Here is what stands out to me as I read D&C 1:
The Lord’s Power
His voice reaches all. “For verily the voice of the Lord is unto all men, and there is none to escape; and there is no eye that shall not see, neither ear that shall not hear, neither heart that shall not be penetrated.” (verse 2) I love how He is not apologetic of His word. It is what it is. In verse 38, “What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself…” I love that confidence!
We Control our Destinies
We get to choose where we end up according to our hearts, desires and actions. This is through our works: “Unto the day when the Lord shall come to recompense unto every man according to his work, and measure unto every man according to the measure which he has measured to his fellow man.” (verse 10) It is through our desire to listen and hear His word: “Wherefore the voice of the Lord is unto the ends of the earth, that all that will hear may hear.” (verse 11) In verses 25-28, a phrase, “And inasmuch as they …” is repeated several times. Promises follow as guidelines are established. We know, plain and simple, what we need to do. We get to choose whether we do it or not.
“For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance.”
This statement from verse 31 feels firm, but it is not harsh. It is not lacking love. It is separate from love. It is law. He just can’t allow it. So when we sin, or live in our sins, He has to allow natural consequences to follow. He cannot intervene. It doesn’t mean that He doesn’t feel for us or with us, or hope for us; His love is still there; it’s just that He is bound by our choices and agency. When we choose sin, we enter the risk of the natural world on our own.
We Need to be Careful
Our hearts should be single to the Lord. There are many things that take us away from this. We need to check ourselves and make sure our treasures are those in spiritual nature, not of the world.
In His Wisdom, The Lord Uses Us In Our Weakness
He says in verse 19 that the weak things of the world will come forth and break down the mighty and strong. Here is His reasons why He uses the weak to break the strong:
- That man should not counsel his fellow man.
- That man should not trust in the arm of flesh.
- That every man might speak in the name of God, the Lord.
- That faith might increase in the earth.
- That His everlasting covenant might be established.
- That the fullness of His gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world, and before kings and rulers.
The Lord’s Genuine Love for Us
He notes that all of these things are taught and told to us in our weakness and in our own language so we could understand. He reaches out to us in ways that make sense to us, so our hearts can understand, so we can feel His love. He also notes in verse 32 that we, all of us, can be and are forgiven when we are ready for it and willing to do the work for it.
And the very last verse, “For behold, and lo, the Lord is God, and the Spirit beareth record, and the record is true, and the truth abideth forever and ever. Amen.” The gospel is simple and full of love, and it is available to all of us who are willing to seek it. The glory is that in the end, truth reigns.
Forever grateful!
