DOCTRINE
AND COVENANTS
2005 - Sunday School
Notebook
by John Charles Duffy
some reflections
D&C 1:17-18 tells us that the Lord revealed his
will to Joseph Smith--and others--because he knew "the calamity
which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth." How would
prophetic teachings and gospel values prevent latter-day calamities
such as war, Third World poverty, and environmental degradation?
"The works, and the designs, and the purposes of God cannot be
frustrated, neither can they come to naught. . . . Remember, remember
that it is not the work of God that is frustrated, but the work of men"
(D&C 3:1, 3). If we have faith that God's purposes
include using us as instruments to build up justice, equity, and peace
on earth, we can face setbacks with the confidence that God's work will
prevail.
"Whosoever will thrust in his sickle and reap, the same is called
of God" (D&C 6:4). Willingness to serve is
a call to serve. This verse calls to mind a statement by Glenn L. Pace,
a past counselor in the Presiding Bishopric: "We need not wait
for a call or an assignment from a Church leader before we become involved
in activities that are best carried out on a community or individual
basis” .
"Even as you desire of me, so shall it be unto you; and if you
desire, you shall be the means of doing much good in this generation"
(D&C 6:8). What good do I desire to do in my generation?
Do I regularly lay those desires before the Lord in my prayers?
"Doubt not, for it is the gift of God; and you shall . . . do marvelous
works" (D&C 8:8). Like Oliver Cowdery, I too
have received gifts, or talents, from God. This verse gives me renewed
trust that God will help me put my talents to use to "do marvelous
works" on behalf of a better society.
D&C 11:12 tells us to recognize the Spirit as
that "which leadeth to do good--yea, to do justly, to walk humbly,
to judge righteously." The Spirit leads us to do justice in a spirit
of humility and righteous discernment.
The baptismal covenant, as described in D&C 20:37,
is "a determination to serve [Christ] to the end." How do
I serve Christ as a citizen and an activist? How can I use the sacrament
as an opportunity to reflect on the social dimensions of my Christian
commitment?
Revelations to at least three early Saints exhort them to "seek
to bring forth and establish the cause of Zion" and promise them,
"you shall be the means of doing much good in this generation"
(D&C 6:6-8; 11:6-8; 12:6-8). Elsewhere in the scriptures,
we learn that the cause of Zion includes purity of heart, equality in
spiritual and temporal things, oneness of heart and mind, raising an
ensign of peace. What would be a Zion-minded approach to resolving the
Social Security crisis?To caring for those who have no health insurance?
To promoting stability in the Middle East? These questions do not necessarily
have easy answers. But is there something I can do to help keep Zion
values in the public discussion around these issues?
"The Holy Ghost . . . giveth utterance, that you may stand as
a witness of the things of which you shall both hear and see, and also
that you may declare repentance unto this generation" (D&C
14:8). Social activism can be a kind of testimony-bearing:
standing as a witness of the way I have seen social problems, and efforts
to solve those problems, impact people's lives. "That you may declare
repentance unto this generation . . ." Repentance means a change
of life. I believe that drastic changes are needed in the social and
cultural values by which people live. Am I working toward implementing
those changes in my own life?
"Be patient in afflictions, revile not against those that revile"
(D&C 31:9). Working for social change can be hard
and unrewarding, and political activism can often mean running up against
people who disagree vehemently with your cause. The early Saints knew
what it was like to champion unpopular causes. The Lord's advice to
them is applicable to those who today try to serve their fellow beings
through social and political action.
D&C 42 contains the law of consecration. This
law sets a high standard for cooperation and self-sacrifice for the
purpose of establishing economic and social equality. While we no longer
practice the logistics of the law as given in this section, the values
and principles behind the law are still in force, including: "thou
wilt remember the poor" (D&C 42:30) and "inasmuch as ye
do it unto the least of these, ye do it unto me" (D&C 42:38).
Are there sacrifices I could make that would allow me to contribute
more generously to the fast offering fund and/or to organizations that
fight poverty locally or globally? As a citizen, how can I let elected
officials know how high a priority I believe finding solutions to poverty
should be?
D&C 59:18-20 tells us that God have provided "all
things which come of the earth . . . for the benefit and the use of
man," but that they must be used "with judgment, not to excess,
neither by extortion." In a world where so many people lack what
they need, how can I reduce my own consumption?
Isaiah 58:6-7 teaches that the fast the Lord desires
of us is to "let the oppressed go free," to "deal thy
bread to the hungry," and to "bring the poor that are cast
out to thy house." That last point poses a special challenge: It's
one thing to give to the poor, but bringing the poor "to
thy house" seems to symbolize another level of commitment altogether.
In addition to the various other reasons we might fast, fasting can
serve as a gesture of solidarity with those in the world--even in our
local communities--who are hungry.
At the dedication of the Kirtland Temple, the Prophet Joseph prayed
"that thy servants may go forth from this house armed with thy
power" to bear glad tidings and to do the Lord's work (D&C
109:22-23). How can the spiritual strength and guidance available
from participating in temple ordinances make me a more effective advocate
for social justice?
In D&C 45:66-69, as part of a vision of the last
days, the Lord says that Zion will be a "land of peace," "the
only people that shall not be at war one with another." When nations
and peoples are, in fact, at war with one another, in what practical
ways can I stand for peaceful alternatives?
The early Saints were told to learn about “things which are at
home, things which are abroad; the wars and perplexities of the nations,
. . . and a knowledge also of countries and kingdoms” so that
they would be better prepared to do the Lord’s work (D&C
88:79-80). How can a knowledge of current events and world
affairs make me more effective as an anxiously engaged citizen? How
can I keep myself educated and informed about what’s going on
in the world?
The Word of Wisdom contains principles that could be applied not only
at the individual level, but also at the social level. If First World
societies heeded the counsel to use meat sparingly, what a difference
could that make for problems like the destruction of rain forests to
create grazing land for cattle? In socities where people take an abundance
of food so much for granted that obesity has become a major public health
issue, what would it mean to use food in a spirit of “prudence
and thanksgiving” (D&C 89:11)?
The Savior says: “Whosoever receiveth my word receiveth me. .
. . [A]bide in my word, and hearken to the voice of my Spirit”
(D&C 112:20. 22). How will staying close to the
Savior and the guidance of the Spirit help me in my work as an activist
or engaged citizen? How can I use scripture study to cultivate Christ’s
influence into my life?
In Kirtland, the Saints were commanded to "remember in all things
the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted, for he that doeth
not these things, the same is not my disciple" (D&C
52:40). Some fifteen years later, as the Saints prepared for
the trek west, they were commanded to make provisions for the poor,
"that the cries of the widow and the fatherless come not up into
the ears of the Lord against this people" (D&C 136:8).
Our government seems to have been slow to remember the poor who had
no means of evacuating in anticipation of Hurricane Katrina. In a democratic
country, where government represents the will of the people, all citizens
collectively bear the guilt of that neglect. Hopefully the disastrous
refugee situation will be a wake-up call that our country needs to do
better at "remembering" the poor among us.
"In Mine Own Way," focuses on several passages in the D&C
that call us to care for the poor by consecrating our properties and
imparting of our substance. One of these passages is D&C
58:26-28, a passage especially significant for MESJ.
Another passage for study in this lesson, D&C 104:13-18,
contains a stark warning that "if any man shall take of the abundance
which I have made, and impart not his portion, according to the law
of the gospel, unto the poor and needy, he shall, with the wicked, lift
up his eyes in hell." Apparently, our response to poverty is high
on God's list of concerns.
As individuals, of course, Latter-day Saints impart of their substance
for the care of the poor by paying fast offerings and by donating their
money and time in other ways. D&C 44:6 is striking
because it calls us not only to share with the poor but to "visit"
them. How is our response to poverty different when "the poor"
are not just the anonymous recipients of fast offering funds or canned
goods but people whom we have come to know personally?
D&C 104:16 teaches us that the Lord's "own
way" to provide for his people is "that the poor shall be
exalted, in that the rich are made low." If economic equality is
ever to become a reality, many of us are going to have to give up things
we've come to take for granted. We often hear of a "consumer culture."
What would it take to create among the world's relatively wealthier
people a widespread culture, not of consumption, but of simpler living?
2005 - Sunday School Notebook - John Charles Duffy
