Doctrine and Covenants 115-120
“His Sacrifice Shall Be More Sacred unto Me Than His Increase”
October 13 - October 19
scripture
quotes
The Significance of the Name of Jesus Christ
<p>Follow through the restoration of the gospel, if you will. The significance of the name of Jesus Christ is most impressive, restoring to it the same place that it held when he taught men upon the earth two thousand years ago. With the restoration of the ordinances and principles of the gospel, the Lord again, as Paul once declared, gave some apostles, prophets, evangelists teachers, pastors high priests, seventies, elders bishops, priests, teachers, and deacons Eph. 4:11 and with the restoration of these offices in the priesthood of the Church the Church was again organized just as perfectly as it was in the days of Peter and John. Something more than the restoration of the gospel, ordinances, principles, and organization was necessary, and what was that? The name by which it might be identified in the world, which name had been taken from the earth when the great apostasy took place, and is it not singular then that all the great religionists failed to call the churches organized by them the Church of Jesus Christ but through the providence of God, it was not to be. Hence, the name was reserved for the day when through the Lord’s instrument, Joseph Smith, the Church was again restored to the earth. We read in a revelation known as the one hundred fifteenth section of the D&C the words of the Savior to the Prophet relative to this matter:</p> <p>“Verily thus saith the Lord unto you, my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and also my servant Sidney Rigdon, and also my servant Hyrum Smith, and your counselors who are and shall be appointed hereafter; And also unto you, my servant Edward Partridge, and his counselors; And also unto my faithful servants who are of the high council of my church in Zion, for thus it shall be called, and unto all the elders and people of my Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, scattered abroad in all the world; For thus shall my church be called in the last days, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Verily I say unto you all: Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations” (D&C 115:1-5).</p>
Joseph L. Wirthlin, “Untitled Talk”, April 1946 General Conference
What A Righteous Young Woman Can Do
<p>“By the way you live the gospel, you reflect His light. Your example will have a powerful effect for good on the earth. ‘Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations,’ is a call to each of you. It is a call to move to higher ground. It is a call to leadership—to lead out in decency, purity, modesty, and holiness. It is a call to share this light with others. It is time to ‘arise and shine forth.’ Can one righteous young woman change the world? The answer is a resounding ‘yes!’ You have the Holy Ghost as your guide, and He ‘will show … you all things … [you] should do.’”</p>
Elaine S. Dalton, “It Shows in Your Face,” April 2006 General Conference
Do Not Hide Your Light in Darkness
<p>Like any other power, the priesthood needs to be exercised to accomplish any good. You are called to “arise and shine forth” (D&C 115:5) not to hide your light in darkness. Only those who are brave will be counted among the chosen. As you exercise the power of your sacred priesthood, your courage and confidence will increase. Young men, you know that you are at your best when you are in the service of God. You know that you are happiest when you are anxiously engaged in a good work. Magnify the power of your priesthood by being clean and being worthy.</p>
Adrián Ochoa, “Aaronic Priesthood: Arise and Use the Power of God”, April 2012 General Conference
Sanctuaries of Faith
<p>Moroni fortified every Nephite city with embankments, forts, and walls.11 [See Alma 48:8 When the Lamanites came against them, they “were astonished exceedingly, because of the wisdom of the Nephites in preparing their places of security” (Alma 49:5).</p> <p>Similarly, as turmoil rages around us, we need to create places where we are safe, both physically and spiritually. When your home becomes a personal sanctuary of faith —where the Spirit resides —your home becomes the first line of defense.</p> <p>Likewise, the stakes of Zion are “a refuge from the storm” (D&C 115:6) because they are led by those who hold priesthood keys and exercise priesthood authority. As you continue to follow the counsel of those whom the Lord has authorized to guide you, you will feel greater safety.</p>
Russell M. Nelson, “Embrace the Future with Faith”, October 2020 General Conference
Creating a Holy Place
<p>...”What are the ‘holy places’ Heavenly Father is referring to?” President Ezra Taft Benson counseled, “Holy places include our temples, our chapels, our homes, and the stakes of Zion, which are … ‘for a defense, and for a refuge’” (see D&C 115:6). In addition to these, I believe we can each find many more places. We might first consider the word place as a physical environment or a geographic location. However, a place can be “a distinct condition, position, or state of mind.” This means holy places can also include moments in time—moments when the Holy Ghost testifies to us, moments when we feel Heavenly Father’s love, or moments when we receive an answer to our prayers. Even more, I believe any time you have the courage to stand for what is right, especially in situations where no one else is willing to do so, you are creating a holy place.</p>
Ann M. Dibb, “Your Holy Places”, April 2013 General Conference
The Church, Our Homes, A Refuge
<p>“We speak of the Church as our refuge, our defense. There is safety and protection in the Church. It centers in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Latter-day Saints learn to look within themselves to see the redeeming power of the Savior of all mankind. The principles of the gospel taught in the Church and learned from the scriptures become a guide for each of us individually and for our families. We know that the homes we establish, and those of our descendants, will be the refuge spoken of in the revelations—the ‘light,’ the ‘standard,’ the ‘ensign’ for all nations, and the ‘refuge’ against the gathering storms. The ensign to which all of us are to rally is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only Begotten of the Father, whose Church this is and whose name we bear and whose authority we carry. We look forward with faith. We have seen many events in our lifetime, and many will yet occur that will tax our courage and extend our faith.”</p>
Boyd K. Packer, “A Defense and a Refuge,” October 2006 General Conference
commentaries
Commentary on D&C 115:1–4
<p>When the Savior was asked by His disciples in the Book of Mormon about the name of the Church, He responded, “Have ye not read the scriptures, which say ye must take upon you the name of Christ, which is my name? For by this name shall ye be called at the last day . . . Therefore, whatsoever ye shall do, ye shall do it in my name; therefore ye shall call the church in my name; and ye shall call upon the Father in my name that he will bless the church for my sake. And how be it my church save it be called in my name?” (3 Nephi 27:5, 7–8). Complying with these instructions, the Articles and Covenants refer to “the rise of the Church of Christ in these last days” (D&C 20:1).<a id="_ftnref1" class="see-footnote" title="" href="#_ftn1">[1]</a></p> <p>In 1834, possibly to avoid confusion with other churches named the Church of Christ, a conference of Church leaders voted to change the name to “The Church of the Latter-day Saints.”<a id="_ftnref2" class="see-footnote" title="" href="#_ftn2">[2]</a> In the ensuing years, the two names were occasionally combined as “the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” During the Kirtland apostasy of 1837–38, dissenters in the Church criticized Joseph Smith and other Church leaders for removing Christ’s name from the official title of the Church. Thomas B. Marsh, then president of the Quorum of the Twelve, wrote in June 1838 that the dissenters “claimed, themselves to be the old standard, called themselves the Church of Christ, excluded that of saints and set at naught Br. Joseph and the whole Church, denouncing them as heretics.”<a id="_ftnref3" class="see-footnote" title="" href="#_ftn3">[3]</a> Forced to relocate to Missouri because of the dissenters, Joseph Smith received Doctrine and Covenants 115 on April 26, 1838. In the revelation the Lord gave the official name of the Church, declaring, “For thus shall my Church be called in the last days, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” (D&C 115:4).<a id="_ftnref4" class="see-footnote" title="" href="#_ftn4">[4]</a> Usage of the different names of the Church varied throughout the remainder of Joseph Smith’s lifetime, for instance, in an epistle from Liberty Jail the Prophet and his fellow prisoners wrote “To the church of Latter-day saints at Quincy Illinois.”<a id="_ftnref5" class="see-footnote" title="" href="#_ftn5">[5]</a> In Nauvoo, a sign hanging over the Prophet’s office read, “Joseph Smith’s, Office. President of the church of JESUS Christ of LATTER day Saints.”<a id="_ftnref6" class="see-footnote" title="" href="#_ftn6">[6]</a></p> <p>When Russell M. Nelson became the President of the Church in 2018, he strongly emphasized using the correct name of the Church. In an official statement given on August 16, 2018, President Nelson explained his reasons for the change: “The Lord has impressed upon my mind the importance of the name He has revealed for His Church, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We have work before us to bring ourselves in harmony with His will.”<a id="_ftnref7" class="see-footnote" title="" href="#_ftn7">[7]</a> A few weeks later in general conference, President Nelson gave an even more forceful address, particularly to those critical of attempts to emphasize the name of the Church. “It is <em>not </em>a name change. It is <em>not </em>rebranding. It is <em>not </em>cosmetic. It is <em>not </em>a whim. And it is <em>not </em>inconsequential. Instead, it <em>is </em>a correction. It <em>is </em>the command of the Lord . . . The name of the Church is not negotiable.” President Nelson counseled Church members, “If someone should ask, ‘Are you a Mormon?’ you could reply, ‘If you are asking if I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, yes, I am!’ If someone asks, ‘Are you a Latter-day Saint?’ you might respond, ‘Yes, I am. I believe in Jesus Christ and am a member of His restored Church.’” He concluded, “So, what’s in a name? When it comes to the name of the Lord’s Church, the answer is ‘Everything!’” <a id="_ftnref8" class="see-footnote" title="" href="#_ftn8">[8]</a></p> <div class="footnotes"> <p class="footnote"><a id="_ftn1" class="footnote-label" title="" href="#_ftnref1">[1]</a> Articles and Covenants, circa April 1830 [D&C 20], p. 4, JSP.</p> <p class="footnote"><a id="_ftn2" class="footnote-label" title="" href="#_ftnref2">[2]</a> “Communicated,” <em>The Evening and the Morning Star</em>, May 1834, p. 160, JSP.</p> <p class="footnote"><a id="_ftn3" class="footnote-label" title="" href="#_ftnref3">[3]</a> Letter to Wilford Woodruff, circa 18 June 1838, p. 1, JSP.</p> <p class="footnote"><a id="_ftn4" class="footnote-label" title="" href="#_ftnref4">[4]</a> Revelation, 26 April 1838 [D&C 115], p. 33, JSP. The original spelling in the document is “the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints,” but the 2013 edition uses modern capitalization and punctuation: “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”</p> <p class="footnote">[4] Letter to the Church and Edward Partridge, 20 March 1839, p. 1, JSP.</p> <p class="footnote"><a id="_ftn5" class="footnote-label" title="" href="#_ftnref5">[5]</a> Letter to the Church and Edward Partridge, 20 March 1839, p. 1, JSP.</p> <p class="footnote"><a id="_ftn6" class="footnote-label" title="" href="#_ftnref6">[6]</a> “Joseph Smith Office Sign,” accessed June 18, 2019, <a href="https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/media-collection/joseph-smith-office-sign?lang=English">https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/media-collection/joseph-smith-office-sign?lang=English</a>, punctuation in original.</p> <p class="footnote"><a id="_ftn7" class="footnote-label" title="" href="#_ftnref7">[7]</a> Russell M. Nelson in “The Name of the Church,” official statement, August 16, 2018, https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/name-of-the-church.</p> <p class="footnote"><a id="_ftn8" class="footnote-label" title="" href="#_ftnref8">[8]</a> Russell M. Nelson, “The Correct Name of the Church,” October 2018 General Conference.</p> </div>
Doctrine and Covenants Minute by Casey Paul Griffiths
Commentary on D&C 115:5–6
<p>Knowing the coming calamities of the last days, the Lord identifies the “land of Zion” and “her stakes” (D&C 115:6), which are found throughout the world, as two places of refuge and safety for the Saints. Even though the Lord has promised that “Zion shall not be moved out of her place” (D&C 101:17), for nearly two centuries the gathering of Israel has centered around creating stakes in every land where Saints live. Amid growing instability throughout the world, the stakes of Zion are designed to serve as a “refuge from the storm” (D&C 115:6).</p> <p>President Russell M. Nelson explained,</p> <blockquote> <p>“The stakes of Zion are a ‘refuge from the storm’ because they are led by those who hold priesthood authority. As you continue to follow the counsel of those whom the Lord has authorized to guide you, you will feel greater safety.”<a id="_ftnref1" class="see-footnote" title="" href="#_ftn1">[1]</a> President Nelson also pointed out that “the temple—the house of the Lord—is a place of security unlike any other . . . there your families are sealed for eternity . . . simply said, a place of security is <em>anywhere </em>you can feel the presence of the Holy Ghost and be guided by Him.”<a id="_ftnref2" class="see-footnote" title="" href="#_ftn2">[2]</a></p> </blockquote> <div class="footnotes"> <p class="footnote"><a id="_ftn1" class="footnote-label" title="" href="#_ftnref1">[1]</a> Russell M. Nelson, “Embrace the Future with Faith,” October 2020 General Conference.</p> <p class="footnote"><a id="_ftn2" class="footnote-label" title="" href="#_ftnref2">[2]</a> Russell M. Nelson, “Embrace the Future with Faith,” October 2020 General Conference, emphasis in original.</p> </div>
Doctrine and Covenants Minute by Casey Paul Griffiths
