♫ One of these things is not like the other
♫ One of these things doesn’t belong.
Doctrine and Covenants 68:4 is one of the most decontextualized verses in the Church (taken out of context and given an alternate meaning).
Unwittingly, we apply the Sesame Street game to D&C 68:4 because oral tradition often takes it out of context and misuses it.
Let’s compare D&C 68:4 to the Church’s Official Statement about what is considered doctrine.
4 And whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be scripture, 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 power of God unto salvation. (D&C 68:4)
—VS.—
“Not every statement made by a Church leader, past or present, necessarily constitutes doctrine. A single statement made by a single leader on a single occasion often represents a personal, though well-considered, opinion, but is not meant to be officially binding for the whole Church. With divine inspiration, the First Presidency (the prophet and his two counselors) and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (the second-highest governing body of the Church) counsel together to establish doctrine that is consistently proclaimed in official Church publications.
“This doctrine resides in the four “standard works” of scripture (the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price), official declarations and proclamations, and the Articles of Faith. Isolated statements are often taken out of context, leaving their original meaning distorted.”
What if I told you that the D&C verse and the Church’s Official statement don’t contradict at all – in fact, they convey the exact same message?
Four Times
Four times, the Lord gives nearly identical instructions to his missionaries. The words are different, but the outcome is the same: “When you teach, stick to the scriptures and what has been written.” See if you can spot the repeating pattern.
Thomas B. Marsh (mission call)
4 You shall declare the things which have been revealed to my servant, Joseph Smith, Jun. You shall begin to preach from this time forth, yea, to reap in the field which is white already to be burned.
5 Therefore, thrust in your sickle with all your soul, and your sins are forgiven you, and you shall be laden with sheaves upon your back, for the laborer is worthy of his hire. (D&C 31:4-5)
Parley P. Pratt & Ziba Peterson (mission call)
4 And they shall give heed to that which is written, and pretend to no other revelation; and they shall pray always that I may unfold the same to their understanding. (D&C 32:4)
Ezra Thayre & Northrup Sweet (mission call)
16 And the Book of Mormon and the holy scriptures are given of me for your instruction; and the power of my Spirit quickeneth all things. (D&C 33:16)
Orson Hyde, Luke S. Johnson, Lyman E. Johnson & William E. McLellin (mission call)
4 And whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be scripture, 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 power of God unto salvation. (D&C 68:4)
These four missionary admonitions are quite similar and when you put them side by side, it seems kind of obvious. Especially when you add the Lord’s admonition to Oliver Cowdery as an apostle:
Oliver Cowdery (apostle call)
2 But, behold, verily, verily, I say unto thee, no one shall be appointed to receive commandments and revelations in this church excepting my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., for he receiveth them even as Moses. (D&C 28:2)
Which one of these verses isn’t like the other?
Which one of these verses isn’t the same?
(Hint: They’re all the same.)
The fourth verse in D&C 68 (to the four men) is often taken out of context to mean that whatever those four missionary men say is scripture. Well-meaning souls then extrapolate that whatever gospel sermon ANYONE gives is scripture.
Out of Context
If you agree with that oral tradition, where are the significant chapters and verses by Orson Hyde, Luke S. Johnson, Lyman E. Johnson, and William E. McLellin, if the Lord declared them to be scripture? Where can they be found?
Hint: They don’t exist, and that’s not what the verse meant.
SHALL
“Shall” is a scriptural command language. Think of the Ten Commandments:
Thou shalt have no other gods before me…etc. (Exodus 20)
Shall and shalt are the same as saying “you should.” It doesn’t mean it will happen…it means you ought to follow through.
If it helps, replace the word [shall] with [should] and see if the D&C 68 verse suddenly aligns with all the other verses in the Doctrine and Covenants on the same topic—what to do as missionaries and even as apostles.
4 And whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost [should] be scripture, [should] be the will of the Lord, [should] be the mind of the Lord, [should] be the word of the Lord, [should] be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation. (D&C 68:4)
Think God’s language…”thou shalt” and this verse harmonizes with all the other verses containing missionary instructions.
Church’s Current Practice
Today, when an apostle gives a General Conference talk, he backs up every statement with a scripture reference in the footnotes. You’ll notice the footnotes can be pretty extensive. In other words, he does not establish new scripture or doctrine – he wonderfully expounds on what is already written, per the Lord’s instructions.
Lord’s Warning
Notice the Lord says, “many.” Some will interpret this as a prohibition to swearing, which is undoubtedly wrong to do…but these verses specifically refer to members of the Church…many members. Claiming the Lord said something or wants something without direct revelation from Him is a forbidden practice. Be careful of those who frequently use the phrase, “the Lord said,” or “the Lord told me.” (see verse 63)
After being called a prophet, Joseph Smith said that he would go weeks without hearing from the Lord and usually had to work hard to be worthy of those encounters.
60 Behold, I am Alpha and Omega, even Jesus Christ.
61 Wherefore, let all men beware how they take my name in their lips—
62 For behold, verily I say, that many there be who are under this condemnation, who use the name of the Lord, and use it in vain, having not authority.
63 Wherefore, let the church repent of their sins, and I, the Lord, will own them; otherwise they shall be cut off. (Doctrine and Covenants 63:60-63)
See Also!
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