This week’s “Come, Follow Me” study guide covers Doctrine and Covenants 41-44, which includes Edward Partridge’s calling to be the Church’s first bishop.
Following are a few quotes from past and present Church leaders about these sections of the Doctrine and Covenants.
Doctrine and Covenants 41
“As true disciples, our primary concern must be others’ welfare, not personal vindication. Questions and criticisms give us an opportunity to reach out to others and demonstrate that they matter to our Heavenly Father and to us. Our aim should be to help them understand the truth, not to defend our egos or score points in a theological debate. Our heartfelt testimonies are the most powerful answer we can give our accusers. And such testimonies can only be borne in love and meekness. We should be like Edward Partridge, of whom the Lord said, ‘His heart is pure before me, for he is like unto Nathanael of old, in whom there is no guile’ (Doctrine and Covenants 41:11). To be guileless is to have a childlike innocence, to be slow to take offense and quick to forgive.”
— The late Elder Robert D. Hales, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 2008 general conference, “Christian Courage: The Price of Discipleship”
“‘He that receiveth my law and doeth it, the same is my disciple; and he that saith he receiveth it and doeth it not, the same is not my disciple, and shall be cast out’ (Doctrine and Covenants 41:5).
“So you see, what we do or fail to do determines our status before Him.
“It is not Church membership alone that He asks. Nor is it reading the scriptures alone, nor paying tithing alone. It is wholehearted obedience and faithfulness of heart that counts.
“The choice is placed before us — worldliness or salvation. Which shall it be? There is no middle ground in this matter. Lukewarm obedience is spurned by the Lord. What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”
— The late Elder Mark E. Petersen, then a member of the Council of the Twelve, October 1973 general conference, “What Will a Man Give?”
Doctrine and Covenants 42
“Once we learn the truth, the Lord gives us the opportunity to do what He would do if He were here today. Truly, He showed us by His teachings what we must do: ‘And ye shall go forth in the power of my Spirit, preaching my gospel, two by two, in my name, lifting up your voices as with the sound of a trump, declaring my word like unto angels of God’ (Doctrine and Covenants 42:6). The opportunity for missionary service in our youth is unique.”
— Elder Denelson Silva, General Authority Seventy, October 2022 general conference, “Courage To Proclaim the Truth”
“Love is a feeling of deep devotion, concern and affection. The greatest example of God’s love for His children is found in the infinite Atonement of Jesus Christ. Love for God and our fellow men are characteristics of disciples of Jesus Christ. We are reminded of these principles in the scriptures. …
“The Lord tells us, ‘If ye love me, keep my commandments’ (John 14:15; see also Doctrine and Covenants 42:29).”
— Elder Artur José de Matos Miranda, then an Area Seventy, in the December 2021 Liahona article “Christmas: ‘The Hope of Israel’”
“The Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith that ‘the elders, priests and teachers of this church shall teach the principles of my gospel, which are in the Bible and the Book of Mormon, in the which is the fulness of the gospel’ (Doctrine and Covenants 42:12). …
“Stated succinctly, a gospel principle is a doctrinally based guideline for the righteous exercise of moral agency. Principles derive from broader gospel truths and provide direction and standards as we press forward on the covenant path. …
“Learning, understanding and living gospel principles strengthen our faith in the Savior, deepen our devotion to Him, and invite a multitude of blessings and spiritual gifts into our lives. Principles of righteousness also help us to look beyond our personal preferences and self-centered desires by providing the precious perspective of eternal truth as we navigate the different circumstances, challenges, decisions and experiences of mortality.”
— Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 2021 general conference, “The Principles of My Gospel”
“In the Church we not only learn divine doctrine; we also experience its application. As the body of Christ, the members of the Church minister to one another in the reality of day-to-day life. All of us are imperfect; we may offend and be offended. We often test one another with our personal idiosyncrasies. In the body of Christ, we have to go beyond concepts and exalted words and have a real ‘hands-on’ experience as we learn to ‘live together in love’ (Doctrine and Covenants 42:45).”
— Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 2015 general conference, “Why the Church”
Doctrine and Covenants 43
“In the Church, we attend many meetings, but we do not go to these meetings just for the sake of attending. The Lord has expectations of us:
“‘And now, behold, I give unto you a commandment, that when ye are assembled together ye shall instruct and edify each other, that ye may know how to act and direct my church, how to act upon the points of my law and commandments, which I have given.
“‘And thus ye shall become instructed in the law of my church, and be sanctified by that which ye have received, and ye shall bind yourselves to act in all holiness before me’ (Doctrine and Covenants 43:8-9).
“Please note that regardless of your calling, when you attend meetings, you share in the privilege and responsibility to instruct and edify each other, to be sanctified by what you have learned and to then bind yourself in all holiness before the Lord.”
— Elder Jörg Klebingat, General Authority Seventy, in the October 2021 Liahona article “But He That Is Greatest Among You Shall Be Your Servant”
“I testify to the four ends of the earth that Jesus Christ lives. He exhorts us, ‘Hearken, O ye nations of the earth, and hear the words of that God who made you’ (Doctrine and Covenants 43:23). May we have the capacity to grasp, give heed to, comprehend and correctly interpret the message of ‘that God who made [us]’ so as not to stray from His way.”
— Elder Claudio D. Zivic, then a General Authority Seventy, April 2014 general conference, “Let’s Not Take the Wrong Way”
“It is true that we are in many ways ordinary and imperfect, but we have a perfect Master who wrought a perfect Atonement, and we have call upon His grace and His priesthood. As we repent and purge our souls, we are promised that we will be taught and endowed with power from on high (see Doctrine and Covenants 43:16).”
— Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 2012 general conference, “Brethren, We Have Work To Do”
“Developing Christlike attributes in our lives is not an easy task, especially when we move away from generalities and abstractions and begin to deal with real life. The test comes in practicing what we proclaim. The reality check comes when Christlike attributes need to become visible in our lives — as husband or wife, as father or mother, as son or daughter, in our friendships, in our employment, in our business and in our recreation. We can recognize our growth, as can those around us, as we gradually increase our capacity to ‘act in all holiness before [Him]’ (Doctrine and Covenants 43:9). …
“Developing Christlike attributes can be a painful process. We need to be ready to accept direction and correction from the Lord and His servants. This worldwide conference with its music and spoken word offers spiritual power, direction and blessings ‘from on high’ (Doctrine and Covenants 43:16). It is a time when the voice of personal inspiration and revelation will bring peace to our souls and will teach us how to become more Christlike. This voice will be as sweet as the voice of a dear friend, and it will fill our souls when our hearts are sufficiently contrite.”
— Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 2005 general conference, “Christlike Attributes — the Wind Beneath Our Wings”
“The idea of eternal progress is one of the most powerful ideas in our theology. It gives us hope when we falter and challenge when we soar. Surely this is one of the great ‘solemnities of eternity’ that we are commanded to let ‘rest upon [our] minds’ (Doctrine and Covenants 43:34).”
— President Dallin H. Oaks, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 1995 general conference, “Powerful Ideas”
“The scriptures can light our way, and our testimonies can be a light from within. The voices of angels can be the voices of our beloved prophet and His servants. We can kneel at the feet of our Savior just as literally as the shepherds and the Wise Men, but we do it in prayer. The gifts we bring are our talents. We can shout ‘Hosanna’ like that angelic choir and spread the good news by bearing our testimonies. Each new day is an opportunity to bind ourselves to act according to what we know (see Doctrine and Covenants 43:8).”
— The late Sister Betty Jo N. Jepsen, then the first counselor in the Primary general presidency, October 1992 general conference, “By Way of Invitation”
Doctrine and Covenants 44
“Well, we meet in this priesthood meeting because who we are is not who we can become. We meet here tonight in the name of Jesus Christ. We meet with the confidence that His Atonement gives every one of us — no matter our weaknesses, our frailties, our addictions — the ability to change. We meet with the hope that our future, no matter our history, can be better. …
“As the Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith, ‘And it shall come to pass, that inasmuch as they … exercise faith in me’ — remember, faith is a principle of power and of action — ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon them in the day that they assemble themselves together’ (Doctrine and Covenants 44:2). That means tonight.”
— Elder Donald L. Hallstrom, then a General Authority Seventy, April 2014 general conference, “What Manner of Men?”
“Eventually, to Joseph Smith appeared the men who were the last authorized servants to direct the Church of Jesus Christ — Peter, James and John. These glorified beings ordained Joseph Smith with the same authority they had received from Jesus, so that once again there was a prophet of God on the earth who could say, ‘thus saith the Lord’ (Doctrine and Covenants 44:1). Joseph Smith ordained others with the authority that he had received, and so the church of Jesus Christ was restored in these latter days — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”
— The late President Ezra Taft Benson, then a member of the Council of the Twelve, October 1972 general conference, “Listen to a Prophet’s Voice”
