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What was the historical context of Doctrine and Covenants section 6?
Section 6 of the Doctrine and Covenants is a revelation that includes a lot of what I will call “motivational gems” such as verses 33-34:
“Fear not to do bgood, my sons, for whatsoever ye csow, that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow dgood ye shall also reap good for your ereward.Therefore, fear not, little aflock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are bbuilt upon my rock, they cannot prevail. Behold, I do not condemn you; go your ways and asin no more; perform with soberness the work which I have commanded you. Look unto me in every bthought; cdoubt not, fear not. Behold the wounds which pierced my side, and also the prints of the bnails in my hands and feet; be faithful, keep my commandments, and ye shall cinherit the dkingdom of heaven. Amen.”
There is a lot of the Lord’s counsel in this section initially directed towards The Prophet Joseph Smith Jr. and Oliver Cowdery. I did some research and found that this revelation was given shortly after Oliver met Joseph and began recording the translations for what would become The Book of Mormon.
Oliver began as a school teacher for the children of Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith (Joseph Smith Jr.’s parents). The custom was to have the school teacher stay in their home. After some time, Oliver heard of the ‘gold plates’ and inquired of the family. He exclaimed that he had been praying for revelation to come and for this type of thing to occur and for him to find it. These are his words to Joseph Smith Sr. the next day after he heard about what Joseph Smith Jr. was doing:
“….The subject upon which we were yesterday conversing seems working in my very bones, and I cannot, for a moment, get it out of my mind; finally, I have resolved on what I will do. Samuel [Smith], I understand, is going down to Pennsylvania to spend the spring with Joseph; I shall make my arrangements to be ready to accompany him thither, . . . for I have made it a subject of prayer, and I firmly believe that it is the will of the Lord that I should go. If there is a work for me to do in this thing, I am determined to attend to it.” ( History of Joseph Smith, p. 139.)
When Oliver arrived with his intended mission, the prophet Joseph was not at all surprised to see him; for he had been praying for an aid in scribing the translations of the gold plates. Knowing this story, I think, clearly helps us see that the two were now in need of encouragement and instruction for the very difficult journey they would each have in the near future. The counsel, as is shown above, is the best summary of the Lord’s attitude towards these two servants of His. They were in need of an encouragement just as any soldier would need it before going into battle. Section 6 is full of wonderful counsel that each of us now have access to. I know in my life I have found comfort in the words of the Savior about doubting not and trusting in the Lord.I know also, that seeing how the Lord brought these two together to perform a work; can be a lesson I take into my life as pertaining to my mission in life. I will trust in the Lord and His directions as I seek His will for me through prayer.
