D&C When All Else are Done

Covering Sections 89 through 97.

* I think the most important verse in the Word of Wisdom is verse 2.  This section can only be understood by revelation and wisdom; and God cares about temporal salvation.

* 90:17 suggests a virtue chart.  This verse is advice to the First Presidency on how to be the First Presidency.

Be not ashamed, neither confounded; but be admonished in all your high-mindedness and pride, for it bringeth a snare upon your souls.

In particular, I think the implication that shame is what leads to being confounded, whereas being admonished in some way complements being unashamed and not being confounded, is psychologically astute.

* 90:25, telling the First Presidency to tighten up their households by kicking out hangers-on, shows the difference between virtue signalling charity and purpose-driven charity

* 93:38 is yet another piece of evidence that we do believe in the idea of original sin (the others are in 2 Nephi and in Moroni 8).  What we reject is the idea of damnation or punishment for original sin.  Why this should be an important distinction I don’t know.  But it is one the scriptures seem to consistently and carefully make.

Every spirit of man was innocent in the beginning; and God having redeemed man from the fall, men became again, in their infant state, innocent before God.

* We think of the Temple as a place of revelation but only incidentally as such–secondary to its main purpose of redeeming the dead.  It’s interesting that originally being a place of revelation was the main purpose of the Temple.  Or possibly this is supposed to be a Revelation House separate from the Temple.  94:3

And let the first lot on the south be consecrated unto me for the building of a house for the presidency, for the work of the presidency, in obtaining revelations;

* I did not focus on 95:1 at all in my lesson plan.  Still, that was what we spent about 2/3s of the lesson on, because multiple people wanted to talk about it.  Hopefully that was the workings of the Spirit and not the workings of a popular LDS podcast.  In any case, it was not time ill spent.  While we were discussing it, a phrase came strongly to mind–the disappointment of the Lord is inexpressibly  sweet–the implication is that having God care about you enough to be disappointed is indescribably precious.  Imagine  your MAGA uncle for instance.  What if Donald Trump called him up out of the blue and told him that he, Donald, had been following your Uncle’s career with much interest and thought he could be doing better.  Your uncle would be a bit crushed and resolved to do better but maybe over the moon with the contact.

Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you whom I love, and whom I love I also chasten that their sins may be forgiven, for with the chastisement I prepare a way for their deliverance in all things out of temptation, and I have loved you