followHIM - Doctrine & Covenants 115-120 Part 1 : Dr. Frantz Belot

Episode Date: October 8, 2021

​Does the Lord care about the name of His Church? Join Dr. Franz Belot as we discuss the importance of names, the command to build a temple in Far West, Missouri, and how gathering strengthens the Saints. Like today, we wonder if the Church is getting stronger or weaker, and the Lord reminds us that we will “rise again.”Shownotes: https://followhim.co/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/followhimpodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/followhimpodcastYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/FollowHimOfficialChannel"Let Zion in Her Beauty Rise" by Marshall McDonaldhttps://www.marshallmcdonaldmusic.com/products/let-zion-in-her-beauty-rise-pianoPlease rate and review the podcast.​

Welcome to Follow Him, a weekly podcast dedicated to helping individuals and families with their Come Follow Me study. I'm Hank Smith. And I'm John, by the way. We love to learn. We love to laugh. We want to learn and laugh with you. As together, we follow Him. Hello, everyone. Welcome to another episode of Follow Him. My name is Hank Smith, and I am here with my faithful co-host, John, by the way. Hi, John. Hi, Hank. You're ever faithful, John, by the way. Hey, we want to remind everybody that you can find the podcast on social media. We have an Instagram page. We have a Facebook page. Our wonderful Jamie Nelson runs those. So come on over and check out all the extras that we have there.

If you want to watch the podcast rather than listen to it, you can find it on YouTube or the Our Turtle House app. And if you want to go to our website, followhim.co, followhim.co. And please take time to rate and review the podcast. That really helps us out. You know, Hank, just last night, I was talking to somebody who did not know that on the followhim.co website, not only does it have something called show notes with kind of like a list of references, but it has an entire transcript. And they're like, what? People didn't know.

Yeah, this thing is going to be a book when we're done. There's a transcript. If there's something you missed, you want some extra details, go get that transcript. And I need to review them because I forget half of what we talk about, and it's so nice to have that resource there. So, I just wanted to throw that in. Okay, good. Thanks, John. Now, we are moving right along in the Doctrine and Covenants. We're getting towards the end. We're in the triple digits on these sections. And we have a wonderful guest with us today, John. Who's with us? Yes, Hank, thank you. Today we have Dr. Frantz Ballot. Dr. Ballot was born in Haiti. He was

raised in Montreal. He served a mission in Birmingham, Alabama, and he married Brandy Goodson, and they have five boys. That sounds like a lot of fun. And he is the co-founder of Typhoon, a mobile-first platform that documents and improves safety, communication, productivity, and training. And from 2011 to 2015, he worked with Imagine Learning, which provides a complete suite of adaptive digital curriculum and assessment solutions for pre-K through 8th in language development. Dr. Belot obtained his PhD from BYU in educational leadership with an emphasis in organizational behavior. And his educational penchant permeates all aspects of his life.

He's passionate about helping people access education and training so they can decrease skill gaps and positively impact lives, businesses, and communities for good. And Hank, you have a personal connection. Why don't you explain that? Well, yeah. He's now president below in my stake presidency. And this happened after I asked him to be on the podcast. Because honestly, John, if he would have been president below my stake presidency, I don't think I would have had the guts to ask him to come onto the podcast. But yeah, I first met Bishop below as a member when I was a member of the high council, and I was able to work with him, and we were just so impressed. I've always told him, if we could nominate apostles, this is who I would nominate.

And he always says, no, no, no. But anyone who knows he and his wife would know these are pretty incredible people. So welcome, Franz. Thank you. Welcome to our podcast. Yeah, we're excited to have you here. It's a pleasure. What was a mission in Birmingham, Alabama like? Oh, that's a good question. I came from Montreal where there was a lot of, it's a melting pot. It's a lot like New York City, but it's French, right? And, uh, so when I went to Birmingham, Alabama, I was surprised by the segregation, to be

honest with you. Um, um, so that took me a little bit by surprise, but then after this, the more you got to know the people, the more you realize that, uh, we were all the same, just trying to make the best out of, out of life with the knowledge that we have. I came to love, uh, the people of Alabama and, um, I'd, I came to love the people of Alabama. And I'd go again, like people say, because it was such a wonderful place to be. Very warm culture.

There's a reason it's called the Bible Belt. They do believe in God. And that was always great to be speaking with them. Oh, that's awesome. I didn't know you served your mission there. So, yeah, I bet you have some good stories. Um, Hey, let's, uh, let's jump into our lesson this week. We are covering a bunch of sections, right? Uh, one 15 through one 20, uh, these sections of the doctrine and covenant. So, uh So, Dr. Below, Franz, how far back do we need to go?

What do we need to understand before we jump into 115? Oh, great. So, I always try to understand a little bit of the context that we're jumping into when we read the scriptures. So, I read a few things in Revelation and context that I'd like to share to kind of give us an idea of what's going on when we jump into section 115 through 120. So if that's okay with you, I'd like to just share a few things that are happening here. One of the things is that during the final months of 1837, apostasy began to affect the church in Kirkland, right? And many Latter-day Saints were disillusioned by the financial losses, and there were heavy financial losses as the results of the Kirkland Safety Society.

And they also began to reject, because of that, they began to question the leadership and the prophetic mantle of the prophet Joseph Smith because temporarily things had been very difficult. And also they were seeing a lot of people going, losing their faith for multiple reasons. What made it even more challenging, you had dissenters that were members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the 70s, and as well as the three witnesses of the Book of Mormon. So you're looking at this situation, and it's a brand new church, and you're looking at this, and you're like, okay, what's going on here? Some of the apostles are apostatizing, the three witnesses are disillusioned as well. And it's a very tenuous times for the saints

at this moment in time. And I would dare say for the prophet Joseph as well, he must have been spending a lot of time on his knees. That would be, I can't imagine. Can you, John, what would it be like to see the leadership of the church start falling off? You would need this kind of steadying voice. You would need revelation to let you know, hey, this isn't Joseph's church, this is mine, I got this. And yeah, this would be a shaky time. and you're constantly seemingly on the move. No, we'll build here. Now we'll build here. No, we'll build here.

I think that's a good point that you just brought there, John. That was causing a lot of, the contention was so difficult that they did have to move. So, in some of my notes, I also noted that in 1838, so the apostasy had become so widespread, as well as the threats of violence towards the prophet Joseph Smith, that Signer Rigdon and himself received divine instruction to abandon their labors in Kirtland and to flee to far west so another move right like you were saying john there's another move um and um so once they were in missouri it's uh it says here that although the revelation pronounced joseph's labors finished in this place leaving kirtland meant parting not only from their homes from the church but from the church's largest stake, and its first and only temple. So you're looking at a group of people that have sacrificed so much to build the Kirtland Temple, and the Lord is saying, this is time to go.

And he says, arise and get yourselves unto a land which I shall show unto you, even the land flowing with milk and honey. So, this is the context that we're getting into in the sections 115 through 120 that we'll be talking about. Can you imagine leaving that behind, I mean, Joseph Smith's coming off the best year of his life with 1836. And everything goes sour in 1837 and 1838. And he has to move to Missouri. Far West is a city that was basically, it's almost brand new. It was created when the Saints were driven out of Jackson County and they were spending those years in Clay County. It's Alexander Donovan, who their lawyer helps them create a county for them to live in. And they build this city of Far West. And I mean, good thing we did that because Joseph's got somewhere to go.

This is a brand new city for Latter-day Saints. And here Joseph needs somewhere to flee to, and he has it. And all the saints in Kirtland need somewhere to flee to. And I just think of the name of the place. No, this is not just west. This is far west. I mean, we are going way out there. And for all of us, we're going, hey going you're going to be going a lot farther west

you know but uh and finally they're just going to go so far that nobody can bug them for a while yep but uh so joseph is i think arrives in far west uh in the beginning of 1838 and now he's receiving revelation. Yeah. So this is, again, the resilience of those individuals, right? I mean, we talk a lot about the prophet and the revelations that he's been receiving. But we also have to think about the man here. It's not easy to leave a home and then to go somewhere else. Plus he had a wife and children and so on. And then all of a sudden, he has to rebuild a lot of things. So here, I've learned that they were making plans for a new

temple. So that's again, speaking of the resilience. Okay, we left Kirtland. We got to make a new temple. They also were able to call new apostles, right? Which, again, is a testament that the Lord does not just let people stop his work. He inspired Joseph to call some of the greatest apostles and future prophets of the church, such as John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, who would later become presidents of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

So you see there that the Lord is still in control, like John was saying, that we got this. I mean, this is difficult. They're making decisions not to pursue and remain faithful to the covenants they've made, but the Lord has already prepared additional men, and I would say women, to pick up the baton and to move forward. And now we jump into those sections and see what the Lord is saying to those great men. Yeah. Both of these, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, I mean, these are huge names in our history. And they come into the quorum because of this apostasy.

That's a great point. From that comment that you say, Hank, it again reminds me that difficult things, many times, especially if we follow the Savior, turns out for our good. So, it's more than just a saying or on a sticker. It's actually reality. And I've experienced this in my life as well. So, just wanted to add that part. Yeah. Often the most difficult part of our lives are what I think President Uchtdorf called them, the Lord can turn them into stepping stones

to future opportunity. All right, let's jump into 115. Tell us what you want to do here. So, this, the heading tells us a little bit what's happening, right? It's on April 26, 1838. So, the saints are wanting to know what to do. There seems to be a little confusion as to what should be the name of the church. Does that remind you of something? Right. In the last few years? Yeah.

But there's a little bit of confusion that's happening there. And the Lord is also stating the purposes of stakes, right? Because at this moment in time, the new stakes are being, there's one in Kirtland, obviously, but there are new stakes. Many members are moving in Far West, so there are new stakes that needs to be established.

So the Lord is providing some additional instructions on what's happening there. A few things in verse three, in section 115, it says, And also unto my faithful servants who are on the high council of my church in Zion, for thus it shall be called, and unto all the elders and people of my church, of Jesus Christ, of Latter-day Saints, scattered abroad in all the world. And then the Lord makes a statement here. For thus shall my church be called in the last days, even the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I think it's a powerful statement coming from the mouth of the Lord himself,

well, through the prophet Joseph Smith. But it's a revelation that the Lord gives the prophet Joseph Smith, stating exactly what the church should be called. Yeah. And I really like this. I remember not knowing this for a long time that we had different names. And then, you know, all of a sudden I realized for a while we were the Church of Christ. And then we were the Church of the Latter-day Saints.

And then we become the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And I like that. I like that we went from, yes, this church is about him. It's also about us. And now it's about all of us. I really like the progression of almost a line upon line knowledge there when it just comes to the three names we've had. The Church of Christ, the Church of the Latter-day Saints, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I think that's wonderful. And then he says, now, arise and shine forth. That's a great

moment there. He announces the name of the church and says, arise, shine forth, be a light to the world. And I think this is a great, very affirming from the Lord. People are feeling very shaky and the Lord comes out and says, as Franz said, we got this, I've got this, and this is what you're going to call the church. I mean, that's a message of we're moving forward. And I did, in my Book of Mormon class, I kind of researched what is the name of the church in the Book of Mormon? And I was, I have a PowerPoint slide of them, I can't remember all of them, but the one that was the most used was the Church of God. It's like 31 times in the Book of Mormon. But here, the Lord names it. I don't think any of us would have picked a name this long.

But I think like you said, Hank, I underlined in verse 3 and in verse 4, I love that Jesus calls it my church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I was like, wow, that's, listen, he's owning it. This is my church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I was like, wow, that's, listen, he's owning it. This is my church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in verse three. And like you said, Hank, it's not, it's also our church. It's the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It's ours too. And would it be okay if I read a paragraph from President Nelson in his talk that when he kind of gave us that, I love the way he said, this was a strong voice of a prophet. This is the third paragraph of that talk called The Correct Name of the Church. And President Nelson said, regarding a course correction for the name of the church. I did this because the Lord impressed upon my mind

the importance of the name He decreed for His church, even the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As you would expect, responses to this statement and to the revised style guide have been mixed. Many members immediately corrected the name of the church on their blogs and social media pages. Others wondered why, with all that's going on in the world, it was necessary to emphasize something so inconsequential.

That's in quotes. And some said it couldn't be done, so why even try? Let me explain why we care so deeply about the issue. But first, let me state what this effort is not. And there are five bullet points. It is not a name change. It is not rebranding. It is not cosmetic. It is not a whim. And it is not inconsequential. Instead, it is a correction. It is the command of the Lord.

Joseph Smith did not name the church restored through him. Neither did Mormon. It was the Savior himself who said, for thus shall my church be called in the last days, even the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I loved how strong that was. This isn't a rebranding. This isn't cosmetic. It's not a whim. I love it. That's a beautiful thing. For me, it changed. I don't even remember who showed this to me once, but there is a call to be better in the name of the church, right? It's the Church of Jesus Christ, and you need to be a saint. And for me, it's the Church of Jesus Christ of, I really want to be a Latter-day Saint, right? I really do. I'm trying, right? It's a name that we aspire to. Yeah. I really want to be a latter-day saint. I really do.

I love that, Hank. I do too. I mean, wherever I go, I'm like, I just want to be better. I just want to be gooder, if that's the word, right? You just, you just trying to be sainter. Exactly. So, so, and you want to be around people that are doing their best because life is so difficult at times. Um, so yeah, I want to be a Latter-day Saints. And if I could go back to one of the comments that you made, uh, Hank is part that in verse 5 where he says, Verily I say unto you all, arise and shine forth. Well, you can think of this also that the Lord wants his church to shine. And with what John said, quoting President Nelson, the Lord wants people to know that

he does have a church here on this earth. And if I can go back to that talk, John, because I did some highlights there too. At one point, President Nelson says, quote, consider this from his perspective, the perspective of the Savior. He says, premortally, he was Jehovah, God of the Old Testament. Under the direction of his father, he was the creator of this and other worlds. He chose to submit to the will of the father and to do something for all of God's children that no one else could do, condescending to come to the earth as the only begotten of the father in the flesh.

And then he says, after all that he had endured and after all he had done for humankind, I realized with profound regret that we have unwittingly acquiesced and the Lord's restored church being called by other names, each of which expunges the sacred name of Jesus Christ. And then he continues, when we omit his name from his church, we are inadvertently removing him as the central focus of our lives. And that is a powerful statement. For me personally, that was the part that kind of woke me up. Because at first, I'm listening to this talk, I'm like, well, that's nice. You just want to focus on the church and so forth and give it the proper name. But it's when President Nelson said that if we omit him as the central part of the church, and I'm like, well, that is one thing I do not want to be guilty of. I want people to know it's the church

of Jesus Christ, of Latter-day Saints. And that really touched me when I heard that, and especially that scripture, when he says, thus shall my church be called. I thought that was very interesting. I love it. And the reason we have a modern prophet, I try to teach this to my students at BYU, is we have this because we need revelation adapted to our circumstances. You know, someone might say, oh, was President Monson wrong? And when he said, you know, dare to be a Mormon or President Lee, was he wrong? No, they weren't wrong. The Lord said, look, circumstances have changed. We have revelation according to the circumstances. That's why we have a living prophet. So I was, yeah, I think the Lord saying, yeah, it's time to make a course correction because things are going to change. Your circumstances are changing and this is going to be a, this is going to be a needful thing. No, I would just say one more thing is I love that they have gone through probably 1838, I think, 37 and 38 is going to be a dark, dark time for the church.

And I think this is almost like a reset for them. I think this is great. You know, the Lord has given them a chance to kind of have a new slate and said, hey, we're going to, a new name will kind of give you a fresh start. He does that for us, right? When we get baptized, we get a new name. When we go to the temple, we get a new name. And the idea is it's a fresh start. You're a brand new person. So I think that this, you've gone through a really dark time and here's a moment of, all right, a new name, fresh start, new apostles, like you said. Let's get going. Let's continue forward.

So I think it's a little, maybe a shot in the arm of energy. What were you going to add there, John? Yeah, I just, I totally agree. I remember I was listening to a post-game show after a basketball game. And I think it might be kind of a common saying in sports, but the coach said, well, my team lost today because they played for the name on the back of their jerseys instead of the name on the front. And I thought the idea that when we take upon us the name of Christ, we become members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. So, we try to be that light to the world mentioned in verse 5. So, I've always loved that idea. And another thing

I was going to mention is that we don't want the world to be confused about who we are. And I've heard this story. I don't know if it's apocryphal or not, but you may have heard it too. I'd love a source if somebody out there has it, but that during Hurricane Katrina a few years back, and we've just had a hurricane recently, but that somebody said, oh, the only organizations that came to help us were the Mormons and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And I've always, I'd love the source on that. But yeah, we're confusing the world. Who are we? And we want to make sure that they know.

It was one of those when President Nelson gave the talk that inside I kept saying, of course, of course, of course. That's the revelation. This is what Jesus said to that's Hank, you're the one who said that, it's a new beginning, right? So, the Lord again, in verse 8 says, therefore, I command you to build a house unto me for the gathering together of my saints that they may worship me. At this moment in time in 1838, there was approximately, the population was about 4,900 people with, it says about 150 homes. So there was a lot going on and the Lord wanted to make sure that the people would be able to be endowed with power, just like the experience in Kirtland. He wanted them to follow the pattern that he had given them. So in verse 14, if you look, it says, but let the house be built unto my name, according

to the pattern which I will show unto them. So again, the Lord is taking control, right, of wanting to make sure that the saints know that what are the priorities here. For me, when I read that scripture, I know the priorities. You know, we were missing apostles. The Lord calls apostles, right? And we left a place where the temple was. The Lord says we need to build another temple. So it gives you kind of a sense of the prophetic priorities in that revelation.

That same phrase is in section 97, verse 10. I thought, we've heard that before. And yeah, the footnote to 14 there, D&C Doctrine and Covenants 97.10, according to the pattern, Lord has a pattern. And help me out here, Hank. So there is a temple in Kirtland. Did they find a site in Jackson County? Or is this only the second time they've been commanded to build the temple? No, they did find a site in Jackson County. If you remember, they dedicated the site on the hill,

but never started it. Never happened. Never started it. So this is the third time. Yeah. This is the third time. Yeah. This is the third time build a house. And this, this,

this temple area, they, they actually dig out the foundation for it. And that area is still there. It's that gated area. If you go out. Right. And there's four stones.

There's nothing. There's, there's not hardly anything else there. It's beautiful rolling hills, right? And this gated area with four stones and a restroom. I mean. Yeah. It's interesting that there used to be a town of what?

What did the president say right there? Or front said a town of almost 5,000 people. 5,000. Exactly. Far west. And there's nothing there today. Yeah. You'd think there would be some cabins left over.

Right, yeah. But it just looks like beautiful rolling hills. Yeah. It's a plowed through field. I have a question for you, Franz, that he talks about how a stake can be a defense and a refuge. And you just were put into the stake presidency in Mapleton, Utah. Have you learned anything about this idea of a stake being a defense and a refuge from the storm? Because that's how I, you know, I, of course, I have a bias, but I love the stake you and I are in. I do see it as a refuge from the storm, right? I'm

surrounded by friends. And so, have you learned anything about how a stake can be a protection for the people? What have you learned? Very good question, Hank. I have to say that in my last three weeks, right? Because it's only been three weeks. I'm sure there's so much more to learn. But I can share with you that we've been spending a lot of time in meetings and extending calls and so forth. And when we do so, there's a lot of prayers that go into this and asking ourselves, how will this individual benefit this individual for this calling? But at the same time, asking how it will benefit other people too. So, the thought is always, how will whatever we do bring souls onto Christ, right? Or help them with their exaltation

and salvation or keeping them on the covenant path, however you want to say it. It's always with that intent that we administer in a stake. And I would assume in all the stakes, that's some similar thoughts that are going. But when you go to the Lord with this intent, you are creating some type of a refuge. You are preparing like Captain Moroni, the right defenses that are needed, the tower that you need to build. You hear from the members and from the bishops and from the high counselors and the great sisters, what is going on? And you pray and ask the Lord, how do we help in those areas? So it becomes a very proactive work. And also to foresee, especially as we listen to the prophets

and the apostles, to foresee the type of calamities that may be coming our way and to put in place the right defense. So defenses. Anyway, that's a great question, but that's what I've observed in the last three weeks. I love that. I just love the idea of this group, this area of the church being its own little refuge. I just think that is so, and of course, at the time we have a couple of stakes

where today, John, I don't even know, you might know how many stakes are there? Thousands of these refuge, right? These defenses for people to kind of go to and have that protection. I love the idea. It's that the world is dotted with thousands of these. Just last night, I attended a, you know, award picnic and, you know, seeing all those happy, smiling faces, knowing that each one of them are having trials, medical trials, family trials, everything else. And just seeing that, just being gathered with them felt like a refuge. These are, we are all in the same boat and we are pressing forward and we're happy and we're eating food and everything. But as a former bishop of that ward, I knew a little bit about what some were going through and what a refuge just to be able to meet with each other. And so maybe that's another way to think of it all. Just as you said, president, how will this call help others and,

and to be able to look around and say, I'm so glad they're here. I'm so glad they're faithful. It strengthens my faith to see us all in this together. The Lord mentions that twice, John, and that the gathering together upon the land of Zion, that's verse six.

And then again, in verse eight, the gathering together, the building of the temple, the gather together, their strength in coming together. Can I say something on verse 19? It kind of buttons up the section 115 when the Lord reveals again through the prophet Joseph Smith, for behold, speaking about the Prophet Joseph, there were, as you know, by April 1838, both, let me just make sure that I don't misspeak here, but both Whitmer and Cattery were excommunicated by early April 1838. And I can only imagine that those were the friends of the prophet, right?

And close associates, they had seen and felt, they had heard the voice of God. They knew, they knew. And like you were saying in the beginning, Hank, this is a very difficult time for the prophet Joseph Smith. And we need to remember that with all of his great abilities and qualities, those are not easy moments for the man himself, right? Those are not easy moments. And I love the fact that in verse 19, the Lord recognizes the prophet Joseph Smith, and he strengthens the fact that he is the Lord's prophet, regardless of his weaknesses. He has been called, and the Lord says again, for behold, I will be with him, and I will sanctify him before the people. That already tells you that, of course, Joseph needed some work, but so do I.

So do all the millions of people that are in the church and outside of the church. So the Lord says, again, I will sanctify him before the people. For unto him I have given the keys of this kingdom and ministry, even so. And then the Lord says, amen. So I feel the spirit of this, of the Lord sustaining himself, his prophet, knowing that he's been going through a very difficult time and asserting or confirming to the people that this is my prophet. He does have the keys.

I have given him those keys. So I love that way that this section ends. It really is. It buoys me up. And I'm like, way to go, Joseph. Way to go. That's fantastic. And it ends so positive.

And I like what you said there. I wrote it down. The Lord sustains his prophet, gives him a, right? He's still who he is. Despite what anybody else is doing, even Oliver Cowdery or David Whitmer, I am with him. I will sanctify him. I have given him the keys. That is a really, I'm really glad you called that verse out. And Hank, wasn't you who mentioned before how nicely some of these sections end? It's just, the Lord leaves everybody with a, you know, and I really want to apply that to me. I really want to say, I want the Lord to say, I will be with him. I will sanctify. Oh, that just sounds, for Joseph, must have been nice.

Oh, yeah. Like you said, Franz, I will sanctify him. It's like, yeah, he's got some more work to do. But that's what I do. I remake people. I make creatures, you know. Yes, yes. So, I love it. I love it. I make creatures, you know? Yes. So I love it.

I love it too. I've got to mention one thing before we leave the section. One of my favorite stories from church history, actually. If you look at verse 11, the Lord says, in one year from this day, let them recommence the laying the foundation of my house. And there's in one year from this day is going to be April of 1839. They like this on their calendars, right? Yeah, they're supposed to be in Far West in one year's time, April of 1839. But the problem is over the next year, they get driven out of the state of Missouri. So you've got Brigham Young over in Illinois saying, well, we're supposed to be in far West on this day, this April 26, 1838. And I shouldn't act like I know all this. I'm getting it all from

Alex Baugh. So Alex, if you're listening, another shout out to you. He's the one who taught me this, that there were some who said, no, Brigham, you don't need to go. You don't need to be there. He said the will is the deed, meaning, you know, the Lord understands you want to be there. But if we go back into Missouri of this in April of 39, you're going to get in. You know, you could put your life in danger by going back. But there's Brigham Young saying, no, this has to happen. So, um, in fact, there's a man, uh, an apostate member of the church named Isaac Russell, who says that is a prophecy that will not get fulfilled, right? He just absolutely says it will not get fulfilled because they've been driven out of the state. But Brigham Young takes some members of the 12. They sneak in in the middle of the night.

They are there. It's a great story. Yeah. As midnight turns over, they are there. A year later, on April of 39, they put the cornerstones in place. They set apart Wilford Woodruff as an apostle and they sneak back out. They sneak back out into Illinois. I did not know that. Oh, this is a great story. This is an awesome story. There's a man named Theodore Turley who is with them and he just can't leave without telling Isaac Russell that they fulfilled the prophecy. So as they're going back into Illinois, he actually stops at

Isaac Russell's house, the apostate, knocks on the door. Sister Russell opens the door and says, it's Brother Turley. And Isaac Russell comes out, what? It can't be Brother Turley. And Brother Turley said something to the effect of, we've just been over to the temple site with the 12, and we're heading back to Illinois. Almost like a, aha, we fulfilled the prophecy moment. It's a great moment. Yeah. The theological term for that is neener neener, I think.

No, this idea of we want to make sure this prophecy happens, that ought to be a movie. That's a fun little story. Yeah. They sneak over. I just think it's a classic, classic moment in the middle of the night. But Brigham Young, I think he was the one who said, Joseph made a prophecy and I worked to fulfill it. Right. That's my job. And I, again, I got to thank Alex Boff for that. He's the one that, uh, that told me that story. I don't know if it's well-known, but it is with Alex. Cause he, you know, he knows everything is, uh, as you know. All right. Well, I'm, are we ready to move on? Uh? What do we want to do next? Yeah, section 116. I mean, it's a short section.

A little bit of the background on this that I've learned is that they came to a prominent knoll or a little hill, mound, if you will, called Spring Hill. the revelation known today as the Doctrine and Covenants section 116, which again identifies the region, Adam and Ammon, because said he, it is the place where Adam shall come to visit his people or the ancient of days shall sit as spoken of by Daniel the prophet. So it's a great, I mean, it's a needed section, right? I've asked myself, okay, what, it's only one verse, right? It's a revelation given to the prophet Joseph Smith. But again, it talks about prophecies, right, Hank? The Lord says that Adam shall come to visit his people there, just like Daniel prophesied. And the Lord wants us to be aware that Adam himself will meet there with the saints to instruct them. And I think that's really a powerful verse.

Yeah. We're looking forward to this. You know, John, who was it? I think it was Dr. Mike Wilcox who said, part of partaking of the sacrament is, yes, looking backward at the Savior's life and atonement, but also looking forward to the future. To this huge sacrament meeting we're going to have someday. To this future feast. Yeah. This future sacrament meeting. Section 27 where it lists the people who will be part of this. Elijah. And with Moroni.

Yeah. Oh, I love that. Joseph, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham. I mean, these are the fathers. And of course, their spouses, right? Sarah, Rachel, Rebecca. Just Peter, James, and John. I mean, we look forward to this.

To a big sacrament meeting someday. Yeah. There's a statement that Sister Susan Easton Black made in her book. She's got a book called 400 Questions and Answers About the Doctrine and Covenants. And she said, section 116 is the first mention of Adam on Diamond in Holy Writ. However, the name Adam on Diamond was familiar to Latter-day Saints before the revelation was received by Joseph Smith on May 19th, 1838. For example, the hymn Adam on Diamond by W.W. Phelps was sung at the Kirtland Temple dedication in March of 1836. So I didn't know that.

The hymn was written before this revelation. So somehow that phrase, Adam on Diomond, was known before. The importance of that section to me is the fact that the Lord is really connecting the spiritual history of that place. Yeah, of Adam. It tells you that once upon a time he was there and also the spiritual future of what will take place there. So when it seemed that the church was in the brink of collapsing, I think this revelation reminds us that,

it reminded Joseph and the saints that there's something sacred that will take place in the church and for all of our Father in Heaven's children. That's a remarkable revelation given the context of seeing everything that's going on with the apostasy. And the Lord says, you know, Adam will come and many of the prophets of old will be there too. So I don't know if it sounded like, are you kidding me? Is this really going to happen? Especially given the current situation, but it will. The Lord said it. Speaking of just the broad view the Lord has, in fact, in the last section, section 115, he said that thy light may be a standard for the nations. He's not just thinking of Kirtland or Far West or Jackson, but a real future view that

we're going to take this gospel to the nations. Yeah, that's great. a real future view that we're going to take this gospel to the nations. Yeah, that's great. Both of you, I'd never seen that section in that way, but I think you're right on there, Franz. The idea that they maybe are a little shaken by what's happened over the last year and the Lord saying, no, no, no, the future is still in place. Almost like a little patriarchal blessing reassurance for the church, right? It's still well on its

way to what it needs to become and there's probably times where uh where all of us need to have that reassurance that the church is well on its way to its destiny uh nothing is right what would what is the standard of truth no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing yeah no i like the one with a man might as well put forth his puny arm and stop the Missouri in its course than to stop the revelation from coming. That's coming up later on. context today in 2021. You sometimes hear a lot of people trying to be sensational about, oh, members are leaving the church and groves and what's going to happen to the church, or we don't like what President Nelson in the first presidency sent us pertaining the vaccines and the masks. And we don't like what Elder Holland just said during Brigham Young University.

And there's so many different things that you hear. And then sometimes people fear in their hearts that, oh, what's happening to the church? And is it going to still be there? Is it going to be solid? Or are we going to have a bunch of members leaving? And to your point, Hank, the Lord, as already, we know the end of this saga. There's no surprises, right? It's been written in the Holy Scriptures. It's been prophesied. We know the end of the saga. We know that the Lord comes. There is a second coming.

We know that when he comes back, he will find his church healthy. The people who will keep their covenants will keep their covenants. Sure, in between those, there are going to be ups and downs, disappointments, heartaches, but a lot of joy too. A lot of laughter, just like what you were saying, John, when you went to the ward picnic. There's a lot of laughter, even though there's some difficulties. But my testimony in all of this has been strengthened to know that the Lord will find his church the way that he said. It will be a standard. And this will be because of the good men and women and children who would have kept their covenants or who are keeping their covenants. So, it's really a powerful reminder that things are moving forward, although there will be bumps in the road.

Yeah. I think it'd be a great time. I want to read this. I know both of you know it. And it's our producer, Stephen Shannon Sorensen. It's maybe their most beloved saying of the prophet. Can stop the work from progressing. Persecutions may rage. Mobs may combine. Armies may assemble. Columny may defame. But the truth of God will go forth boldly. Nobly and independent. Till it has penetrated every continent. Visited every clime.

Swept every country. And sounded in every year. Till the purposes of God shall be accomplished. And the great Jehovah shall say. The work is done. It's been written. The end has been written. And the church is well on its way to that end.

Wow. I love that that came out of section 116, this small little six lines of scripture. To give some more insights here, when we read Revelations in context, during the section 117, we learn that throughout the summer of 1838, the saints continued to gather to Far West in Adam-Undi-Adam, and other Mormon settlements in northern Missouri.

And I use the word Mormon, but I should say the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints settlements. In accordance with the commandment to build Far West, the cornerstones were laid for a temple in that community. And in Suna site had also been selected for a temple in that location. Now, the interesting thing of this is that the peace and abundance the saints were enjoying in northern Missouri was short-lived. There were mistrust and suspicion between the Missourians and the Latter-day Saints, and then violence erupted in August of 1838, and a series of armed conflicts known as the Missouri, it was called as the Missouri Mormon War, culminated with the imprisonment of Joseph and the expulsion of the Latter-day Saints from Missouri. So a lot of things are happening. There's a short-lived

rejoicing, and yet you find that the saints are continuing to move forward. And section 117, the Lord, and there's some great verses I want to highlight there, but the Lord tells them to keep at it, even if they seem that they're not winning this battle. I think that that's exactly right. They're going to have this little moment of peace, almost the eye of the storm, and then it's going to pick back up again. And that's life, isn't it? I mean, I would love to say the Lord, we go through this difficulty and he says, okay, you're done for a while.

Just have a good, solid 10 years of peace. And it's not to be. It's a good solid 10 days of peace. And then the storm picks back up again. And that is mortality, isn't it? That's life, which is, you know, it's hard. It's really hard. The Lord is not letting, although things are very difficult, I should say, he's still instructing his saints to be good, right? In verse 4 in section 117, he says to the people, he says, Let them repent of all their sins and all of their covetous desires before me, saith the Lord.

And I love that statement. For what is property unto me, saith the Lord. So there are a little bit of mistrust. People are coveting their property. They're wondering, okay, this is mine. And then the Lord is saying, hey, guys, we could do better. We could be better. And to know that we're building the kingdom of God and not – we're not building you.

Well, yes, we're building you in a way, but we're also building the kingdom of God. Right. We're not building the kingdom of Smith here. That's exactly right. Right? I like that question. For what is property unto me i the earth is the lord's and the fullness thereof he's got it all ready and i like too that the

as he continues in in verse six it it's kind of the all flesh is in mine hands, but it's a little longer version of that. I made the fowls of the heaven, the fish of the sea, the beasts of the mountains. Have I not made the earth? Do I not hold the destinies of, it's like, I haven't lost my power. My son and I like to look at nice trucks. We like to look at nice trucks. So when they drive by, he's like, dad, look at that truck. And I'm like, oh, that's a great truck, right? And we have, I think there's a little covetous desires there, right? And I can hear the Lord saying, what is a Ford F-150 unto me? It's a toy, Hank.

It's, you know, stop. Repent of all their sins and all their covetous desires. Wow. That's a reality check, isn't it? Yeah, it really is a reality check. And I was laughing hard at the Ford 150 because I love cars, right? Yeah. And sometimes, unfortunately, I find myself coveting about some cars. but the reality check that you said is really true. When I read those verses, or particularly that part of that verse, it just reminds me really that if we focus on the Lord, the promise is that everything that he has will be ours. If it's something that is consuming our thoughts of what will I get, what the Lord tells us, that everything that's mine will be yours. Meanwhile, focus on what's important. Helping my children find their path, helping them returning back and

and supporting them when they go through difficult times. It just reminds you that we, his children, are really the central part of his mission to bring our immortality and eternal life. Please join us for part two of this podcast.