Doctrine and Covenants Commentary - Section 27

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
Commentary & Explanation
Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
Revelation given to Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Harmony, Pennsylvania, August 1830. HC 1:106—108. In preparation for a religious service at which the sacrament of bread and wine was to be administered, Joseph set out to procure wine for the occasion. He was met by a heavenly messenger and received this revelation, a portion of which was written at the time, and the remainder in the September following. Water is now used instead of wine in the sacramental services of the Church.
    1—4, The emblems to be used in partaking of the sacrament are set forth;
    5—14, Christ and his servants from all dispensations are to partake of the sacrament;
    15—18, Put on the whole armor of God.
D&C 27:1 Listen to the avoice of Jesus Christ, your Lord, your God, and your Redeemer, whose word is bquick and powerful.
D&C 27:2 For, behold, I say unto you, that it mattereth not what ye shall aeat or what ye shall drink when ye partake of the sacrament, if it so be that ye do it with an eye single to my bglory—cremembering unto the Father my dbody which was laid down for you, and my eblood which was shed for the fremission of your sins.

D&C 27:3 Wherefore, a commandment I give unto you, that you shall not purchase awine neither strong drinks of your enemies;
D&C 27:4 Wherefore, you shall partake of none except it is made anew among you; yea, in this my Father's kingdom which shall be built up on the earth.

Adam-ondi-Ahman Meeting Roll Call
(with further dentifying information)

D&C 27:5 Behold, this is wisdom in me; wherefore, marvel not, for the hour cometh that I will adrink of the fruit of the bvine with you on the earth, and with cMoroni, whom I have sent unto you to reveal the Book of Mormon, containing the fulness of my everlasting gospel, to whom I have committed the keys of the drecord of the estick of fEphraim;

D&C 27:6 And also with aElias, to whom I have committed the keys of bringing to pass the restoration of all things spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets since the world began, concerning the last days;
D&C 27:7 And also John the son of Zacharias, which Zacharias he (aElias) visited and gave promise that he should have a son, and his name should be bJohn, and he should be filled with the spirit of Elias;
D&C 27:8 Which John I have sent unto you, my servants, Joseph Smith, Jun., and Oliver Cowdery, to ordain you unto the first apriesthood which you have received, that you might be called and bordained even as cAaron;

D&C 27:9 And also aElijah, unto whom I have committed the keys of the power of turning the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the bfathers, that the whole earth may not be smitten with a ccurse;
D&C 27:10 And also with aJoseph and aJacob, and bIsaac, and bAbraham, your cfathers, by whom the dpromises remain;

Joseph, Jacob, Isaac
and Abraham 
The patriarchal 'fathers' by whom the promises remain through Ephraim to the blessings of the inhabitants of all the earth includes Joseph of Egypt and beyond Abraham, they would continue back through the likes of Noah, Enoch and Adam. These promises include the promise of the everlasting covenant of God to man from before the foundation of the world, the saving ordinances of the fulness of the gospel including the high priesthood of God and its endowment as well as the everlasting covenant of Celestial marriage and the promise of eternal increase. It further includes the promise of the right of ancestry to the Messiah and those who would act as saviors on mount Zion in the latter-days in taking the blessings of the gospel to all the world. And it also includes the promises and endowment of a land of promise to continue through all ages of time and in terms of the whole earth to be the celestial habitation to those who obtain their celestial glory and become even AS GOD IS.
D&C 27:11 And also with Michael, or aAdam, the father of all, the prince of all, the bancient of days;
D&C 27:12 And also with Peter, and James, and John, whom I have sent unto you, by whom I have aordained you and confirmed you to be bapostles, and especial cwithnesses of my dname, and bear the keys of your ministry and of the same things which I revealed unto them;
D&C 27:13 Unto whom I have acommitted the bkeys of my kingdom, and a cdispensation of the dgospel for the elast times; and for the ffulness of times, in the which I will gather together in gone all things, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth;
D&C 27:14 And also with all those whom my Father hath agiven me out of the world.

 

One Great and Long Sentence of Statement

One connecting thought concept is often lost by the divisions of sentences and even paragraphs little alone those divisions of verses. It is therefore pertenant to note that this comprehensive inclusive thought concept of the Lord is so preserved all in one long continuous sentence which spans verses 5 though and including 14. And here so stated together as but one thought sentence perhaps we may better address the whole of the concept being so expressed by the spirit and voice of the Lord.

    "Behold, this is wisdom in me; wherefore, marvel not, for the hour cometh that I will drink of the fruit of the vine with you on the earth, and with Moroni, whom I have sent unto you to reveal the Book of Mormon, containing the fulness of my everlasting gospel, to whom I have committed the keys of the record of the stick of Ephraim; And also with Elias, to whom I have committed the keys of bringing to pass the restoration of all things spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets since the world began, concerning the last days; And also John the son of Zacharias, which Zacharias he (Elias) visited and gave promise that he should have a son, and his name should be John, and he should be filled with the spirit of Elias; Which John I have sent unto you, my servants, Joseph Smith, Jun., and Oliver Cowdery, to ordain you unto the first priesthood which you have received, that you might be called and ordained even as Aaron; And also Elijah, unto whom I have committed the keys of the power of turning the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers, that the whole earth may not be smitten with a curse; And also with Joseph and Jacob, and Isaac, and Abraham, your fathers, by whom the promises remain; And also with Michael, or Adam, the father of all, the prince of all, the ancient of days; And also with Peter, and James, and John, whom I have sent unto you, by whom I have ordained you and confirmed you to be apostles, and especial withnesses of my name, and bear the keys of your ministry and of the same things which I revealed unto them; Unto whom I have committed the keys of my kingdom, and a dispensation of the gospel for the last times; and for the fulness of times, in the which I will gather together in one all things, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; And also with all those whom my Father hath given me out of the world." ~ D&C 27:5-14

This is but one conceptualized thought, a sentence so pregnant with meaning that unless one so connects it all togehter, the whole of it is missed in the full extent of its meaning. The Lord so necessitates it being so stated as but one single statement, one sentance, to be taken, read and understood as one and the same complete conceptualization of singular thought. Thus so attempt to so read and understand it as such in relationship to the prior lead sentence concerning the building up on earth of the Father's kingdom.

Armor of God

D&C 27:15 Wherefore, alift up your hearts and brejoice, and cgird up your loins, and take upon you my whole darmor, that ye may be able to withstand the evil day, having done all, that ye may be able to estand.
D&C 27:16 Stand, therefore, having your loins agirt about with btruth, having on the cbreastplate of drighteousness, and your feet shod with the preparation of the egospel of fpeace, which I have sent mine gangels to commit unto you;
D&C 27:17 Taking the shield of faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the afiery darts of the wickeda;
D&C 27:18 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of my aSpirit, which I will pour out upon you, and my word which I reveal unto you, and be agreed as touching all things whatsoever ye ask of me, and be faithful until I come, and ye shall be bcaught up, that where I am ye shall be calso. Amen.

 17a the shield of faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked Not all of the fiery darts of the wicked are those of Satan in afflicting us with our own sins and shortcomings. It includes those afflications which we suffer at the hands of others, who by their wicked acts have inflected upon us such suffering as we could not have protected ourselves from. Now we will suffer the wounds of personal sin and the effect of those who openly afflect us by there actions of ungodliness. The verse states that the fiery darts will be 'quenched' in our faith in Jesus Christ. This is the healing of the wounds even after they have been inflected upon us as well as a guard against the receiving of mortal wounds upon us. The experience of this earth is to so experience the effects of wickedness upon us. We will not be totally free from it. Those fiery darts which the 'shield' does not totally prevent from being inflected upon us, we are promised will still be 'quenched', that is put out and the effects swallowed up in our faith in Christ, the atonement and the power thereof, whereby the effects of sin and wickedness are to be resolved and taken from us. Another verse which speaks of this 'shield' states that the Lord will 'shield' the weak. Joseph Smith was one of the strongest among us. He was not as shielded as one who might be 'weak' and he was so persecuted by wicked men as they inflected him with the wounds of those fiery darts. In Liberty Jail, Joseph was told that these afflections would work for his benefit and experience. And as we have just read, they will be quenched in the exercise of faith in the Lord. Once again, we will not escape them totally, but Christ promises that we will be healed from them by our faith in him. This is one of the great mercies offered by the atonement of our Savior.