Line upon Line

Doctrine and Covenants 1:38

We should heed all of the Lord’s words given through His prophets.

38 What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.

What I the Lord have spoken

Here are a few things the scriptures teach us about revelation from God:

• Man lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord (see Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4; D&C 98:11).

• “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18).

• The Lord will do nothing without revealing His secret to the prophets (see Amos 3:7).

• God will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept (see 2 Nephi 28:30; D&C 98:12).

• Whatever God’s servants speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be the voice of the Lord (see D&C 68:4).

My word shall not pass away

Prophecies and blessings spoken by the Lord’s prophets are not always fulfilled at the time or in the manner people expect. Think of some examples of prophecies and blessings that were fulfilled at an unexpected time or in an unexpected way, and write in your journal how this principle can apply in your life.

By mine own voice or by the voice of my servants

“It is no small thing, my brothers and sisters, to have a prophet of God in our midst. Great and wonderful are the blessings that come into our lives as we listen to the word of the Lord given to us through him. … When we hear the counsel of the Lord expressed through the words of the President of the Church, our response should be positive and prompt. History has shown that there is safety, peace, prosperity, and happiness in responding to prophetic counsel as did Nephi of old: ‘I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded’ (1 Ne. 3:7).”

Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “His Word Ye Shall Receive,” Liahona, July 2001, 80; Ensign, May 2001, 65.

I excuse not myself

“When critics mock, when enemies deride, when cynics belittle this work, there comes into my mind this tremendous statement of the Almighty. The Lord does not excuse Himself for what He has said or done. Every promise shall be kept, every prophecy fulfilled.”

President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008), “The Order and Will of God,” Tambuli, Aug. 1989, 3; Ensign, Jan. 1989, 4.

Editors’ note: This page is not meant to be a comprehensive explanation of the selected scripture verse, only a starting point for your own study.