New book: Covenant Power

For Latter-day Saints, one of the principal ways to achieve "no more contention" is participating in the temple. Regular and purposeful temple attendance leads to greater clarity, charity and understanding.

There's a new book titled Covenant Power that helps motivate readers to participate more in the temple. The author, Sharla Goettl, gives us a new approach to thinking about temple experiences and covenants. She writes in a first-person perspective of well-known people from the scriptures, inviting us to see them in a real-world context that we can relate to.

 

She explained the book this way: "My goal is to build a bridge between your study of the scriptures, the temple covenants taught in the endowments, and your own lived experiences."

The book accomplishes this goal quite well. 

There are separate chapters for each of the temple covenants, with an emphasis on clarity, charity and understanding. I liked this passage, for example.

"But what is the effect of this work? More unity, refuge, and peace. Covenants don't protect us from betrayal or heartache, but they counter the vulnerabilities these experiences can cause. Our personal charity creates an environment where others can also experience the love of God."

I readily endorse this book as a useful guide in the pursuit of "no more contention."

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The explanation on the publisher's website is an excellent summary.

In Covenant Power, teacher Sharla Goettl uses captivating storytelling to bring key endowment principles to life, presented in the imagined voices of the scriptural figures who taught each principle best, such as Peter, Eve, Nephi, & Mormon. Through these stories, you'll gain an understanding of how the endowment prepares us to receive Christ’s covenant power. They also highlight connections between the scriptures and the endowment. God designed temple covenants to enable lasting success, calm deep fears, and build steady confidence.

This book teaches how each covenant you make helps you to connect with Christ’s power:

- Law of Obedience: The action of seeing Christ’s power

- Law of Sacrifice: Embrace the process to gain Christ’s power

- Law of the Gospel: Learn how to retain Christ’s power

- Law of Chastity: Discover the key to increase in Christ’s power

- Law of Consecration: An opportunity to share Christ’s power

BYU Studies eliminates contention

A recent article in BYU Studies is a major breakthrough in the pursuit of "no more contention." This article may well eliminate any lingering contention among Latter-day Saints about the origin and setting of the Book of Mormon.

Here is the article:

https://byustudies.byu.edu/article/were-nephis-small-plates-contained-in-mormons-gold-plates

It discusses the "two sets of plates" scenario, which means Joseph translated two separate sets of plates:

(i) the abridged plates which he obtained from Moroni's stone box on the hill Cumorah. He translated this set of plates in Harmony, PA, as described by the Title Page which was the last leaf of the plates.

(ii) the original plates of Nephi, which he translated in Fayette, NY, as described by D&C 10, which instructed Joseph to "translate the engravings which are on the plates of Nephi." This set of plates, being original writings, were not mentioned in the Title Page and not included in the set of abridged plates in Moroni's stone box. Instead, Joseph received them from the divine messenger who got them from the repository in the hill Cumorah and took them to Fayette. Joseph identified the messenger as one of the Three Nephites.

This graphic depicts the narrative:

https://www.lettervii.com/p/the-two-sets-of-plates-schematic.html

This narrative resolves contention by affirming that

(i) Joseph actually translated the engravings on the plates, which is why he needed the two separate sets of plates to translate them. This eliminates theories about the translation that claim Joseph did not use the plates.

(ii) The Hill Cumorah/Ramah is actually in western New York. This eliminates theories about the setting that put Cumorah elsewhere.

This article will bring Latter-day Saints closer together in harmony and unity.

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To appreciate the significance of this article, consider the previous differences of opinion that led to contention among some Latter-day Saints.

Origin

Urim and Thummim vs stone-in-the-hat (SITH)

1. Some Latter-day Saints believe Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery when they taught that Joseph translated the plates "by means of the Urim and Thummim."

2. Other Latter-day Saints rejected what Joseph and Oliver taught and instead believed the SITH narrative from Momonism Unvailed: "Instead of looking at the characters inscribed upon the plates, the prophet was obliged to resort to the old "peep stone," which he formerly used in money-digging. This he placed in a hat, or box, into which he also thrust his face." Although Joseph and Oliver denounced that book, its narrative prevailed among many LDS scholars.

3. Resolution: Now all Latter-day Saints can agree to accept what Joseph and Oliver taught about the translation of the Book of Mormon. 

Setting

1. Some Latter-day Saints believe what Joseph, Oliver, their contemporaries and successors all said about the Hill Cumorah/Ramah as the hill in New York that was the site of (i) Moroni's stone box and (ii) the repository of Nephite records (Mormon 6:6). This was declared as a fact in Letter VII, which was republished in all the Church newspapers during Joseph Smith's lifetime. The New York Cumorah was memorialized in sermons, hymns, histories, and even in D&C 128:20. See https://www.lettervii.com/.

2. Other Latter-day Saints rejected the teachings about Cumorah and instead believed that Cumorah was somewhere else. Many LDS scholars taught that Cumorah was in southern Mexico. Others believed it was in Baja California, Panama, or other locations in Central and South America and even other parts of the world. 

3. Resolution: Now all Latter-day Saints can agree to accept what Joseph and Oliver taught about the Hill Cumorah. Even though this leaves the rest of the setting open to further discussion and analysis, Cumorah is now the universally accepted "pin in the map" for all other theories.

Jeffrey R. Holland and ministering

The passing of President Holland reminds us of his talk on ministering, which promoted the values of clarity, charity and understanding.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2018/04/be-with-and-strengthen-them?lang=eng

Brothers and sisters, as the work of quorums and auxiliaries matures institutionally, it follows that we should mature personally as well—individually rising above any mechanical, function-without-feeling routine to the heartfelt discipleship articulated by the Savior at the conclusion of His earthly ministry. As He prepared to leave His still-innocent and somewhat-confused little band of followers, He did not list a dozen administrative steps they had to take or hand them a fistful of reports to be filled out in triplicate. No, He summarized their task in one fundamental commandment: “Love one another; as I have loved you. … By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

In an effort to move us closer to that gospel ideal, this newly announced priesthood and Relief Society ministering concept will include, among other things, the following elements, some of which the Relief Society has already put in place with wonderful success.

• We will no longer use home teaching and visiting teaching language. That is partly because much of our ministering effort will be in settings other than the home and partly because our contact won’t be defined by teaching a prepared lesson, though a lesson certainly may be shared if there is need for such. The primary purpose in this ministering idea will be, as was said of the people in Alma’s day, to “watch over their people, and … nourish them with things pertaining to righteousness.”

• We will continue to visit homes as possible, but local circumstances such as large numbers, long distances, personal safety, and other challenging conditions may preclude a visit to every home every month. As the First Presidency counseled years ago, do the best you can. In addition to whatever schedule you establish for actual visits, that calendar can be supplemented with telephone calls, written notes, texts, emails, video chats, conversations at Church meetings, shared service projects, social activities, and a host of possibilities in the world of social media. However, I should stress that this expansive new view does not include the sorry statement I recently saw on an automobile bumper sticker. It read, “If I honk, you’ve been home taught.” Please, please, brethren (the sisters would never be guilty of that—I speak to the brethren of the Church), with these adjustments we want more care and concern, not less.

• With this newer, more gospel-based concept of ministering, I feel you starting to panic about what counts on the report. Well, relax, because there isn’t any report—at least not the 31st-of-the-month, “I made it through the door by the skin of my teeth” report. Here too we are trying to mature. The only report that will be made is the number of interviews leaders had with the ministering companionships in the ward that quarter. Simple as that sounds, my friends, those interviews are absolutely crucial. Without that information the bishop will have no way to receive the information he needs regarding the spiritual and temporal conditions of his people. Remember: ministering brethren represent the bishopric and elders quorum presidency; they don’t replace them. The keys of a bishop and a quorum president go far beyond this ministering concept.

• Because this report is different from anything you have submitted in the past, let me stress that we at Church headquarters don’t need to know how or where or when you make contact with your people; we just need to know and care that you do make it and that you bless them in every way you can.

Brothers and sisters, we have a heaven-sent opportunity as an entire Church to demonstrate “pure religion … undefiled before God”—“to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light” and to “comfort those that stand in need of comfort,” to minister to the widows and the fatherless, the married and the single, the strong and the distraught, the downtrodden and the robust, the happy and the sad—in short, all of us, every one of us, because we all need to feel the warm hand of friendship and hear the firm declaration of faith. However, I warn you, a new name, new flexibility, and fewer reports won’t make an ounce of difference in our service unless we see this as an invitation to care for one another in a bold, new, holier way, as President Nelson has just said. As we lift our spiritual eyes toward living the law of love more universally, we pay tribute to the generations who have served that way for years. Let me note a recent example of such devotion in hopes that legions more will grasp the Lord’s commandment to “be with and strengthen” our brothers and sisters.

Last January 14, a Sunday, just a little after 5:00 p.m., my young friends Brett and Kristin Hamblin were chatting at their home in Tempe, Arizona, after Brett’s day serving in the bishopric and Kristin’s busy day caring for their five children.

Suddenly Kristin, a seemingly successful survivor of breast cancer the previous year, fell unresponsive. A call to 911 brought an emergency team trying desperately to revive her. As Brett prayed and pleaded, he quickly placed just two other telephone calls: one to his mother requesting her help with the children, the other to Edwin Potter, his home teacher. The latter conversation in its entirety went as follows:

Edwin, noting caller ID, said, “Hey, Brett, what’s up?”

Brett’s near-shouted response was “I need you here—now!”

In fewer minutes than Brett could count, his priesthood colleague was standing at his side, helping with the children and then driving Brother Hamblin to the hospital behind the ambulance carrying his wife. There, less than 40 minutes after she had first closed her eyes, the physicians pronounced Kristin dead.

As Brett sobbed, Edwin simply held him in his arms and cried with him—for a long, long time. Then, leaving Brett to grieve with other family members who had gathered, Edwin drove to the bishop’s home to tell him what had just transpired. A marvelous bishop started immediately for the hospital while Edwin drove on to the Hamblins’ home. There he and his wife, Charlotte, who had also come running, played with the five now-motherless Hamblin children, ages 12 down to 3. They fed them an evening meal, held an impromptu musical recital, and helped get them ready for bed.

Brett told me later, “The amazing part of this story isn’t that Edwin came when I called. In an emergency, there are always people willing to help. No, the amazing part of this story is that he was the one I thought of. There were other people around. Kristin has a brother and sister less than three miles away. We have a great bishop, the greatest. But the relationship between Edwin and me is such that I felt instinctively to call him when I needed help. The Church provides us a structured way to live the second commandment better—to love, serve, and develop relationships with our brothers and sisters that help us move closer to God.”

Edwin said about the experience, “Elder Holland, the irony in all of this is that Brett has been our family’s home teacher for longer than I have been theirs. Over that time, he has visited us more as a friend than by assignment. He has been a great example, the epitome of what an active and involved priesthood bearer should be. My wife, our boys—we don’t see him as one obligated to bring us a message at the end of each month; we think of him as a friend who lives just down the street and around the corner, who would do anything in this world to bless us. I am glad I could repay just a little bit of the debt I owe him.”

Brothers and sisters, I join with you in saluting every block teacher and ward teacher and home teacher and visiting teacher who has loved and served so faithfully throughout our history. Our prayer today is that every man and woman—and our older young men and young women—will leave this general conference more deeply committed to heartfelt care for one another, motivated only by the pure love of Christ to do so. In spite of what we all feel are our limitations and inadequacies—and we all have challenges—nevertheless, may we labor side by side with the Lord of the vineyard, giving the God and Father of us all a helping hand with His staggering task of answering prayers, providing comfort, drying tears, and strengthening feeble knees. If we will do that, we will be more like the true disciples of Christ we are meant to be. On this Easter Sunday, may we love one another as He has loved us, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.