Today I read Doctrine and Covenants section 10, which in many ways is a continuation of section 3 and deals with Joseph losing the 116 pages after giving them to Martin Harris. It is this revelation that the Lord commands Joseph not to re-translate the plates or rather the portion of the plates that they already had translated because wicked men had changed the original translation and wished to "prove" that Joseph was not a prophet and that he did not have the gift and that they were going to trap him in his own words. Or so they thought.
Of course the Lord knew about this back in the beginning. He tells Joseph that He had Nephi include the more particular parts in his own plates instead of with his father's record and that the Lord had purposefully planed to have the plates of Nephi come forth. When I read this I laughed and turned to my wife and we talked for a few minutes about the folly of man trying to frustrate the plans of men. You can't outsmart God. He had known this would happen and planned for it almost 3000 years ago! It just makes laugh when mankind tries to outsmart God.
There were several other places that stood out to me in this section. I had never noticed verse 28 before today. Although, as I told my wife, with the exception of the Old Testament, I have probably read the Doctrine and Covenants the least of all the scriptures. So it's not a surprise to me that I missed something. However, verse 28 says, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, wo be unto him that lieth to deceive because he supposeth that another lieth to deceive, for such are not exempt from the justice of God." How often do you hear that as people's defense when confronted by their wrong doing? It is surprising to me how like little children adults can be. How many times have you heard the term, crime of passion. That is another way to say "He made me do it". And yet here you have the Lord spell it out for you, that is not an excuse. No one can MAKE you do anything. Even if you were kidnapped and had drugs forced into your veins so that you became an addict, after you were eventually released, you now have the choice to overcome that addiction or to feed it.
The devil made me do it. He made me mad. I couldn't help myself. These are not acceptable excuses to the Lord. And especially the old he did it first excuse is not acceptable. We are free agents. It is given to us to act for ourselves and not to be acted upon. You do know that those are the only two types of objects in existence right? There are objects to be acted upon, think rocks and other inanimate objects, and then there are objects to act, people, animals, etc. When we allow ourselves to be blinded by hate or anger or whatever emotion we THINK the other person is forcing us to feel, we are giving up our agency to him whose only goal is to make you miserable.
I do not wish to say anymore about this. The last part of today's musings will be about the Nephite prophets and supplicating the Lord. Here he mentions that most of the Nephite prophets asked the Lord for the same thing, that their writings would be preserved for future generations. What a selfless request! I personally don't dare to request of the Lord that my few humble writings may be preserved for future generations. I only have ever asked that they may be uplifting to those in need and the He will guide those who need them here to read them. But that is probably the difference between the prophets and me. I love to read about the prophets and learn about them. It is a goal in my life to obtain, and read a copy of at least one biography of each of the modern day prophets. So far I have Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, Howard W. Hunter and Gordon B. Hinkley down. Only 12 more to go! I am always struck by how they always started out as normal men with their weaknesses and failings just like me. It gives me hope for me!
I am again awestruck by Joseph including revelations that showed off his own failings and weaknesses to publish to the entire world. I am awestruck to see his humility and have something to aim for myself. I hope you can read these sections too and realize that you too have it in you to be exalted one day. It is not as hard as you think it is. Until tomorrow.
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