D&C 6:3-12

6:3-10 - I have thought some about verse 2 today, I don't have a lot to say about it yet, but I'm working on it. Verse 3 is another iteration D&C 4:4 that I struggled with last week. I like verse 3 a little bit more, in that it's more straight forward for me. It says, "Behold, the field is white already to harvest; therefore, whoso desireth to reap let him thrust in his sickle with his might, and reap while the day lasts, and he may treasure up for his soul everlasting salvation in the kingdom of God. Yea, whosoever will thrust in his sickle and reap, the same is called of God." When I read this, I didn't have any confusion about what or who is being saved and treasured up, the message is clear that preaching the gospel is salvation to your own soul,  no matter what the outcome is in the persuasion of others. The Lord continues, "therefore, if you will ask of me you shall receive; if you will knock it shall be opened unto you." The IM explains that "The Lord giveth bountifully to faithful Saints who ask" by teaching, "There is no reason in the world why any soul should not know where to find the truth. If he will only humble himself and seek in the spirit of humility and faith, going to the Lord just as the Prophet Joseph Smith went to the Lord to find it. There's no doubt about it. There is no reason in the world, if men would only hearken to the whispering of the Spirit of the Lord and seek as he would have them seek for the knowledge and understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ, for them not to find it- no reason, except the hardness of their hearts and their love of the world. 'Knock and it shall be opened unto you.' This is my testimony, I know it is true." I've struggled with this concept before, of prayer and answers to prayers, probably because I want my prayers to be heard and answered in the way that I want, but rarely is what I want what the Lord deems best for me, I've struggled to understand how, when, and why my prayers are answered. Logically I know that my prayers are always answered because God has promised that and I trust and believe him, but emotionally, sometimes I just want to cry and say, "can't I just have one thing!" I'm struggling with it, especially when I'm tired or overwhelmed or something like that. The Lord continues, "Now, as you have asked, behold, I say unto you, keep my commandments, and seek to bring forth and establish the cause of Zion; Seek not for riches but for wisdom, and behold, the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto you, and then shall you be made rich. Behold, he that hath eternal life is rich." The IM teaches, "As early as 1829, one year before the Church was organized in this dispensation, the Lord counseled certain Saints to 'seek to bring forth and establish the cause of Zion.' Regarding Zion, the Prophet Joseph Smith later declared: 'The building up of Zion is a cause that has interested the people of God in every age; it is a theme upon which prophets, priests and kings have dwelt with peculiar delight; they have looked forward with joyful anticipation to the day in which we live; and fired with heavenly and joyful anticipations they have sung and written and prophesied of this our day;... we are the favored people that God has made choice of to bring about the Latter-day glory; it is left for us to see, participate in and help to roll forward to Latter-day glory.' Similarly, President Joseph Fielding Smith taught that 'in the early days of the Church the brethren came to the Prophet Joseph Smith asking what the Lord would have them do. The answer given to them was 'to bring forth the cause of Zion.' That is our work, to establish Zion, to build up the kingdom of God, to preach the gospel to every creature in the world, that not one soul may be overlooked where there is the possibility for us t present unto him the truth.'" Commenting on "the mysteries of God" the IM asks "Should one seek to know them?" And answers, "A mystery is a truth that cannot be known except through divine revelation- a sacred secret.' President Joseph Fielding Smith defined mysteries in a similar way: 'The Lord has promised to reveal his mysteries to those who serve him in faithfulness... there are no mysteries pertaining to the Gospel, only as we, in our weakness, fail to comprehend Gospel truth... The 'simple' principles of the Gospel, such as baptism, the atonement, are mysteries to those who do not have the guidance of the Spirit of the Lord.' A common expression heard in the Church is that we should stay away from the 'mysteries,' yet these verses speak of the mysteries in a very positive sense, promising them to the righteous who seek after them. Elder Bruce R. McConkie explained the seeming contradiction: 'There is also a restricted and limited usage of the expression mysteries; it is more of a colloquial than a scriptural usage, and it has reference to that body of teachings in the speculative field, those things which the Lord has not revealed in plainness in this day. It is to these things that reference is made when the elders are counseled to leave the mysteries alone. 'Oh, ye elders of Israel, hearken to my voice,' the Prophet said, 'and when you are sent into the world to preach, tell those things you are sent to tell; preach and cry aloud, 'Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand; repent and believe the gospel.' Declare the first principles, and let mysteries alone, lest ye be overthrown. Never meddle with the visions of beasts and subjects you do not understand.'" The more I talk to people about the gospel, the more I realize that what I think will convince them of the truthfulness is not what actually convinces them. The Lord repeats over and over to only preach repentance and faith to the people, and while it doesn't make sense to me, it's turning out to be the case exactly. For instance, I think that miraculous signs and wonders are the convincing part, but I guess because my perspective is different. I look at miracles and signs and all that from the view point of someone who already believes in the gospel, and therefore these events build my testimony. But to look at all those things from the view point of someone who is skeptical and doesn't already have a strong testimony of the gospel, anything that isn't repentance and faith is akin to voodoo. The basis of testimony has to be faith, and repentance builds on that faith as the slow and small changes take place. As we turn from our "natural man" lifestyle to a more Christ-like state of being, the changes that occur within us will prompt us to seek, learn, and embody the mysteries of the kingdom. The "pearls before swine" scripture is very apt in this right now, I never understood it, but it's really starting to make sense now.

6:11-12 - Expanding on the mysteries of the kingdom concept, the Lord says, "And if thou wilt inquire, thou shalt know mysteries which are great and marvelous." The IM quotes Elder Bruce R. McConkie as teaching, "it is the privilege and the right of every member of the Church to receive revelation and to enjoy the gifts of the Spirit. When we are confirmed members of the Church, we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, which is the right to the constant companionship of that member of the Godhead, based on faithfulness. The actual enjoyment of this gift depends upon personal worthiness... It is the right of members of the Church to receive revelation. Joseph Smith said: '... God hath not revealed anything to Joseph, but what he will make known unto the Twelve, and even the least Saint may know all things as fast as he is ale to bear them...' Also: 'It is the privilege of every Elder to speak of the things of God; and could we all come together with one heart and one mind in perfect faith the veil might as well be rent today as next week, or any other time...' Religion comes from God by revelation and deals with spiritual things; and unless and until a man has received revelation, he has not received religion, and he is not on the path leading to salvation in our Father's kingdom." I love personal revelation, I can not imagine a Church or relationship with God without it. To me, it just makes so much sense that God not only would have a Church wide system of generalized revelation, but that he would speak to each and every one of us as we desired it. Even if I wasn't raised in the Church, I couldn't believe in a religion that didn't teach that we could all personally speak to and converse with God directly, that just doesn't make sense to me. So I guess that begs the question, is it just a conversation we have or do we have to learn how to have that conversation with God? We have to learn to hear him, to learn from him, to converse with him, to discern exactly what he is saying to us. It's a process, and one that the Lord anxiously wants us to pursue, he wants to talk to us, he wants to guide us, but he won't intrude, he won't go where he's not wanted. And I think that something I do especially is tell him that I want him to talk to me but then refuse to listen when it's not what I want to hear. I need to be more open to him, more receptive to what he has to say, and then do what he's told me. I really am grateful for the gift of prayer and revelation, both personal and Church wide. I'm going to work harder to have more sincere prayers and to build a stronger bond with the Savior.