Lesson 27: "Plain and Precious Truths Restored"

Lesson 27: "Plain and Precious Truths Restored"

Sections 74, 77, 86, 91, and 113

Section 74

From the Student Manual:

"Historical Background

"This revelation was given as a result of Joseph Smith’s revisions in the Bible. As early as 7 March 1831 the Prophet was told to begin translating the New Testament (see D&C 45:60–61). He wrote of this period: “I recommenced the translation of the Scriptures, and labored diligently until just before the conference, which was to convene on the 25th of January. During this period, I also received the following [D&C 74], as an explanation of the First Epistle to the Corinthians, 7th chapter, 14th verse.” (History of the Church, 1:242.)"  (https://www.lds.org/manual/doctrine-and-covenants-student-manual/section-69-80/section-74-little-children-are-holy?lang=eng)

1 Cor 7:14                                            D&C 74:1
For the unbelieving husband is            For the unbelieving husband is
sanctified by the wife, and the             sanctified by the wife, and the
unbelieving wife is sanctified              unbelieving wife is sanctified
by the husband: else were your           by the husband: else were your
children unclean; but now are             children unclean; but now are
they holy.                                             they holy.                                  

Joseph Smith came across 1 Cor 7:14 while working on his Translation of the Bible.  Whereas often his questions were able to be answered by the revelation of how the text was originally recorded, in this instance it wasn't: an explanation was in order, which the Lord provided to him.  Vv 4-6 explain what this verse means.

From the Student Manual:
"“When the unbelieving husband had his way, which in that day would be usual, it would too often have the effect of causing the children to give heed to the Jewish tradition which their father followed (vs. 4), the result being that they, too, would not believe the Gospel of Christ. Hence the children became ‘unholy’—that is to say, they became unholy according to the false Jewish tradition which prevailed at the time, for the tradition of the Jews was that little children were unholy (vs. 6). It was for this cause, the Lord continues (vs. 5), that Paul wrote to the Corinthians giving them his own opinion, not the Lord’s, that a member of the Church (‘believer’) should not be united in marriage to an unbeliever, unless the Law of Moses was renounced or done away by them. Then the children of a given couple would not have to be circumcised as the Law of Moses required, and the false tradition of the Jews that little children are unholy could be gradually eliminated.” (Sperry,Compendium, p. 328.)"  (https://www.lds.org/manual/doctrine-and-covenants-student-manual/section-69-80/section-74-little-children-are-holy?lang=eng)

Section 77

Section 77 is a Question-and-Answer session with the Lord.  The word "Apocalypse" (Greek: ἀποκάλυψις ) means "unveiling."    Several members of the Church had questions about the Book of Revelation (also known as the Apocalypse of John).  Joseph Smith took these questions to the Lord and received answers, as recorded.  

From the Student Manual:

   “The Book of Revelation is one of the grandest books in sacred literature, and the Lord clearly designs that the Saints should become familiar with it. Else, why this Revelation in the Doctrine and Covenants?
   “But [section 77] is not a complete interpretation of the book. It is a key. A key is a very small part of the house. It unlocks the door through which an entrance may be gained, but after the key has been turned, the searcher for treasure must find it for himself. …
   “The Lord has, in this Section, given His people a key to the book. … As Champollion, by the key furnished in the brief test on the Rosetta stone, was able to open the secrets of Egyptian hieroglyphics, so the Bible student should be able to read the Apocalypse with a better understanding of it, by the aid of this key.” (Smith and Sjodahl, Commentary, p. 478.)"  (https://www.lds.org/manual/doctrine-and-covenants-student-manual/section-69-80/section-77-questions-and-answers-on-the-book-of-revelation?lang=eng)

Section 86

Section 86 contains further clarification on the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares.

From the Student Manual:

"D&C 86:1–7. The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares

   "When Jesus first gave the parable of the wheat and the tares (see Matthew 13:24–30, 36–43), He interpreted most the details in the parable.

1. The man sowing seed is the Son of Man (Jesus).
2. The field is the world.
3. The good seed are the children of the kingdom (followers of Jesus).
4. The tares are children of the wicked one (those who follow the enticements of Satan).
5. The enemy is the devil.
6. The harvest is the end of the world.
7. The reapers are the angels sent to reap the field.
8. The tares bound and burned are the evil ones separated out and cast into fire (punishment) at the Judgment.
9. The wheat gathered into the barn represents the righteous who are separated out and made to “shine forth” in the kingdom of the Father.

The Lord did not interpret the following details inMatthew 13:

1. The wheat springing forth and starting to bear fruit.
2. The men sleeping.
3. The wheat and tares being allowed to grow together until the harvest.
4. The wheat being uprooted in an attempt to weed out the tares.

In Doctrine and Covenants 86, the Lord explains these additional details and gives more information on the first details:

1. The field is the world (see v. 2).
2. The Apostles are the sowers of the seed (see v. 2). President Joseph Fielding Smith explained: “In Matthew’s account the Lord declares that he is the sower of the good seed, and in the Doctrine and Covenants it is stated that the apostles were the sowers of the seed. There is no contradiction here. Christ is the author of our salvation and he it was who instructed the apostles, and under him they were sent to preach the Gospel unto all the world, or to sow the seed, and as the seed is his and it is sown under his command, he states but the fact in this revelation and also in the parable.” (Church History and Modern Revelation, 1:353.)
3. Falling asleep implies the death of the original Apostles (see D&C 86:3).
4. The enemy is Babylon (see v. 3), the great whore, which is elsewhere called the great and abominable church (see 1 Nephi 13:4–8). Babylon is a symbol of worldliness and evil, and therefore may be said to represent the devil’s power in this world. Those who remain in Babylon are those who follow the practices of the world and who do not accept the word of the Lord. Sometimes Satan’s persecution of the Church takes the form of aggressive persecution, such as killing the prophets or physically abusing the Saints. More often the persecution consists of social pressure against the humble followers of Christ. Those in the “great and spacious building” in Lehi’s dream mocked those who were pressing forward to partake of the fruit of the tree of life, and many became ashamed and fell away (see 1 Nephi 8:27–33).
5. The tares (see D&C 86:4) represent evil doctrines and those who spread them. “Traditionally,
   
   tares have been identified with the darnel weed, a species of bearded rye-grass which closely resembles wheat in the early growth period and which is found in modern Palestine. This weed has a bitter taste; if eaten in any appreciable amount, either separately or when mixed with bread, it causes dizziness and often acts as a violent emetic.” (McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 1:296.)  President Joseph Fielding Smith pointed out that “even in the Church the tares are to be found. It is the tares which are to be gathered up and burned from all over the world, but those in the Church will also be gathered out and find their place in the fire. [See D&C 112:23–26.] The Savior also bore witness of [this. When] speaking to the Nephites he said: ‘For it shall come to pass, saith the Father, that at that day whosoever will not repent and come unto my Beloved Son, them will I cut off from my people, O house of Israel.’ (3 Nephi 21:20.)” (Church History and Modern Revelation, 1:354.)  False doctrines or individuals who present themselves as faithful members of the Church but are in reality servants of Satan are a source of temptation to the faithful and tend to choke or corrupt the word of God, or the good seed that is sown.
6. The Church being driven into the wilderness (seeD&C 86:3) represents the time of the Apostasy. When the tares (the evil in the Church) grew to maturity, the result was apostasy. The wilderness represents the period of time when the Church and the priesthood were taken from the earth (see Revelation 12:12–17).
7. The tenderness of the wheat is explained in Doctrine and Covenants 86:6 as weakness, or
   
   newness, in the faith. When this revelation was given in December 1832, the Church was not yet three years old and was, therefore, still very “tender.” At that time many of the tares were not yet identifiable, and attempts to systematically root out those who would eventually prove themselves to be tares would have been very destructive.
8. As in Matthew, the reapers are identified as the angels of God (see D&C 86:5). But the Lord also indicates that at the time this revelation was given, the angels were anxiously awaiting permission to carry out their mission. (Notes and Commentary onD&C 86:5 discusses the time when that permission was given.)
9. The harvest and the burning of the tares (see v. 7) was explained by the Prophet Joseph Smith: “The harvest and the end of the world have an allusion directly to the human family in the last days. … As, therefore, the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so shall it be in the end of the world; that is, as the servants of God go forth warning the nations, both priests and people, and as they harden their hearts and reject the light of truth—these first being delivered over to the buffetings of Satan, and the law and the testimony being closed up, as it was in the case of the Jews—they are left in darkness, and delivered over unto the day of burning; thus, being bound up by their creeds, and their bands being made strong by their priests, [they] are prepared for the fulfillment of the saying of the Savior—‘The Son of Man shall send forth His angels, and gather out of His Kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire, there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.’ We understand that the work of gathering together of the wheat into barns, or garners, is to take place while the tares are being bound over, [in preparation] for the day of burning, that after the day of burnings, the righteous shall shine forth like the sun, in the Kingdom of their Father.” (Teachings, p. 101.)"  (https://www.lds.org/manual/doctrine-and-covenants-student-manual/section-81-89/section-86-the-parable-of-the-wheat-and-the-tares?lang=eng)

Section 91

Apocrypha, apocrypha, and deuterocanonical books exist in abundance.  (See http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/apo/)  In Joseph Smith's time, there was (and there still is in our day) controversy over the inclusion of the Apocrypha in the Canon.  During his translation of the Bible, Joseph inquired of the Lord to find out whether or not the Apocrypha were to be included with his translation of the Bible.  The Lord responded by revealing Section 91.  Elder Bruce R. McConkie informed us, "Speaking of the Apocrypha the Lord says: ‘There are many things contained therein that are true, and it is mostly translated correctly; There are many things contained therein that are not true, which are interpolations by the hands of men. Verily, I say unto you, that it is not needful that the Apocrypha should be translated. Therefore, whoso readeth it, let him understand, for the Spirit manifesteth truth; And whoso is enlightened by the Spirit shall obtain benefit therefrom; And whoso receiveth not by the Spirit, cannot be benefited. Therefore it is not needful that it should be translated.’ (D. & C. 91.) …
   "Obviously, to gain any real value from a study of apocryphal writings, the student must first have an extended background of gospel knowledge, a comprehensive understanding of the standard works of the Church, plus the guidance of the Spirit.” (Mormon Doctrine,pp. 41–42.)" (https://www.lds.org/manual/doctrine-and-covenants-student-manual/section-90-100/section-91-the-apocrypha?lang=eng)

Section 113

Like Section 77 (and 86), Section 113 is a Question-and-Answer session with the Lord.  This time, it's parts of Isaiah's writings (Chapters 11 and 52) that are being clarified.  Undoubtedly Isaiah, like Revelation, is a difficult book to understand unless you have the Spirit of Prophecy (see 2 Nephi 25:4), but there is hope.  "The Prophet Joseph Smith said: “I make this broad declaration, that

whenever God gives a vision of an image, or beast, or figure of any kind, He always holds Himself responsible to give a revelation or interpretation of the meaning thereof, otherwise we are not responsible or accountable for our belief in it. Don’t be afraid of being damned for not knowing the meaning of a vision or figure, if God has not given a revelation or interpretation of the subject.” (Teachings,p. 291.)"  (https://www.lds.org/manual/doctrine-and-covenants-student-manual/section-69-80/section-77-questions-and-answers-on-the-book-of-revelation?lang=eng)  Does Joseph Smith's statement release us from a responsibility to seek further understanding of difficult passages of scripture, or does it put more heavily the onus of asking for an explanatory revelation or interpretation?