Doctrine and Covenants 109-110
“It Is Thy House, A Place of Thy Holiness”
September 29 - October 5
scripture
quote
Finding Mercy in the House of the Lord
<p>“There are so many ways in which we each can find mercy in the house of the Lord. This has been true since the Lord first commanded Israel to build a tabernacle and to place at its center the ‘mercy seat.’ In the temple, we find mercy in the covenants we make. Those covenants, in addition to the baptismal covenant, bind us to the Father and the Son and give us increased access to what President Nelson has taught is ‘a special kind of love and mercy … called hesed’ in Hebrew. We find mercy in the opportunity to be sealed to our families for eternity. In the temple, we also come to understand with greater clarity that the Creation, the Fall, the Savior’s atoning sacrifice, and our ability to enter again into our Heavenly Father’s presence—indeed, every part of the plan of salvation—are manifestations of mercy. It might be said that the plan of salvation is a plan of happiness precisely because it is a ‘plan of mercy.’”</p>
James R. Rasband, “The Plan of Mercy,” April 2025 General Conference
commentary
Commentary on D&C 109:34–42
<p>The dedicatory prayer asks for a Pentecostal outpouring upon the Saints (D&C 109:36). This request was fulfilled, and the Saints received a spiritual outpouring never before or since seen in the history of the Church. Joseph Smith recorded in his journal, “The Savior made his appearance to some, while angels ministered unto others, and it was a pentecost and endowment indeed, long to be remembered[,] for the sound shall go forth from this place into all the world, and the occurrences of this day shall be handed down upon the pages of sacred history to all generations, as the day of Pentecost, so shall this day be numbered and celebrated as a year of Jubilee and time of rejoicing to the saints of the most high God.”<a href="#_ftn1" id="_ftnref1" title="" class="see-footnote">[1]</a></p> <p>The outpouring of the Spirit during the dedicatory season of the Kirtland Temple extended to all ages and both genders among the Saints. Benjamin Brown and Eliza R. Snow both remembered a woman who attended the dedicatory services while holding her two-month-old child. This young mother was unable to find anyone to look after the baby while she attended the service. She pleaded with Joseph Smith Sr. to allow her to attend even though young children were not allowed in the meeting. Father Smith spoke to the doorkeepers, telling them, “Brethren we do not exercise faith[;] my faith is this child will not cry a word in the House today.” Benjamin Brown then observed, “On this the woman & child entered and the child did not cry a word from 8 till 4 in the afternoon. But when the Saints all shouted Hosanna the child was nursing but let go and shouted also. When the saints paused, it paused. When they shouted, it shouted, for three times when they shouted amen, it shouted also for three times then it resumed its nursing without any alarm.”<a href="#_ftn2" id="_ftnref2" title="" class="see-footnote">[2]</a></p> <p>In another description of a meeting held in the temple, Oliver Cowdery wrote, “The spirit was poured out—I saw the glory of God, like a great cloud, come down and rest upon the house, and fill the same like a mighty rushing wind. I also saw cloven tongues, like as of fire[,] rest upon many, (for there were 316 present,) while they spake with other tongues and prophesied.”<a href="#_ftn3" id="_ftnref3" title="" class="see-footnote">[3]</a> Levi Jackman compared the events of the dedication to the New Testament Pentecost, writing, “I believe that as [many] great things were heard and felt and seen as there was on the day of Pentecost with the apostles.”<a href="#_ftn4" id="_ftnref4" title="" class="see-footnote">[4]</a> Spiritual manifestations also occurred on the exterior of the temple. Benjamin Brown, writing to his wife Sarah, recorded that on the evening of the dedication, “one saw a pillar or cloud rest down upon the house [as] bright as when the sun shines on a cloud like as gold.”<a href="#_ftn5" id="_ftnref5" title="" class="see-footnote">[5]</a></p> <div class="footnotes"> <p class="footnote"><a href="#_ftnref1" id="_ftn1" title="" class="footnote-label">[1]</a> JS Journal, pp. 189–90, JSP.</p> <p class="footnote"><a href="#_ftnref2" id="_ftn2" title="" class="footnote-label">[2]</a> “Historical Introduction,” Minutes and Prayer of Dedication, 27 March 1836 [D&C 109], fn. 9, JSP. </p> <p class="footnote"><a href="#_ftnref3" id="_ftn3" title="" class="footnote-label">[3]</a> “Historical Introduction,” Minutes and Prayer of Dedication, 27 March 1836 [D&C 109], fn. 13, JSP.</p> <p class="footnote"><a href="#_ftnref4" id="_ftn4" title="" class="footnote-label">[4]</a> “Historical Introduction,” Minutes and Prayer of Dedication, 27 March 1836 [D&C 109], fn. 14, JSP.</p> <p class="footnote"><a href="#_ftnref5" id="_ftn5" title="" class="footnote-label">[5]</a> “Historical Introduction,” Minutes and Prayer of Dedication, 27 March 1836 [D&C 109], fn. 15, JSP.</p> </div>
Doctrine and Covenants Minute by Casey Paul Griffiths
video
What Happened in the Kirtland Temple? (D&C 109-110)
<p>Casey Paul Griffiths, "Come Follow Me with Casey Paul Griffiths (Doctrine and Covenants 109-110, September 27 - October 3)," Book of Mormon Central Video, 2021.</p>
Casey Paul Griffiths
