctrine and Covenants.
In this blog, I will take selected verses from each section of the Doctrine and Covenants and apply them to everyday life.