Today I read Doctrine and Covenants section 41, a section given to the Saints in Kirtland. At this point the sections and revelations are all dealing with the same concepts. Setting the church in order and preaching the gospel.
This particular section deals more with setting the church in order, which is to be expected as the church has not long been in Kirtland at this point. It has always amused me when people ask if it is important to have things done a certain way in the church or not. To such people I think they do not understand the gospel.
The Lord has always taken an interest in having His church set up a certain way. Even from the time of Adam, when there may not have been an organized church because it was just Adam and his wife, Eve, the Lord explained to Adam how He wanted things done. When the Savior walked the earth, He set things up for his apostles and disciples and was very particular about who should be doing what, etc. So if the Lord is the same today, yesterday and forever, why would it be different now? Of course people who think that it is or should be different, are generally the same people who think that revelation is over and no more.
But the Lord is the same today, yesterday and forever and that is why the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Saints is a restoration of things are they were when the Savior walked the earth. Because the Lord does not change. His people change, the circumstances of the world change, but he does not change.
The other part of this revelation that stood out to me is not casting your pearls before swine, walk before you can run, milk before meat, or however you desire to say it. Just as in everything else the Lord does, there is an order to things. The Lord does not just lay out everything on the table for all to see, but rather gives a little here, a little there, until as we prove ourselves, we gradually are given the whole picture. Everything is done this way. Even Satan uses a corrupted version of this. He does not just take someone who has just started breaking the commandments and have them go out and commit a murder. No, he has them start cursing, watching inappropriate things on TV and movies, being mean to those around them and little by little he builds them up until there is no turning back. Why do you think he does it that way?
It's because he is corrupting the proper order of things. He is mimicking the pattern the Lord has established because he is not clever enough to come up with something on his own. Everyone uses this pattern though. Babies use it every single day. They cannot comprehend everything, all that they want to, but they can understand one new concept at a time. Think about a baby and how they learn. You stop, slow down and show/tell them the new idea and repeat it until they get it. Then you have them practice it and repeat it until it is mastered. We are children in our Father in Heaven's eyes and are being taught the same way.
And just like a baby, He does not treat us that way out of a lack of love, but rather it is because He knows that is the best way and we can only handle so much at any given time. He knows our limitations better than we ever could. Thank heavens He does, or we would all be in trouble! Because just like a baby, we all try and run faster than we have strength to. And if we could actually succeed in doing it, well I don't think it would go well for any of us. So thank the Lord that He puts the limits there for us for our protection. My advice is to not try and push those boundaries because you will not enjoy the experience whatever the outcome. Until tomorrow.
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