Blogging Through the Book of Mormon

Section 92 is only 2 verses but there are some valuable insights here. The IM gives background information saying, “In the revelation given on April 26 th , 17832 (section 82), the Lord instructed the Prophet Joseph, Oliver Cowdery, Martin Harris, Sidney Rigdon, Newel K. Whitney, and a few others (v.11) to unite their temporal interests under the rule of the Order of Enoch. In this Revelation the brethren in that organization are commanded to receive, as a member, Frederick G. Williams, whom the Lord had declared to be the equal of Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon in holding the keys of the kingdom.” 92:1-2 - In verse 1 the Lord commands “concerning my servant Frederick G. Williams, that ye shall receive him into the order. What I say unto one I say unto all.” The Lord references this “what I say unto one I say unto all” more from here on out, and it’s an interesting principle. I love the priesthood sessions of conference but I always felt a little guilty listening to them when they c...

Section 91 is very short and very specific. While JS was translating the Old Testament, apparently the Bible that he was using contained the Apocrypha. I didn’t know about the Apocrypha until I was in my twenties. DJR comments “The question came up as to whether he should translate the Apocrypha. The Apocrypha consists of fifteen books of questionable value and validity contained in some Bibles but not in others. They are books in addition to the thirty-nine books of the Old Testament. These books are: 1.        The First Book of Esdras 2.        The Second Book of Esdras 3.        Tobit 4.        Judith 5.        The Rest of the Chapters of the Book of Esther 6.        The Wisdom of Solomon 7.        Ecclesiasticus or the Wisdom of Jesus son of Sirach 8.  ...

90:10-11 - The Lord continues that the preparation done in these classes will be helpful in “the day when the arm of the Lord shall be revealed in power in convincing the nations, the heathen nations, the house of Joseph, of the gospel of their salvation. For it shall come to pass in that day, that every man shall hear the fullness of the gospel in his own tongue, and in his own language, through those who are ordained unto this power, by the administration of the Comforter, shed forth upon them for the revelation of Jesus Christ.” I never realized how important it was for someone to learn the gospel in their native language until I had a friend who was Japanese and even though he communicated and understood English just fine, he thrived in the Japanese ward because the language was so much easier for him. I only speak English so I can’t really relate too much to what that’s like. The IM says, “President Joseph Fielding Smith wrote: ‘In order that the Gospel might be declared among th...

90:1-5 - There is no background information given as to why section 90 was received. Going directly into the text, DJR comments that this section, “As it begins, we see that the humble Prophet of the Restoration, Joseph Smith, Jr., had been feeling his inadequacies and had pled with the Lord for forgiveness of his sins.” The Lord begins by assuring JS that He has heard “thy prayers and the prayer of thy brethren.” The Lord tells him “thy sins are forgiven thee, according to thy petition.” The Lord assures him that he is blessed with the “keys of the kingdom” which “shall never be taken from you, while thou art in the world, neither in the world to come.” This is interesting because it shows not only the priesthood power in this life, but that those keys and that authority continues. There was another time when this concept came up in the Book of Mormon and I learned that all callings one has received in this life, continues on with us in the next life. I think it’s nice to have that c...

89:12-17 - The concept of how, when, where, and how much meat to eat has always been complicated for me. I’ve struggled with the knowledge and understanding, because honestly, I’ve never been taught anything like that, it’s always been associated with shaming and inconsistency. The Lord says that we are to eat meat sparingly and “only during times of winter, or of cold, or famine,” the IM teaches, “’The Word of Wisdom is not a system of vegetarianism. Clearly, meat is permitted. Naturally, that includes animal products, less subject than meat to putrefactive and other disturbances, such as eggs, milk, and cheese. These products cannot be excluded simply because they are not mentioned specifically. By that token most of our foodstuffs could not be eaten.’… This verse has caused some to ask if meat should be eaten in the summer. Meat has more calories than fruits and vegetables, which some individuals may need fewer of in summer than winter. Also, before fruits and vegetables could b...

89:8 - We’ve covered conspiracy and alcohol so we move onto tobacco. The Lord says “tobacco is not for the body, neither for the belly, and is not good for man, but is an herb for bruises and all sick cattle, to be used with judgment and skill.” The IM teaches, “One Latter-day Saint physician noted the side effects of tobacco on the body: ‘Time and time against the medical and psychological sciences have brought forth evidence which points towards the destructive nature of the cigarette. In addition to the evidences recently found which link cigarette smoking to lung cancer, (there are) a number of interesting and arresting discoveries respecting the cigarette. E.A. Murphy and J. F. Mustard discovered that chronic smokers were less able to withstand the effects of radiation than were nonsmokers, and that smoking interfered with action of the bone marrow, the part of the body that manufactures blood. A.J. Schaffer points out that there is a higher premature birthrate among children who...

89:5-7 – The first substance that the Lord addresses is that of alcohol. He says that Heavenly Father is not pleased when “any man drinketh wine or strong drink among you… except for use with the sacrament. And, behold, this should be wine, yea, pure wine of the grape of the vine, of your own make. And, again, strong drinks are not for the belly, but for the washing of your bodies.” The IM teaches, “Over the earth… the demon drink is in control. Drunken with strong drink, men have lost their reason; their counsel has been destroyed; their judgment and vision are fled; they reel forward to destruction. Drink brings cruelty into the home; it walks arm in arm with poverty; its companions are disease and plague; it puts chastity to flight; and it knows neither honestly nor fair dealing; it is a total stranger to truth; it drowns conscience; it is the bodyguard of evil; it curses all who touch it. Drink has brought more woe and misery, broken more hearts, wrecked more homes, committed more...