Lesson 155: The Articles of Faith and Official Declarations 1 and 2

Official Declaration 1

“The Lord Showed Me by Vision and Revelation”

For approximately 50 years, plural marriage was practiced by some members of the Church in response to a commandment from the Lord. In 1890, the Lord commanded President Wilford Woodruff (1807–98) to announce the end of plural marriage in the Church. This lesson can help students understand that the Lord directs His Church through continuing revelation to His prophets.

Possible Learning Activities

This lesson focuses on the Lord’s commandment for the Saints to discontinue the practice of plural marriage. Before teaching this lesson, it may be helpful to review the resources from the lesson “Doctrine and Covenants 132:1–2, 34–66” to help students who may still have questions about plural marriage.

God reveals His will to His children

Encourage introspection and assessment. For more training on how to do this, see the training titled “Create settings and opportunities for learners to be taught by the Holy Ghost,” found in Teacher Development Skills: Teach by the Spirit. Consider practicing creating student self-evaluations about a doctrine, truth, or principle.

Consider beginning the lesson by inviting a student to read or recite Articles of Faith 1:9. Then help students evaluate their beliefs about God revealing His will to His children through prophets. You could display the following and give students time to silently think of their responses.

For the statements below, choose the option (know; believe; sort of believe; don’t know if) that best reflects how you would fill in the blank: “I this is true.”

• God has revealed His will to His children through His prophets.

• God is currently revealing His will to His children through His prophets.

• God will yet reveal His will to His children through His prophets.

Invite the students to think about why they responded the way they did. You could invite some to share.

Explain that today’s lesson will focus on an example from Church history that illustrates the Lord guiding His Church through continuing revelation to His prophets. Encourage them to pay attention to promptings from the Spirit that can help them recognize the blessing of having continuing revelation from the Lord.

Official Declaration 1

Help students understand that Official Declaration 1 relates to the Lord’s commandment for the Saints to discontinue the practice of plural marriage. Invite the students to locate the introduction paragraph at the beginning of Official Declaration 1 in their scriptures. If needed, provide copies of the introduction for students who have older editions.

Read the introduction to Official Declaration 1, looking for what it teaches about the Saints’ practice of plural marriage.

• What made it difficult for the Saints to continue practicing plural marriage?

To help the students understand more about these difficulties, consider reading or summarizing the following paragraphs. You could also invite a student to read them to the class.

After the Saints settled in Utah in the mid-1800s, many Church members openly practiced plural marriage. Government leaders eventually passed laws that made plural marriage illegal in the United States. These laws led to the arrest and imprisonment of many Latter-day Saint men. Others went into hiding to avoid being arrested (see Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days, vol. 2, No Unhallowed Hand, 1846–1893 [2020], 142, 408–9, 518–20).

In these difficult circumstances, President Wilford Woodruff prayerfully sought and received guidance from the Lord. He felt inspired to instruct Church leaders to discontinue teaching the principle of plural marriage. In September 1890, President Woodruff issued a manifesto (known today as Official Declaration 1). In the manifesto, President Woodruff addressed false reports that Church leaders were still publicly encouraging new plural marriages (see Saints, 2:584–85, 597–601).

This manifesto is now known as Official Declaration 1 in the Doctrine and Covenants.

Give the students an opportunity to study some of President Woodruff’s counsel and instructions to the Saints. If needed, show students where in the scriptures they can find the paragraphs they will study.

Study the following materials, looking for some of President Woodruff’s counsel to the Saints:

• Paragraphs 4–5 of Official Declaration 1 (beginning with “Inasmuch as laws …”)

• Paragraphs 1–2 of the excerpts that follow Official Declaration 1

If time permits, it may be helpful to invite students to study more paragraphs from the excerpts. You could assign small groups of students to study certain paragraphs, looking for what President Woodruff learned from the Lord. Students could then summarize their findings with the class.

• What do these paragraphs help you understand about how the Savior leads His Church?

  Give multiple students an opportunity to respond to the previous question. They might identify truths similar to the following: The Lord will never permit the President of the Church to lead the Church astray. The Lord directs His Church through continuing revelation to His prophets.

• How can knowing these truths bless or impact your life?

• What can these truths teach you about the Savior and His desires for us?

Continuing revelation today

President Russell M. Nelson shared the following testimony:

I know for sure that the Lord directs the affairs of His Church. He said, “I will show [you] that I am able to do mine own work” [2 Nephi 27:21].

Often, my counselors and I have watched through tear-brimmed eyes as He has interceded in extremely challenging circumstances after we had done our best and could do no more. We do indeed stand all amazed. (Russell M. Nelson, “Welcome Message,” Liahona, May 2021, 6)

After sharing the previous statements, consider inviting students to discuss the following question with a partner or small group. Members of each group could come to the board and write some of their answers.

• What evidence have you seen that the Lord continues to lead His Church through revelation to His prophets in our day?

  Some examples students might mention could include the messages prophets and apostles share in general conference, and proclaiming and defending important truths through “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” “The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles,” and “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: A Bicentennial Proclamation to the World.”

• How has the continuing revelation the Lord has provided through His prophets blessed your life?

Demonstrate understanding

To help students demonstrate their understanding about what they have learned today, consider sharing the following scenario:

Sofia is bothered by some of the changes she has seen in the Church. She wonders why some of the things the prophet asks us to do now are different than when she was younger.

• What are some things you have learned today that could be helpful to share with Sofia?

Students could respond as part of a class discussion, or you could invite them to role-play this scenario with a partner.

Testify of the truths you have discussed today. Encourage students to recognize the Lord’s continued guidance through His prophets can be a blessing in their lives.

Additional Resources

Where can I learn more about the history of plural marriage and the Manifesto?

• “The Messenger and the Manifesto,” Revelations in Context, 323–331

• “Plural Marriage and Families in Early Utah,” Gospel Topics Essays

• “The Manifesto and the End of Plural Marriage,” Gospel Topics Essays

• Chapters 35, 38–40 of Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days, vol. 2, No Unhallowed Hand, 1846–1893

How is the Savior directing His Church through continuous revelation to the living prophet?

President Russell M. Nelson explained:

When we convene as a Council of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve, our meeting rooms become rooms of revelation. The Spirit is palpably present. As we wrestle with complex matters, a thrilling process unfolds as each Apostle freely expresses his thoughts and point of view. Though we may differ in our initial perspectives, the love we feel for each other is constant. Our unity helps us to discern the Lord’s will for His Church.

In our meetings, the majority never rules! We listen prayerfully to one another and talk with each other until we are united. Then when we have reached complete accord, the unifying influence of the Holy Ghost is spine-tingling! We experience what the Prophet Joseph Smith knew when he taught, “By union of feeling we obtain power with God” [Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith (2007), 393–94]. No member of the First Presidency or Quorum of the Twelve would ever leave decisions for the Lord’s Church to his own best judgment! (Russell M. Nelson, “Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 95)

Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve taught:

We are blessed with continuing revelation to living prophets. …

Some revelations are of monumental importance, and others enhance our understanding of essential divine truths and provide guidance for our day. (Quentin L. Cook, “The Blessing of Continuing Revelation to Prophets and Personal Revelation to Guide Our Lives,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, 97)

Supplemental Learning Activities

Alternate beginning

To help students see the importance of continuing revelation from God through His prophets, you could provide them with a scenario such as the following:

Imagine your friend says: “I knew you believed that Joseph Smith was a prophet, but I didn’t realize until recently that you believe God called other prophets after Joseph Smith. Why would He do that?”

Students could then practice responding to the scenario. Encourage them to provide one or two specific examples of how God continues to reveal important things to us through His prophet.

Alma the Elder seeks revelation from God

To help students see an additional example of a prophet seeking for, and receiving, revelation from God on a difficult matter, consider reading about Alma the Elder’s experience in Mosiah 26. You could summarize Mosiah 26:1–12 by explaining that Church members had been led into sin by unbelievers. King Mosiah instructed Alma to work with those who had sinned. You could then have students read Mosiah 26:13–14 to identify what Alma did.

Students could look for answers to questions such as the following while reading Mosiah 26:32–36:

• What was the revelation God gave to Alma?

• What did Alma do with the revelation he received?

• How was the revelation a blessing?

Continuing evidence that the Lord is actively directing His Church

To help students see an example of how the Lord is actively directing His Church through revelation, consider watching “The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation” from time code 11:13 to 13:08. Students could share why continuing revelation enables the Lord’s work to move forward throughout the world.