This week’s lesson teaches how to apply the scriptures to our lives and how to use the teachings in the scriptures to fit the situations we face today.
When I was growing up, one of the things I was taught was that when reading the scriptures, to insert my own name into them and make is as thought the Lord was speaking directly to me. The way this is done is to either replace a name in the scriptures (Nephi, Jacob, Joseph Smith, etc) with my own or to insert my name after the word ‘you’ in a scripture.
Elder Jay E. Jensen of the Quorum of the Seventy provides an illustration of a time he did this and how it helped him overcome a difficulty.
Handout #1 – Elder Jay E. Jensen was serving as a mission president and found himself frustrated and discouraged at the end of a district conference by the many problems that confronted him. As he was traveling home, he was turning the pages of his scriptures, looking for comfort and direction, when he stopped at the third section of the Doctrine and Covenants. He said:
“When I read a verse, I often insert my name in it. I did so with verse 5 and found the help I needed to remove my gloomy feelings: ‘Behold, you [Jay Jensen] have been entrusted with these things, but how strict were your commandments; and remember also the promises which were made to you [Jay Jensen]’ (D&C 3:5).
“The words ‘remember also the promises’ struck me with unusual power. … During those four days I had focused on nothing but problems. I had not stopped to consider one single promise” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1992, 112; or Ensign, Nov. 1992, 80).
In addition, Elder Jensen also reviewed his Patriarchal Blessing and other blessings he’d received in his life to remind himself of blessings he had been promised. These helped comfort and strengthen him during a time when he was in need.
In the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord gives counsel and revelation to the members in general and also to specific people. We may not think that the revelation that was given for specific people can be applied to us individually today, but it actually can be. All counsel and revelation the Lord gives in scripture is meant for the benefit of everyone, past and present. This is shown by the several times He says, “What I say unto one I say unto all.” There are at least four instances in the Doctrine & Covenants when the Lord uses a variation of this phrase because it is very important for us to remember that each person in the course of the history of the world can apply any principle and revelation to their own person lives.
The specific revelation we are going to go over today is the revelation given to Emma Smith through Joseph Smith in July 1830 in section 25 of the Doctrine & Covenants. There are three themes to this revelation and all three of them can be applied to each and every one of us.
Husbands and Wives Should Support and Comfort Each Other
In D&C 25:5 the Lord gives Emma specific counsel as to what she needed to do for her husband.
D&C 25:5 And the office of thy calling shall be for a comfort unto my servant, Joseph Smith, Jun., thy husband, in his afflictions, with consoling words, in the spirit of meekness.
- What counsel does the Lord give and what does is He asking Emma to do?
- Support and comfort her husband
- This counsel from the Lord is applicable to all because we all have a spouse, significant other or people we care about that need support and comfort when they are going through times of difficulty
- Support and comfort her husband
- What are some of the ways husbands and wives support and comfort one another?
- Listen to each other
- Pray for each other
- Provide encouragement
- Stand together in decisions
- Give positive feedback
- Show affection
- Be kind and non-judgmental
- Be tactful and kind when discussing problems
- Attend the temple together
- Read scriptures together
- Forgive faults quickly
- Work to understand each other
- Speak to each other kindly
- Offer help when the other is struggling
The Prophet Joseph Smith gave a few words of counsel to both husbands and wives on a few of the ways they could support and comfort one another.
Handout #2 – The Prophet Joseph Smith taught wives that they should treat their husbands “with mildness and affection. When a man is borne down with trouble, when he is perplexed with care and difficulty, if he can meet a smile instead of an argument or a murmur—if he can meet with mildness, it will calm down his soul and soothe his feelings” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 228).
The Prophet taught husbands, “It is the duty of a husband to love, cherish, and nourish his wife, and cleave unto her and none else; he ought to honor her as himself, and he ought to regard her feelings with tenderness” (Elders’ Journal, Aug. 1838, 61).
During the lives of Emma and Joseph, they both had many opportunities to support and comfort one another. One the many examples of a times Emma provided support to Joseph was in 1842 while Joseph was hiding from a mob that wished to kill him. Emma went to visit Joseph while he was in hiding and Joseph later wrote about the affect her visit had on him.
Handout #3 – “With what unspeakable delight, and what transports of joy swelled my bosom, when I took by the hand, on that night, my beloved Emma—she that was my wife, even the wife of my youth, and the choice of my heart. Many were the reverberations of my mind when I contemplated for a moment the many scenes we had been called to pass through, the fatigues and the toils, the sorrows and sufferings, and the joys and consolations, from time to time, which had strewed our paths. … Oh what a commingling of thought filled my mind for the moment, again she is here, … undaunted, firm, and unwavering—unchangeable, affectionate Emma!” (History of the Church, 5:107).
There were several other hardships Emma and Joseph went through during the course of their lives and marriage. The hardest, I think, would have been the deaths of so many of their children. They had 9 children born to them and adopted a set of twins shortly after the death of their own twins, who had died within hours of having been born. Of these 11 children, only 3 boys and 1 girl survived to adulthood.
I believe that only their love of God, their love of each other and their unwavering support and commitment to each other kept them together through the many trials and conflicts they faced throughout their lives. Joseph and Emma are a wonderful example of how relying on the Lord and supporting each other can help any couple get through any trial as long as both are giving it a full effort.
We Should Be Meek and Avoid Pride
In D&C 25: 14, the Lord counsels Emma to “continue in the spirit of meekness, and beware of pride.” There have been other times when He has given similar counsel to other members of the church.
D&C 23:1 – Behold, I speak unto you, Oliver, a few words. Behold, thou art blessed, and art under no condemnation. But beware of pride, lest thou shouldst enter into temptation.
D&C 38:39 – And if ye seek the riches which it is the will of the Father to give unto you, ye shall be the richest of all people, for ye shall have the riches of eternity; and it must needs be that the riches of the earth are mine to give; but beware of pride, lest ye become as the Nephites of old.
D&C 90:17 – Be not ashamed, neither confounded; but be admonished in all your high-mindedness and pride, for it bringeth a snare upon your souls.
D&C 98:19-20 – 19 Behold, I, the Lord, am not well pleased with many who are in the church at Kirtland;
20 For they do not forsake their sins, and their wicked ways, the pride of their hearts, and their covetousness, and all their detestable things, and observe the words of wisdom and eternal life which I have given unto them.
- What is pride?
Handout #4 – A lack or absence of humility or teachableness. Pride sets people in opposition to each other and to God. A proud person sets himself above those around him and follows his own will rather than God’s will. Conceit, envy, hardheartedness, and haughtiness are also typical of a proud person. (Guide to the Scriptures)
President Ezra Taft Benson gave a further definition of pride and what the core of it is.
Handout #5 – “Most of us think of pride as self-centeredness, conceit, boastfulness, arrogance, or haughtiness. All of these are elements of the sin, but the heart, or core, is still missing.
“The central feature of pride is enmity—enmity toward God and enmity toward our fellowmen. Enmity means ‘hatred toward, hostility to, or a state of opposition’” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1989, 3; or Ensign, May 1989, 4).
- Why are we constantly warned against pride in the scriptures?
In the March 1971 Ensign, Elder Theodore M. Burton spoke about pride and used Sodom and Gomorrah as an example. In his talk, he summed up why the Lord is constantly warning us against pride.
Handout #6 – So it was pride and haughtiness, added to all these other sins, that brought about this utter destruction. Such pride, haughtiness, and willful disobedience bring people into desperate conditions where repentance is almost impossible. When repentance becomes impossible and people refuse to change their ways from evil, then destruction by the Lord is the only alternative left.
Pride is a very dangerous attribute that not only causes discord with the people around us. Pride also damages our relationship with God.
- In what ways does pride affect our relationship with God?
- We think we know better than God
- We are less teachable
- We ignore counsel from church leaders
- We want things our way and not God’s way
- We think we have accomplished something and not God or the priesthood
- We are ungrateful for what God has given us and think we deserve more
- We are concerned more with what man thinks of us than what God thinks of us
- We do not forgive easily
- We refuse to repent
- We quit going to church or fulfilling callings because of perceived insults
President Benson an explanation on how pride damages our relationship with God.
Handout #7 – “Pride is essentially competitive in nature. We pit our will against God’s … in the spirit of ‘my will and not thine be done. …
“Our will in competition to God’s will allows desires, appetites, and passions to go unbridled (see Alma 38:12; 3 Nephi 12:30). …
“Our enmity toward God takes on many labels, such as rebellion, hard-heartedness, stiff-neckedness, unrepentant, puffed up, easily offended, and sign seekers. The proud wish God would agree with them. They aren’t interested in changing their opinions to agree with God’” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1989, 4; or Ensign, May 1989, 4).
President Benson provides a detailed observation of how pride affects our relationships with others.
Handout #8 – “Another major portion of this very prevalent sin of pride is enmity toward our fellowmen. We are tempted daily to elevate ourselves above others and diminish them (see Helaman 6:17; D&C 58:41). …
“Pride … is manifest in so many ways, such as fault-finding, gossiping, backbiting, murmuring, living beyond our means, envying, coveting, withholding gratitude and praise that might lift another, and being unforgiving and jealous. …
“Selfishness is one of the more common faces of pride. ‘How everything affects me’ is the center of all that matters—self-conceit, self-pity, worldly self-fulfillment, self-gratification, and self-seeking. …
“Another face of pride is contention. Arguments, fights, unrighteous dominion, generation gaps, divorces, spouse abuse, riots, and disturbances all fall into this category of pride” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1989, 4–5; or Ensign, May 1989, 4–6).
Along with describing the different parts of pride and how they damage relationships with God and others, President Benson also offered some counsel on how to overcome pride in our lives.
Handout #9 – President Benson counseled: “The antidote for pride is humility—meekness, submissiveness (see Alma 7:23). It is the broken heart and contrite spirit. … We can choose to humble ourselves by loving God, submitting our will to His, and putting Him first in our lives” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1989, 6; or Ensign, May 1989, 6–7).
Further on in President Benson’s talk, he gave examples of ways we can strengthen and develop our humility.
Handout #10 – God will have a humble people. Either we can choose to be humble or we can be compelled to be humble. Alma said, “Blessed are they who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble.” (Alma 32:16.)
Let us choose to be humble.
We can choose to humble ourselves by conquering enmity toward our brothers and sisters, esteeming them as ourselves, and lifting them as high or higher than we are. (See D&C 38:24; D&C 81:5; D&C 84:106.)
We can choose to humble ourselves by receiving counsel and chastisement. (See Jacob 4:10; Hel. 15:3; D&C 63:55; D&C 101:4–5; D&C 108:1; D&C 124:61, 84; D&C 136:31; Prov. 9:8.)
We can choose to humble ourselves by forgiving those who have offended us. (See 3 Ne. 13:11, 14; D&C 64:10.)
We can choose to humble ourselves by rendering selfless service. (SeeMosiah 2:16–17.)
We can choose to humble ourselves by going on missions and preaching the word that can humble others. (See Alma 4:19; Alma 31:5; Alma 48:20.)
We can choose to humble ourselves by getting to the temple more frequently.
We can choose to humble ourselves by confessing and forsaking our sins and being born of God. (See D&C 58:43; Mosiah 27:25–26; Alma 5:7–14, 49.)
We can choose to humble ourselves by loving God, submitting our will to His, and putting Him first in our lives. (See 3 Ne. 11:11; 3 Ne. 13:33; Moro. 10:32.)
We Should Rejoice and Be of Good Cheer
The final counsel the Lord gave unto Emma was to lift up her hear and rejoice. There were so many hardships the early saints were going through, but the Lord often reminded them to find joy in their lives. Even with all the bad things that happen in the world, there is still much good and we can find things to be happy about. The biggest thing we should find joy in is that the Lord is there for us and, as long as we are following the commandments, He is always on our side.
D&C 29:5 – Lift up your hearts and be glad, for I am in your midst, and am your advocate with the Father; and it is his good will to give you the kingdom.
D&C 61:36 – And now, verily I say unto you, and what I say unto one I say unto all, be of good cheer, little children; for I am in your midst, and I have not forsaken you;
D&C 68:6 – Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, 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 was, that I am, and that I am to come.
D&C 78:18 – And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours.
D&C 136:29 – If thou art sorrowful, call on the Lord thy God with supplication, that your souls may be joyful.
As each of those scriptures reminds us, God is there for us and will help us if we let Him.
- What ways can we go about developing and maintaining good cheer in our lives?
- Look for the positive
- Be kind to others
- Be kind to ourselves
- Forgive ourselves for mistakes
- Find something good in every situation
- Help those in need
Elder Marvin J. Ashton gives us good counsel on maintaining a positive attitude.
Handout #11 – “None of us will escape tragedy and suffering. Each of us will probably react differently. However, if we can recall the Lord’s promise, ‘for I the Lord am with you,’ we will be able to face our problems with dignity and courage. We will find the strength to be of good cheer instead of becoming resentful, critical, or defeated. We will be able to meet life’s unpleasant happenings with clear vision, strength, and power. …
“What a joy it is to see someone of good cheer, who, when others because of an unpleasant happening or development live in angry silence or vocal disgust, meets the situation with cheerful endurance and good spirits” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1986, 84–85; or Ensign, May 1986, 66).
The Savior reminds us over and over again to be of good cheer and to be joyful. These reminders help us to know that happiness and peace can be found in the most dire of circumstances if we just turn our hearts to Him and remember that He is always with us.
President Thomas S. Monson bore his testimony in the April 2009 General Conference. He said:
I testify to you that our promised blessings are beyond measure. Though the storm clouds may gather, though the rains may pour down upon us, our knowledge of the gospel and our love of our Heavenly Father and of our Savior will comfort and sustain us and bring joy to our hearts as we walk uprightly and keep the commandments. There will be nothing in this world that can defeat us.
My beloved brothers and sisters, fear not. Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith.
There are so many bits of counsel interwoven into the scriptures. The Lord teaches us gospel principles and give us the commandments in the scriptures, but He also provides so much counsel to us because He loves us and wants to help us reach the greatest happiness in our lives. I’m so thankful that, though the situations are not always the same, the counsel given to the early saints still applies to our lives today. I’m thankful that the Lord saw fit to provide guidance for how to improve relationships with those we love, improve our relationship with Him and improve our outlooks on life. The Lord truly does love us and we can feel of that love as we read the scriptures and study out the teachings and counsel He has given us.
I hope each of us will look at the scriptures with the intent to not only learn the teachings provided in them, but also as a way to apply the Lord’s counsel to our lives today. Each and every bit of counsel given can be applied to someone, somewhere today. All we have to do is read and we will find something that we can use to better our lives.
I encourage each and every one of you to study the counsels given in the scriptures and see how those counsels can apply to the unique circumstances we each face. There truly are counsels for every situation if we seek to find. I promise that this is true in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
