This week’s “Come, Follow Me” study guide covers Doctrine and Covenants 58-59, which includes teachings about personal revelation and taking the sacrament.
Following are a few quotes from past and present Church leaders about these sections of the Doctrine and Covenants.
Doctrine and Covenants 58
“An essential part of loving our enemies is to render unto Caesar by keeping the laws of our various countries. Though Jesus’ teachings were revolutionary, He did not teach revolution or lawbreaking. He taught a better way. Modern revelation teaches the same:
“‘Let no man break the laws of the land, for he that keepeth the laws of God hath no need to break the laws of the land.
“‘Wherefore, be subject to the powers that be’ (Doctrine and Covenants 58:21–22). …
“This does not mean that we agree with all that is done with the force of law. It means that we obey the current law and use peaceful means to change it. It also means that we peacefully accept the results of elections. We will not participate in the violence threatened by those disappointed with the outcome. In a democratic society we always have the opportunity and the duty to persist peacefully until the next election.”
— President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, October 2020 general conference, “Love Your Enemies”
“As you live worthy of the gift of the Holy Ghost, the Lord can direct you to safety even when you cannot see the way. For me, He has most often shown the next step or two to take. Rarely has He given me a glimpse of the distant future, but even those infrequent glimpses guide what I choose to do in daily life.
“The Lord explained:
“‘Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow … much tribulation.
“‘For after much tribulation come the blessings’ (Doctrine and Covenants 58:3-4).”
— President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency, October 2020 general conference, “Tested, Proved and Polished”
“The Lord loves effort, and effort brings rewards. We keep practicing. We are always progressing as long as we are striving to follow the Lord (see Doctrine and Covenants 58:26-28). He doesn’t expect perfection today. We keep climbing our personal Mount Sinai. As in times past, our journey does indeed take effort, hard work and study, but our commitment to progress brings eternal rewards.”
— Sister Joy D. Jones, then the Primary general president, April 2020 general conference, “An Especially Noble Calling”
“Some may think we shouldn’t expect daily guidance from the Spirit because ‘it is not meet that [God] should command in all things’ (Doctrine and Covenants 58:26), lest we become slothful servants. This scripture, however, was given to some early missionaries who asked Joseph Smith to obtain revelation they should have received for themselves. In a preceding verse, the Lord told them to come to the mission field ‘as they shall counsel between themselves and me’ (Doctrine and Covenants 58:25).
“These missionaries wanted a specific revelation about their travel plans. They hadn’t yet learned to seek their own direction in personal matters. The Lord called this attitude what it is: slothful. Early Church members may have been so happy to have a true prophet that they were in danger of failing to learn how to receive revelation themselves. Being spiritually self-reliant is hearing the Lord’s voice through His Spirit for one’s own life.”
— Elder Larry Y. Wilson, then a General Authority Seventy, April 2018 general conference, “Take the Holy Spirit as Your Guide”
“Divine assignments are not reserved for a privileged few but are for all of us — regardless of gender, age, race, nationality, income level, social status or Church calling. Every one of us has a meaningful role to play in furthering God’s work.
“Some of us question whether Heavenly Father can use us to make important contributions. But remember, He has always used ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things. ‘[We] are agents,’ and ‘the power is in [us]’ to ‘bring to pass much righteousness’ (Doctrine and Covenants 58:27–28).”
— Elder John C. Pingree Jr., General Authority Seventy, October 2017 general conference, “I Have a Work for Thee”
“Our physical bodies, when harmed, are able to repair themselves, sometimes with the help of a physician. If the damage is extensive, however, often a scar will remain as a reminder of the injury.
“With our spiritual bodies it is another matter. Our spirits are damaged when we make mistakes and commit sins. But unlike the case of our mortal bodies, when the repentance process is complete, no scars remain because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The promise is:’“Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more’ (Doctrine and Covenants 58:42).”
— The late President Boyd K. Packer, then the president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 2015 general conference, “The Plan of Happiness”
“[The early Saints] knew how it was to look ahead and believe. A decade and a half earlier, some of these members were present when a revelation was received:
“‘For verily I say unto you, blessed is he that keepeth my commandments, whether in life or in death; and he that is faithful in tribulation, the reward of the same is greater in the kingdom of heaven.
“‘Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation’ (Doctrine and Covenants 58:2–3).”
“We too can look ahead and believe.”
— Elder Edward Dube, General Authority Seventy, October 2013 general conference, “Look Ahead and Believe”
“My dear sisters, the Lord allows us to be tried and tested, sometimes to our maximum capacity. We have seen the lives of loved ones — and maybe our own — figuratively burned to the ground and have wondered why a loving and caring Heavenly Father would allow such things to happen. But He does not leave us in the ashes; He stands with open arms, eagerly inviting us to come to Him. He is building our lives into magnificent temples where His Spirit can dwell eternally.
“In Doctrine and Covenants 58:3–4, the Lord tells us:
“‘Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation.
“‘For after much tribulation come the blessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory.’
“... Nothing that happens is a shock or a surprise to Him. He is all-knowing and all-loving. He is eager to help us, to comfort us and to ease our pain as we rely on the power of the Atonement and honor our covenants. The trials and tribulation that we experience may be the very things that guide us to come unto Him and cling to our covenants so that we might return to His presence and receive all that the Father hath.”
— Sister Linda S. Reeves, then the second counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, October 2013 general conference, “Claim the Blessings of Your Covenants”
Doctrine and Covenants 59
“Under President Nelson’s inspired leadership, the Lord has accelerated, and will continue to accelerate, the building of temples across the world. This will allow all of God’s children the opportunity to receive the ordinances of salvation and exaltation and to make and keep sacred covenants. Qualifying to make sacred covenants is not a one-time effort but a lifetime pattern. The Lord has said it will take our full heart, might, mind and strength (see Doctrine and Covenants 59:5).”
— President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency, April 2024 general conference, “All Will Be Well Because of Temple Covenants”
“A central feature of our Sabbath worship is to ‘go to the house of prayer and offer up [our] sacraments upon [the Lord’s] holy day’ (Doctrine and Covenants 59:9). The ‘house[s] of prayer’ in which we gather on the Sabbath are meetinghouses and other approved facilities — holy places of reverence, worship and learning. Each meetinghouse and facility is dedicated by priesthood authority as a place where the Spirit of the Lord may dwell and where God’s children may come ‘to the knowledge of their Redeemer’ (Mosiah 18:30). If we will, we can ‘be still’ in our holy places of worship and know ever more surely that God is our Heavenly Father, we are His children and Jesus Christ is our Savior.”
— Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 2024 general conference, “‘Be Still, and Know That I Am God’”
“Because of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, we understand the importance of both repentance and the ‘works of righteousness’ (Doctrine and Covenants 59:23). We understand the overwhelming significance of the Savior’s Atonement and of His saving ordinances and covenants, including those performed in the temple.
“The ‘works of righteousness’ emanate from and are the fruits of conversion. True conversion is brought about by the conscious acceptance and commitment to follow the will of God. The banquet of consequences and blessings that flow from conversion is true and permanent peace and the personal assurance of ultimate happiness — despite the storms of this life.”
— Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 2022 general conference, “Conversion to the Will of God”
“We need the Spirit to help us navigate through mortality as we faithfully keep covenants, and we need the sacrament to energize our spiritual being. Renewing our baptismal covenant and partaking of the sacrament drive faithfulness to all other covenants. A happy ending is assured as we prayerfully study and honor the Savior’s invitation and enjoy His promised blessings. He said, ‘And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day’ (Doctrine and Covenants 59:9).
“I testify that covenant keepers are promised ‘peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come’ (Doctrine and Covenants 59:23). I bear witness that as you regularly partake of the Savior’s emblems through the sacrament, you will have His Spirit to guide you on the covenant path and stay faithful to your covenants.”
— Elder Adeyinka A. Ojediran, General Authority Seventy, April 2022 general conference, “The Covenant Path: The Way to Eternal Life”
“By acknowledging that every good thing comes from Jesus Christ, we will communicate our faith more effectively to others. We will have courage when confronted with seemingly impossible tasks and circumstances. We will strengthen our resolve to keep the covenants we have made to follow the Savior. We will be filled with the love of God, want to help those in need without being judgmental, love our children and raise them in righteousness, retain a remission of our sins and always rejoice. These are the remarkable fruits of remembering God’s goodness and mercy.
“In contrast, the Savior warned, ‘In nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things’ (Doctrine and Covenants 59:21). I do not think that God is insulted when we forget Him. Rather, I think He is deeply disappointed. He knows that we have deprived ourselves of the opportunity to draw closer to Him by remembering Him and His goodness. We then miss out on Him drawing nearer to us and the specific blessings He has promised.”
— Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 2020 general conference, “Consider the Goodness and Greatness of God”
“My beloved brothers and sisters, with the exciting new emphasis on increased gospel learning in the home, it is crucial for us to remember that we are still commanded to ‘go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day’ (Doctrine and Covenants 59:9). In addition to making time for more home-centered gospel instruction, our modified Sunday service is also to reduce the complexity of the meeting schedule in a way that properly emphasizes the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper as the sacred, acknowledged focal point of our weekly worship experience. We are to remember in as personal a way as possible that Christ died from a heart broken by shouldering entirely alone the sins and sorrows of the whole human family.”
— President Jeffrey R. Holland, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 2019 general conference, “Behold the Lamb of God”
