This week’s “Come, Follow Me” study guide covers Doctrine and Covenants 94-97, which includes teachings on discipline, chastisement and temple worthiness.
Following are a few quotes from past and present leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints about these sections of the Doctrine and Covenants.
Doctrine and Covenants 94
“None of us would think to leave trash in the temple or to do anything that would detract from the clean and sacred atmosphere in the Lord’s house. But are temples the only houses we should treat with the utmost respect? Consider the words of the Lord to the Church’s building committee in 1833 regarding the construction of an administrative structure:
“‘And it shall be dedicated unto the Lord from the foundation thereof, according to the order of the priesthood, according to the pattern which shall be given unto you hereafter.
“‘And it shall be wholly dedicated unto the Lord for the work of the presidency.
“‘And ye shall not suffer any unclean thing to come in unto it; and my glory shall be there, and my presence shall be there.
“‘But if there shall come into it any unclean thing, my glory shall not be there; and my presence shall not come into it’ (Doctrine and Covenants 94:6-9).
“We note that the Lord is claiming this building as His as it is dedicated to Him. He promises that His glory and presence shall be there as long as nothing unclean shall come into it. Using the temple as our standard, we acknowledge that ‘unclean’ refers both to the spiritual preparation of those entering and to the condition in which the building is kept.”
— Elder Jörg Klebingat, General Authority Seventy, in the March 2023 Liahona article “Respecting Our Places of Worship”
“Besides patterns for prayer, we have direction for pondering, procedure, patience, action and integrity. There are patterns for all worthy things if we will search for them. ‘And behold, it must be done according to the pattern which I have given unto you’ (Doctrine and Covenants 94:2). There is no other proven way.”
— The late Elder Marvin J. Ashton, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 1990 general conference, “A Pattern in All Things”
Doctrine and Covenants 95
“Consider how your life would be different if priesthood keys had not been restored to the earth. Without priesthood keys, you could not be endowed with the power of God (see Doctrine and Covenants 95:8; 109:22). Without priesthood keys, the Church could serve only as a significant teaching and humanitarian organization but not much more. Without priesthood keys, none of us would have access to essential ordinances and covenants that bind us to our loved ones eternally and allow us eventually to live with God.”
— President Russell M. Nelson, April 2024 general conference, “Rejoice in the Gift of Priesthood Keys”
“The word discipline comes from the Latin word ‘discern,’ ‘to learn,’ or ‘discipulus,’ ‘learner,’ making a disciple a student and follower. To discipline in the Lord’s way is to lovingly and patiently teach. In the scriptures the Lord often uses the word ‘chasten’ when speaking of discipline (see, for example, Mosiah 23:21; Doctrine and Covenants 95:1). The word chasten comes from the Latin ‘castus,’ meaning ‘chaste or pure,’ and chasten means ‘to purify.’ …
“Young Joseph Smith was disciplined with a four-year probation before obtaining the golden plates, because ‘you have not kept the commandments of the Lord’ (”The Joseph Smith Papers, Histories, Vol. 1: 1832–1844). Later, when Joseph lost the 116 manuscript pages, he was disciplined again. Though Joseph was truly remorseful, the Lord still withdrew his privileges for a short season because ‘whom I love I also chasten that their sins may be forgiven’ (Doctrine and Covenants 95:1).
“Joseph said, ‘The angel was rejoiced when he gave me back the Urim and Thummim and said that God was pleased with my faithfulness and humility, and loved me for my penitence and diligence in prayer’ (“Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith”). Because the Lord wanted to teach Joseph a heart-changing lesson, He required a heartrending sacrifice of him — sacrifice being an essential part of discipline.”
— Elder Lynn G. Robbins, then a General Authority Seventy, October 2016 general conference, “The Righteous Judge”
“Some seek to brush aside conscience, refusing to hear its voice. But that deflection is, in itself, an act of choice, because we so desired. Even when the light of Christ flickers only faintly in the darkness, it flickers nevertheless. If one averts his gaze therefrom, it is because he so desires.
“Like it or not, therefore, reality requires that we acknowledge our responsibility for our desires. Brothers and sisters, which do we really desire, God’s plans for us or Satan’s? …
“No wonder desires also determine the gradations in outcomes, including why ‘many are called, but few are chosen’ (Matthew 22:14; see Doctrine and Covenants 95:5).
“It is up to us. God will facilitate, but He will not force.”
— The late Elder Neal A. Maxwell, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 1996 general conference, “‘According to the Desire of [Our] Hearts’”
Doctrine and Covenants 97
“New converts no longer gather to pioneer settlements in the western United States. Instead, converts gather to their local congregations, where the Saints worship our Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ. With more than 30,000 congregations established around the world, all are gathered to their own Zion. As the scriptures note, ‘For this is Zion — the pure in heart’ (Doctrine and Covenants 97:21).
“As we walk the road of life, we are tested to see if we will ‘observe to do all things whatsoever [the Lord has] commanded’ (Doctrine and Covenants 97:25).
“Many of us are on amazing journeys of discovery — leading to personal fulfillment and spiritual enlightenment. Some of us, however, are on a trek that leads to sorrow, sin, anguish and despair.
“In this context, please ask yourself: What is your final destination? Where are your footsteps taking you? And is your journey leading you to that ‘multiplicity of blessings’ (Doctrine and Covenants 97:28) the Savior has promised?”
— The late President M. Russell Ballard, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 2017 general conference, “The Trek Continues!”
“We know that righteousness and sanctification are essential parts of preparing for the temple.
“In Doctrine and Covenants 97, it reads, ‘And inasmuch as my people build a house unto me in the name of the Lord, and do not suffer any unclean thing to come into it, that it be not defiled, my glory shall rest upon it’ (Doctrine and Covenants 97:15). …
“It is our great desire that members of the Church will live to be worthy of a temple recommend. Please don’t see the temple as some distant and perhaps unachievable goal. Working with their bishop, most members can achieve all righteous requirements in a relatively short period of time if they have a determination to qualify and fully repent of transgressions. This includes being willing to forgive ourselves and not focus on our imperfections or sins as disqualifying us from ever entering a sacred temple. …
“The temple is also a place of refuge, thanksgiving, instruction and understanding, ‘that [we] may be perfected … in all things pertaining to the kingdom of God on the earth’ (Doctrine and Covenants 97:13-14). Throughout my life it has been a place of tranquility and peace in a world that is literally in commotion. It is wonderful to leave the cares of the world behind in that sacred setting.”
— Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 2016 general conference, “See Yourself in the Temple”
“I will share a simple pattern which, if applied, can help every one of us find ultimate acceptance. This pattern was given by the Lord through the Prophet Joseph Smith: ‘Verily I say unto you, all among them who know their hearts are honest, and are broken, and their spirits contrite, and are willing to observe their covenants by sacrifice — yea, every sacrifice which I, the Lord, shall command — they are accepted of me’ (Doctrine and Covenants 97:8).
“This pattern consists of three simple steps:
- Know that our hearts are honest and broken,
- Know that our spirits are contrite, and
- Be willing to observe our covenants by sacrifice, as commanded by the Lord. …
“The third step to being accepted by the Lord is a conscious decision to observe our covenants through sacrifice, ‘yea, every sacrifice which I, the Lord, shall command’ (Doctrine and Covenants 97:8). Too often we think that the word ‘sacrifice’ refers to something big or hard for us to do. In certain situations this may be true, but mostly it refers to living day-to-day as a true disciple of Christ.”
— Elder Erich W. Kopischke, General Authority Seventy, April 2013 general conference, “Being Accepted of the Lord”
“Early Church leaders in this dispensation confirmed that adhering to the covenant path provides the reassurance we need in times of trial. …
“They further pointed out that in offering whatever sacrifice God may require of us, we obtain the witness of the Spirit that our course is right and pleasing to God (see ”Lectures on Faith," pages 69-71). With that knowledge, our faith becomes unbounded, having the assurance that God will in due time turn every affliction to our gain. …
“The Lord said of the Church:
“‘Verily I say unto you, all among them who … are willing to observe their covenants by sacrifice — yea, every sacrifice which I, the Lord, shall command — they are accepted of me.
“‘For I, the Lord, will cause them to bring forth as a very fruitful tree which is planted in a goodly land, by a pure stream, that yieldeth much precious fruit’ (Doctrine and Covenants 97:8-9).”
— Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 2009 general conference, “The Power of Covenants”
“The house of the Lord is a place where we can escape from the mundane and see our lives in an eternal perspective. We can ponder instructions and covenants that help us understand more clearly the plan of salvation and the infinite love of our Heavenly Father for His children. We can ponder our relationship to God, the Eternal Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ. We learn from the Doctrine and Covenants that a temple is a place of thanksgiving, ‘a place of instruction for all those who are called to the work of the ministry in all their several callings and offices;
“‘That they may be perfected in the understanding of their ministry, in theory, in principle, and in doctrine, in all things pertaining to the kingdom of God on the earth’ (Doctrine and Covenants 97:13-14).
“Regular temple work can provide spiritual strength. It can be an anchor in daily life, a source of guidance, protection, security, peace and revelation. No work is more spiritual than temple work.”
— The late Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 1992 general conference, “Seeking the Good”
“At Kirtland [Ohio], the Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph:
“‘And inasmuch as my people build a house unto me in the name of the Lord, and do not suffer any unclean thing to come into it, that it be not defiled, my glory shall rest upon it;
“‘Yea, and my presence shall be there, for I will come into it, and all the pure in heart that shall come into it shall see God’ (Doctrine and Covenants 97:15-16).
“It is true that some have actually seen the Savior, but when one consults the dictionary, he learns that there are many other meanings of the word ‘see,’ such as coming to know Him, discerning Him, recognizing Him and His work, perceiving His importance or coming to understand Him.
“Such heavenly enlightenment and blessings are available to each of us.”
— The late Elder David B. Haight, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 1990 general conference, “Temples and Work Therein”
“It is the Lord’s will that children at the age of 8 begin to be responsible for the kind of lives they lead. You girls who are 10 and 11, and all of us, must assume this same responsibility. In so doing we are becoming a Zion people, which the Doctrine and Covenants says are people who are ‘pure in heart’ (Doctrine and Covenants 97:21). After baptism we can live a new, more thoughtful life as described by the Christ.”
— Sister Dwan J. Young, then the Primary general president, October 1984 general conference, “Keeping the Covenants We Make at Baptism”
