Learning to trust the process of learning, of growth, of faith, of life, etc, is often one of the hardest things we experience in this mortal journey. Join Taylor and Tyler this week as they discuss some of the struggles and successes of the early saints. The path of discipleship is not an easy road, but for those who trust in the Lord, there is always a great reward.
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0:00 Introduction. Overview of the resources and stories available on the Gospel Library app
3:16 Overview of D&C 30-36. These revelations are given to individuals. Historical background of the Whitmer family helps us understand the revelations in context.
5:10 D&C 30: Revelation to David Whitmer, Peter Whitmer, and John Whitmer; The Lord uses words and analogies that are meaningful to a farmer; afflictions will be part of the journey, but they are reassured the Lord will be with them.
11:57 D&C 31 Revelation to Thomas B. Marsh who will in the future become the first president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
14:39 D&C 31 Counsel given to Thomas B. Marsh can be applied to our lives today. “I will bless you and your family.” (verse 2)
18:24 D&C 31: Thomas B. Marsh is counseled to “declare the things which have been revealed to my servant, Joseph Smith, and the Lord will “open the hearts of the people.” (verses 4,7)
22:00 Historical background for D&C 32. The early Saints looked upon the Native Americans as Lamanites. They wanted to give them their Lamanite history through the Book of Mormon.
24:33 D&C 32 Revelation to Parley P. Pratt. He was called to go with Oliver Cowdery, Peter Whitmer, and Ziba Peterson to serve a mission to the Lamanites. The Lord promised that he “will also go with them and be in their midst.” (vs 3)
28:50 Parley P. Pratt’s description of traveling to the western lands to teach the Lamanites in early October of 1830. The real miracle of the mission was in the daily events along the way and the people they met.
37:13 Story of Parley P. Pratt being put in jail in Ohio and his humorous escape.
42:00 D&C 33 Historical context and revelation to Ezra Thayre and Northrop Sweet.
45:52 Why we need to stay focused on the basic principles of the gospel. There are two forms of apostasy, one stems from too little belief and the other from too much belief or looking beyond the mark.
49:44 D&C 34 Revelation given to Orson Pratt. He is counseled to spend much time in the study of the scriptures. Orson Pratt later created the 1879 edition of the Book of Mormon that includes the approximate dates, chapter breaks and verse breaks.
51:52 D&C 35 Revelation to Sidney Rigdon. He is compared to John the Baptist as a forerunner to prepare the way. (see verse 4)
57:53 D&C 36 Revelation to Edward Partridge who will eventually become a bishop in Missouri. “The Holy Ghost will teach you the peaceable things of the kingdom.”(verse 2)
1:00:16 Conclusion. Trust the process. If you don’t feel successful in reaching your end goal, look at the process instead of the outcome. It is in the daily events of our journey where our hearts are being prepared to trust in God more.
Timestamps courtesy of Tammy Hulse
D&C 30: Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet to David Whitmer, Peter Whitmer Jr., and John Whitmer, at Fayette, New York, September 1830, following the three-day conference at Fayette, but before the elders of the Church had separated. Originally this material was published as three revelations; it was combined into one section by the Prophet for the 1835 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants.
D&C 31: Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet to Thomas B. Marsh, September 1830. The occasion was immediately following a conference of the Church (see the heading to section 30). Thomas B. Marsh had been baptized earlier in the month and had been ordained an elder in the Church before this revelation was given.
D&C 32: Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet to Parley P. Pratt and Ziba Peterson, in Manchester, New York, early October 1830. Great interest and desires were felt by the elders respecting the Lamanites, of whose predicted blessings the Church had learned from the Book of Mormon. In consequence, supplication was made that the Lord would indicate His will as to whether elders should be sent at that time to the Indian tribes in the West. The revelation followed.
D&C 33: Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet to Ezra Thayre and Northrop Sweet, at Fayette, New York, October 1830. In introducing this revelation, Joseph Smith’s history affirms that “the Lord … is ever ready to instruct such as diligently seek in faith.”
D&C 34: Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet to Orson Pratt, at Fayette, New York, November 4, 1830. Brother Pratt was nineteen years old at the time. He had been converted and baptized when he first heard the preaching of the restored gospel by his older brother, Parley P. Pratt, six weeks before. This revelation was received in the Peter Whitmer Sr. home.
D&C 35: Revelation given to Joseph Smith the Prophet and Sidney Rigdon, at or near Fayette, New York, December 7, 1830. At this time, the Prophet was engaged almost daily in making a translation of the Bible. The translation was begun as early as June 1830, and both Oliver Cowdery and John Whitmer had served as scribes. Since they had now been called to other duties, Sidney Rigdon was called by divine appointment to serve as the Prophet’s scribe in this work (see verse 20). As a preface to the record of this revelation, Joseph Smith’s history states: “In December Sidney Rigdon came [from Ohio] to inquire of the Lord, and with him came Edward Partridge. … Shortly after the arrival of these two brethren, thus spake the Lord.”
D&C 36: Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet to Edward Partridge, near Fayette, New York, December 9, 1830 (see the heading to section 35). Joseph Smith’s history states that Edward Partridge “was a pattern of piety, and one of the Lord’s great men.”