Being Faithful to God

As I’ve begun reading the Doctrine and Covenants for a class I’m in, I can’t help but think what it was like for Joseph Smith to receive revelation from God. For a little background, I am a Latter-Day Saint, or Mormon. We claim that God the Father and Jesus Christ called Joseph Smith as a prophet. It was a shock to young 14-year old Joseph when God and Jesus Christ appeared to him, when he was simply praying to find forgiveness of his sins. After many years and much personal growth, Joseph Smith discovered that God church was not on the earth and that he was to be a modern day prophet. He translated the Book of Mormon, established the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and fulfilled God’s purposes. Joseph Smith received constant revelation from God. It appears in many ways such as the Book of Mormon and temple worship services. The Doctrine and Covenants is more revelation given by God, to us, through the Prophet Joseph Smith and other latter-day prophets.

At the beginning of his translation of the Book of Mormon, Martin Harris, the scribe, asked Joseph if he could take 116 pages of translation to his wife, in order to convince her of Joseph’s legitimacy. As we have learned in class, Martin Harris was somewhat rich and had promised Joseph money for the publication of the Book of Mormon. Martin was pressuring Joseph, and I’m sure Joseph was afraid of losing the promised money. Joseph, after having been told by the Lord not to give the 116 pages to Martin, lent Martin Harris the manuscript. In section 3 of the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord chastised Joseph for not listening to Him.

How many times do we make this same mistake? How many times have I been peer pressured into doing something that I know isn’t the best thing to do? The Lord said, “behold, you should not have feared man more than God…you should have been faithful…” Thankfully, the Lord gave Joseph and us the gift of repentance through his son Jesus Christ. We are able to learn, move on, and not make such a mistake again.

I am reminded of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who didn’t make such a mistake but were faithful to God and said, “our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O King, But if not be it know unto thee, O King, that we will not serve they gods, nor worship the golden image which thou has set up” (Daniel 3:17-18). Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were faithful to the Lord and promised to follow him, even if there was no miracle to save them from the fiery furnace. What faith and what allegiance they showed.

We have the example of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, to teach us what to do when our values are being jeopardized. We have Joseph Smith to teach us that if we do make a mistake, we can come back. I’m thankful for prophets who teach. I’m thankful for prophets who struggled through mortality just like every other human on earth and therefore, more able to teach us the truths of Jesus Christ.