"And, behold, it is because that you did not continue as you commenced, when you began to translate, that I have taken away this privilege from you. Do not murmur, my son, for it is wisdom in me that I have dealt with you after this manner. Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought, save it was to ask me; but, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right; but if it be not right, you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought, that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong; therefore you cannot write that which is sacred, save it be given you from me." (Doc. & Cov.. Sec. 8.)
From this, it appears, that the co-operation of the mind of man by mighty effort is necessary to the obtaining of the spirit of revelation. Prophets are not mere automations, who repeat, machine like, what is given them. There must be striving for the Spirit of truth, and the power to express it.
Footnotes
[1]. The sections cited in this and the following classification do not give all the revelations of the respective classes, only a few as illustrations.
[2]. See note [1].
LESSON III.
SCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.
(A) THE BOOK OF DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS.
| ANALYSIS. | REFERENCES. |
| I. The Great Doctrinal Revelations.[1]
1. Doctrines in Relation to God, to Christ and the Atonement. (a) In Relation to God, and the God-head. (b) In Relation to God, the Son. (c) The Atonement, Redemption, and Resurrection. |
Doc. & Cov., Sec. xciii: 21,
23, 29, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35.
Sec. xxix: 34, 35, 39;
lvii: 26-38; xciii: 29-32;
xxix: 43; civ: 17-18.
Doc. & Cov., Sec. lxxvi,
and Sec. lxxxviii: 14-35.
Doc. & Cov., Sec. xxix;
Sec. cxxxii. |
|
2. Doctrines in Relation to Man and
His Earth Mission. (a) The Nature of Man, and Relationship to God. (b) The Agency of Man and Purpose of Earth Life. (c) The Future of Man in varying degrees of his development, of Glory. (d) The Eternity of the Marriage Relation. (e) The Nature of Angels and Ministering Spirits. |
Sec. cxxxi: 1-4, 21, 23,
29, 31, 33, 34, 35.
Sec. cxxx.
Doc. & Cov., xiv: 9, 31,
32. Sec. lxxv: 23, 24; xciii: 8-10;
lxx: 1, 6-15; lxxxviii: 17-26.
lxxxviii: 36-62, and the
foot notes of Elder Orson
Pratt. |
|
3. Doctrines in Relation to Things.
(a) Creation of the Earth, the Mission of, the Future of. (b) The Existence of Other Planetary Systems Than Ours, that are the Habitat of Intelligencies--the Children of God. (c) The Doctrine of Parallel Existences--of Limitless Extension (space), and Everywhereness of matter. (d) The Definition of Truth. (e) The Iminence of God in the Universe. | Doc. & Cov., Sec. lxxxviii: 36, 37. Ibid, 37; xciii: 33-35; also Pearl of Great Price, Book of Abraham, also Book of Moses, Chap. i. New Witness for God, Chaps, xxviii-xxx. Doc. & Cov., Sec. xciii; also Y. M. M. I. Manual (No. 9), Chap. vii, p. 393. Doc. & Cov., Sec. lxxxviii: 7-13, 45, et seq. Sec. xciii: 35. |
SPECIAL TEXT: "Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be." All truth is independent in that sphere in which God has placed it, to act for itself, as all intelligence also, otherwise there is no existence."—THE LORD TO JOSEPH SMITH.