This week’s “Come, Follow Me” study guide covers Doctrine and Covenants 133-134, which includes a declaration of belief regarding governments and laws.
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 133
“We have the privilege and blessing of being invited into a covenant relationship with God, in which our own lives can become a symbol of that covenant. Covenants create the kind of relationship that allows God to mold and change us over time and lift us to become more like the Savior, drawing us closer and closer to Him and our Father (see Doctrine and Covenants 133:53) and eventually preparing us to enter Their presence.”
— Sister J. Anette Dennis, first counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, April 2024 general conference, “Put Ye On the Lord Jesus Christ”
“Many married couples also trust in God when the righteous desires of their hearts are not realized how or when they had hoped and dreamed. They ‘wait upon the Lord’ (Isaiah 40:31) and do not demand that He meet their mortal deadlines. ‘For since the beginning of the world have not men heard nor perceived by the ear, neither hath any eye seen, O God, besides thee, how great things thou hast prepared for [them] that waiteth for thee’ (Doctrine and Covenants 133:45).”
— Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 2023 general conference, “In the Path of Their Duty”
“The personal growth one can achieve now while waiting upon the Lord and His promises is an invaluable, sacred element of His plan for each one of us. The contributions one can make now to help build up the Church on earth and to gather Israel are much needed. Marital status has nothing to do with one’s capacity to serve. The Lord honors those who serve and wait upon Him in patience and faith (see Doctrine and Covenants 133:45).”
— The late President M. Russell Ballard, then the acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 2021 general conference, “Hope in Christ”
“Many of you have witnessed miracles, more than you realize. They may seem small in comparison to Jesus raising the dead. But the magnitude does not distinguish a miracle, only that it came from God. …
“Miracles are wrought by divine power by Him who is ‘mighty to save’ (Doctrine and Covenants 133:47). Miracles are extensions of God’s eternal plan; miracles are a lifeline from heaven to earth.”
— Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 2021 general conference, “‘Behold! I Am a God of Miracles’”
“When we worship God, we approach Him with reverent love, humility and adoration. We acknowledge and accept Him as our sovereign King, the Creator of the universe, our beloved and infinitely loving Father. …
“True disciples are drawn to ‘worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters — calling upon the name of the Lord day and night’ (Doctrine and Covenants 133:39-40).”
— The late Bishop Dean M. Davies, then the first counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, October 2016 general conference, “The Blessings of Worship”
“In modern revelation the Lord has said: ‘Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord’ (Doctrine and Covenants 133:5).
“In a world that wallows in filth, be clean — in language, in thought, in body, in dress.”
— The late President Gordon B. Hinckley, then the president of the Church, April 2007 general conference, “‘I Am Clean’”
“The antithesis and antagonist of Zion is Babylon. The city of Babylon was originally Babel, of Tower of Babel fame, and later became the capital of the Babylonian empire. … Its worldliness, its worship of evil, and the captivity of Judah there following the conquest of 587 B.C. all combine to make Babylon the symbol of decadent societies and spiritual bondage.
“It is with this backdrop that the Lord said to the members of His Church, ‘Go ye out of Babylon; gather ye out from among the nations, from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other’ (Doctrine and Covenants 133:7). He called for the elders of His Church to be sent forth across the world to accomplish this gathering, commencing an effort that continues in full vigor today. ‘And behold, and lo, this shall be their cry, and the voice of the Lord unto all people: Go ye forth unto the land of Zion, that the borders of my people may be enlarged, and that her stakes may be strengthened, and that Zion may go forth unto the regions round about’ (Doctrine and Covenants 133:9).”
“And so today the Lord’s people are gathering ‘out from among the nations’ as they gather into the congregations and stakes of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that are scattered throughout the nations.”
— President D. Todd Christofferson, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 2008 general conference, “Come to Zion”
“The work of the Lord is accomplished as His gospel is ‘preached unto every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people’ (Doctrine and Covenants 133:37) and as His everlasting covenant is established through the ordinances of the temple.
“Just as the Savior invited Mary and Martha of New Testament times to participate in His work, women of this dispensation have an official commission to participate in the Lord’s work. From the earliest days of the Restoration, women were active in helping build up the Church by supporting missionary efforts, contributing to the construction of temples and establishing communities where the Saints could worship together. The organization of Relief Society in 1842 mobilized the collective power of the women and their specific assignments to build the Lord’s kingdom, just as the organization of priesthood quorums gave men specific responsibilities.”
— Sister Julie B. Beck, then the Relief Society general president, October 2008 general conference, “Fulfilling the Purpose of Relief Society”
“Marriage is both a commandment and an exalting principle of the gospel. Because it is ordained of God, the intimate physical expressions of married love are sacred. Yet all too commonly, these divine gifts are desecrated. If a couple allows lewd language or pornography to corrupt their intimacy, they offend their Creator while they degrade and diminish their own divine gifts. True happiness is predicated upon personal purity. Scripture commands: ‘Be ye clean’ (Doctrine and Covenants 133:5). Marriage should ever be a covenant to lift husbands and wives to exaltation in celestial glory.”
— The late President Russell M. Nelson, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 2006 general conference, “Nurturing Marriage”
“This is the great time foreseen by prophets since the Creation. The restored gospel will go to every nation. The Savior sent these words to the Prophet Joseph Smith:
“‘I have sent forth mine angel flying through the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel, who hath appeared unto some and hath committed it unto man, who shall appear unto many that dwell on the earth.
“‘And this gospel shall be preached unto every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people’ (Doctrine and Covenants 133:36-37).
“Whatever tumults occur, we can know that God will set bounds to fulfill His promises. He, not just men, has the ultimate control of nations and of events to allow His purposes to be fulfilled. Among every people and every nation there will be raised up those who serve with absolute assurance that they are children of God and who have become purified disciples of the resurrected Christ in His Church.”
— President Henry B. Eyring, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 2003 general conference, “A Child and a Disciple”
Doctrine and Covenants 134
“I close with a passage from the Doctrine and Covenants. This passage was revealed in 1835, at a time when, despite constitutional protections, my forefathers were being driven from their homes for embracing what to others seemed like new and different beliefs. So it is a sobering reminder for our time, especially when many of today’s restrictions on religious freedom also come in countries that espouse the principle but sometimes fail to apply it in practice.
“Our scripture says, ‘No government can exist in peace, except such laws are framed and held inviolate as will secure to each individual the free exercise of conscience.’ Governments may ‘restrain crime, but never control conscience; [they] should punish guilt, but never suppress the freedom of the soul’ (Doctrine and Covenants 134:2, 4).
“May we pursue peace by working together to preserve and protect the freedom of all people to hold and manifest a religion or belief of their choice, whether individually or in community with others, at home or abroad, in public or private, and in worship, observance, practice and teaching.”
— President D. Todd Christofferson, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the February 2018 Liahona article, “Religious Freedom: Cornerstone of Peace”
“No one should be criticized, persecuted or attacked by individuals, or governments either, for what he or she believes about God. It is very personal and very important. An early declaration of our beliefs regarding religious liberty states:
“‘No government can exist in peace, except such laws are framed and held inviolate as will secure to each individual the free exercise of conscience. …
“‘The civil magistrate should restrain crime, but never control conscience [or] suppress the freedom of the soul’ (Doctrine and Covenants 134:2, 4).
“This fundamental freedom of belief has since been acknowledged by the United Nations in its Universal Declaration of Human Rights and by other national and international human rights documents.”
— The late Elder Robert D. Hales, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 2015 general conference, “Preserving Agency, Protecting Religious Freedom”
“One of the reasons the attack on moral and religious principles has been so successful is the reluctance of people of faith to express their views. Extraordinary effort will be required to protect religious liberty. Our doctrine confirms what the U.S. founding fathers and political philosophers have advocated.
“‘No government can exist in peace, except such laws are framed and held inviolate as will secure to each individual the free exercise of conscience’ (Doctrine and Covenants 134:2). Religious conscience is grounded in one’s belief in being accountable to God for conduct. The effort of secularists and governments to coerce conduct in conflict with religious conscience leads to social disunity and is a primary reason that religious liberty is essential for civil peace.”
— Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the September 2012 Ensign article, “Restoring Morality and Religious Freedom”
“The commandments to love God and neighbor are interrelated. We cannot fully love God without loving our neighbor. We cannot fully love our neighbor without loving God. Men really are brothers because God really is our Father. Nevertheless, scriptures are studded with stories of contention and combat. They strongly condemn wars of aggression but sustain obligations of citizens to defend their families and their freedoms. Because ‘we believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law’ (Articles of Faith 1:12), members of this Church will be called into military service of many nations. ‘We believe that governments were instituted of God for the benefit of man; and that he holds men accountable for their acts in relation to them, both in making laws and administering them, for the good and safety of society’ (Doctrine and Covenants 134:1).”
— The late President Russell M. Nelson, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 2002 general conference, “‘Blessed Are the Peacemakers’”
“I want to read and comment on a few of the themes found in this sacred ‘declaration of belief regarding governments and laws’ that we know as section 134 of the Doctrine and Covenants. The teachings contained therein make clear what must be rendered to Caesar and what must be rendered to God. Verse one begins, ‘We believe that governments were instituted of God for the benefit of man.’ What a simple, yet bold, opening to this declaration. …
“Section 134 requires us to respect government and work for the establishment of well-ordered and well-administered governments to avoid the evil consequences of anarchy and terror. Government is the opposite of anarchy. It was instituted by God to prevent that kind of society from existing. It is an exalted and ennobling principle.”
— The late Stan A. Taylor, then a professor of political science at Brigham Young University, May 1998 BYU devotional, “Accountable Citizenship”
“The fourth certainty to keep in mind in our civic responsibilities is to choose those to govern us as ‘civil officers and magistrates [who will] enforce the laws … and … administer the law in equity and justice’ (Doctrine and Covenants 134:3), as we are admonished by inspired men of God.
“In a word, we must seek for statesmen-like men who will ask, ‘Is it right and is it good for the country or the community?’ instead of those who may merely ask, ‘Is it politically expedient?’”
— The late President Harold B. Lee, then the first counselor in the First Presidency, April 1972 general conference, “A Time of Decision”
