Footnotes
[1]. The reading should now be from the Doctrine and Covenants, and so continued through the lessons dealing with that book.
LESSON II.
SCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.
(A) THE BOOK OF DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS.
| ANALYSIS. | REFERENCES. |
| I. The Revelations--Classification[1] as
to Whom Given.
(a) To Individuals. (b) To the Church. (c) To Groups of Elders. (d) To the world. | Doctrine & Covenants--all
the Revelations.
Revelations to Individuals.
(a) Secs. 3, 5, 6, 12, 14, 15, 19, 126.[2] (b) Secs. 1, 45, 46. (c) Secs. 84, 58, 29, 61. (d) Sec. 76. |
| II. Classification as to How They were
Received.
(a) Direct Word of Mouth from the Lord. (b) By Urim and Thummim. (c) By Direct Communication of Angels. (d) By the operations of the Spirit of God on the Prophet's Mind. | (a) The First Vision,
History of the Church,
Vol. I, Chap. i; Doc. & Cov.,
Sec. 110. (b) Doc. & Cov., Secs. 3, 6, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17. (c) Doc. & Cov., Sec. 110. (d) The greater number of the Revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants. |
| III. Classification as to Subject Matter.
(a) Didactic, Instruction or Direction to Individuals, to the Elders, to the Church. (b) On Organization of the Church and Priesthood. (c) Doctrinal. | (a) Didactic Revelation,
Doc. & Cov., Secs. 21, 24,
25, 26, 28, 68. (b) Revelation on Organization--Secs. 20, 84, 102, 107, 124. (c) Doctrinal, Secs, 19, 20, 21, 42, 76, 84, 88, 93. |
SPECIAL TEXT: "Behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart. Now behold this is the Spirit of revelation; behold this is the Spirit by which Moses brought the children of Israel through the Red Sea, on dry ground.."—THE LORD TO OLIVER COWDERY.
NOTES.
1. How the Revelations were Received: The Prophet Joseph Smith received revelations in every way that the Lord communicates his mind and will to man. Like Moses he knew the Lord face to face, stood in his very presence, and heard his voice, as in the first communication the Lord made to him, usually called the Prophet's first vision (See History of the Church, Vol. I, chapter 1, also Pearl of Great Price, p. 85), as also in the vision given in the Kirtland Temple where he and Oliver Cowdery saw the Lord standing on the breastwork of the pulpit and heard him speak to them. He received communications from angels as in the case of Moroni, who revealed to him the Book of Mormon; John the Baptist, who restored the Aaronic Priesthood; and Peter, James and John, who restored the Melchisedek priesthood; also the communications of the angels mentioned in what is usually called, the Kirtland Temple Vision. (See Doc. & Cov., Sec. 110.)
He received communications through Urim and Thummim, for by that means he translated the Book of Mormon and received a number of the revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants, among others sections 3, 6, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17. He received divine intelligence by open visions, such intelligence as is contained in section 76, and section 107. He also received revelations through the inspiration of God, operating upon his mind; and indeed the larger number of the revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants were received in this manner. Speaking of the revelations which were compiled preparatory to the publication of the Book of Commandments, he desired that the labors of himself and brethren who had been associated with him from the early days of the Church up to that time should be acknowledged and made a matter of record, saying, "If this conference thinks these things worth according to the mind of the spirit, for by it these things [the collected revelations] were put into my heart, which I know to be the Spirit of truth." This indicates the medium through which most of the revelations came—from the inspired mind of the Prophet. (See also Doc. & Cov. Secs. 8, 9.)