Doctrine and Covenants Commentary - Section 37

by Don R. Hender

Just how rapidly the early Restored Church did move is quite astounding. Certainly is one was attempting to develop a new sect they would seek some early staybility. Yet in the first year after the Book of Mormon had come forth and the church orgainized, the Lord had sent missionaries to the Indian fountier, which four particularly called missionaries had stopped at the Kirtland, Ohio region and laid a foundation for the church to move to there from the shaky foundation which Satan had laid in tranditional Christianity of the early American colonies. And that by December of that first year God called upon his early saints, particularly those who would be the backbone of the saints from New York of Colesville, to vacate their lands and possession in New York and sacrifice everything as it were to move west to were for but a short time the church would proceed upon its next developmental stage of the restoration of the keys of the kingdom from heaven in the Kirtland Temple which would be built to that end.

Scriptural Text [& Editorial] Commentary & Explanation Footnotes ~ References ~ JST

           SECTION 37
Revelation given to Joseph Smith the Prophet and Sidney Rigdon, near Fayette, New York, December 1830. HC 1:139. Herein is given the first commandment concerning a gathering in this dispensation.

1—4, The saints are called to gather at the Ohio.

1 BEHOLD, I say unto you that it is not expedient in me that ye should ^atranslate any more until ye shall go to the Ohio, and this because of the enemy and for your sakes^a.

1^a this because of the enemy and for your sakes Satan had already raised the ire of the stage of traditional Christianity. Its flames were set as early as the end of the early Church of Christ in that great apostasy which saw such blasphemous doctrines as the 'Holy Trinity' with its three Gods in one which robbed God the Father of his family, Jesus of his divine Sonship and the Holy Ghost of its ministering purpose unto salvation and exaltation. When the young 14 year old Joseph Smith proclaimed to but a few that he had seen God the Father and Jesus Christ His son standing at his right hand, the spark of truth was lite and the enemy, who is Satan began to respond based upon the false Christianity which he had built as to the nature of God and the Godhead. If Joseph Smith was correct, that God and Jesus were two separate beings, then the shock would eventually shake all false sects of traditional Christianity to the very core and bring about their eventual end in Christ's truth. Thus the enemy, Satan working in the hearts of the learned clergy of established apostate traditional Christianity were at work early to thwart and bring to an end the new true religion. And that it was literally for the sake of its survival that it must be so rapidly removed according to the command of God is so stated here by the voice of God. It was for the 'sakes' of those of the early restored church that they MUST be removed. 1^a Deut. 32:1; Isa. 1:2; Isa. 49:1
   ^b 3 Ne. 27:3 (1-8); D&C 20:1;
      D&C 21:3;
      TG Jesus Christ, Head of Church
   ^c Ps. 33:18; Amos 9:8;
      D&C 38:7 (7-8);
      TG God, Omniscience of

2 And again, I say unto you that ye shall not go until ye have preached my gospel in those parts, and have ^astrengthened up the church whithersoever it is found, and more especially in ^bColesville; for, behold, they pray unto me in much faith.

1^a Deut. 32:1; Isa. 1:2; Isa. 49:1
   ^b 3 Ne. 27:3 (1-8); D&C 20:1;
      D&C 21:3;
      TG Jesus Christ, Head of Church
   ^c Ps. 33:18; Amos 9:8;
      D&C 38:7 (7-8);
      TG God, Omniscience of

3 And again, a commandment I give unto the church, that it is expedient in me that they should assemble together at ^athe Ohio, against the time that my servant Oliver Cowdery shall return unto them.
4 Behold, here is wisdom, and let every man ^achoose for himself until I come^a. Even so. Amen.

4^a let every man choose for himself until I come The principle of 'agency' prevails. Even in the course of a 'must move', the Lord insured that the prime principle of the agency of man was to be preserved. If one did not choose to leave New York as the Lord had commanded, it was entirely up to them, a matter of personal choice and agency. Lucifer would have force such an issue if he had been allowed to prevail. Man would not have had their agency to choose nor to become 'self-actuated' according to the Plan of God, that man might become even as God is. 1^a Deut. 32:1; Isa. 1:2; Isa. 49:1
   ^b 3 Ne. 27:3 (1-8); D&C 20:1;
      D&C 21:3;
      TG Jesus Christ, Head of Church
   ^c Ps. 33:18; Amos 9:8;
      D&C 38:7 (7-8);
      TG God, Omniscience of

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
SECTION 37 Revelation given to Joseph Smith the Prophet and Sidney Rigdon, near Fayette, New York, December 1830. HC 1:139. Herein is given the first commandment concerning a gathering in this dispensation.
1—4, The saints are called to gather at the Ohio.
1 BEHOLD, I say unto you that it is not expedient in me that ye should ^atranslate any more until ye shall go to the Ohio, and this because of the enemy and for your sakes^a.	1^a this because of the enemy and for your sakes Satan had already raised the ire of the stage of traditional Christianity. Its flames were set as early as the end of the early Church of Christ in that great apostasy which saw such blasphemous doctrines as the 'Holy Trinity' with its three Gods in one which robbed God the Father of his family, Jesus of his divine Sonship and the Holy Ghost of its ministering purpose unto salvation and exaltation. When the young 14 year old Joseph Smith proclaimed to but a few that he had seen God the Father and Jesus Christ His son standing at his right hand, the spark of truth was lite and the enemy, who is Satan began to respond based upon the false Christianity which he had built as to the nature of God and the Godhead. If Joseph Smith was correct, that God and Jesus were two separate beings, then the shock would eventually shake all false sects of traditional Christianity to the very core and bring about their eventual end in Christ's truth. Thus the enemy, Satan working in the hearts of the learned clergy of established apostate traditional Christianity were at work early to thwart and bring to an end the new true religion. And that it was literally for the sake of its survival that it must be so rapidly removed according to the command of God is so stated here by the voice of God. It was for the 'sakes' of those of the early restored church that they MUST be removed.	1^a Deut. 32:1; Isa. 1:2; Isa. 49:1 ^b 3 Ne. 27:3 (1-8); D&C 20:1; D&C 21:3; TG Jesus Christ, Head of Church ^c Ps. 33:18; Amos 9:8; D&C 38:7 (7-8); TG God, Omniscience of
2 And again, I say unto you that ye shall not go until ye have preached my gospel in those parts, and have ^astrengthened up the church whithersoever it is found, and more especially in ^bColesville; for, behold, they pray unto me in much faith.		1^a Deut. 32:1; Isa. 1:2; Isa. 49:1 ^b 3 Ne. 27:3 (1-8); D&C 20:1; D&C 21:3; TG Jesus Christ, Head of Church ^c Ps. 33:18; Amos 9:8; D&C 38:7 (7-8); TG God, Omniscience of
3 And again, a commandment I give unto the church, that it is expedient in me that they should assemble together at ^athe Ohio, against the time that my servant Oliver Cowdery shall return unto them. 4 Behold, here is wisdom, and let every man ^achoose for himself until I come^a. Even so. Amen.	4^a let every man choose for himself until I come The principle of 'agency' prevails. Even in the course of a 'must move', the Lord insured that the prime principle of the agency of man was to be preserved. If one did not choose to leave New York as the Lord had commanded, it was entirely up to them, a matter of personal choice and agency. Lucifer would have force such an issue if he had been allowed to prevail. Man would not have had their agency to choose nor to become 'self-actuated' according to the Plan of God, that man might become even as God is.	1^a Deut. 32:1; Isa. 1:2; Isa. 49:1 ^b 3 Ne. 27:3 (1-8); D&C 20:1; D&C 21:3; TG Jesus Christ, Head of Church ^c Ps. 33:18; Amos 9:8; D&C 38:7 (7-8); TG God, Omniscience of