Doctrine and Covenants Commentary - Section 8

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
Commentary & Explanation
Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
           SECTION 8

Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet to Oliver Cowdery, at Harmony, Pennsylvania, April 1829. HC 1:36-37. In the course of the translation of the Book of Mormon, Oliver, who continued to serve as scribe, writing at the Prophet's dictation, desired to be endowed with the gift of translation. The Lord responded to his supplication by grantin this revelation.

    1—5, Revelation comes by the power of the Holy Ghost;
    6—12, Mysteries of God and the power to translate ancient records come by faith.
D&C 8:1 aOLIVER Cowdery, verily, verily, I say unto you, that assuredly as the the Lord liveth, who is your God and your Redeemer, even so surely shall you receive a bknowledge of whatsoever things you shall cask in faith, with an dhonest heart, believing that you shall receive a eknowledge concerning the engravings of old frecords, which are ancient, which contain those parts of my scripture of which has been spoken by the gmanifestation of my Spirit.
D&C 8:2 Yea, behold, I will atell you in your mind and in your bheart, by the cHoly Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart.

D&C 8:3 Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation; behold, this is the spirit by which Moses abrought the children of Israel through the Red Sea on dry ground.
D&C 8:4 Therefore this is thy agift; apply unto it, and blessed art thou, for it shall bdeliver you out of the hands of your cenemies, when, if it were not so, they would slay you and bring your soul to destruction.
D&C 8:5 Oh, remember these awords, and keep my commandments. Remember, this is your gift.

D&C 8:6 Now this is not all thy agift; for you have another gift, which is the gift of Aarona; behold, it has told you many thingsb;
D&C 8:7 Behold, there is no other power, save the power of God, that can cause this gift of Aaron to be with you.
D&C 8:8 Therefore, adoubt not, for it is the gift of Goda; and you shall hold it in your hands, and do marvelous works; and no power shall be able to take it away out of your hands, for it is the bwork of God.

The Gift of Aaron 
What is the Gift of Aaron? According to these very verses it is stated that:
    1) It is clearly stated that it is 'another gift', other than the spirit of revelation. (See verse 6)
    2) It can tell you many things as it had already 'told Oliver many things'. (See verse 6)
    3) It operates by no other power save by the power of God, as it is only the power of God which can cause the gift of Aaron to be with you. This defines it differently from the 'spirit of revelation by the Holy Ghost'. (See verses 2&3 as opposed to verse 7)
    4) As it is set out separate and appart from the just preveiously discribed 'spirit of revelation' which works by the Holy Ghost dwelling in one's heart and telling one in their mind and in their heart, then the 'Gift of Aaron' seems to not work by that 'inner' process of enlightenment of the mind and heart by the manifestation of the Spirit. (See verse 1, 2 and 3)
    5) It is a distinct 'gift of God' not a position or a calling. (see verse 8)
    6) If the gift of Aaron does not work inwardly, then it must work outwardly upon man's outward senses. Perhaps verse 12 gives the proper concept to just what God of God the Gift of Aaron is when it talks of the voice of the Lord haveing 'spoken it' and that to Oliver, this was 'the same that spake unto him from the beginning'. (see verse 12)
Now from these verses, the 'gift of Aaron' seems to be presented in terms of more of a being 'told' and being 'spoken to' rather than 'speaking for. We do not know of Aaron's past prior to his first encounter with the Lord. That encounter of Aaron, like the first encounter of Oliver being directed by the Lord, was at a distinct distance and apart from the 'first' meetings and encounters of each of the pairs as 'prophet' and 'spokesman'. Listen to Aaron's first encounter with God:
    "And the LORD said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him in the mount of God, and kissed him." ~ Exodus 4:27
Was not this Aaron's first gift from God to hear God's voice speaking unto him? Consider, would not this have been Oliver's first experience to have been 'told' to go to, find Joseph Smith, and assist him?
Hearing voices is not the type of thing which normally comes up in converstion of one person with another. It would seem that Oliver did not tell Joseph Smith the full nature of his manifestation to come to Joseph's aid. As D&C 6 sets forth, Joseph Smith did not know of that instance but the Lord did as revealed there and as given as further sign to Oliver that only God could have known concerning it.

In one respect, Aaron was on the 'receiving end' of that command delivered by the voice of God to go to Moses. He was on the receiving end of that administration by that heavenly messenger who told him to go. This direct administration whether performed by an authorized pre-mortal, mortal or post mortal is called the 'ministration of angels'.

 6a the gift of Aaron Some have speculated and set forth that the 'gift of Aaron' was that Oliver, like unto Aaron's relationship to Moses, was given to be the 'spokesman' to Joseph Smith even as Aaron was so given to Moses. Yet a careful reading of this verse does suggest that 'the gift of Aaron' was some other matter as it further states that 'gift of Aaron' had already 'told Oliver many things.' Now the relationship between Moses and Aaron being his spokesman was one as set out like unto Moses being God and Aaron being his spokesman before Pharaoh. Thus Aaron would do and say as Moses directed him. But this 'other' 'gift of Aaron', where 'Oliver had already been told many things' as a result of this gift seem more than just speaking for and in behalf of the Prophet Joseph Smith.
Consider that as a consequence of Moses being called of God to return to Egypt to perform God's work, that the Lord had spoken to Aaron also and told him to go out to meet Moses. Now this sounds more like what had happened to Oliver Cowdery. Oliver had been told, spoken to by the Lord, to go forth to meet and assist Joseph in his work just as Aaron had. Certainly this would have to be considered a 'gift', to hear the word of God directing you what to do.
Some have been given that gift to hear the voice of God, whether delivered by God, the Holy Ghost or some servant messenger of God, it is the same. President David O. McKay speaks of hearing a voice in his youth which did give him comfort from fear. Upon occation others have herd the voice of God spoken to them, not that others about them heard it, but they did hear it a plain as day. Even I have upon a few occations heard such a voice as real and as heard as ever any voice ever spoken unto me. Now consider if this is not 'the gift of Aaron' spoken of here. It seems not to be the same as the 'spirit of revelation' which is defined as the Holy Ghost dwelling in you heart and telling you in your mind and in your heart as set out in verse 2. This is another gift of actually hearing audibly, at least directly to you, an actual voice as heard with your ears and not in your mind and in your heart.
I recall that upon two of my own occations, what the voice said to me was not what was in my mind and heart at the time. I will share but one such instance. As a young child, I tired of attending the lengthly sacrament meetings each Sunday. Thus one Sunday I was determined that I was not going to go to sacrament meeting, but that I was going to stay home. I persisted and refused to such an extend that my parents finally gave up and left me home. It was neither in my mind nor my heart to attend sacrament meeting that evening. I watched out the livingroom window as they all piled into the car out front and drove off down the street. I no sooner had turned and walked into the kitchen than the realization came upon me that I was all alone. Then a voice said simply and firmly. 'You go to Church.' Our Church was all the way down our street and around the corner about a block and a half. As I recall, by the time the sacrament was being served, I was sitting with my family in Chruch at that sacrament meeting. I have never forgotten that event. It just isn't something you can put out of your mind and forget when you'd heard a voice such as that.
 6a it [the gift of Aaron] has told you many things The 'gift of Aaron', that 'gift of God', 'it' had told both Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery many things. By the use of the pronoun 'it', the concept of it being a person as opposed to a thing should obviously be removed. Yet 'it' could be carried out by persons who held the gift. Since Oliver had been on the end of being 'told', he seems to have been thus far on the receiving end of the 'gift of Aaron' rather than on the giving or telling end. Considering the gift of Aaron to be the priesthood of ministering angels, certainly Joseph and even Oliver had been on the receiving end of that gift and would soon be in position to be on the giving end come May 15, 1830.
 8a it is a gift of God The 'gift of Aaron' is a 'gift of God', and only the power of God can cause that gift to be with you. This would seem to indicate that none other than God can be source of this particular gift, which further seems to imply that if one has and has experienced that gift of Aaron, one is assured that it is of and from God.

The Prophesied Writer
and Spokesmen of
the Book of Mormon 
Much has been made about Lehi's paraphrased and/or quoted account of Joseph of Egypt's prophecies in 2 Nephi 3, as Lehi speaks to his son Joseph. There it speaks of the 'writer' of the Book of Mormon and that a 'Spokesman' will be give him. This is often associated with Joseph Smith and either Oliver Cowdery, Sydney Rigdon of some other. First of all the primary 'writer' and preparer of the Book of Mormon is not Joseph Smith, He is but its inspired translator and if anyone 'worte it' during Joseph Smith's days, it was written down by the hands of his scribes, such as Emma Smith, Martin Harris, Oliver Cowdery and Peter Whitmer. The actual primary writer of the Book of Mormon was of course Mormon. Even President Hinkley states it most plainly that Joseph Smith was not the writer of the Book of Mormon in 'Be Thou an Example', page 106.
In his book, 'A New Testament of the Articles of Faith', page 425, Elder McConkie so stipulates that when Lehi spoke of the writer of the Book of Mormon in that chapter, it was his descendant Mormon who was being spoken of. And a further careful study of the Book of Mormon text does actually make both the 'writer' and his 'spokesman' to be descendants of Lehi and not merely of Joseph of Egypt. (See Commentary on 2 Nephi 3) Based upon such careful study of that text, Mormon's spokesman was his son Moroni. It was Moroni who spoke to the Church for and in behalf of his 'War Captain' father Mormon who headed the armies of the Nephites upon the battles fronts. And it was and is Moroni who is the holder of the keys of the record of Ephraim which the Book of Mormon is a part of. And it is Moroni who is that angel who stated by John's Revelation was to fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to the earth.
Thus the scriptural preasure to so deliniate out a 'spokesman' for the prophet Joseph Smith, whether Oliver Cowdery who failed, Sydney Rigdon who failed or some other to parallel with Moses and Aaron, just is not there. It was Mormon's and Moroni's relationship to each other which was that of the Prophet and his Spokesman to which Lehi spoke concering Lehi's descendants paralleling with that of the relationship between Moses and Aaron.

Further Deliniation of
the Gift of Aaron 
There is a further close correlation between Aaron's gift and the priesthood of Aaron, which is the priesthood that holds the keys of the 'Ministering of Angels' (D&C 13:1). Consider all the messengers, including the Father and the Son who did minister the restoration of the priesthood by voice and direct visitation. All could be called 'Ministering Angels' and all could be could as or being active in the office of an 'Elias'. Numbers 8:18 states that the Levites or their administrations in that priesthood of Aaron was 'as a gift to Aaron and to his sons'. Now the benefit of the Ministering of Angels is two fold. There is the blessings of performing the service of the administation by he who holds the priesthood, but the more direct benefit is to him who is being administered to. Oliver Cowdery nor Joseph Smith did not have to first hold the priesthood of the gift of Aaron to be the beneficaries of it administration. Both had received and been blessed by the 'ministering of angels' and as a further gift, both had been foreordained to be receipiants of the priesthood of the 'ministration of angels' upon the earth. and likely had even in the preexistence held such premortal position there. And we do speak of holding the priesthood in our 'hands'. Within a month's time, Oliver and Joseph would advance in this mortal second estate from merely being ministered to, to actually receiving the priesthood power of that administration themselves on May 15, 1830 under the 'hands' of John the Baptist.
D&C 8:9 And, therefore, whatsoever you shall ask me to tell you by any means, that will I grant unto you, and you shall have knowledge concerning it.
D&C 8:10 Remember that without afaith you can do nothing; therefore ask in faith. Trifle not with these things; do not bask for that which you ought not.
D&C 8:11 Ask that you may know the mysteries of God, and that you may atranslate and receive knowledge from all those ancient records which have been hid up, that are bsacred; and according to your faith shall it be done unto you.
D&C 8:12 Behold, it is I that have spoken it; and I am the same that spake unto you from the beginninga. Amen.

 12a I am the same that spake unto you from the beginning While we are not given to know exactly what was the specific source of Oliver's earlier 'enlightenment' before he came to Joseph Smith and that it was this which did bring him to Joseph, here is perhaps a hint. The Lord tells Oliver that it was He who had spoken to him from the beginning.