The Voice of the Lord is Unto All Men

Posted on by
5
(8)

The Book of Commandments begins with the first charge: “Hearken, O ye people of my church… Hearken ye people from afar; and ye that are upon the islands of the sea, listen together. For verily the voice of the Lord is unto all men, and there is none to escape.” We must hearken (different than merely to listen) to the voice of the Lord, living by every word that proceeds forth from the mouth of God in order to become his people.

Table of contents show

Awakening to Hear the Voice of the Lord

  • Matthew 13:12 – “whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath”
    • Alma 12:10-11 – “he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word…”
  • Matthew 13:13-17 (continued) – “…this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them…”
  • D&C 1:1-2 – “the voice of the Lord is unto all men, and there is none to escape; and there is no eye that shall not see, neither ear that shall not hear, neither heart that shall not be penetrated.”

The Church During Nephi’s Time

  • Moroni 8:8 – “Listen to the words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God.”
  • 3 Nephi 27:7-8 – “whatsoever ye shall do, ye shall do it in my name; therefore ye shall call the church in my name“
  • D&C 1:1 – “Hearken, O ye people of my church, saith the voice of him who dwells on high, and whose eyes are upon all men; yea, verily I say: Hearken ye people from afar; and ye that are upon the islands of the sea, listen together.”
  • 4 Nephi 1:1,24-26 – “the disciples of Jesus had formed a church of Christ in all the lands round about. And as many as did come unto them, and did truly repent of their sins, were baptized in the name of Jesus; and they did also receive the Holy Ghost.”
  • D&C 84:25-27 (1834) – The terrestrial church entered into the telestial order. “he took Moses out of their midst, and the Holy Priesthood also; And the lesser priesthood continued, which priesthood holdeth the key of the ministering of angels and the preparatory gospel; Which gospel is the gospel of repentance and of baptism, and the remission of sins, and the law of carnal commandments”
  • 3 Nephi 27:7-8 – Christ’s name was removed from the church and became officially called “The Church of Latter Day Saints”

The Church During Moses’s Time

  • Exodus 32:19,21-23 – Israelites don’t hearken to the voice of the Lord and are demoted to a lesser, preparatory gospel. “Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief. For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us”
  • Kirtland temple inscription – evidence of the lack of Christ’s name on the “Church of the Latter-day Saints” due to the saints “taking the name of the Lord upon them in vain”, so He removed it during the time of condemnation.
  • D&C 1:1-2 – “the rebellious shall be pierced with much sorrow; for their iniquities shall be spoken upon the housetops, and their secret acts shall be revealed…”
    • 2 Nephi 30:16-18 – “There is nothing which is secret save it shall be revealed; there is no work of darkness save it shall be made manifest in the light“

Commandments For The Laborers

  • D&C 1:4 – “the voice of warning shall be unto all people, by the mouths of my disciples, whom I have chosen in these last days”
    • D&C 88:74-79 – “I give unto you a commandment that you shall teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom. Teach ye diligently and my grace shall attend you, that you may be instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel”
  • 3 Nephi 11 – Christ establishes the doctrine of Christ
  • D&C 1:6 – Book of Commandments, going out to all the inhabitants of the earth
  • 2 Nephi 8:5,9 – Righteousness (servant Joseph Smith) my arm shall judge. Arm of the Lord. Awake- cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon
  • D&C 1:15 – Broken covenant (2nd ministry)

Who Changed the New & Everlasting Covenant?

  • Important questions to know the answers to:
    • Where did it go?
    • What was it replaced with?
  • D&C 101 (1835 Edition) – “The Article on Marriage“ was the standing law of marriage for the church all throughout Joseph Smith’s life
  • Section 101 in the 1835 D&C (commanding monogamy) was removed in 1876 by Brigham Young and replaced with D&C 132 (claiming polygamy is God’s law).
  • See this polygamy timeline of events for details and sources on how this happened.

Commandments Given By the Voice of the Lord

  • D&C 1:16 – “They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world”
    • D&C 1:17 – Deliverance for those that hearken to the voice of the Lord’s “I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments”

The Marvelous Work of the Lord’s Servants

  • D&C 1:18 – Commandments given to “other” servants
    • D&C 1:19 – “The weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones, that man should not counsel his fellow man, neither trust in the arm of flesh”
    • D&C 1:20 – “that every man might speak in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world”
    • D&C 1:21 – “that faith also might increase in the earth.”
    • D&C 1:22 – “That mine everlasting covenant might be established”
    • D&C 1:23 – “That the fulness of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple”
      • D&C 4:1-5 – Marvelous work – “if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work.” However, “see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength.”
  • D&C 123:12 – Many are blind from the subtle craftiness of men and “know not where to find” the truth
  • D&C 5:35 – God’s promise to lift you up at the last day “if thou art faithful in keeping my commandments”
  • D&C 6:1-5 – Instructions to Joseph Smith Sr., Martin Harris, and Oliver Cowdry: “give heed unto my word, which is quick and powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword, to the dividing asunder of both joints and marrow; therefore give heed unto my words.”

Rate this episode

We are sorry that this post was not useful for you!

Let us improve this post!

Tell us how we can improve this post?