This week’s “Come, Follow Me” study guide covers Doctrine and Covenants 49-50, which includes teachings on marriage, baptism and God’s light.
Following are a few quotes from past and present Church leaders about these sections of the Doctrine and Covenants.
Doctrine and Covenants 49
“The restored gospel of Jesus Christ gives us a unique perspective on the subjects of chastity, marriage and the bearing of children. It teaches that marriage according to God’s plan is necessary for accomplishing the purpose of God’s plan, to provide the divinely appointed setting for mortal birth and to prepare family members for eternal life. ‘Marriage is ordained of God unto man,’ the Lord said, ‘… that the earth might answer the end of its creation’ (Doctrine and Covenants 49:15–16). In this, His plan, of course, runs counter to some strong worldly forces in law and custom.”
— President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, April 2020 general conference, “The Great Plan”
“Listen to this scripture found in Doctrine and Covenants 49:26–28. It may have been written under different circumstances, but tonight by the Holy Spirit, I hope you will take it as your personal call to this sacred work.
“‘Behold, I say unto you, go forth as I have commanded you; repent of all your sins; ask and ye shall receive; knock and it shall be opened unto you.
“‘Behold, I will go before you and be your rearward; and I will be in your midst, and you shall not be confounded.
“‘Behold, I am Jesus Christ, and I come quickly.’
“I appeal to each of you to put yourself in a place where you can feel the generous love God has for you. You cannot put yourself beyond the reach of that love. When you feel His love, when you love Him, you will repent and keep His commandments. When you keep His commandments, He can use you in His work. His work and glory is the exaltation and eternal life of women and men.”
— Sister Sharon Eubank, then the first counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, October 2017 general conference, “Turn On Your Light”
“With a knowledge of the plan of salvation as a foundation, a man who holds the priesthood looks upon marriage as a sacred privilege and obligation. It is not good for man nor for woman to be alone. Man is not complete without woman. Neither can fill the measure of their creation without the other. Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God (see Doctrine and Covenants 49:15–17). Only through the new and everlasting covenant of marriage can they realize the fulness of eternal blessings. As a matter of priesthood responsibility, a man, under normal circumstances, should not unduly postpone marriage. Brethren, the Lord has spoken plainly on this matter. It is your sacred and solemn responsibility to follow his counsel and the words of his prophets.”
— The late President Howard W. Hunter, then the president of the Church, October 1994 general conference, “Being a Righteous Husband and Father”
“How wonderful a thing is marriage under the plan of our Eternal Father, a plan provided in His divine wisdom for the happiness and security of His children and the continuity of the race. …
“In modern revelation, the Lord has said, ‘And again, verily I say unto you, that whoso forbiddeth to marry is not ordained of God, for marriage is ordained of God unto man’ (Doctrine and Covenants 49:15). …
“Surely no one reading the scriptures, both ancient and modern, can doubt the divine concept of marriage. The sweetest feelings of life, the most generous and satisfying impulses of the human heart, find expression in a marriage that stands pure and unsullied above the evil of the world.
“Such a marriage, I believe, is the desire — the hoped-for, the longed-for, the prayed-for desire — of men and women everywhere.”
— The late President Gordon B. Hinkley, then the first counselor in the First Presidency, April 1991 general conference, “What God Hath Joined Together”
“In 1831, some converts wanted to bring a few of their previous beliefs into the Church with them. Our problem today is with members who seem very vulnerable to the trends in society (and the pointing fingers which attend them) and want the Church to change its position to accommodate them. The doctrinal grass on the other side of the fence looks very green to them.
“The Lord’s counsel in 1831 is relevant today: ‘Behold, I say unto you, that they desire to know the truth in part, but not all, for they are not right before me and must needs repent’ (Doctrine and Covenants 49:2).”
— The late Elder Glenn L. Pace, then the second counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, April 1989 general conference, “Follow the Prophet”
“Marvelously, it takes a man and a woman to make a man or a woman. Without union of the sexes, neither can we exist nor can we become perfect. Ordinary and imperfect people can build each other through their wholeness together. The complete contribution of one partner to the other is essential to exaltation. This is so ‘that the earth might answer the end of its creation’ (Doctrine and Covenants 49:16).
“So labor and love in partnership. Honor your companion. Any sense of competition for place or position is not appropriate for either partner, especially when enlightened by scriptural understanding.”
— President Russell M. Nelson, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 1987 general conference, “Lessons from Eve”
“You can, if you qualify, go to the temple with your sweetheart — the one you love dearly — to be married in a manner prescribed by the Lord to continue forever as husband and wife in the celestial kingdom of God; and, if you live worthily, to gain eternal life — the greatest of all God’s gifts to man.
“At times I wonder if you fully comprehend the far-reaching, eternal significance of temple marriage. If you really understand, you will never settle for less. Marriage is a divine ordinance, not to be performed by a justice of the peace or to be taken lightly; but ‘ordained of God unto man’ (Doctrine and Covenants 49:15).”
— The late Elder David B. Haight, then an assistant to the Council of the Twelve, October 1973 general conference, “You Are Different”
Doctrine and Covenants 50
“After our baptism, [my family] truly started to progressively have a new lifestyle because of the restored gospel. The words of Christ began to enlarge our souls. They began to enlighten our understanding and became delicious to us, as the truths that we received were discernible and we could see the light, and this light grew brighter and brighter daily.
“This understanding of the ‘why’ of the gospel was helping us to become more like the Savior. The size of our home did not change; neither did our social conditions. But I witnessed a change of heart in my parents as we prayed daily, morning and evening. We studied the Book of Mormon; we held family home evening; we truly became a family. Every Sunday we woke up at 6 a.m. to prepare to go to church, and we would travel for hours to attend Church meetings every week without complaining. It was a wonderful experience to witness. We, who had previously walked in darkness, chased darkness from among us (see Doctrine and Covenants 50:25) and saw ‘great light’ (2 Nephi 19:2).”
— Elder Thierry K. Mutombo, General Authority Seventy, April 2021 general conference, “Ye Shall Be Free”
“Godly fear is loving and trusting in Him. As we fear God more completely, we love Him more perfectly. And ‘perfect love casteth out all fear’ (Moroni 8:16). I promise the bright light of godly fear will chase away the dark shadows of mortal fears (see Doctrine and Covenants 50:25) as we look to the Savior, build upon Him as our foundation and press forward on His covenant path with consecrated commitment.”
— Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 2015 general conference, “Therefore They Hushed Their Fears”
“The sacred cannot be selectively surrendered. Those who choose to abandon even one sacred thing will have their minds darkened, and unless they repent, the light they have shall be taken from them. Unanchored by the sacred, they will find themselves morally adrift on a secular sea. In contrast, those who hold sacred things sacred receive promises: ‘That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day’ (Doctrine and Covenants 50:24).”
— Elder Paul B. Pieper, General Authority Seventy, April 2012 general conference, “To Hold Sacred”
“The answers to the problems the Saints were facing in 1831 are the same for the challenges we are facing today — we are to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Ghost.
“[Doctrine and Covenants] section 50 includes several vital keys to providing nourishment for those we teach and those we lead. The first key is found in the Savior’s admonition to ‘preach my gospel’ (Doctrine and Covenants 50:14). The scriptures clearly teach that the gospel we are to preach isn’t the ‘wisdom of the world’ (Mosiah 24:7) but the ‘doctrine of Christ’ (2 Nephi 31:21). While the gospel of Jesus Christ embraces all truth, not all truths are of equal value. The Savior clearly taught that His gospel, first and foremost, is His atoning sacrifice. His gospel is also an invitation to receive the blessings of the Atonement through faith in Christ, repentance, baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost and enduring faithfully to the end.”
— Brother Daniel K. Judd, then the first counselor in the Sunday School general presidency, October 2007 general conference, “Nourished by the Good Word of God”
“Long ago I worked for one of our railroads whose tracks threaded the passes through these western mountains. I frequently rode the trains. It was in the days when there were steam locomotives. Those great monsters of the rails were huge and fast and dangerous. I often wondered how the engineer dared the long journey through the night. Then I came to realize that it was not one long journey, but rather a constant continuation of a short journey. The engine had a powerful headlight that made bright the way for a distance of 400 or 500 yards. The engineer saw only that distance, and that was enough, because it was constantly before him all through the night into the dawn of the new day.
“The Lord has spoken of this process. He said: ‘That which doth not edify is not of God, and is darkness.
“‘That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day’ (Doctrine and Covenants 50:23–24).
“And so it is with our eternal journey. We take one step at a time. In doing so we reach toward the unknown, but faith lights the way. If we will cultivate that faith, we shall never walk in darkness.”
— The late President Gordon B. Hinckley, then the president of the Church, April 2002 general conference, “We Walk by Faith”
“Christ’s light and the gospel message of light and salvation can be darkened in our own lives only by our disobedience and lack of faith. In like manner, the Savior’s light increases in our lives as we keep the commandments and strive continually to be like Him. For ‘that which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter’ (Doctrine and Covenants 50:24).”
— The late Sister Virginia U. Jensen, then the first counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, October 2000 general conference, “‘Lead, Kindly Light’”
“One of our daughters and her family recently suffered a tragedy. Their house burned down, leaving little in the place of all their worldly possessions. The blessing was that even though five of their six children were at home, their two teenage sons remembered the training they had been given, picked up the little ones and ran from the house. All were safe. And they felt great comfort from their ward and neighborhood, who rallied around with food, clothing and offers of help. …
“For this family, as for others who experience trials and grief, love and help were extended, along with priesthood blessings and the assurance from the Father of us all that ‘blessed are they who are faithful and endure, whether in life or in death, for they shall inherit eternal life’ (Doctrine and Covenants 50:5). …
“May we never be indifferent, sisters, to the suffering of others. May we be sensitive to those about us who are hurting for whatever reason.”
— The late Sister Joy F. Evans, then the first counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, October 1987 general conference, “Overcoming Challenges along Life’s Way”
