Unit 17: Day 4

Doctrine and Covenants 82–83

Introduction

The revelation found in Doctrine and Covenants 82 was received on April 26, 1832, during a council of high priests and elders of the Church in Independence, Jackson County, Missouri. In this revelation the Lord forgave the brethren of their trespasses and warned them against further sin. The Lord also instructed these brethren in Missouri on how to manage the temporal affairs of Zion. Four days later, the Prophet Joseph Smith received the revelation recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 83, in which the Lord instructed Church leaders on how to care for widows and orphans.

Doctrine and Covenants 82:1–7

The Lord warns those who have received much from Him

Think of a time when you had a disagreement with a friend or family member that was eventually resolved. How did you feel after you resolved your disagreement?

For several months, unkind feelings had developed between Sidney Rigdon in Ohio and Bishop Edward Partridge in Missouri. In April 1832, the Prophet Joseph Smith and other Church leaders traveled to Missouri in obedience to the Lord’s command that they “sit in council with the Saints which are in Zion” (D&C 78:9). Upon their arrival, a council of high priests and elders of the Church was held. Between the morning and afternoon sessions of the conference, Sidney Rigdon and Edward Partridge resolved their differences. The revelation in Doctrine and Covenants 82 was received during the afternoon session.

Read Doctrine and Covenants 82:1, looking for what the Lord told Sidney Rigdon and William Partridge about resolving their differences.

Based on what you learn in verse 1, complete the following principle describing the relationship between forgiving others and receiving the Lord’s forgiveness: is a necessary part of receiving the Lord’s forgiveness for our sins. (Compare to D&C 64:9–11.)

Although the Lord extended His forgiveness at this time, He also gave them a warning. Read Doctrine and Covenants 82:2, looking for the warning the Lord gave these Saints.

As Church members moved from Ohio to Missouri, many of them failed to obey the counsel of Church leaders, and some refused to live the law of consecration. As a result, some of these Church members were guilty of jealousy, covetousness, and a neglect of duty.

Read Doctrine and Covenants 82:3–4, looking for a reason why the Lord’s judgments would come upon those who continued in sin.

1. In your scripture study journal, write a principle the Lord taught in Doctrine and Covenants 82:3. Then answer the following question: Why you think those who have received more from the Lord would also have more required of them?

2. In your scripture study journal, list as many of the blessings you have received from the Lord as you can think of in two minutes. Include blessings that have come to you as a member of the Church. Then choose one of the blessings you wrote down and answer the following questions:

   1. What do you think the Lord expects you to do with this blessing? (For example, if you recognize that you have been blessed by having the truths of the gospel in your life, one of the expectations may be that you share these truths with others.)

   2. What can you start doing to fulfill that expectation?

In Doctrine and Covenants 82:5–6, the Lord warned the Saints that the dominion and power of Satan over the earth was increasing. Read Doctrine and Covenants 82:7, looking for an additional warning the Lord gave these Church members about sin. From this verse we learn that it is important to completely forsake our sins because if we sin again after repenting, our former sins return.

3. In your scripture study journal, write why you think our former sins return when we intentionally sin after we have sought the Lords forgiveness.

Doctrine and Covenants 82:8–24

The Lord commands nine men to form a firm to manage the temporal affairs of the Church

Think of a situation when you or someone you know needed to be assured that God keeps His promises. During the council of high priests and elders in Missouri, the Lord gave a reassuring promise to those who obey His commandments. As you continue your study of Doctrine and Covenants 82, look for principles that could offer assurance to someone in a situation like the one you thought of above.

Read Doctrine and Covenants 82:8–9, looking for what the Lord said He was going to give the Saints during this council. You may want to mark the Lord’s reasons for giving them this new commandment. Ponder how these reasons could apply to every commandment the Lord gives us.

4. Read Doctrine and Covenants 82:10 (a scripture mastery passage), looking for a principle that can give us confidence as we strive to obey the Lord’s commandments. (You may want to mark this scripture in a distinctive way to make it easy to find later.) Then write the following assignments in your scripture study journal:

   1. Complete the following principle: If we obey the Lord, He is …

   2. Ponder experiences you have had that have shown you that this principle is true, then write about one of those experiences.

As you learned in Doctrine and Covenants 78, the Lord commanded Church leaders in Kirtland, Ohio, to form a firm, a Church business association known as the United Firm. Resources from the business operations of the firm were to be used to care for the poor and provide funding for Church needs. As recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 82:11, 15–17, the Lord commanded Church leaders in Missouri to join the United Firm by covenant.

Read Doctrine and Covenants 82:12, looking for what the United Firm’s purpose was. As you read, it may help you to recall that one of the duties of the bishop is to assist with the temporal needs of Church members.

Read Doctrine and Covenants 82:14, 18–19, looking for words and phrases that further explain why the Lord commanded Church leaders to form the United Firm. You may want to mark the words or phrases you find.

As recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 82:20–24, the Lord ended this revelation by warning Church leaders to be faithful to the covenant they would make as members of the United Firm.

Scripture Mastery—Doctrine and Covenants 82:10

Doctrine and Covenants 82:10 is a scripture mastery passage. Try to memorize it by repeating it several times. After you have memorized it, recite it to a family member or friend and share what you have experienced that has confirmed to you that the Lord does keep His promises to us when we do what He asks.

5. In your scripture study journal, write about what you shared with your family member or friend.

Doctrine and Covenants 83

The Lord reveals how to care for widows and orphans

Four days after receiving the revelation in Doctrine and Covenants 82, the Prophet Joseph Smith received a revelation about how to further care for the temporal needs of the Saints. Read Doctrine and Covenants 83:1, looking for whose needs were addressed by this revelation.

To understand this section, recall that many of the Saints were living the law of consecration and had received an “inheritance,” or property from the Church. In this revelation the Lord revealed what should happen to a family’s inheritance if a husband or father died.

Read Doctrine and Covenants 83:2–3, looking for the Lord’s instructions about caring for women who had lost their husbands. (It may help to realize that at the time, most women relied on their husbands for their temporal support. “To have fellowship in the church” meant that, since the wife’s provider was gone, the Church would look after her needs.) Then read Doctrine and Covenants 83:4–6, looking for how the Church is to care for orphans and for widows.

6. In your scripture study journal, write what Doctrine and Covenants 83 teaches you about how the Lord feels about widows, orphans, and all those in need?

7. Write the following at the bottom of today’s assignments in your scripture study journal:

   I have studied Doctrine and Covenants 82–83 and completed this lesson on (date).

   Additional questions, thoughts, and insights I would like to share with my teacher: