My blog post on Come Follow Me: D&C 6-9

Excerpt: This lesson focuses on sections 6-9 of the D&C, which explain several things about receiving revelation. Some of our more familiar scriptures are found in sections 8 and 9 regarding receiving revelation.  Here, we will focus on some background. Oliver Cowdery was a schoolteacher, who had heard of Joseph Smith.  Oliver believed in personal revelation, because he received it by using a divining rod. It is believed that he would ask “yes/no” type questions.  In doing so, it is likely the rod would point up for “yes”, and down for “no.”  This rod was also known as a “rod of nature” or the “gift of Aaron.”  In the revelations we find that the Lord approved of Oliver using the divining rod as a method to receive revelation.

https://joelsmonastery.blogspot.com/2021/01/come-follow-me-d-6-9.html

A few announcements have been shared from the church over the last few days.

1. April 2021 General Conference will be an all virtual Conference again. I hope that by October we can all meet in person, regular Sunday worship services will have resumed and the temples are so packed, there is a waiting list to get in. Read more about this HERE.
2. There are some new chapters to the General Handbook that have been released this week. You can read more about that HERE.
3. BYU Women’s Conference will also be a virtual Conference this year. Some of the sessions will be broadcast and will be free to watch, others will require a Conference ticket. Read more about that HERE.
4. Read about the 39 announcements and changes that have taken place since Pres. Russell M. Nelson became president of the church HERE.

Here is a video clip to brighten up your afternoon:

My blog post on Come Follow Me: D&C 3-5

Excerpt:In section 3, Joseph Smith is again chastised for not having his “eye single to the glory of God” and “fearing man more than God.”The Lost 116 Pages of manuscript were probably as much as 300 pages, according to Don Bradley in his book, “The Lost 116 Pages.” It contained the writings of Lehi and everything that Mormon had abridged of the large plates of Nephi from Lehi through the ministry of King Benjamin. Our current Book of Mormon has just over 500 pages. Imagine losing half of that amount, due to not listening to the Lord!

No wonder the Lord called Martin Harris a “wicked man.” Yet, how often have we done something similar?

https://joelsmonastery.blogspot.com/2021/01/come-follow-me-d-3-5.html

Pres Nelson, his wife and members of the 12 over 70 years were vaccinated for the Covid 19 virus today.

Pres Nelson noted the importance of vaccination. The Church had provided over 100 million vaccine shots in the last 20 years throughout the world.

He encouraged all to receive the shot to both protect oneself and others, citing the blessing of previous vaccinations, like polio and smallpox.

https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/church-leaders-covid-19-vaccine

This web site is really quite well done. It is dedicated to the Church’s Proclamation on the family.

Did you know that Pres. Hinckley said this before introducing the Proclamation on Sept. 23, 1995?

With so much of sophistry that is passed off as truth, with so much of deception concerning standards and values, with so much of allurement and enticement to take on the slow stain of the world, we have felt to warn and forewarn. In furtherance of this, we of the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles now issue a proclamation to the Church and to the world as a declaration and reaffirmation of standards, doctrines, and practices relative to the family which the prophets, seers, and revelators of this Church have repeatedly stated throughout its history (Hinckley, 1995).

This statement helps me understand the importance of the Proclamation and why it is so crucial to our times, when sophistry, deception and the stains of the world appear to be increasing every month.

The new web site breaks down the Proclamation paragraph by paragraph, and line by line, with every sentence annotated with hundreds of ancient and modern scriptures, social science research and stories that support the principles of the Proclamation.     The web site also includes: 

• “Relatable” articles.        
• The “Raising Family” podcast.      
• “Ask the Y” street team interviews.       
• A free scripture insert.     
• History, lesson ideas and study aids.    
• “People of the Proclamation” featuring original stories of people who live and love the principles of the proclamation.

Check out the new web site at thefamilyproclamation.org