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SECTION 68Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Hiram, Ohio, November 1831, at the request of Orson Hyde, Luke S. Johnson, Lyman E. Johnson, and William E. McLellin, HC 1:227—229. Although this revelation was given in response to supplication that the mind of the Lord be made known concerning the elders named, much of the content pertains to the whole Church. |
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6—12, Elders are to preach and baptize, and signs shall follow true believers; 13—24, Firstborn among the sons of Aaron may serve as the Presiding Bishop (that is, hold the keys of presidency as a bishop) under the direction of the First Presidency; 25—28, Parents are commanded to teach the gospel to their children; 29—35, The saints are to observe the Sabbath, labor diligently, and pray. | ||
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D&C 68:1 MY servant, Orson Hyde, was called by his
ordination to proclaim the aeverlasting gospel, by the
bSpirit of the living God, from people to people, and from
land to land, in the ccongregations of the wicked,
in their
dsynagoguesa,
reasoning with and eexpounding all scriptures unto them.
D&C 68:2 And, behold, and lo, this is an ensample unto all those who were ordained unto this priesthood, whose mission is appointed unto them to go fortha—
the Everlasting Gospel
This is the Lord's outline to missionary work, of taking the gospel to the world. According to social norm, this has beem tempered by modern and continuous revelation. But in the days of the early restored church this was the ensample to be followed by all those called to these early missions. |
1a in their synagogues To
Orsen Hyde this had a special significants as he would actually spend time
in the land of Jerusalem. But in general the application is to be whatever
place of worship which the people do use. This goes actually beyond even the
concept of churches, as many who are wicked do actually worship much more
than just God. They do make various idols seen and unseen to be their object
of worship. Thus this instruction may well be applied to any such place of
such worship, whether it be worship of God or worship of whatever else they
may be subject and in bondage to. There is however a matter of civilness and law to be observed. Being a public obstructionists is not the way of the Lord. The Lord goes before only those audiances which by their acceptance do willingly hear the word of the Lord. The Lord does still respect all men and their right to personal agency. He will not force his gospel upon any nor will he take action to infringe and intrude upon the natural course of man. But by that which is civilally acceptable and by invitation and correctness according to order and law does the word of the Lord go forth. 2a this is an ensample unto all those who were ordained unto this priesthood, whose mission is appointed unto them to go forth In the spirit of likening scripture unto ourselves, much of the sections of the doctrine covenants are given to certain individuals but applicable and appliable to all of like calling and position. The call to Orsen Hyde in verse one is of such. First the Lord sets the ensample in what he stated upon Orsen Hyde, and then in the verses which follows this the Lord expounds what the entend of what was said to Orden Hyde did mean in relationship to all so called. |
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D&C 68:3 And this is the aensample unto them, that
they shall bspeak as they are moved upon by the Holy
Ghosta.
4 And whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the aHoly Ghost shall be scripturea, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the bpower of God unto salvation. D&C 68:5 Behold, this is the promise of the Lord unto you, O ye my servants.
Indeed, 'whether by the very voice of the Lord or by the voice of His servants, it is the same' (D&C 1:38). |
3a they shall speak as they are moved
upon by the Holy Ghost Those who preach the Everlasting Gospel do
so by the power of being moved upon by the Holy Ghost that what they do say
and speak are what God would have them say. This is a dull obligation. It
rest upon they who preach to be open to the promptings of the spirit to be so
moved in their speach. It also rests upon the Spirit to so perform that
enlightenment of mind to give voice through the speaker the Word of God.
4a shall be scripture If any have ever wondered about modern and continuous scripture beyond the accepted cannon of scripture, here is the answer. We hear that they who speak to us at General Conference by the Spirit of God do speak but scripture unto us. So it is so. Scripture need not be so limited to such formally cannonized scripts as the Bible, but scripture is the living word of God and is so proclaimed by the servants of God where and when ever they are so moved upon by the Spirit to speak. And it becomes scripture, the Word of God unto those who do hear that living word as it is spoken. It need not pass through the medium of the written word. Such is scripture directly from the tongue of such who do speak as moved upon by the Spirit of God to so utter what they say concerning the Everlasting Gospel of God. |
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D&C 68:6 Wherefore, be of good acheer, and do not
bfear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you;
and ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the Son of the
living God, that I cwas, that I am, and that I am to come.
D&C 68:7 This is the word of the Lord unto you, my servant Orson Hyde, and also unto my servant Luke Johnson, and unto my servant Lyman Johnson, and unto my servant aWilliam E. McLellin, and unto all the faithful elders of my church—
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D&C 68:8 aGo ye into all the world,
bpreach the gospel to every ccreature,
acting in the dauthority which I have given you,
ebaptizing in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Ghost.
D&C 68:9 And ahe that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be bdamned. D&C 68:10 And he that believeth shall be blest with asigns following, even as it is written.
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D&C 68:11 And unto you it shall be given to know the signs of the
atimes, and the bsigns of the coming of
the Son of Man;
D&C 68:12 And of as many as the Father shall bear record, to you shall be given power, to aseal them up unto eternal life. Amen.
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D&C 68:13 And now, concerning the items in addition to the
acovenants and commandments, they are these—
D&C 68:14 There remain hereafter, in the due time of the Lord, other abishops to be set apart unto the bchurch, to minister even according to the first; D&C 68:15 Wherefore they shall be ahigh priests who are worthy, and they shall be appointed by the bFirst Presidency of the Melchizedek Priesthood, except they be literal descendants of cAaron. D&C 68:16 And if they be literal descendants of aAaron they have a legal right to the bishopric, if they are the bfirstborn among the sons of Aaron;
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D&C 68:17 For the firstborn holds the right of the presidency over this
priesthood, and the akeys or authority of the same.
D&C 68:18 No man has a legal right to this office, to hold the keys of this priesthood, except he be a aliteral descendant and the firstborn of Aaron. D&C 68:19 But, as a ahigh priest of the Melchizedek Priesthood has authority to officiate in all the lesser offices he may officiate in the office of bbishop when no literal descendant of Aaron can be found, provided he is called and set apart and ordained unto this power, under the hands of the First Presidency of the Melchizedek Priesthood.
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D&C 68:20 And a literal descendant of Aaron, also, must be designated by this
Presidency, and found worthy, and aanointed, and ordained
under the hands of this Presidency, otherwise they are not legally authorized
to officiate in their priesthood.
D&C 68:21 But, by virtue of the decree concerning their right of the priesthood descending from father to son, they may claim their aanointing if at any time they can prove their lineage, or do ascertain it by revelation from the Lord under the bhands of the above named Presidency.
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D&C 68:22 And again, no bishop or high priest who shall be set apart for this
ministry shall be tried or acondemned for any crime, save
it be before the bFirst Presidency of the church;
D&C 68:23 And inasmuch as he is found aguilty before this Presidency, by testimony that cannot be impeached, he shall be condemned; D&C 68:24 And if he repent he shall be aforgiven, according to the covenants and bcommandments of the church.
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D&C 68:25 And again, inasmuch as aparents have children in
Zion, or in any of her bstakes which are organized,
that cteach them
nota to understand the
ddoctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the Son of the
living God, and of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of
the hands, when eeight years old, the
fsin be upon the heads of the parents.
D&C 68:26 For this shall be a law unto the ainhabitants of Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized. D&C 68:27 And their children shall be abaptized for the bremission of their sins when ceight years old, and receive the laying on of the hands. D&C 68:28 And they shall also ateach their children to pray, and to walk uprightly before the Lord.
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25a that teach them not President George Albert Smith taught concerning this 'warning' in verses 25-28 concerning a parent teaching their children that, "This is not a threat, my brethren and sisters, that (D&C 68:25-28) is the kind and loving advice of our Heavenly Father who knows all things and understands and realizes what it means when children are allowed to grow up without this training.("To the Relief Society," Relief Society Magazine, Dec. 1932, 708-9.) It is more of a warning concern the guilt that one will and does feel upon doing or not doing something. That is, if a parent does not teach their child, then it will be upon the parent's conscience that they did not do their part, what they should have done in the way of prevention. Now if a parent does so properly teach their child, though the parent will still feel the pain of the child's miss deeds, at least the guilt of conscience will not weigh down upon the parent as well. It is not as a part of being able to state, "I told you so." It is more of being that portion of relief one feels from having warned the child over not having warned them. And if a parent has failed to warn his child, then that guilt of not having done so does, beyond the regret of the child's action, also weign heavy upon the heart, soul and being of the parent. | |
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D&C 68:29 And the inhabitants of Zion shall also observe the
aSabbath day to keep it holy.
D&C 68:30 And the inhabitants of Zion also shall remember their alabors, inasmuch as they are appointed to labor, in all faithfulness; for the bidler shall be had in remembrance before the Lord. D&C 68:31 Now, I, the Lord, am not well apleased with the inhabitants of Zion, for there are bidlers among them; and their cchildren are also growing up in dwickedness; they also eseek not earnestly the riches of eternity, but their eyes are full of fgreediness. D&C 68:32 These things ought not to be, and must be done away from among them, wherefore, let my servant Oliver Cowdery acarry these sayings unto the land of Zion.
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D&C 68:33 And a commandment I give unto them—that he that observeth not
his aprayers before the Lord in the season thereof, let him
be had in bremembrance before the judge of my people.
D&C 68:34 These sayings are atrue and faithful; wherefore, transgress them not, neither btake therefrom. D&C 68:35 Behold, I am aAlpha and Omega, and I bcome quickly. Amen.
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