D&C 63:24-64

63:24-64 - I’m feeling a little bit better tonight, not as tired. Verse 24 has an interesting idea then the Lord tells the brethren to “assemble themselves together unto the land of Zion, not in haste, lest there should be confusion, which bringeth pestilence.” DJR asserts that this “pestilence” means “all kinds of trouble.” If I remember correctly, Missouri is the first place where we see that a sudden influx of “different” people, northerners, abolitionists, religious “zealots” even, in a lawless, back roads place is a recipe for disaster. The IM quotes President Joseph Fielding Smith as explaining “that land in Zion was to be purchased. ‘This fact was taught the early members. They were warned against creating antagonism among their neighbors, many of whom were extremely bitter towards the members of the Church. The Lord said the land could not be obtained by the shedding of blood. Those who had the privilege of assembling there should not go up to Zion in haste, but gradually. The reason for this advice is apparent, for haste would lead to confusion, unsatisfactory conditions and pestilence, and then, also, it creates consternation and fear in the hearts of their enemies, and arouses greater opposition. Satan desired to destroy them and in his anger endeavored to stir them up to strife and contention as well as the older settlers in Missouri.” There is a lot of specific instruction about purchasing land in Zion, the Lord commands legal, lawful and fair purchase of the land for Zion, otherwise there might be hard feelings, legal disputes, and resentments from one group to the other, locals vs. Saints. But what I think is most important to keep in mind is that in just a few short years, the saints will have to basically abandon their land for almost nothing, so they will lose all their money and belongings, so I guess the question is, if the Lord knows that in a few years the saints will lose all their money and property by being driven out of the land, why is he commanding them to buy the land fairly and legally? Because ultimately it doesn’t matter about losing money or any of that, what matters is being fair and kind and gracious and Christ-like all the time regardless of what the future holds. Jesus never took advantage of anyone, he never tried to buy things so cheaply that the other party felt victimized, he valued everyone else as children of God worthy of respect and fair treatment, and that’s what he’s telling his people here. He tells them that Satan is putting “it into their hearts to anger against you, and to the shedding of blood.” I think that there is a lot of hinting, some foreshadowing here that blood and violence are going to follow. The Lord continues talking about the bloodshed saying, “and the saints also shall hardly escape.” The IM quotes the Prophet Joseph Smith as teaching, “concerning the coming of the Son of Man also that it is a false idea that the Saints will escape all the judgments, whilst the wicked suffer; for all flesh is subject to suffer, and ‘the righteous shall hardly escape;’ still many of the Saints will escape, for the just shall live by faith; yet many of the righteous shall fall a prey to disease, to pestilence, etc., by reason of the weakness of the flesh, and yet be saved in the Kingdom of God. So that it is an unhallowed principle to say that such and such have transgressed because they have been preyed upon by disease or death, for all flesh is subject to death; and the Savior has said, ‘Judge not, lest ye be judged.’” This is a really long section and I think that I’ve covered all I can for the time being.