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| Revelation to Joseph Smith the Prophet, Oliver Cowdery, and David Whitmer, given at Fayette, New York, June 1829. HC 1:60-64. When the Aaronic Priesthood was conferred, the bestowal of the Melchizedek Priesthood was promised. See heading to Section 13. In response to supplication for knowledge on the matter, the Lord gave this revelation. | ||
6—8, The world is ripening in iniquity; 9—16, The worth of souls is great; 17—25, To gain salvation, men must take upon them the name of Christ; 26—36, The calling and mission of he Twelve are revealed; 37—39, Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer are to search out the Twelve; 40—47, To gain salvation, men must repent, be baptized, and keep the commandments. |
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D&C 18:1 Now, behold, because of the thing which you, my servant Oliver Cowdery, have desired to know of me, I give unto you these words:
D&C 18:2 Behold, I have amanifested unto you, by my Spirit in many instances, that the bthings which you have written are ctrue; wherefore you know that they are true. D&C 18:3 And if you know that they are true, behold, I give unto you a commandment, that you arely upon the things which are bwritten; D&C 18:4 For in them are all things awritten concerning the foundation of my church, my gospel, and my brock.
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3a
Ps. 110:2 (1-4) 4a Gen. 41:52 (50-52); D&C 133:34 (30-34); TG Israel, Joseph, People of b 2 Ne. 21:10 (10-12)
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D&C 18:5 Wherefore, if you shall build up my achurch, upon
the foundation of my gospel and my brock, the
cgates of hell shall not prevail against you.
D&C 18:6 Behold, the aworld is bripening in iniquity; and it must needs be that the children of men are stirred up unto repentance, both the cGentiles and also the house of Israel. D&C 18:7 Wherefore, as thou hast been abaptized by the hands of my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., according to that which I have commanded him, he hath fulfilled the thing which I have commanded him.
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D&C 18:8 And now, marvel not that I have acalled him unto
mine own purpose, which purpose is known in me; wherefore, if he shall be
bdiligent in keeping my commandments he shall be
cblessed unto eternal life; and his name is
dJoseph.
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D&C 18:9 And now, Oliver Cowdery, I speak unto you, and also unto David
Whitmer, by the way of commandment; for, behold, I acommand
all men everywhere to repent, and I speak unto you, even as unto Paul mine
bapostle, for you are called even with that same calling
with which he was called.
D&C 18:10 Remember the aworth of bsouls is great in the sight of God; D&C 18:11 For, behold, the Lord your aRedeemer suffered bdeath in the flesh; wherefore he csuffered the dpain of all men, that all men might repent and ecome unto him.
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D&C 18:12 And he hath arisen again from the dead, that he
might bring all men unto him, on conditions of brepentance.
D&C 18:13 And how great is his ajoy in the bsoul that crepenteth! D&C 18:14 Wherefore, you are called to acry repentance unto this people.
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D&C 18:15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying
repentance unto unto this people, and bring, save it be one
asoul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the
kingdom of my Father!
D&C 18:16 And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the akingdom of my Father, how great will be your bjoy if you should bring many csouls unto me!
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D&C 18:17 Behold, you have my gospel before you, and my rock, and my
asalvation.
D&C 18:18 aAsk the Father in my bname, in faith believing that you shall receive, and you shall have the Holy Ghost, which manifesteth all things which are cexpedient unto the children of men. D&C 18:19 And if you have not afaith, bhope and ccharity, you can do nothing.
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D&C 18:20 aContend against no church, save it be the
bchurch of the devil.
D&C 18:21 Take upon you the aname of Christ, and bspeak the truth in csoberness. D&C 18:22 And as many as repent and are abaptized in my name, which is Jesus Christ, and bendure to the end, the same shall be saved.
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D&C 18:23 Behold, Jesus Christ is the aname which is
given of the Fathera, and
there is none other name given whereby man can be
bsavedb;
D&C 18:24 Wherefore, all men must take upon them the aname which is given of the Fathera, for in that name shall they be called at the last dayb; D&C 18:25 Wherefore, if they aknow not the bname by which they are called, they cannot have place in the ckingdom of my Fathera. |
23a Jesus Christ is the name which
is given of the Father In Philippians 2:9-11, the Apostle Paul
states that, 'God the Father had highly exalted him [Jesus Christ], and given
him a name which is above every name. And Paul states that
name was JESUS and that every knee should bow, all things in
heaven, in earth and even under the earth; and that every tongue should
confess that JESUS CHRIST is LORD, to the glory of God the
Fahter.'
23b there is none other name given whereby man can be saved Enoch, in the days of Adam indicating it was known by Adam and his children, states that 'JESUS CHRIST' was the only name which shall be given under heaven, whereby salvation shall come unto the children of men' (Moses 6:52). 24a all men must take upon them the name which is given of the Father King Benjamin in his Temple address given him by an angel, taught his people that they must take upon them the name of JESUS CHRIST and become as it were His sons and daughters (See Mosiah 3-5). In Christ's ancient church, they did take upon themselves his name as they called themselves 'Christians' of 'of Christ', preserving the more sacred name 'JEHOVAH SALVATION' in the similitude of the name CHRIST rather than using JESUS. 24b in that name shall they be called at the last day In the last day, the final day of judgement JESUS CHRIST is the name by which His Saints shall be called. The name of His Church is, 'The Chruch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints'. We have taken upon ourselves his name as members of His Church. And all that come before the Lord at that last day shall be known by His Name. 25a if they know not the name by which they are called, they cannot have place in the kingdom of my Father If any have not come unto JESUS CHRIST and have not taken His Name upon them, then they cannot be raised or given into a kingdom of glory, nor can they have any place in the kingdom of The Father or the Celestial Kingdom of Heaven. |
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D&C 18:26 And now, behold, there are others who are acalled
to declare my gospel, both unto bGentile and unto Jew;
D&C 18:27 Yea, even twelve; and the aTwelve shall be my disciples, and they shall take upon them my name; and the Twelve are they who shall desire to take upon them my bname with full purpose of heart. D&C 18:28 And if they desire to take upon them my name with full purpose of heart, they are called to go into all the aworld to preach my bgospel unto cevery creature.
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D&C 18:29 And they are they who are ordained of me to
abaptize in my name, according to that which is written;
D&C 18:30 And you have that which is written before you; wherefore, you must perform it aaccording to the words which are bwritten;
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D&C 18:31 And now I speak unto you, the
aTwelve—Behold, my grace is sufficient for
youa; you walk uprightly
before me and sin notb.
D&C 18:32 And, behold, you are they who are ordained of me to aordain bpriests and teachers; to declare my gospel, caccording to the power of the Holy Ghost which is in you, and according to the dcallings and gifts of God unto men; D&C 18:33 And I, Jesus Christ, your Lord and your God, have spoken it.
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31a my grace is sufficient for
you In various places in the scriptures it is stated that the
grace of Jesus Christ is sufficient to bridge the gap between fallen man
and the kingdom of God, that is that His Grace, by His Grace, our sins are
forgiven and removed. But it is not only the forgiving of sin and their
removal which is requesite before heaven as the next part of the verse
further implies.
31b you walk uprightly before me and sin not After forgiveness and the removal of sin, the man's walk is to be upright before God and without sin. It is therefore a further component part of Grace, that it is what assists man to 'continue' in the walk or way or path of God. That is by His Grace we are aided along our way as long as we do follow after him, continue to seek Him and do not turn away from Him. And as he 'carries us' before God at this heightened level upon the path to God, we are as though we are 'without sin' by the continual process of the 'ordinances of the gospel', namely and particularly the weekly communion or sacrament we 'worthly' participate in each week. |
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D&C 18:34 These awords are not of men nor of man, but of
me; wherefore, you shall testify they are of me and not of man;
D&C 18:35 For it is my avoice which speaketh them unto you; for they are given by my Spirit unto you, and by my power you can read them one to another; and save it were by my power you could not have them: D&C 18:36 Wherefore, you can atestify that you have bheard my voice, and know my words.
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D&C 18:37 And now, behold, I give unto you, Oliver Cowdery, and also
unto David Whitmer, that you shall search out the
Twelvea, who shall have the
desires of which I have spoken;
D&C 18:38 And by their adesires and their bworks you shall know them. D&C 18:39 And when you have found them you shall show these things unto them.
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37a Oliver Cowdery, and also unto David Whitmer, that you shall search out the Twelve It seems to be of significant interest that it was Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer who were given the charge of identifying the Twelve, for when it came time for the Chruch to move on after the death of Joseph Smith, who but the Twelve did assume the leadership as in the ancient Chruch of Jesus Christ, yet Oliver Cowdery fell away, though he came back and David Whitmer not only fell away and never came back but he held out against the Twelve unto another faction of the Church over many of the very men that he had himself took part in chosing. | |
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D&C 18:40 And you shall fall down and aworship the Father
in my bname.
D&C 18:41 And you must preach unto the world, saying: You must arepent and be baptized, in the name of Jesus Christ; D&C 18:42 For all men must repent and be baptized, and not only men, but women, and achildren who have arrive at the years of baccountability.
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D&C 18:43 And now, after that you have received this, you must keep my
acommandments in all things;
D&C 18:44 And by your hands I will work a amarvelous work among the children of men, unto the bconvincing of many of their sins, that they may come unto repentance, and that they may come unto the kingdom of my Father.
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D&C 18:45 Wherefore, the blessings which I give unto you are
aabove all things.
D&C 18:46 And after that you have received this, if you akeep not my commandments you cannot be saved in the kingdom of my Father. D&C 18:47 Behold, I, Jesus Christ, your Lord and your God, and your aRedeemer, by the bpower of my Spirit have spoken it. Amen
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