During my last years of activity in "the Church," I realized that there was a relatively small collection of scriptural passages that seemed to be emphasized all the time. If you put them all together, they would maybe equal a thick pamphlet. But we were always supposed to be lugging around those huge-ass volumes called the "standard works" with several thousand pages of revelations straight from God.

Why all pages? Why all the neglect of 95% of the content of those pages?

Here are just a couple of examples of neglected scriptural passages from the Doctrine and Covenants. If I were still active in the Church, I would make it a point to draw attention to these and similar neglected passages:

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D&C 41:

7 And again, it is meet that my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., should have a house built, in which to live and translate.

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D&C 124:

56 And now I say unto you, as pertaining to my boarding house which I have commanded you to build for the boarding of strangers, let it be built unto my name, and let my name be named upon it, and let my servant Joseph and his house have place therein, from generation to generation.
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D&C 111:

4 And it shall come to pass in due time that I will give this city into your hands, that you shall have power over it, insomuch that they shall not discover your secret parts; and its wealth pertaining to gold and silver shall be yours.

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The last one, especially, deserves much, much more attention and should figure prominently in Sacrament Meeting talks and lesson manuals and even in General Conference sermons. I don't understand why it has been neglected so much.

I have to admit that I don't fully understand it. For example, I don't know why Joseph's and Oliver's "secret parts" were in danger of being discovered. But I guess that could be something between them or between them and God or someone else.

But the rest of it is just pure religious inspiration.


God commanded Joseph and his religious associates to go on a treasure hunt in Salem, Massachussetts. God promised them that they could expect to find a nice stash of gold and silver there. But...OOPS! Something apparently went wrong...or maybe they weren't faithful enough or something. The treasure hunt went bust and they had to make their sad and dejected way back home without any gold or silver.

This passage alone is truly a treasure chest of Gospel nuggets of wisdom. Maybe the lesson is to look for a silver lining in all things.

;o)

Not only would Poe's Law work well with this, but the talks could also make good use of such overlooked gems.

Ex.: the first two could take a talk on "blessings" or "righteousness" veering off towards the prosperity gospel, which LD$ essentially believe.

The last could be mentioned to prove JS was not an "actual" money digger, but that he was commanded in all things (despite appearances of a treasure hunt), or maybe as an example of how even JS was tested, tried, and found wanting, because he did not get his $$$.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/09/2011 11:14PM by atheist&happy:-).

I think D&C 132 should be read in its entirety in Sacrament Meeting. I went 30 years not knowing I could have as many hot virgins as I wanted. How I overlooked that for so long is amazing. It's still cannon!

Seriously that scripture is all kinds of messed up and members don't even know its there or what it says.

This one too was a neat trick. When Joseph claimed to Emma the Lord had offered her to take other husbands--assuming she would not. I guess she must have agreed because Joseph immediately received a revelation telling her it was a test of her faith and she passed. But she must not partake, just like Abraham was prevented from sacrificing Issac, the fact she was willing is all that was required. Now the Lord stopped her before she made that ultimate sacrifice. And by the way, the Lord now requires that she accept all of those other women given to Joseph by the Lord.


51 Verily, I say unto you: A commandment I give unto mine handmaid, Emma Smith, your wife, whom I have given unto you, that she stay herself and partake not of that which I commanded you to offer unto her; for I did it, saith the Lord, to aprove you all, as I did Abraham, and that I might require an offering at your hand, by covenant and sacrifice.

52 And let mine handmaid, Emma Smith, areceive all those that have been given unto my servant Joseph, and who are virtuous and pure before me; and those who are not pure, and have said they were pure, shall be destroyed, saith the Lord God.

53 For I am the Lord thy God, and ye shall obey my voice; and I give unto my servant Joseph that he shall be made ruler over many things; for he hath been afaithful over a few things, and from henceforth I will strengthen him.

54 And I command mine handmaid, Emma Smith, to abide and acleave unto my servant Joseph, and to none else. But if she will not abide this commandment she shall be bdestroyed, saith the Lord; for I am the Lord thy God, and will destroy her if she abide not in my law.

http://lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/132?lang=eng

Interestingly Joseph...errr....I mean God....found it acceptable for other women to have more than one husband as long as one of those husbands was Joseph...

Joseph certainly had some very convenient and sel-serving revelations, didn't he?

So what happened to that glorious plan of Christ that Heavenly Father chose--the one with free agency?

With so much carrot sticking going on, perhaps that really isn't part of the Mormon gospel plan after all.

Being murdered, spilling your own blood, being shunned, being fired....

Anagrammy

they 'Never' say - repeat the 'Good Ones':

42:27 is my fav, kinda like the Golden Rule:

"Thou shalt not speak evil of thy neighbor, nor do him any harm."