This week’s “Come, Follow Me” study guide covers Doctrine and Covenants 115-120, which includes clarification about the Church’s full name.
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 115
“Today I feel compelled to discuss with you a matter of great importance. Some weeks ago, I released a statement regarding a course correction for the name of the Church. I did this because the Lord impressed upon my mind the importance of the name He decreed for His Church, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“As you would expect, responses to this statement and to the revised style guide have been mixed. Many members immediately corrected the name of the Church on their blogs and social media pages. Others wondered why, with all that’s going on in the world, it was necessary to emphasize something so ‘inconsequential.’ And some said it couldn’t be done, so why even try? Let me explain why we care so deeply about this issue. But first let me state what this effort is not:
- It is not a name change.
- It is not rebranding.
- It is not cosmetic.
- It is not a whim.
- And it is not inconsequential.
“Instead, it is a correction. It is the command of the Lord. Joseph Smith did not name the Church restored through him; neither did Mormon. It was the Savior Himself who said, ‘For thus shall my church be called in the last days, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ (Doctrine and Covenants 115:4).”
— The late President Russell M. Nelson, then the President of the Church, October 2018 general conference, “The Correct Name of the Church”
“When the Lord commanded the early Saints in this dispensation to construct a temple, He declared:
“‘But let a house be built unto my name according to the pattern which I will show unto them.
“‘And if my people build it not according to the pattern which I shall show … , I will not accept it at their hands’ (Doctrine and Covenants 115:14–15).
“As with the early Saints, so it is with us today: the Lord has revealed and continues to reveal to the President of the Church the patterns by which the kingdom of God is to be directed in our day. And, at a personal level, he provides guidance as to how each of us should direct our lives, such that our conduct may likewise be acceptable to the Lord.”
— The late Elder Dean M. Davies, then the first counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, October 2018 general conference, “Come, Listen to a Prophet’s Voice”
“The Lord has instructed us that the stakes of Zion are to be ‘a defense’ and ‘a refuge from the storm’ (Doctrine and Covenants 115:6). We have found refuge. Let us come out from our safe places and share with them, from our abundance, hope for a brighter future, faith in God and in our fellowman and love that sees beyond cultural and ideological differences to the glorious truth that we are all children of our Heavenly Father.”
— Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, then a General Authority Seventy, April 2016 general conference, “Refuge from the Storm”
“Because of the eternal and unfathomable Atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ, the priesthood of God can be available even if you have stumbled or have been unworthy in the past. Through the spiritually refining and cleansing process of repentance, you can ‘arise and shine forth’ (Doctrine and Covenants 115:5). Because of the boundless, forgiving love of our Savior and Redeemer, you can lift up your eyes, become clean and worthy and develop into righteous and noble sons of God — worthy bearers of the most sacred priesthood of Almighty God.”
— Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, then the second counselor in the First Presidency, October 2012 general conference, “The Joy of the Priesthood”
“From my window in the Young Women office, I have a spectacular view of the Salt Lake Temple. Every day I see the angel Moroni standing atop the temple as a shining symbol of not only his faith but ours. I love Moroni because, in a very degenerate society, he remained pure and true. He is my hero. He stood alone. I feel somehow he stands atop the temple today, beckoning us to have courage, to remember who we are, and to be worthy to enter the holy temple — to ‘arise and shine forth’ (Doctrine and Covenants 115:5), to stand above the worldly clamor, and to, as Isaiah prophesied, ‘Come … to the mountain of the Lord’ (Isaiah 2:3) — the holy temple.”
— Sister Elaine S. Dalton, then the Young Women general president, April 2012 general conference, “Now Is the Time to Arise and Shine!”
“Brothers and sisters, in the latter days the adversary succeeds when we relax our commitment to the Savior, ignore His teachings in the New Testament and other scripture and cease to follow Him. Parents, now is the time to teach our children to be examples of the believers by attending sacrament meeting. When Sunday morning arrives, help them to be well rested, properly dressed and spiritually prepared to partake of the emblems of the sacrament and receive the enlightening, edifying, ennobling power of the Holy Ghost. Let your family be filled with love as you honor the Sabbath all day long and experience its spiritual blessings throughout the week. Invite your sons and daughters to ‘arise and shine forth’ by keeping the Sabbath day holy, that ‘[their] light may be a standard for the nations’ (Doctrine and Covenants 115:5).”
— The late Elder L. Tom Perry, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 2011 general conference, “The Sabbath and the Sacrament”
Doctrine and Covenants 116
“Then who is Adam? He is Michael the archangel, appointed by God and Christ to be the mortal progenitor of the race. At this very moment ... he is still in his position as the archangel whose trumpet in the final days will herald the resurrection and who will be the captain of the Lord’s hosts in the final defeat of Lucifer.
“He is the ‘Ancient of Days’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet and as such will meet the faithful in that same valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman, which is named after him (see Daniel 7:9–22; Doctrine and Covenants 116).”
— The late Elder Mark B. Petersen, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 1980 general conference, “Adam, the Archangel”
Doctrine and Covenants 117
“The Lord is always interested in our hearts, and rationalized false faith does not justify sin. In this dispensation the Lord warned one of His servants against such rationalization by declaring, ‘Let [him] be ashamed of the Nicolaitane band and of all their secret abominations’ (Doctrine and Covenants 117:11). The Nicolaitans were an ancient religious sect that claimed license to commit sexual sin by virtue of the Lord’s grace. This is not pleasing to the Lord.”
— Elder Craig A. Cardon, then a General Authority Seventy, April 2013 general conference, “The Savior Wants to Forgive”
“When the Saints were driven from Kirtland, Ohio, in a scene that would be repeated in Independence, in Far West and in Nauvoo, Oliver [Granger] was left behind to sell their properties for what little he could. There was not much chance that he could succeed. And, really, he did not succeed.
“But the Lord said, ‘Let him contend earnestly for the redemption of the First Presidency of my Church, saith the Lord; and when he falls he shall rise again, for his sacrifice shall be more sacred unto me than his increase, saith the Lord’ (Doctrine and Covenants 117:13). ...
“Some worry endlessly over missions that were missed, or marriages that did not turn out, or babies that did not arrive, or children that seem lost, or dreams unfulfilled, or because age limits what they can do. I do not think it pleases the Lord when we worry because we think we never do enough or that what we do is never good enough.
“Some needlessly carry a heavy burden of guilt which could be removed through confession and repentance.
“The Lord did not say of Oliver, ‘If he falls,’ but ‘When he falls he shall rise again’ (Doctrine and Covenants 117:13).”
— The late President Boyd K. Packer, then the acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 2004 general conference, “The Least of These”
“Stubborn selfishness leads otherwise good people to fight over herds, patches of sand and strippings of milk. All this results from what the Lord calls coveting ‘the drop,’ while neglecting ‘the more weighty matters’ (Doctrine and Covenants 117:8). Myopic selfishness magnifies a mess of pottage and makes 30 pieces of silver look like a treasure trove. In our intense acquisitiveness, we forget Him who once said, ‘What is property unto me?’ (Doctrine and Covenants 117:4).”
— The late Elder Neal A. Maxwell, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 1990 general conference, “Put Off the Natural Man, and Come Off Conquerer”
Doctrine and Covenants 118
“Yes, brethren, we have work to do. Thank you for the sacrifices you make and the good you do. Keep going, and the Lord will help you. At times you may not know quite what to do or what to say — just move forward. Begin to act, and the Lord assures that ‘an effectual door shall be opened for [you]’ (Doctrine and Covenants 118:3).”
— Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 2012 general conference, “Brethren, We Have Work to Do”
“There is a spirit moving upon our people to want to live their lives in harmony with truth, that they may someday respond to an opportunity to serve. This is the same spirit and heavenly influence that directed John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff and others to take leave of the Saints from the city of Far West early on the morning of April 26, 1839, before departing for their missions to Great Britain (see Doctrine and Covenants 118:4–5). On that occasion each prayed in turn at the temple site and bore testimony. Then, after a song, they took leave, directed by revelation, filled with the blessings of heaven and the confirming influence of the Holy Ghost. These early Apostles departed for their missions having been spiritually fed and blessed in a manner that would sustain them and their families throughout their many hardships and inspire their powerful testimonies of the truthfulness of the message of the restored Church upon the earth.”
— The late Elder David B. Haight, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 1993 general conference, “Missionary Work — Our Responsibility”
Doctrine and Covenants 119
“The world speaks of tithing in terms of our money, but the sacred law of tithing is principally a matter of our faith. Being honest in our tithes is one way we show our willingness to put the Lord first in our lives, above our own cares and interest. I promise you that as you trust in the Lord, the blessings of heaven will follow. ...
“In our day, the Lord reconfirmed the divine law of tithing, declaring: ‘This shall be the beginning of the tithing of my people. And [they] shall pay one-tenth of all their interest annually; and this shall be a standing law unto them forever’ (Doctrine and Covenants 119:3-4).”
— Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 2023 general conference, “Tithing: Opening the Windows of Heaven”
“Tithing has a special purpose as a preparatory law. Early in this dispensation, the Lord commanded certain members of the Church to live the higher law of consecration — a law received by covenant. When this covenant was not kept, great tribulations came upon the Saints. The law of consecration was then withdrawn. In its place the Lord revealed the law of tithing for the whole Church. On July 8, 1838, He declared:
“‘And this shall be the beginning of the tithing of my people. ...
“‘Those who have thus been tithed shall pay one-tenth of all their interest annually; and this shall be a standing law unto them forever’ (Doctrine and Covenants 119:3-4).
“The law of tithing prepares us to live the higher law of consecration — to dedicate and give all our time, talents and resources to the work of the Lord. Until the day when we are required to live this higher law, we are commanded to live the law of the tithe, which is to freely give one-tenth of our income annually.”
— The late Elder Robert D. Hales, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 2002 general conference, “Tithing: A Test of Faith with Eternal Blessings”
Doctrine and Covenants 120
“The Council on the Disposition of the Tithes was established by revelation and consists of the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the Presiding Bishopric (see Doctrine and Covenants 120). ...
“Concerning the authorized disbursement of the tithes, the Lord said, ‘It shall be disposed of by a council, composed of the First Presidency of my Church, and of the bishop and his council, and by my high council; and by mine own voice unto them, saith the Lord’ (Doctrine and Covenants 120:1). The ‘bishop and his council’ and ‘my high council’ referred to in this revelation are known today as the Presiding Bishopric and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, respectively. These sacred funds are used in a rapidly growing Church to spiritually bless individuals and families by constructing and maintaining temples and houses of worship, supporting missionary work, translating and publishing scriptures, fostering family history research, funding schools and religious education, and accomplishing many other Church purposes as directed by the Lord’s ordained servants.”
— Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 2013 general conference, “The Windows of Heaven”
