Doctrine and Covenants 91 Apocrypha Fifteen books that were part of early Greek and Latin versions of the Bible. They were found at the end of earlier.

Doctrine and Covenants 91

Apocrypha

Fifteen books that were part of early Greek and Latin versions of the Bible.

They were found at the end of earlier editions of the K.J.V. of the Old Testament and are in the Catholic (Douvay) version of the Bible.

The apocryphal books are sacred to the Jewish people but are not included in the Hebrew Bible.

Apocrypha means inspired writings, hidden things.

An Apocryphal writing is one that had been accepted as inspired scripture by any Christian or Jewish group at any time.

1. The First Book of Esdras2. The Second Book of Esdras3. Tobit4. Judith5. The Rest of the Chapters of the Book of Ester6. The wisdom of Solomon7. Ecclesiasticus or the Wisdom of Jesus son of

Sirach8. Baruch 9. A Letter of Jeremiah10. The Song of the Three11. Daniela and Susanna12. Daniel, Bel, and the Snake13. The Prayer of Manasseh14. The First Book of the Meccabees15. The Second book of the Maccabees

Five things we learn about the Apocryphal writings:

1. It is mostly translated correctly.2. It contains many things that are simply not

true.3. New material was inserted that altered or

corrupted it.4. It did not need to be translated by Joseph.5. If we are guided by the spirit we will be able

to discern.

Doctrine and Covenants 92:2

“Ye shall be lively members!” =

diligent and committed (Rev. 3:15-16).

Frederick G. Williams was not to hold back in contributing because he was the newest member. Likewise, all new members or new at a calling should be “lively members.”

The United Order and the United Firm were used interchangeably by members of the firm.

The Law of Consecration is the law whereby an individual consecrates his time, talents, and possessions to the Lord. The United Order was the organization set up to implement the Law of Consecration.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie explained the difference. “In order to live the Law of Consecration, the early saints in this dispensation set up the United Order as the legal organization to receive consecrations, convey stewardships back to donors, and to regulate the storehouses, containing surplus properties” (Mormon Doctrine, 813).

Doctrine and Covenants 93:1

D&C 93 is one of the greatest doctrinal revelations given in this dispensation!

Four steps to see the Lord!

(D&C 68:68 & D&C 67:10)

1. Forsake sins2. Call on his name3. Obey his voice4. Keep the Commandments

President Kimball said,

“I have learned that where there is a prayerful heart and hungering after righteousness, a forsaking of sins, and obedience to the commandments of God, the Lord pours out more and more light until finally one has the power to pierce the heavenly veil and to know more than man knows, such a person has priceless promise that one day he will see the Lord’s face and know that he is (Speeches of the Year, 1979, 163).

Francis M. Lyman said, “Every Latter-day Saint is entitled to this witness and testimony. If we have not received this witness and testimony … I want you all to remember that the fault is ours and not the Lord’s (C.R., April 1910, 29-30).

Doctrine and Covenants 93:6-18

“John the Baptist”

Both John Taylor and Orson Pratt joined in the opinion that it is the record of the Baptist for which we look rather than another record written by John the Revelator as some have supposed (Taylor, Mediation and Atonement, 55; and JD, 16:58).

Doctrine and Covenants 93:10

Worlds made by Him!

John 1:3,10, Moses 1:33

Doctrine and Covenants 93:12-13

“Grace for Grace!”

(the Greenie Theory!)

Learn a little, obey that, learn more, obey that!

In short, grace refers to the gifts of God by which men can be brought to perfection, that through obedience more and more power is given by the Father, until they receive a fullness of His power.

Faith and obedience are one and the same spirit, what in the heart we call faith in the will we call obedience (George McDonald, The Curates Awaken, 1985).

(George McDonald was a man that C.S. Lewis looked up to and idolized).

Some have said that an acronym for GRACE is: God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense!

When Jesus was born into mortality, “over His mind had fallen the veil of forgetfulness common to all who are born to earth,” wrote Elder James E. Talmage, “by which the remembrance of primeval existence is shut off” (Jesus the Christ, 111).

His growth was accelerated above that of his fellow men because of the reciprocal nature of receiving strength of the Spirit when extending grace.

Doctrine and Covenants 93:13

“Until he received a fullness”

The point of emphasis here is that Christ came into mortality as a helpless infant, knowing no more than any other Children at birth.

We must advance from grace to grace, we must become as “a smooth and polished shaft in the quiver of the Almighty” through laboring for the gospel cause. Ours must be lives consecrated to the blessing of the family and the building up of the kingdom of God (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 304).

“Here, then, is eternal life – to know the only wise and true God,” explained the Prophet Joseph Smith; “and you have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God, the same as all Gods have done before you, namely, by going from one small degree to another, and from a small capacity to a great one; from grace to grace, from exaltation to exaltation… To inherit the same power, the same glory and the same exaltation, until you arrive at the station of God, and ascend the throne of external power, the same as those who have gone before. What did Jesus do? Why; I do the things I saw my Father do when worlds came rolling into existence. My Father worked out his kingdom with fear and trembling, and I must do the same…

“When you climb a ladder, you must begin at the bottom, and ascend step by step, until you arrive at the top; and so it is with the principles of the Gospel – you must begin with the first, and go on until you learn all the principles of exaltation. But it will be a great while after you have passed through the veil before you will have learned them. It is not all to be comprehended in this world; it will be a great work to earn our salvation and exaltation even beyond the grave” (Teachings, 346-48).

Doctrine and Covenants 93:24

A man who gathers knowledge and uses it in harmony with the plan of salvation is intelligent (John A. Widtsoe).

Being saturated with data even brings to mind a prophecy about those who are “ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of truth” (2 Timothy 3:7). Megabytes, however large and helpful, are no substitute for partaking of the bread of life (Neal A. Maxwell, If Thou Endure it Well, 93).

Doctrine and Covenants 93:30

What do we know about intelligences?

1. Was not created, nor can it be (Abraham 3:18).

2. Some were more intelligent than others (Abraham 3:18-19, 22-23).

3. Had free will (93:30).4. Can grow or increase in intelligence

(93:27-28, 39).5. Made of light and truth (93:36).

Doctrine and Covenants 93:36

“This text is often used out of context”

Some use this verse to sustain the idea that the Glory of God is in obtaining an education or gaining knowledge.

Intelligence as used here is a synonym for “light and truth.” Thus, what the text is really telling us is that the glory of God is found in righteousness, purity, and goodness, which virtues stand independent of the learning of men. It is the light of the Spirit to which reference is made here, light that can be had only by obedience to the order of heaven.

Doctrine and Covenants 93:39

“Enemies of light and truth”

The two greatest enemies of light and truth are disobedience and false traditions.

Doctrine and Covenants 93:41-50

“Teach your children”

All three members of the First Presidency are chastened for their failure to properly teach their own children (1 Timothy 3:4-5).

We do not rear children just to please our vanity. We bring children into the world to become Kings and Queens, priest and priestesses for our Lord (President Kimball, Ensign, April, 1987) (D&C 68:25-31).