In November 1831, the restored Church of Jesus Christ was just a year and a half old. Though growing, it was still a little-known group of believers living in relatively small towns, led by a prophet in his mid-twenties. But God considered these believers to be His servants and His messengers, and He wanted the revelations He had given them to be published to the world.
Doctrine and Covenants section 1 is the Lord’s preface, or introduction, to these revelations. It clearly shows that even though the membership of the Church was small, there was nothing small about the message God wanted His Saints to share. It is a “voice of warning” for all “the inhabitants of the earth,” teaching them to repent and establish God’s “everlasting covenant” (verses 4, 8, 22). The servants carrying this message are “the weak and the simple.” But humble servants are just what God calls for—then and now—to bring His Church “out of obscurity and out of darkness” (verses 23, 30).
A preface introduces a book. It identifies the book’s themes and purposes and helps readers prepare to read. As you read section 1—the Lord’s “preface” to the Doctrine and Covenants (verse 6)—look for the themes and purposes the Lord gave for His revelations. What do you learn that will help you in your study of the Doctrine and Covenants this year? For example, you might ponder what it means to “hear the voice of the Lord” in these revelations (verse 14) or to “search these commandments” (verse 37).
The Lord speaks through His servants, including latter-day prophets.
Section 1 begins and ends with the Lord’s declaration that He speaks through His chosen servants (see verses 4–6, 23–24, 38). Write down what you learn from this revelation about:
The Lord and His voice.
Why prophets are needed in our day.
What do you feel impressed to do as a result of what you find?
When have you heard the Lord’s voice through the voice of His servants? (see verse 38).
You could also imagine that a friend who doesn’t know about living prophets is reading section 1 with you. What questions might your friend have? Which verses would you want to discuss with your friend to help him or her understand how you feel about having prophets in our day?
You might be interested to know that when a council of elders met in 1831 to talk about publishing Joseph Smith’s revelations, some people opposed the idea. They were embarrassed by Joseph’s weakness in writing, and they worried that publishing the revelations might cause more problems for the Saints (see Saints, 1:140–43). If you had been a member of this council, how would you have addressed these concerns? What insights do you find in section 1 that might have helped? (see, for example, verses 6, 24, 38).
Consider including a hymn like “Come, Listen to a Prophet’s Voice” (Hymns, no. 21) in your study and worship. Look for phrases in the hymn that teach the same principles as verses in section 1.
See also Topics and Questions, “Prophets,” Gospel Library.
The Restoration helps me face the challenges of the latter days.
In Doctrine and Covenants section 1, the Lord explains why He restored His gospel. See how many reasons you can list as you read verses 12–23. In your experience, how are the Lord’s purposes for the Restoration being accomplished?
The Lord knew that our day would have serious challenges (see verse 17). What do you find in verses 17–30, 34–36 that helps you feel peace and confidence despite these challenges?
The Lord uses “the weak and the simple” to accomplish His work.
As you read Doctrine and Covenants 1:19–28, you might ponder what it means to be a servant of the Lord. What characteristics does the Lord want His servants to have? What is the Lord accomplishing through His servants? How are the prophecies in these verses being fulfilled throughout the world and in your life?
Look for Jesus Christ. The purpose of the scriptures is to testify of the Savior and His gospel. As you read Doctrine and Covenants 1, consider marking or noting verses that teach you something about Jesus Christ.
For more ideas, see this month’s issues of the Liahona and For the Strength of Youth magazines.
Through His prophets, the Lord warns me of spiritual danger.
To start a discussion about warnings from the Lord, you could talk about warnings we receive from other people about dangers we cannot see. Some examples might include a slippery floor, a coming storm, or an approaching car. Maybe you and your children could look at examples of warning signs and compare these warnings to the warnings the Lord gives us. According to Doctrine and Covenants 1:4, 37–39, how does the Lord warn us? What has He warned us about recently? Perhaps you could watch or read parts of recent general conference messages and look for examples of God’s “voice of warning.”
Sing together a song about prophets, such as the last verse of “Follow the Prophet” (Children’s Songbook, 111). Share your testimony that the prophet speaks the word of God.
The Restoration helps me face the challenges of the latter days.
To encourage discussion about Doctrine and Covenants 1:17, you and your children could imagine you are preparing for a trip. What would you pack? If you knew ahead of time that it would rain or that your car or bus would get a flat tire, how would that affect the way you prepared for the trip? Read together verse 17, and talk about what the Lord knew would happen to us. How did He prepare for it? (If necessary, explain that a “calamity” is a disaster or terrible thing.) How do God’s commandments help us deal with the challenges of our time?
To learn about the role of Joseph Smith in restoring the Savior’s gospel, you and your children could look at a picture of the Savior and a picture of Joseph Smith (see the pictures in this outline) and talk about what the Savior gave us through Joseph Smith. Your children could look for examples in Doctrine and Covenants 1:17, 29. Tell your children how you know that God “called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven” (verse 17).
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s “true and living church.”
What does it mean to say that the Church is “true and living”? To get your children thinking about this question, perhaps you could show them living and nonliving things—such as a live plant and a dead plant. How do we know something is living? Then you could read Doctrine and Covenants 1:30 and talk about what it might mean for the Church to be “true and living.”
For more ideas, see this month’s issue of the Friend magazine.
