LDS Doctrine and Covenants Critique
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The Doctrine and Covenants
SECTION 68
Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at
Hiram, Ohio, November 1, 1831, in response to prayer that the mind of
the Lord be made known concerning Orson Hyde, Luke S. Johnson, Lyman E.
Johnson, and William E. McLellin. Although part of this revelation was
directed toward these four men, much of the content pertains to the
whole Church. This revelation was expanded under Joseph Smith’s
direction when it was published in the 1835 edition of the Doctrine and
Covenants.
1–5, The words of the elders when moved upon by the Holy Ghost are
scripture; 6–12, Elders are to preach and baptize, and signs will
follow true believers; 13–24, The firstborn among the sons of Aaron may
serve as the Presiding Bishop (that is, hold the keys of presidency as
a bishop) under the direction of the First Presidency; 25–28, Parents
are commanded to teach the gospel to their children; 29–35, The Saints
are to observe the Sabbath, labor diligently, and pray.
1 My servant, Orson Hyde, was called by his ordination to proclaim the
everlasting gospel, by the Spirit of the living God, from people to
people, and from land to land, in the congregations of the wicked, in
their synagogues, reasoning with and expounding all scriptures unto
them.
Note: The gospel is Jesus Christ.
Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to
you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you
are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless
you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I
also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the
Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third
day according to the Scriptures. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
2 And, behold, and lo, this is an ensample unto all those who were
ordained unto this priesthood, whose mission is appointed unto them to
go forth—
Note: The New Covenant eliminated priesthood.
For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices.
Therefore, it is necessary that this One also have something to offer.
For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are
priests who offer the gifts according to the law; who serve the copy
and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed
when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, “See that you
make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”
But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is
also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better
promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place
would have been sought for a second. Because finding fault with them,
He says: “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make
a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—
not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day
when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt;
because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them,
says the LORD. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house
of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their
mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they
shall be My people. None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his
brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for all shall know Me, from the least
of them to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful to their
unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember
no more.” In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first
obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to
vanish away. Hebrews 8:3-13
3 And this is the ensample unto them, that they shall speak as they are
moved upon by the Holy Ghost. 4 And whatsoever they shall speak when
moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be scripture, shall be the will of
the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the word of the Lord,
shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation.
Note: Believers will preach Jesus Christ.
For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know
God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to
save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after
wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block
and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews
and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 1
Corinthians 1:21-24
5 Behold, this is the promise of the Lord unto you, O ye my servants. 6
Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with
you, and will stand by you; and ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus
Christ, that I am the Son of the living God, that I was, that I am, and
that I am to come.
Note: Believers will preach Jesus Christ.
Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths
reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating
that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying,
“This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.” And some of them were
persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of
the leading women, joined Paul and Silas. Acts 17:2-4
7 This is the word of the Lord unto you, my servant Orson Hyde, and
also unto my servant Luke Johnson, and unto my servant Lyman Johnson,
and unto my servant William E. McLellin, and unto all the faithful
elders of my church 8 Go ye into all the world, preach the gospel to
every creature, acting in the authority which I have given you,
baptizing in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost. 9 And he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and he
that believeth not shall be damned.
Note: The Holy Bible was plagiarized.
“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go
therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” Matthew
28:18-19
“He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” Mark 16:16
10 And he that believeth shall be blest with signs following, even as it is written.
Note: The Holy Bible was plagiarized.
“And these signs will follow those who believe” Mark 16:17
11 And unto you it shall be given to know the signs of the times, and
the signs of the coming of the Son of Man; 12 And of as many as the
Father shall bear record, to you shall be given power to seal them up
unto eternal life. Amen.
Note: Jesus Christ is eternal life.
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have
seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have
handled, concerning the Word of life— the life was manifested, and we
have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which
was with the Father and was manifested to us— that which we have seen
and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us;
and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus
Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. 1
John 1:1-4
13 And now, concerning the items in addition to the covenants and
commandments, they are these—14 There remain hereafter, in the due time
of the Lord, other bishops to be set apart unto the church, to minister
even according to the first; 15 Wherefore they shall be high priests
who are worthy, and they shall be appointed by the First Presidency of
the Melchizedek Priesthood, except they be literal descendants of
Aaron. 16 And if they be literal descendants of Aaron they have a legal
right to the bishopric, if they are the firstborn among the sons of
Aaron; 17 For the firstborn holds the right of the presidency over this
priesthood, and the keys or authority of the same. 18 No man has a
legal right to this office, to hold the keys of this priesthood, except
he be a literal descendant and the firstborn of Aaron.
Note: The New Covenant has eliminated the office of priesthood.
And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the
same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He
had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand
of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool.
For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being
sanctified. But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had
said before, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after
those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in
their minds I will write them,” then He adds, “Their sins and their
lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Now where there is remission of
these, there is no longer an offering for sin. Hebrews 10:11-18
19 But, as a high priest of the Melchizedek Priesthood has authority to
officiate in all the lesser offices he may officiate in the office of
bishop when no literal descendant of Aaron can be found, provided he is
called and set apart and ordained unto this power, under the hands of
the First Presidency of the Melchizedek Priesthood. 20 And a literal
descendant of Aaron, also, must be designated by this Presidency, and
found worthy, and anointed, and ordained under the hands of this
Presidency, otherwise they are not legally authorized to officiate in
their priesthood.
Note: Jesus Christ as Melchizedek eliminated the Aaronic priesthood.
Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for
under it the people received the law), what further need was there that
another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and
not be called according to the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being
changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law. For He of whom
these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has
officiated at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord arose from
Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. And it
is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there
arises another priest who has come, not according to the law of a
fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life. For
He testifies: “You are a priest forever according to the order of
Melchizedek.” For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former
commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness, for the law
made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a
better hope, through which we draw near to God. Hebrews 7:11-19
21 But, by virtue of the decree concerning their right of the
priesthood descending from father to son, they may claim their
anointing if at any time they can prove their lineage, or do ascertain
it by revelation from the Lord under the hands of the above named
Presidency. 22 And again, no bishop or high priest who shall be set
apart for this ministry shall be tried or condemned for any crime, save
it be before the First Presidency of the church; 23 And inasmuch as he
is found guilty before this Presidency, by testimony that cannot be
impeached, he shall be condemned; 24 And if he repent he shall be
forgiven, according to the covenants and commandments of the church.
Note: Jesus Christ as Melchizedek eliminated the Aaronic priesthood.
And inasmuch as He was not made priest without an oath (for they have
become priests without an oath, but He with an oath by Him who said to
Him: “The LORD has sworn and will not relent, ‘You are a priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek’”), by so much more Jesus has
become a surety of a better covenant. Also, there were many priests,
because they were prevented by death from continuing. But He, because
He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore, He is
also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him,
since He always lives to make intercession for them. For such a High
Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate
from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need
daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own
sins and then for the people, for this He did once for all when He
offered up Himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who have
weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints
the Son who has been perfected forever. Hebrews 7:20-28
25 And again, inasmuch as parents have children in Zion, or in any of
her stakes which are organized, that teach them not to understand the
doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the Son of the living God, and
of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the
hands, when eight years old, the sin be upon the heads of the parents.
26 For this shall be a law unto the inhabitants of Zion, or in any of
her stakes which are organized. 27 And their children shall be baptized
for the remission of their sins when eight years old, and receive the
laying on of the hands. 28 And they shall also teach their children to
pray, and to walk uprightly before the Lord.
Note: Baptism is not the Christian Gospel.
For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not
with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no
effect. 1 Corinthians 1:17
29 And the inhabitants of Zion shall also observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy.
Note: The New Covenant eliminated the Sabbath day as holy.
Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to
break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and
continued his message until midnight. Acts 20:7
30 And the inhabitants of Zion also shall remember their labors,
inasmuch as they are appointed to labor, in all faithfulness; for the
idler shall be had in remembrance before the Lord. 31 Now, I, the Lord,
am not well pleased with the inhabitants of Zion, for there are idlers
among them; and their children are also growing up in wickedness; they
also seek not earnestly the riches of eternity, but their eyes are full
of greediness. 32 These things ought not to be, and must be done away
from among them; wherefore, let my servant Oliver Cowdery carry these
sayings unto the land of Zion.
Note: Zion is Jerusalem not Independence Missouri.
Now Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the
tribes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel, in Jerusalem, that
they might bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD up from the City
of David, which is Zion. 2 Chronicles 5:2
33 And a commandment I give unto them—that he that observeth not his
prayers before the Lord in the season thereof, let him be had in
remembrance before the judge of my people. 34 These sayings are true
and faithful; wherefore, transgress them not, neither take therefrom.
35 Behold, I am Alpha and Omega, and I come quickly. Amen.
Note: Joseph Smith placed LDS fanatics under a curse.
For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it
is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things
which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” But that no one
is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just
shall live by faith.” Galatians 3:10-11