Joseph Smith’s early revelations to family & friends; restoration of the Melchizedek Priesthood (D&C sections 4, 11–12, 14–16, 18–19) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class. The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best.) Class Notes Additional Reading There has much scholarly debate on the date of the restoration of the Melchizedek Priesthood. The traditional view is that it took place in late May or early June 1829, within a few weeks after the restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood. A handful of scholars argue for a later date, however—some time in the summer of 1830. For an examination of the historical evidence, see Brian Q. Cannon and BYU Studies Staff, “Priesthood Restoration Documents,” BYU Studies 35, no. 4 (1995): 166–73.  Larry C. Porter argues for the earlier date in two articles: “Dating the Restoration of the Melchizedek Priesthood,” Ensign (June 1979): 5–10 and “The Restoration of the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods,” Ensign (December 1996): 30–47. In support of the later view, see Richard L. Bushman, Joseph Smith and the Beginnings of Mormonism (Urbana, Illinois: University of Illinois Press, 1984), 162–63. Ben Park sums up the argument for the later date in “Dating the Melchizedek Priesthood Restoration,” The Juvenile Instructor, 4 August 2008. Michael Hubbard MacKay argues that the Melchizedek Priesthood was restored over a series of angelic and inspired events in “Event or Process? How ‘the Chamber of Old Father Whitmer’ Helps Us Understand Priesthood Restoration,” BYU Studies 60, no. 1 (2021): 71–101. John S. Thompson makes a similar argument in “Restoring Melchizedek Priesthood,” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 62 (2024): 263–318.     Mike Parker is a business and marketing analyst with over twenty years’ experience in the financial services and cellular telephone industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management Information Systems from Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University) of St George, Utah. He also has eight years’ experience in corporate training and currently teaches an adult religion class in southern Utah. Mike and his wife, Denise, have three children. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 4, 11–12, 14–16, 18–19 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR.

Delve into the early days of the restoration, discovering the key figures who uplifted Joseph Smith during the translation of The Book of Mormon. Explore the significance of the Aaronic Priesthood's restoration and its implications for modern faith. The emotional resonance of animal sacrifice is examined, shedding light on humanity's disconnect from death and its impact on understanding atonement. Reflect on the biblical story of Abraham and Isaac, revealing deeper truths about divine love and the essence of spiritual sacrifice.

In this episode, Ryan welcomes Jeffrey Thayne for an insightful discussion on worldviews and their profound influence on discipleship and beliefs. They explore the role of psychology in both conversion and deconversion, the powerful impact of media on our perspectives and psychological intuitions, and the fascinating dynamics of fast vs. slow thinking. Tune in for a thought-provoking conversation on the intersection of cognitive psychology and the gospel. Dr. Jeffrey Thayne graduated from BYU with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in psychology. He completed his doctorate in Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences at Utah State University. He spends time mentoring students at Brigham Young University-Idaho and writing about the intersection of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and culture. Ryan Sorensen is a native of Cache Valley, Utah. He earned his Bachelor’s degree at BYU-Idaho and is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity at Abilene Christian University, with plans to become a chaplain after graduation. Ryan previously hosted a podcast called The Whom Shall We Go? Podcast. In his spare time, he enjoys being involved in interfaith work, reading about Latter-day Saint theology and history, training for triathlons, and spending time with friends and family. The post The Cause for Christ Episode 3: Faith, Psychology, and the Power of Worldviews with Jeffrey Thayne appeared first on FAIR.

Hyrum’s Influence by Autumn Dickson When I was younger, I wanted to be a famous singer. This desire followed me into college where I temporarily dropped out of school to pursue a music career. I wanted it so badly. I remember wanting it so much that it would hurt to listen to music on the radio. I ended up getting really sick, and I left Provo behind. I lived with my parents for about a week before moving in with my sister and her family for six months. Most of my connections were back in Utah, but I kept clinging to that desire. I was doing everything I could to keep my dream going from far away. I remember sitting on my sister’s bed and talking to her about it. She was trying to talk me out of remaining in the music industry because she knew the dangers that existed there. It wasn’t until later that my eyes finally opened to everything I was being exposed to during that period of my life, and so I didn’t see anything wrong with my pursuing a music career. I didn’t feel like there was anything innately wrong with my desires, and I didn’t plan on letting go of my testimony either. I felt that I could be an example to a lot more people with a microphone in my hand. My sister responded with a very valid point that Jesus had gone about his gospel very differently. He preached to crowds, but He didn’t seek huge crowds and stadiums. He often ministered one by one. This principle has expanded in a great many directions for me, but let’s take a quick look at Hyrum before diving further into this principle. Hyrum Hyrum sought out Joseph so that he could learn the will of the Lord concerning himself. There were a few things that the Lord counseled him on, but here is one such thing the Lord told him. Doctrine and Covenants 11:8 Verily, verily, I say unto you, even as you desire of me so it shall be done unto you; and, if you desire, you shall be the means of doing much good in this generation. Hyrum did desire to do good, and Hyrum did do good. Now a grand majority of us know who Hyrum Smith was. We know he was the brother to the prophet and that he was a martyr right alongside his brother in Carthage Jail. However, how much do we really know about Hyrum? What “important” callings did he hold? Where did he serve missions and how many people did he baptize? Who was he married to and how many children did he have? How many stories do we have of times when Hyrum supported his brother in the very heavy mantle of dispensation head? In what ways did Hyrum directly contribute to the restoration of the gospel? I’m sure there are plenty of people who could answer these questions and give us very clear pictures of how Hyrum contributed to the restoration of the gospel in our dispensation. However, I would argue that there are also plenty of people who don’t know much about his specific contribution, myself included. When you extend that beyond members of the church, I would venture to guess that a huge majority of people on the earth know nothing about Hyrum Smith. Many people have likely heard of Joseph Smith, but no one knows about Hyrum despite the role that he played in restoring Christ’s church on the earth. We logically know that we can do “much good” without getting any recognition, and yet, has that knowledge sunk into our hearts? Do we believe that we can have a profound influence in God’s kingdom in these latter days? What does a profound influence look like in your mind? At what point would you look in the mirror and think, “There it is. I have made a difference”? Do you only picture general authorities, temple presidents, mission presidents, and social media influencers? There are two truths I want to share. One, you are capable of doing much good, just like Hyrum. And two, it is highly likely that your indelible mark will be obscure, but no less important for it. You are capable When someone tries to tell you that you can change the world, perhaps you laugh and think, “I could never speak to huge crowds, and I’ll never hold a ‘big’ calling.” If we want to step up and step into the roles that God has prepared for us, we need to redefine the characteristics of having a profound influence and we need that new definition to sink into our hearts to the extent that it changes how we act on a daily basis. When we understand what “profound influence” looks like, we feel differently about ourselves and it changes the actions we prioritize. When we shed erroneous ideas that our influence has to look a certain way in order to be “world-changing,” we open the door for Heavenly Father to utilize us in His powerful way. When we have faith in Him to the extent that we believe He can magnify our abilities, we step out of our own way. We allow Him to be powerful through us. Heavenly Father’s plan was meant to be built on the shoulders of millions; He set it up that way on purpose. The biggest successes in Heavenly Father’s plan are souls that want to go home to Him, and the biggest influence in that specific kind of success happens on a very individual basis. I’m not looking to make this political, but I believe it illustrates a very physical aspect of my point. I recently learned about how one of the American presidents tried to make college more affordable by utilizing government funds to help students go to school so that they could become successful. The colleges simply responded by raising their rates. I remember thinking and thinking and thinking. When it comes to big systems, I feel like there is always some unintended reaction that nullifies the good that could have come from the original action. I was sincerely trying to figure out a way to empower those who needed a leg up without bringing these unintended consequences. It occurred to me that the Lord never meant for everyone to simply be taken care of by some huge system. He wanted us involved on personal levels, not only giving financial assistance where needed but also providing the immensely necessary support to empower themselves. This is not a commentary on what we should do on a government level because there are plenty of nuances to consider. It is a commentary on the fact that I believe Heavenly Father meant for all of us to be involved in the lifting on a personal level. He wanted each and every individual to make a difference. This was the most powerful way to actually make a difference, and it would change us. He wants you to be involved. He wants you to believe that you can make a difference no matter what you look like, how good you are at speaking, and how talented you are at proclaiming your testimony. He wants you to believe that you can utilize you as you are, to utilize the unique gifts that He gave to you to make an enduring mark on the world. It comes quietly… Because He wants everyone to be involved on an individual basis, it makes sense that most of the marks that we leave will not likely be recorded in history books. This has a couple implications. If you find yourself questioning your ability to really change anything for good, then you can take comfort in the fact that your quiet, daily discipleship is likely already making the difference the Lord wants you to make. If you find yourself wanting to make a “big” difference, then you probably need to redefine “big.” Think about it. Even if you have been foreordained to hold some of the “louder” roles, a lot of the actions that led these famous characters to those historic roles came quietly. Paul wrote letters in a prison. Abinadi died without knowing how his words would hold any effect or that his story would be recorded and passed on through generations, and I would be willing to bet that some of Hyrum’s most influential contributions to the restored gospel came in the form of his quiet and simple belief in his brother’s calling. The weight that Joseph carried was heavy, and Hyrum’s support helped to carry it. It enabled Joseph to carry it. It enabled the gospel to be restored. And let’s not forget that the single most important event in the history of the earth happened with one Man in a garden. His friends fell asleep, and He was alone. Even if you can trace your testimony back to one incredible insight given by a speaker in General Conference, a study of neuroscience teaches us that our brain is built slowly through repeated experiences. Even if it took one conscious comment in Conference, your brain was being prepared far before that. The gospel spreads person to person, and it is retained as we interact and have positive individual experiences with good friends, family, and especially the Savior. More than likely, the incredibly important influence you will have on the world will come in the form of a link in a chain. It may not sound like the most romantic way to change the world, but it is no less significant. My great, great grandmother taught her children the gospel. I don’t know all of my great, great grandmothers’ names, but I know that because they chose to teach the gospel to their children, I have the gospel in my life. Because they chose to teach their children and not break that link, it made its way to me. The testimony and lessons from my great, great grandmother’s life have found their legacy within my own life. Her influence (though I do not know it directly) has done more to help my conversion to the gospel than any “famous” gospel influences. Because she loved and taught her children, my grandmother did the same. Then my mother. And now me. What you give gets passed on, even if your name isn’t passed along with it. I testify that Heavenly Father wanted each of us to take a role in His work. He wanted us to experience the happiness that He experiences as He works with us. He wanted us to feel the joy of working individual by individual, and He wanted us to observe the effectiveness of His plan for everyone to be involved with helping everyone. None of us need to feel more or less important. The only one keeping you from completing a work that is incalculable in nature is you. I testify that He can help you accomplish your great work in surprisingly small and quiet ways. Perhaps we are not aware of the influence that Hyrum had in this vital gospel dispensation, but the Lord is and that is the measure that matters.     Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 10–11 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

In this episode, Ryan sits down with Debra McClendon to discuss religious OCD, also known as Scrupulosity. Debra shares valuable advice for those navigating Scrupulosity while striving to stay faithful within the church. They explore what approaches tend to be effective, what often falls short, and dive into topics like consecration, burnout, and finding balance. If you or someone you know struggles with Scrupulosity, anxiety, or toxic perfectionism, we hope this conversation offers insight and support. Debra Theobald McClendon, PhD is a licensed psychologist in the state of Utah and has interjurisdictional authorization to work with clients in most U.S. states. She specializes in treating those with scrupulosity, a religious and moral subtype of OCD. She is the owner of The OCD & Scrupulosity Clinic (ocdscrupulosityclinic.com) and is a member of the International OCD Foundation. She has been interviewed on podcasts, published articles, and published the book: “Freedom from Scrupulosity: Reclaiming Your Religious Experience from Anxiety and OCD.” Ryan Sorensen is a native of Cache Valley, Utah. He earned his Bachelor’s degree at BYU-Idaho and is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity at Abilene Christian University, with plans to become a chaplain after graduation. Ryan previously hosted a podcast called The Whom Shall We Go? Podcast. In his spare time, he enjoys being involved in interfaith work, reading about Latter-day Saint theology and history, training for triathlons, and spending time with friends and family. The post The Cause for Christ Episode 2: Scrupulosity (moral and religious OCD) with Dr. Debra McClendon appeared first on FAIR.

Oliver Cowdery became Joseph Smith’s scribe; restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood (D&C sections 6–9, 13) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class. The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best.) Class Notes Additional Reading Elder Boyd K. Packer, “The Candle of the Lord,” Ensign, January 1983, 51–56. Elder Packer shared his insights into how the Holy Spirit communicates with us. Jeffrey G. Cannon, “Oliver Cowdery’s Gift,” Church History: Revelations in Context. Cannon, a member of the Joseph Smith Papers team, examines the meaning of the “gift” the Lord spoke of in the earliest revelations to Oliver Cowdery (section 6, section 8).     Mike Parker is a business and marketing analyst with over twenty years’ experience in the financial services and cellular telephone industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management Information Systems from Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University) of St George, Utah. He also has eight years’ experience in corporate training and currently teaches an adult religion class in southern Utah. Mike and his wife, Denise, have three children. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 6–9, 13 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR.

In Every Thought by Autumn Dickson The Lord is speaking to Joseph and Oliver in the sections that we read for this week. There is a lot of fantastic material about how the Lord sets us up to try something new, knowing we’ll fail, but also knowing that we have to begin in order to learn. There are principles of revelation and how the Lord utilizes our desires to build up His kingdom. One of the principles that the Lord speaks about is pretty straightforward. Doctrine and Covenants 6:36 36 Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not. Let’s talk about these phrases. Look unto me in every thought “Look unto me in every thought,” is a rather lofty goal. I can hardly keep my focus when I’m praying, let alone when I’m trying to do anything else in my life. Perhaps there will come a day when the Savior takes up a grand majority of my thoughts, but I want to propose another interpretation of this phrase. Perhaps the Lord did mean that He wanted us to have Him at the forefront of our minds constantly, but perhaps He also meant it more along the lines of, “View your thoughts within the reality that I’ve created.” Every thought isn’t necessarily going to be directly about the Savior, but we can take any thought and put it in the context of the Savior. Let’s look at just one example. Lately, my family has been trying to find somewhere to live back on the east coast. There are a million moving parts, and we’ve found some places that we love. However, every time we start to move forward in a specific direction, the door gets closed. There was one house that we loved. It had been on the market for over a year. The second we started to take action to put in an offer, it was snatched up. This has happened repeatedly. It’s gotten discouraging, and I have found myself inadvertently disengaging from the process. We’ve been in limbo, between houses and apartments for over three years now. I think what I crave most is some kind of plan. Luckily, I write my prayers every day and I figured it would probably be good to talk to Him directly about it rather than trying to squash any rising hopes or trying to talk myself out of discouragement. Instead of trying to force myself into faith, I decided to turn to Him so He could give me a different perspective. I wanted to be able to see the situation more clearly, and I knew He could talk me through the discouragement and get me to that point. And He did. As I prayed and told Him about my discouragement, I felt the whispered perspective, “Do you really want Me to ignore My plan and just give you something now?” It almost felt as if He was telling me that He was willing to grant my desires even though they were contrary to His own. It completely flipped over everything in my mind. I don’t want my plan. I want what’s best for my family which is why I want His plan. I want Him to close the wrong doors and choose His timing. I don’t need to be discouraged because He’s setting things up for us. Why on earth would I choose anything else? Why am I discouraged when He has helped me know that He’s leading us right to where we’re supposed to be? I took my original thoughts (discouragement, desire for permanency) and I looked at them through the lens of Christ; this made my thoughts feel very different. Gratitude replaced discouragement. Excitement replaced weariness. The Lord is guiding us. Instead of hurting over some of the places we had really wanted, I felt so grateful that He took it away from us because I was reminded that He has a plan. I want His plan. This is not just true of situations that feel discouraging. If there is a thought that won’t leave you alone, that drags you down and holds you in place, put that thought in the context of Christ. If it’s difficult to see a clear picture, then pray about it. You don’t even have to figure out the Christlike perspective on your own; He did it for me! All I did was turn to Him, tell Him how I felt, and listened so that I could hear His response. He rearranged my perspective. He helped me look to Him in the thoughts that were pressing in on my mind. And this goes for any thought. Thoughts of weaknesses and failures. Thoughts of blessings that were taken away. Thoughts of being treated unfairly. We can take our very real feelings and thoughts to the Lord, and He can help us see it through Him and His promises. As we see things the way He sees them, we change because we start operating off of clearer perspectives. Let’s review that process again I want to take the experience I had with framing my thoughts through the Savior, and I want to take the general principles so we can apply it in our own individual situations. Looking unto Him in every thought and having it change you is not something you do on your own. Or, at the very least, it doesn’t have to be something you do on your own. When I went to Heavenly Father with my concerns over moving, I told Him everything I was worried about. HE reframed my thoughts in His image. Concrete example time! Sometimes my four year old gets into tiffs with his little four year old best friend. They usually do pretty dang good for four year olds, but every once in a while, they get worked up about something and it devolves pretty quickly. It’s funny because they often both go home (we live a house apart), they last no longer than an hour, and then they’re back to being buddies. This is not my expectation in the slightest for my four year old, but imagine for a second that he had the maturity to pause before the tiff escalated. Imagine that he was able to reign in his exhaustion from playing in the sun all day and he was able to take a step back from all of his big feelings, and he suggested to his buddy, “Hey let’s go talk to my mom about this. She can help us.” That’s not going to happen, but imagine how much easier it would be for him. I like to think I’m more mature than a four year old, but if we’re going to scale this, then I’m probably still spiritually around four years old when we’re comparing me to our Heavenly Father (why yes, that’s a completely arbitrary age that I threw out). My situations have often felt far more dire than the arguments I observe between my son and his best friend, but then again, my son seems to feel that their arguments are pretty dire. I can only imagine that my Heavenly Father sees the things that are troubling me and views them with more wisdom and more compassion when compared to how I view my son’s best friend issues. My son is not capable of this yet, but I would imagine that he would feel a lot better about his arguments if he remembered how often I told him that I loved him. I would imagine that he would feel a lot happier and safer if he could remember to take a step back and ask me for help navigating the situation. I believe that things would run pretty smoothly if he trusted my love and wisdom enough that he turned to me in those precarious moments. Unfortunately, he’s young and often just reacts to what’s in front of him. That’s okay. That’s often how we learn, but let’s take this to what we were speaking about before. Our situations may feel dire. They may feel like the end of the world. They may feel like it’s going to last forever. We may just simply react to whatever is put in front of us. But imagine how different things might feel if we turned to the Lord and let Him help us navigate things instead. If Warner took a step back and thought, “How would my mom handle this situation?” I would be flabbergasted to say the least. If he actually successfully imagined how I would handle the situation, I would be even more blown away. But here’s the cool thing in our scenario. We don’t have to guess how our Heavenly Father would react! We can ask Him, and He can reframe our thoughts for us with His wisdom! Sometimes we think faith says, “I can get over this. This isn’t a big deal. I just have to get it together and trust Him.” Maybe faith does look like that sometimes. But often enough, I have found that my more effective faith says, “I can turn to Him, and He can help me reframe my worries.” I don’t just tell myself He’s going to handle it; I allow myself to trust Him enough to handle it (or at least to walk me through it). The next phrases in that same verse say, “Doubt not, fear not.” Perhaps those were two new commandments, and perhaps they were simply extensions of the first commandment. When we look to Him in our thoughts, when we remember His love and His promises and when we remember that He wants to support us, our doubts and fears naturally go away. It’s not something we force. We invest our energy into developing the relationship with Him so that we can trust and believe in Him, and then the negative takes care of itself. I testify of a Heavenly Father and Savior who love us. I testify that Christ wants us to remember Him. He wants us to remember Him, not because He gets a kick out of being worshiped, but because He knows that our trust in Him has the power to change our perspectives on everything. He knows that remembering Him and all He sacrificed for us will bring us peace and joy, and that brings Him peace and joy.     Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 6–9 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

Translation of the Book of Mormon; the Three Witnesses (D&C sections 3, 5, 10, 17) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class. The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best.) Class Notes Additional Reading Learn more about the Three Witnesses and their testimony at WitnessesOfTheBookOfMormon.org, a website created by the Interpreter Foundation. A complete list of all the witnesses who saw or handled the gold plates or saw or participated in the translation process is available in Royal Skousen, “The Witnesses of the Book of Mormon,” The History of the Text of the Book of Mormon, Part Seven: The Transmission of the Text, Vol. 3 of The Critical Text of the Book of Mormon (Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2021). Matthew McBride, “The Contributions of Martin Harris: D&C 3, 5, 10, 17, 19,” Church History: Revelations in Context. Elden J. Watson, “Approximate Book of Mormon Translation Timeline.” Robert F. Smith, Gordon C. Thomasson, and John W. Welch, “What Did Charles Anthon Really Say?”, in Reexploring the Book of Mormon (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book / Provo, Utah: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1992), 73–75. “Book of Mormon Translation,” Gospel Topics Essays. This article published by the Church explores how Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon and what physical instruments he used in the translation process. Richard E. Turley Jr., Robin S. Jensen, and Mark Ashurst-McGee, “Joseph the Seer,” Ensign (October 2015): 45–55. Turley (who was Assistant Church Historian and Recorder) and Church historians Jensen and Ashurst-McGee examine what the historical record reveals about how Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon. Richard Lloyd Anderson, “‘By the Gift and Power of God’,” Ensign (September 1977): 79–91. From the Church History Department: Mason Allred and Mark Ashurst-McGee discuss the various historical accounts of the Book of Mormon translation process, including accounts of Joseph Smith using a seer stone to translate. [The below is additional content not included in Mike Parker’s original lesson] The Interpreter Foundation is offering free viewing of their “Undaunted” film about the 3 witnesses for a limited time.   Mike Parker is a business and marketing analyst with over twenty years’ experience in the financial services and cellular telephone industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management Information Systems from Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University) of St George, Utah. He also has eight years’ experience in corporate training and currently teaches an adult religion class in southern Utah. Mike and his wife, Denise, have three children. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 3, 5, 10, 17 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR.

Joseph’s Repentance by Autumn Dickson This week we find Joseph in an early difficult lesson. Martin Harris had faced mounting pressure from his family to abandon Joseph, and Martin wanted to show the early manuscript to his family to gain support. Joseph asked the Lord multiple times despite receiving no’s, and the Lord finally told him to do what he wanted. Martin took the manuscript and lost it. Joseph was devastated and experienced a season of repentance. There are some very poignant details that can teach us very direct lessons about the atonement of Jesus Christ and how it works in our lives. It also includes details that teach us about repentance and progression. Nothing need be lost First detail. It teaches us about the atonement. I want to draw your attention to the fact that nothing was really lost. Doctrine and Covenants 3:1 The works, and the designs, and the purposes of God cannot be frustrated, neither can they come to naught. In this verse, the Lord was teaching Joseph that nothing was truly in danger. A long time ago, the Lord had prepared the way so that nothing truly needed was lost. Nephi had repeated some of Lehi’s information because the Lord knew that Lehi’s information would be the portion of manuscript that was lost. What’s the implication here? In my mind, I believe the Lord is trying to tell us that if we utilize His atonement, nothing really needs to be lost. In one example, if you’re excommunicated and rebaptized, your record shows your original baptism date and not the date of the second time you were baptized. This is exactly what the atonement of Jesus Christ is about. When you make a mistake (even a mistake big enough to require excommunication) and combine it with true repentance, Christ’s atonement does something really special. It doesn’t just cleanse you. It takes the sin and turns it on its head. Look at Joseph’s story. He lost the manuscript. What was the end result after true repentance? He was still the prophet that restored the gospel. We still have The Book of Mormon with all of the crucial details we needed previously. Joseph was cleansed and left with only the lesson he needed in order to be prepared to live with Heavenly Father again. The only lingering “consequence” was that Joseph learned better, grew stronger and wiser, and was protected from bigger consequences in the future. This is the essence of the atonement of Jesus Christ. It cleanses us, but it also leaves us with the best of the best. That was the entire point of the Plan of Salvation. We could come down here and learn all the necessary lessons, gain all the necessary strength, develop all of the Christlike attributes, and Christ’s atonement would ultimately take care of all of the negative consequences. No negative consequence will follow us permanently. Sometimes we may still have to fight lingering guilt. Maybe sometimes we’ve developed an addiction or formed a weakness that we’ll fight for the rest of our lives. However, none of it will follow us permanently. If we continually use the atonement of Jesus Christ, then it will actually just help us accumulate further strength. Nothing need be lost. No opportunity, no blessing, no period of time is truly lost to us when we connect our lives with Christ’s atonement. Even the worst of sins can be flipped on their heads and turned into valuable lessons and strengthening experiences. The atonement leaves us with the good. The definition of sin The concept of repentance and what it truly is has expanded since I’ve started preparing these messages. I suppose the same has happened with the definition of sin. The concept of sin hasn’t exactly “expanded,” but it’s been made clearer in my mind. Let’s look at Joseph’s heart again. We can’t judge exactly where his heart was, but we do know a couple of things. We know that Joseph loved the Lord. We knew that he wanted to do what was right by the Lord. We also know that he was deeply grateful to Martin and recognized what Martin had done for him. Joseph’s recognition of Martin’s support and his desire to please Martin wasn’t evil; in fact, it was the opposite. Those are usually marks of a good person. And yet, the Lord allowed Joseph to believe he had lost his soul for a while. Why? Perhaps Joseph took his own guilt too far, but I have a different theory. The “type” of sin I’ve most often pondered on over the past couple years is the sin of the heart. When we’re being ungrateful, using people, being selfish, and seeking our own ends at a high expense. I have learned just how significant it is that the Lord wants us to simply be good people who contribute to the atmosphere of heaven. I think this was a perspective I needed to focus on in my life so that I could let go of perfectionism and focus on the most important types of growth. However, perhaps it’s time for me to shift my own focus just a bit. Sin does include times when we disobey God even when our hearts are still primarily good. Joseph would walk a fine line throughout his life. There would be no ceasing on the part of the devil to claim his soul. When it came to this particular sin of Joseph’s, it was not a horrible reflection on his heart. Yes, he was putting Martin above God and that’s an important lesson, but I don’t think I would classify Joseph’s heart as evil. And for me, this has been important to understand. We know that progression continues after we die. We know that we will still have to work towards perfection as we reach the other side. Perhaps our hearts are good and we will know how to live in harmony with others around us, and this is an extremely important portion of being prepared to live in the Celestial Kingdom. But I have a sneaking suspicion that preparation for the Celestial Kingdom extends beyond that. Perhaps there are paths of progression that we don’t fully understand yet, and it will require us to walk a line as fine as Joseph’s. When it comes to this type of sin, perhaps we don’t need to be crying out, “Oh I’m this terrible, horrible person!” but we do need to understand the gravity of obedience and its ability to keep us safe. Plain and simple obedience protected Joseph. His heart was good, and this was crucial to the Celestial Kingdom but so was plain and simple obedience. He needed that obedience to survive the process of exaltation, and so do we! Your heart can be good and pure, but if you’re not prepared to try and be obedient to all of His commandments, then you’re not going to be fully prepared for the Celestial Kingdom. There are aspects of the kingdom that we don’t understand; only God does. If we’re not ready to follow His words very closely, we’re never going to achieve the progression we need to reach our full potential. That kind of obedience includes adherence to the words of the prophets even when we feel like their advice isn’t a big deal. It means following our temple covenants, including the covenant we made to wear our garments. There are lots of commandments that don’t necessarily pertain directly to having an evil heart, but they are still extremely significant to our safety. Let me give you a physical example of this. The Lord told the Saints that Zion would be built in Missouri. He then told the Saints to not move there all in a rush. He said that He would lead who moves and who stays, and He would direct the timing of them heading down there. The Saints ignored this, rushed to Missouri, and there was a major conflict. The Saints had good hearts. They wanted to live in Zion. They wanted to build Zion. There is nothing evil about this desire in their hearts, but the truth of the matter remains. They didn’t follow the Lord closely enough to be obedient, and it cost them their ability to stay safely in Zion (the earthly equivalent of the Celestial Kingdom) and build it. There is a spiritual lesson here. If we can’t follow the Lord in obedience, we will not be prepared to receive all that He has even if our hearts are in a good place. The Lord knew something they didn’t about their journey, but they ignored Him. Their hearts were good, but it wasn’t enough. I am not preaching perfectionism. Don’t turn it into perfectionism. The Lord took me on this whole learning journey where I learned the significance of the heart of the matter so that I could personally step away from perfectionism. Now that I’m really thinking about it, this is still about the heart. Your heart needs to be good and turned outwards towards others, but it also needs to be so firmly planted in the Lord that obedience to His simplest commands comes naturally. You trust that He knows what He’s talking about, and you follow it. I testify of a Heavenly Father who forgives. I testify that Christ suffered so that we could come here to gain everything we need and walk away with all the good things if we choose to follow Him. I testify that there is a purpose to obedience, that it protects us and allows us to walk that fine line all the way towards our exaltation. I testify that Christ’s standards are high because He loves us.     Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 3–5 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

We are pleased to introduce a new podcast series that will be hosted by Ryan Sorensen. In this first episode, he talks with Brent Schmidt about “Uncovering the Truth About Grace.” Brent J. Schmidt earned degrees in history and classics from the University of Utah and a Ph.D. in classics from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He teaches in the religion and humanities departments at BYU-Idaho. He specialized in Greek and Latin moralistic literature and he wrote and later published his dissertation on ancient utopian communities. He has published works on Biblical subjects including word studies about grace and faith. He is an author and editor of the BYU New Testament Commentary series. He enjoys reading, especially the Book of Mormon and Bible, gardening, collecting ancient coins, world travel, skiing and learning ancient and modern languages. For fifteen years now he has read at least one academic book a day. He and his wife, Judith, are the parents of one son. Ryan Sorensen is a native of Cache Valley, Utah. He earned his Bachelor’s degree at BYU-Idaho and is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity at Abilene Christian University, with plans to become a chaplain after graduation. Ryan previously hosted a podcast called The Whom Shall We Go? Podcast. In his spare time, he enjoys being involved in interfaith work, reading about Latter-day Saint theology and history, training for triathlons, and spending time with friends and family. The post The Cause for Christ Episode 1: “Uncovering the Truth About Grace” by Ryan Sorensen ft. Brent Schmidt appeared first on FAIR.